Art by Melissa Hartley
No matter what decade we live in, we all love to watch a film that dives into the past now and then. I’m the type of writer who likes to write about the present or future, just to take off all the limits, which is why I give special credit to writers of the past. What I mean by that are not those born in the time period they wrote about, even if at present we consider it “the past”, but those that had to look back at history and write about it without having experienced it. Let’s face it, while we all might enjoy it, not all of us can write it. Historical writing takes two things: a love of history and lots and lots of research.
Here are some things to look for in a quality story set in the past:
1) Details, details, details: The fun thing in writing about a certain era is that while you have to do research, you get lots from it. You have to find out the dialect, the clothing, the architecture, and even the behavior that was appropriate at the time. A book that does a fine job of this is Lady of Devices. I can’t imagine how much research the author did, but it truly feels like you’re in that time, surrounded by the jargon and intricate details of what we now call the steampunk era. The Artist is another good one.
2) Dialogue: This is going to sound obvious, but all of your characters actually have to sound like they come from that time period, not modern actors thrown into an ancient setting. And giving them a British accent isn’t enough. A few great examples: Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Borgias, Hugo
3) Propriety: You have to conform to the times. If certain behavior wasn’t appropriate in the time period you’re writing about, that doesn’t mean you’ll have to do without, but you’re going to have to accommodate with the consequences. Other times, you’ll experience the opposite, where more was allowed than in our modern times. Some examples: Dorian Gray, The Other Boyelyn Girl, Goya’s Ghosts
Other great historical stories to visit are: The Night Circus, The Prestige, The Count of Monte Cristo, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth, etc.
Do you know of any other great stories set in the past? Or are you daring enough to attempt one of your own?
-The Story Addict
I’m too lazy right now to write a historical story, but maybe one day.
My feelings exactly. Never say never, but it’s not on my to do list for now. Definitely a challenge.
I used to read a lot of historical fiction. Two of my favorite historical fiction authors are Lucia St. Clair Robson and Sue Harrison. Ride the Wind by Lucia is one of my all time favorite novels. Another by Ms. Robson is The Tokaido Road. Sue Harrison wrote Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon, and Brother Wind (both have written several more). LOVE these. Elliot Pattison’s Shan series is another phenomenal body of work. I prefer to write in the present and future as well because, as you said, I don’t want to be limited by the facts that have already happened, but I certainly appreciate those who do their research!
*runs to Goodreads to check out those books* Thanks for the recs, Nicole! So much greatness. Yeah, I really admire their skills. Gotta do what you’re best at
Good points, all. I certainly attempted to follow these guidelines. But regarding Propriety, there were a few things I wanted to change about my historical world of the Goths at the time of the ancient Roman Empire. Because of this, I went with historical fantasy, which gave me a bit of leeway.
One of the primary things I wanted was a group of strong female characters, at a time when women didn’t have much of a voice in either society (moreso in Gothic society than Roman, but still…). Hence my creation of an all-female warrior sect. Hooray for fantasy! Great post, Margaret!
That’s a great point, Vaughn. Even when writing present stories, sometimes I want to bend the setting or the technology just a little bit so that it’s not so bound by reality. Fantasy is a perfect outlet for that. And what a great move! Props for taking that route