The bestselling author Rachel Hore tells Historia about the time research for a new novel unearthed a character so compelling that she took over, and changed, Rachel’s thoughts about her book – which became the recently-published A Beautiful Spy. Serendipity must be the origin of many a historical novel. I was researching an idea for […]
Finding empathy – the complexities of writing Robert Clive
How can an author find empathy in a historical figure who is necessary to their story, but whose ‘dark character’ we look back on with distaste? Diana Preston tells Historia how she found a way to write about Robert Clive ‘of India’ in all his complexity. The decision to write a novel centring on Robert […]
Historical fiction writing course: special offer for Historia readers
We’re delighted to announce a special offer for Historia readers who’d like to join the first Writing Historical Fiction course run by Curtis Brown Creative (CBC). The six-week online course is tutored by Stephanie Merritt, who, as SJ Parris, writes the best-selling and much-loved Giordano Bruno spy thrillers. Steph spoke to Curtis Brown Creative about […]
When my Spanish research trip went astray
Even when a trip to research your book goes ridiculously wrong, it’s still worth taking. Tom Williams, author of the Burke series of adventures set in the early 19th century, looks back at one such trip – to Talavera, site of an important Peninsular War battle in 1809 – in the days when travelling for […]
My problems writing about Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas
Writing historical fiction about famous 20th-century people may mean that there are more records to draw on than are available for previous centuries. But it brings its own set of problems, as author Gill Paul found while working on her latest novel, The Second Marriage. Biographical novels have long been a popular form of historical […]
Writing historical fiction to an anniversary: some tips
If you’re writing a novel to mark the anniversary of a historical event – perhaps the most unmovable deadline there is – you may find these tips from Carolyn O’Brien, who learned them the hard way, will help you succeed. When my debut novel The Song of Peterloo was published in August 2019 to coincide […]