Historical Fiction Q&A: The Most Asked Questions About Writing in the Genre

Historical Fiction Q&A: The Most Asked Questions About Writing in the Genre

One of the best parts about writing historical fiction is being able to immerse yourself in bygone eras that are rich with interesting people and unbelievable events.

But turning those people and events into an intriguing plot that skillfully captures the perspectives and moods of the time can be tricky, to say the least.

Crafting a compelling historical fiction is no small feat, as it requires a delicate balance between fact and imagination. New authors often find themselves having more questions than answers, and needing assistance on everything from character development to thematic resonance, from meticulous research to the crafting believable dialogue.

In this article, I have gathered as many questions from authors as I could find. I'm going to distill these queries into answers that will hopefully serve as guideposts for both novice and seasoned writers.

The answers here will not be deep dives by any means. They will be concise and to the point and direct you to where you might need to start looking if you require further clarification.

Contents:

• Getting Started with Historical Fiction

• Crafting Historical Fiction

• Structuring a Novel

• Research and The Writing Process

• Subgenres and Differentiations

• Incorporating Real People and Evaluating History

• Ensuring Historical Accuracy

Getting Started with Historical Fiction

Is writing historical fiction challenging?

Absolutely!

That may not be the answer you want to hear, but writing historical fiction definitely comes with unique challenges.

Balancing historical accuracy with engaging storytelling demands that you dedicate a lot of time to thorough research. And crafting believable characters within the cultural context requires that you understand their motivations from the relevant perspectives of the time, not yours.

Adding these types of details without overwhelming readers (or yourself) takes some finesse and a lot of time.

Dedication to research, empathy for characters, and narrative creativity are key to overcoming these hurdles and writing a great historical fiction novel.

What are the steps to writing historical fiction?

While there are a million different ways to write a book.....

Here is a list of best-practice steps to writing a historical novel, according to me:

1. Choose your era

2. Do very thorough research

3. Develop your characters

4. Outline a plot, filling in gaps in the history

5. Flesh out your outline with historical detail and work to seamlessly blend the facts with the fiction

6. Build out a solid atmosphere for your novel

7. Decide how you will handle dialogue, balancing characterization, accuracy, and readability

8. Write!

9. Edit and revise

10. Get expert feedback

By following this basic plan, you will be able to write a great historical novel. But remember that patience and a strong dedication to the research are essential and the better you do that, the better the final outcome will be.

Are there rules for writing historical fiction?

The answer is yes and no.

No hard and fast rules must be followed when writing historical fiction. But there are certain guidelines that writers should keep in mind if they want to create a great historical fiction story.

I have a post focused on answering this question, learn about these guidelines for writing historical fiction here.

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What should you NOT do when writing historical fiction?

Though there is room for creativity and artistic expression in historical fiction, these are things that should definitely be avoided at all costs:

• Anacronisms: Steer clear of using language, including objects, or concepts that didn’t exist in your chosen era.

• Modern Values: Avoid imposing contemporary beliefs on characters or situations; stay true to accurate historical attitudes.

• Forced Knowledge: Don’t overwhelm readers with exhaustive info-dumps of historical details. Weave information naturally into the story.

• Ignoring Research: Neglecting thorough research can—no will—lead to inaccuracies and disrupt the narrative. Make sure you are more informed than the average schmuck on your topic.

• Stereotypes: Refrain from relying on clichéd character roles or historical tropes that misrepresent the past.

• Convenient Time Travelers: Don’t make characters behave too modern, or rely on “ahead of their time characters” to justify modern attitudes on historical characters. Don’t allow them to predict future events or outcomes they wouldn’t know to simplify plotting for yourself.

While there is a lot of room to play in the historical fiction genre, the faux pas above are deal breakers, at least for editors like me.

Should historical fiction stick to the facts?

No, not always. But also yes.

Confused yet?

You should stick to the facts as much as possible, but let’s face it, history isn't laid out in a perfect three-act structure, with hooks, midpoints, climaxes and resolutions.

Inevitably, you will have to flex your creative muscles to fill in the gaps in history. Historical fiction is just that….fiction. You must find a balance between the facts and creative storytelling.

While adhering strictly to facts can limit your freedom, veering too far to the lonely end of the rink risks diluting the historical significance of your novel.

The goal is to capture the essence of the era while acknowledging the gaps in historical records. Adhere to the major events and the cultural environment to give your story a solid foundation, but bring those events and characters experiencing them to life through your imagination.

What is the most important feature of historical fiction?

By a mile, the most important feature of historical fiction is its ability to immerse readers in a distinct time and place, bringing to life the sights, sounds, emotions, and realities of a distant era.

Authenticity—both in the portrayal of historical details and the emotional resonance of characters—is essential for the genre. By carefully recreating the period’s atmosphere and staying true to its cultural nuances, historical fiction is about proving you have a deep understanding of the history while being able to distill that knowledge into a captivating story.

Related posts >>> How to Write a Story Better Than 99% of Other Writers. Hint: Focus on Emotions Not Facts

What should I write my historical fiction about?

This is a surprisingly common question, considering most historical fiction writers choose the genre because they are interested in some era of study in the first place. But, if you are struggling to decide on a topic for your historical fiction, here are some things to consider.

When choosing a subject for your novel, find something that you have a personal interest in. Rule number one is that a book you are passionate about will always turn out better than a book you have to slog through.

Secondly, delve into lesser-known events or figures. Find something that people don’t know a lot about or that haven’t had one hundred other books written about them. Books like The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray come to mind.

Shed light on something that hasn’t received much attention before. Find stories about ordinary people being swept up in extraordinary circumstances.

Explore themes with contemporary relevance that link the past and present.

By blending things you’re passionate about with stories that have gone untold, you will be more likely to mark out your own unique territory in the genre.

Crafting Historical Fiction

What type of characters are in historical fiction?

Like any story, your historical fiction can have as many types of characters as your creative little mind can muster.

However, there are some general characters that you will want to include in your novel to fully encapsulate the time period and thematic elements:

• Protagonists: These characters should reflect the struggles, aspirations, and the complexities of the era to engage readers emotionally with the story but also the time and place.

• Antagonists: In historical fiction, antagonists personify the challenges or ideologies relevant to the time, creating conflict and tension.

• Supporting Characters: Populate your story’s world with a diverse array of people who offer insight into the different social strata and viewpoints of your given era.

• Historical Figures: Realistically portray the real people who lived during the time period and played a key role in shaping the history. Seamlessly blend fictional elements with these factual aspects.

• Everyday People: Kind of like extras in a film, portray the lives of ordinary people going about their daily lives, providing relatable insight into historical contexts and building out the overall atmosphere.

• Symbolic Characters: These are characters who represent the larger themes or societal changes, adding depth and emotional resonance but also narrative cohesion.

But like I said, there are a million different ways that these general character types can be integrated into your novel depending on the time period you have chosen and the story you are telling.

What common themes are found in historical fiction?

Some common themes explored through historical fiction are:

• Identity and Belonging

• Resilience

• Love and Loss

• Power Structure and Rebellion

• Social Injustice

• Change and Progress

• Conflict and War

• Tradition vs. Modernity

Notice these are all wide encompassing themes that remain relatable throughout time and place. When choosing a theme for your novel, try to stick to things that modern audiences can understand and connect the past and present to provide more impact.

How do you write historical dialogue?

Writing authentic historical dialogue is about creating the illusion of historical dialogue more than accurately representing it. You must find a balance between accuracy and readability to match the well-established expectations of the average reader.

Research conversational norms, slang, and expressions and find appropriate places to insert them for a sense of authenticity. But do not overdo it so that reading it slows the reader down and pulls them out of the story.

Dialogue should reflect the socio-economic and cultural background of the character, while also being unique to them (character voice). Always keep the reader at the forefront of your mind when crafting dialogue.

I wrote an entire post dedicated to answering this question. If you would like to know more about crafting realistic historical fiction dialogue, go here.

Structuring a Novel

How do you structure historical fiction?

I really can’t tell you exactly how to structure your novel, that decision is based on the history you chose, your audience, and the type of story you are writing.

However, there are some basic things you will need to consider in your historical fiction’s structure.

In the first 25% of the novel: Establish the Historical Setting

Introductions—At the beginning of the story (preferably after you’ve hook the reader in), give yourself some room to develop your protagonist and their world, setting the historical stage and setting up your character’s transformation.

Historical Context—Immerse your readers in the era, providing a look at everyday life, introduce the social issues of the period, and create a vivid sense of time and place.

Inciting Incident—Launch the protagonist into the central conflict, weaving their goals into the historical events.

In the next 50% of the novel: Development and Conflict

Character Arcs—Deepen character development and explore all facets of them. Continue to incorporate the historical reality into your character’s arc.

Historical Challenges—Characters will face dilemmas and obstacles reflective of the eras, navigating social changes.

Rising Tensions—Escalate conflicts, personal and historical.

Integrate Your Research—Add in historical details from your research throughout to add authentic detail and depth to the story.

Turning Point—Every good story has a pivotal moment that reshapes the character’s goals and intensifies the narrative. Aim to have this turning point be dead center in the middle of the story and be connected to a similar turning point of history.

In the last 25% of the novel: Resolution and Reflection

Climax—Characters confront their primary conflicts, often within a significant historical context.

Emotional Closure—Resolve your character arcs and offer readers a satisfying emotional conclusion.

Historical Impact—Reveal how characters’ experiences relate to broader historical outcomes.

Final Reflection—Conclude with a moment of reflection, underscoring the time period’s lasting impact.

Though by no means an exhaustive step-by-step structure, this basic guideline will ensure that you hit some of the most important parts of a historical fiction story.

Related Posts >>> Plotting Historical Fiction: 6 Steps for Crafting an Engaging Story Set in the Past

Research and The Writing Process

How do you research a historical fiction book?

Want to know my best tips for researching historical fiction? Sure ya do.

• Select a focus

• Consult a wide variety of sources, both primary and secondary

• Visit libraries or archives

• Ask….literally. Email experts and just ask (but go into this one prepared, don’t waste anyone’s time with easily Googlable things)

• AI - ChatGPT is your friend, but my favorite research tools are Scispace (finds sources and reads PDFs you upload) and Cognosys that will help you find the best and most recent academic research.

• Take copious notes

• Mark down how historical details can be incorporated into the story as you go

I talk more about research in my post on historical accuracy and writing authentic historical fiction, you can read that one to learn more.

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How do you write a historical novel outline?

I have a very specific way of outlining that works for me personally, and has helped lots of my clients. It’s a little different.

There are a few things you are going to need to complete your outline:

Research notes

Take a ton of notes on all your research, and organize them however you need to. But make sure that you have them handy.

Historical Timeline

Create a timeline of events for your historical period with specific dates if available. The key to making this timeline however is not just plotting when events take place, but what causes them.

I do this on index cards, making sure the event on each card is directly caused by the one before it.

Map out branches of history and how they related to each other, identify holes in the history that you will need to fill.

Story Timeline

Create a story timeline in the same manner as the historical timeline. This is not a plot, it is a cause and effect succession of events that happen in a story.

Hint: if you have done both timelines on index cards, you can move them around to match or intertwine into the historical timeline to see how these events will work together.

Map Out Character Arcs

Include the character arc points in with the other two timelines.

Plotting

Turn all the timelines into a plot structure, move cards around and make the timelines fit with a traditional or non traditional structure.

Consider jumps in time, events that can be flashbacks, etc. What events don’t need to be shown in the story? What can be just alluded to? Which events will make great scenes? Etc.

Draft Scenes

Once you have decided on the plot and how the story will be told, turn your new plot into a series of scenes.

You don’t have to plan the full scene, but you should write down these things:

• Viewpoint

• Character’s goals

• Obstacles

• And how the scene will end/lead into the next (hint: all scenes should end before something big happens or right after a disaster to keep tension and suspense).

Scripting

Take each scene and make a script—yes an actual script.

I use tools like Final Draft and ArcStudioPro, I’ve also used StudioBinder (a pricey one though). Write an actual script with minimal action, focusing mainly on dialogue.

Scripts help you to work out believable dialogue for each scene, find plot holes before you start writing full scenes, allow you to move and rearrange scenes easily, and the simple format keeps you focused.

At this point, you have a series of timelines, a story structure, planned out scenes, and the dialogue for each one. This is the perfect outline. Take all this stuff and begin writing one scene at a time.

You’ll get through the writing in no time!

Subgenres and Differentiations

What are the subgenres of historical fiction?

While not a thorough list, the main subgenres of historical fiction are:

• Historical Romance

• Historical Mystery

• Biographical Fiction

• Historical War Fiction

• Family Saga

• Historical Adventure

• Time-Slip Fiction

• Alternate History

Plus, there are subdivisions for different eras and historical periods such as regency, classical, or medieval historical fiction.

Related Posts >>> Choosing Your Subgenre of Historical Fiction: A Complete Guide

What is the difference between historical fiction and historical romance?

Historical romance is (or at least can be) a subgenre of historical fiction. Historical fiction weaves historical events and settings with fictional stories, often emphasizing broader themes than something like romance alone. Though there can be romantic elements in all historical fiction, it is not the focus.

Historical romance however, centers quite tightly around the romantic relationships of individuals against a historical backdrop.

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What is regency fiction?

Regency fiction is a sebgerne of historical fiction set specifically in the early 19th century during the “Regency” period of Britain that spanned from 1811 to 1820.

This period is marked by the regency of George IV due to his father’s incapacity to lead.

Regency fiction features elegant settings, explores the societal norms of the period, is often romance focused (though not by necessity), and reflects the manner and customs of the time. It’s known for its focus on social hierarchies and courtship rituals. Authors often use juxtaposition to exaggerate the privilege and constraint of British society at the time.

What makes a good historical war novel?

Simple answer; a good historical war novel blends gripping stories of personal heroics or struggle with accurate historical depictions of the reality of living during wartime. A good war story will capture the emotional toll of war, camaraderie, and the moral dilemmas faced by those caught up in the conflict.

Incorporating Real People and Evaluating History

Can you write historical fiction about a real person?

Yes! You can write historical fiction about real people, but doing so requires historical accuracy and being mindful of the creative freedoms you take.

Portraying real individuals in fiction scenarios demands meticulous research to capture their perspectives and motivations while respecting the facts. Strive for authenticity, but you’ll have to acknowledge that imaginative elements are going to be necessary to construct a compelling narrative and fill in the gaps.

How do you end a historical novel based on a true story?

Where or how you end a novel based on true events will of course vary, but it should conclude with a reflection on the historical events and offer closure for the readers (even if the real-life characters got none).

Try to leave as much room for the reader’s imagination as possible.

I have written a full post answering this question here >>> How to End a Historical Novel Based on a True Story: Expert Tips

Why is it important to evaluate different historical interpretations?

You MUST evaluate various and differing interpretations of history—as many as humanly possible—so that you get a nuanced understanding of your chosen time period.

History is shaped by the victors. We have all heard that before, but it is true. Historical documents are written by people with biases and often ulterior motives separate from just “recording” events.

By examining as many different historical viewpoints as you can, you will be able to uncover hidden narratives, spot inconsistencies, and challenge oversimplified version of the past.

You must use critical thinking when researching for your novel, or else risk getting sucked in by a close-minded and inaccurate view of history.

Ensuring Historical Accuracy

What is the importance of historical accuracy?

Historical accuracy is the name of the historical fiction game. Without it….well, it’s just fiction at that point, isn’t it?

It maintains the integrity of the past, and allows you to offer readers an immersive and authentic experience and to write with meaning and purpose. Why write historical fiction if you are not going to honor the truth?

Accurate details ground the story in reality. It educates the reader rather than duping them. It is just plain respectful to them, because many readers will not question the authenticity of some details you are portraying. Respect the reader and the history (and the people that lived the history) by aiming for as much historical accuracy as possible.

How do you balance historical accuracy and fiction in a novel?

Historical accuracy is achieved by paying attention to the details—no, dedicating yourself to the details. Here is a list of the best ways to ensure accuracy and authenticity in your novel:

• Thorough Research: Never settle for “good enough” research, know your era inside and out.

• Selective Adaptation: Pick the most important moments and players to include and stick true to the facts around them. Leave the creative license for the in between moments.

• Character Creation: Develop characters who stay true to the time period’s attitudes and are subject to the era’s challenges.

• Keep Fiction Elements in Context: The fictional characters and events you include should be rooted in the themes of the time period and within/around historical truths.

• Plausible Conjecture: Fill the gaps in history with well-reasoned assumptions that are plausible, not just convenient plot devices.

• Historical Atmosphere: work to create an overall atmosphere and mood that encompasses the time, painting everything with a layered “feel” of authenticity.

• Emotional Authenticity: Keep emotions relatable to modern readers while staying true to historical emotions. Do this by keeping emotional themes broad and universal.

• Get Expert Advice: Find experts in the field who are willing to work with you and read your novel to give you advice and catch glaring mistakes.

Related Posts >>> Historical Accuracy: How to Write Historical Fiction with Unparalleled Authenticity

Final Words

Hopefully this article answered all your questions (it was all I could find, anyway), but if you have questions that were not answered here, please ask them in the comments, and I will get you an answer as quickly as I can.

From mixing facts with storytelling to creating characters that fit their time, historical fiction involves a lot of time and effort—perhaps more than any other genre. You can tell stories about real people and events, but remember that good fiction always needs breathing room to be unique and engrossing.

So keep writing, and don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re stuck.

Do you know your historical fiction literary ancestors?

There are writers and novels of every genre that have come before to define it. You need to learn who these authors are and know the works they’ve written intimately if you are to make the genre your own.

Historical fiction is filled with giants, and if you are planning on walking in their large footprints, you better read the novels I have outlined in this historical fiction writer’s essential reading list.

Next: Historical Essential Reading