When using real people in historical fiction, how far must you be true to them? Or, rather, how wildly may you traduce them? William Sutton ponders a common concern for writers. Do you worry about misrepresenting historical figures? “You faithless writer,” cry my characters, as I attribute to them words and attitudes they would renounce. […]
Research and Reenactment
Christian Cameron on how experimental archaeology and reenactment influence his writing. I was recently in a panel that discussed the limits of authenticity in historical fiction. A wide variety of views were put forth, including some that might surprise; one author suggesting that it was impossible for any modern writer to accurately understand, much less represent, […]
Historia Interviews: Antonia Senior
Antonia Senior talks to Elizabeth Fremantle about her new novel The Tyrant’s Shadow. The Tyrant’s Shadow follows on from the events of your previous novel Treason’s Daughter, was it always your intention to write more than one book with these characters? I had intended to write only one book. It was my then editor’s idea […]
Historia Interviews: Ben Kane
Douglas Jackson chats to Ben Kane about Romans, research and the writing life. I’ve been fortunate to have been asked to interview historical fiction writer Ben Kane to celebrate the publication of his new novel, Eagles in the Storm, set in 15AD as Rome attempts to recover the eagle standards lost in the disastrous battle […]
Historia Interviews: Tom Williams and Paul Fraser Collard
Writers Tom Williams (above right) and Paul Fraser Collard (above left) both write novels set in the nineteenth century, yet both came to the period in very different ways. Here they discuss what first fired their inspiration and what keeps them interested in the period. TOM: I never set out to write historical novels. My […]
The need to fact-check is strangling my creative mind!
Dear Dr Darwin, I know we have to get the facts right, or risk the reader not buying into their side of the contract of fiction, but I do get so fed up with having to fact-check the whole time. When I sit down to write, I have stacks of books and files of images, […]
A Sideline in Short Stories
I’ve established myself as a novelist, specifically as an author of historical fiction for young adults. But I’ve also published over a dozen short stories, mostly in themed anthologies. I don’t identify myself as a short story writer and don’t actively seek opportunities in that market – but when an editor asks me to make […]
Writing at the Ends of the Earth
I am guessing that most of us historical writers would love to travel back in time (well, for a brief glimpse at least). Perhaps the closest we’ll ever get is to travel to a less culturally frantic part of the globe. ‘We are about to land in New Zealand. Please turn your watches back fifty […]