Historical Fiction Writers is a literary genre consisting of books that take place in time. What distinguishes historical fiction from other forms of literature is the focus on time and its history. Most importantly, however, historical fiction is intended to entertain. That is the goal achieved via the creative use of historical fact and also called retold. This form of literature is popular among those who enjoy spending time in history and those who are interested in history itself.
There are many benefits to writing historical fiction, and you will find many prominent Historical Fiction Writers in the past and present. You, too, can embark on this literal career and make a name for yourself. Readers also appreciate historical fiction books because they focus on historical events instead of fictional events or characters. Finally, readers will enjoy historical fiction books because they tend to be more accurate than other forms.
In order to write a good historical fiction novel, writers must begin with primary sources. Primary sources are key elements in making a historical fiction book engaging and enjoyable. Primary sources come from various places, including ancient texts, diaries and memoirs, and recorded speech. Unfortunately, many times primary sources are difficult to locate and may not exist at all. When this happens, historical fiction writers must rely on secondary sources, such as newspapers, magazines, and even personal papers.
As a writer, you should pay attention to the guidelines published by the American Society of Historical Writers (ASW). These guidelines serve as the gold standard for historical fiction writers. The ASW encourages the use of primary sources and historical accuracy. While you should never include a source that is not considered a primary source, you should adhere to the guidelines published by the ASW.
Most importantly, historical fiction writers should make sure that they create their characters based on historical facts when writing fictional characters. If a character was created using a true story, readers can relate to and enjoy their story. On the other hand, if the characters were based on something that was not true, readers might feel cheated and disappointed that the story did not follow the true events. This is why it is important to research any information that you use.
Finally, when writing historical fiction, you should allow yourself plenty of time to write. Novels can take months or even years to write, depending on the topic. In other words, if you are writing a novel about the First World War, you might expect to spend months writing the book.
The last thing you need to consider when writing historical fiction is accurate dates and names. Readers are looking for accurate information, and if you cannot provide it in your story, readers will likely not continue to read it. Therefore, as a writer, you should begin by researching the period that you are writing about. Then you should begin to research individuals who are important to the historical context of your story.