For the final part in my Tallahassee Writer’s Conference
Goodies, I will be discussing how to effectively research and write historical
fiction. This information came from two different sessions presented by Arliss
Ryan. I had a chance to read excerpts from some of the books she’s had
published, and they were excellent! She definitely knows what she’s talking
about, and you should go check out her work on her Facebook page
here.
Without further ado, here is the last golden nugget:
#1. We Search for Research
If you plan on writing historical fiction, it’s important to
make sure you get the history part right. Many people that read these types of
books are knowledgeable in history, and they’ll know if your facts aren’t
straight. Thanks to a handy little tool called the internet, you’ve got a large
amount of resources at your disposal to find the information you need.
There are other places that you can find fun facts, though.
Consider going to a library, museum, or historical society to learn more about
your topic. Keeping in mind that some of your audience will already know a lot
about the history you present, you want to give them something new to learn so
that your book will feel fresh and interesting. Going to places other than the
internet is a great way to dig deeper and uncover unique and largely unknown
bits of history.
If your research involves speaking to an expert, make sure
that you do your homework before meeting with the individual. Do some basic
research and compile a list of questions beforehand. Sending a handwritten
thank-you note after the meeting is a nice touch as well.
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| Who's up for a field trip? |
#2. Anna Lies (and so does the Internet)
I remember once getting so excited when I saw an article on
the internet that said there was going to be a Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover. I
immediately started imagining what the meeting between Sherlock and The Doctor would
be like and what that would mean for Sherlock’s opinion on scientific truth. It’s
amazing how carried away I got with it. Imagine the crushing blow that I took
when I found out later that it was a just a cruel April Fool’s joke put out by
the production company. My bubble of excitement had grown so big I’m surprised
it didn’t send out seismic shock waves when it burst.
The point of that sad little tale is that it’s ridiculously
easy to put something fake on the internet. You have to take everything you read
with a grain of salt. Especially if it’s on Wikipedia. Just because Joe Schmo
writes an entire article about how dinosaurs actually went extinct from going
on a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean it’s actually true. Make sure you’re getting
your information from a trusted site, and double-check your info with multiple
sources if you can. Also, learn to tell the difference between facts and
speculation. If a site says that Harry Houdini was likely a fan of chocolates
because his cousin owned a candy store, that’s speculation, not fact. (As far
as I know, that last sentence wasn’t even speculation because I made it up.)
Analyze. Because Anna lies and so does the internet.
*Bonus tip: Don’t do internet research on April Fool’s day.
Trust me on this one.
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| This is only slightly related, but come on. It's the Hulk. (Side note: Go see the new Avengers movie! It's awesome!) |
#3. Information Overload
Info-dumping is a wonderful way to get your reader to put
down your book and go do something productive. But as writers, that’s the last
thing we want. Think about how to use the factual information you’ve learned to
add depth to your story without taking away from your page-turning plot. As
Arliss Ryan said in one of her sessions, “Your research should never stick out
like a sore thumb, but should be weaved in seamlessly so that the reader hardly
notices it’s there.” If you want recognition for how much stuff you know about
the Roman empire, go on Jeopardy. The ultimate purpose of your fiction should
be to entertain the reader, not bore them with a lecture.
If you want to share important knowledge in a visual way to
better represent how it connects to the story, consider including a map or
family tree at the beginning of the book. In the Earth’s Children series, Jean M.
Auel provides a map at the beginning with an outlined trail of the path that
the character takes throughout the story. It helps readers gain a better
understanding of just how far she had to travel from start to finish.
#4. That Thing that Writers Do
You know that thing that writers do? Where they put words on
paper? Yeah, writing. That’s what this step is about! Once you’ve gathered enough
info, checked its accuracy, and decided how you want to present it, you’re just
going to write! Keep in mind that you shouldn’t wait until you’ve gotten every
little bit of research finished and become a world-class expert on the subject.
Since you’re writing a fiction book and not a textbook, you really just need
enough facts to make sure your story makes sense and gives characters a vivid
backdrop.
This one’s a toughie for me because I always feel like I
have to know everything and be perfectly prepared before I begin. But if you
did that, you’d just use up all your energy on research and be too exhausted to
write. It’s also a good idea to write as much of your first draft as possible
before traveling somewhere for research. That way, you have a good idea of the
facts you’ll need to learn, and you won’t end up having to make another
expensive trip. Just put an asterisk next to info in your story that still
needs to be verified and use the ‘find’ tool in word to go back to it later.
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| Truth. |
#5. The Conveyor Belts of History
There are a handful of excellent “literary conveyor belts” that
can get your history facts across to the reader during your story without being
too obvious. For example, you can use character interaction, conveying info
about a place as one of your characters walks through it. This gives you a
great opportunity to use sensory language and make your readers feel like they’re
really there. Until Apple invents an iPed (which is bound to be the name of
their time-traveling moped once they invent it), reading is still the only way
we have of traveling to another time in history so make it an unforgettable
trip for your readers.
Another way to convey facts is through flashbacks. When you
do this, you can share important info with the readers while keeping certain
characters in the dark still. Maybe Donna is mentally looking back on her times
as a ballerina assassin as she washes the dishes while her friend Becky does
the drying and remains completely aloof.
A third information conveyor is dialogue. Just make sure
that you don’t have a character telling someone else what they should already
know just so you can tell the reader. That makes it seem forced. The character
giving the historical facts through dialogue should be a believable source that
would be likely to know that info, whether it’s because they’re a studied
doctor or an avid eavesdropper picking up the latest gossip.
One other way to share your history facts believably is
through character recollections. A great place for characters to have deep
inner monologues is a church because it’s a likely place for someone to reflect
on things. Make sure your recollections are driven by the character’s unique
perspective.
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| Apple iPed: Coming to a Store Near You |
#6. Davy Jones’ Diary
Would you find a story believable if the author included a
scene where Christopher Columbus walked up to King Ferdinand and said, “Hey
dude. What’s up? Can I borrow your boat? Let me borrow your boat.” Not likely.
I don’t know when the word ‘dude’ first started being used, but I can guarantee
that Columbus never uttered that word (unless it had some weird alternate
meaning back then, like the plume of one’s hat).
So, since the iPed has yet to
be created, how are we supposed to know what historical figures from the past
were likely to think or how they probably talked? If you’re able to find a
diary or some kind of writing from your chosen time in history, that would
definitely be the best way. You can also examine photos of your time period to
get a good feel for a place. When looking at the images, try and think about
the sensory details. What kind of material are their clothes made out of and
how did the weather look that day? Were they eating some kind of food in the
picture? What did it probably taste like? This is where you have to get a
little creative if you don’t have much information to go off of.
For more help in the language aspect, use the dictionary or
internet to look up the kinds of words that were used in that time. Since you’re
writing for a modern audience, it’s okay to still use slightly modern language
as long as you slip in some words here or there that still give the vibe of the
book’s time period.
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| Welcome, mighty Columbus. The dude on your hat is looking most feathery today. |
And
that’s the end of my writing tips from the Tallahassee Writing Conference! As
you can see, there is a lot of information that can be learned from attending
even just one writing event. I put my own personal twist on each speaker’s advice,
but overall, everything I wrote about was learned from a much wiser and more experienced
writer. I’ve included links to each of their pages in the posts and on my
Miscellaneous page, so I hope you’ll go check them out.
Other than that, keep writing, reading, and being awesome!
