Julia Herdman's Blog: Julia Herdman Books, page 7

The Present Past

In linguistics and rhetoric, the historical present or historic present (also called dramatic present or narrative present) is the employment of the present tense when narrating past events. It is widely used in writing about history in Latin (where it is sometimes referred to by its Latin name, praesens historicum). It’s not new Charles Dickens […]

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The Duchess of Hamilton

Born in Ireland, Elizabeth Gunning was a celebrity beauty who caused a sensation when she and her sister were introduced into high society. Though the sisters had neither dowries nor rank, their physical attractiveness secured them excellent marriages. Elizabeth married the Duke of Hamilton on St Valentine’s Day in 1752, only weeks after meeting him […]

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The Palazzo del Re

The Palazzo del Re was home to the exiled Jacobite court in Rome. Owned by the Muti family, it was rented by the Papacy for the Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart. Both James’s sons, Charles Edward (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) and Henry Benedict, were born in the palace. The event depicted here is a celebration […]

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How to write a good love letter

In 1779 Benjamin Franklin, when serving as the U.S. envoy to France, fell in love with Anne Catherine Helvétius, the widow of the Swiss-French philosopher, Claude-Adrien Helvétius. Nicknamed “Minette”, she maintained a renowned salon in Paris using her dead husband’s accumulated wealth and among its habitués were France’s leading politicians, philosophers, writers and artists. In courting […]

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Washer Woman Disguise Helps Criminals Escape Justice

It is a surprising thing to say but Bonnie Prince Charlie and Kenneth Graham’s character Toad, (Wind in the Willows, 1908) have much in common. Both were good-natured, kind-hearted and not without intelligence but they were also spoiled, reckless and obsessive. Although one is a character of fiction and the other of history and legend they […]

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Six Rules for Writing Historical Fiction

When Wolf Hall won the Booker prize some commentators suggested that the term “historical fiction” was itself becoming a thing of the past. So many novels these days are set prior to the author’s lifetime that to label a novel “historical” is almost as meaningless as to call it “literary”. 1. Small details matter more […]

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The Aftermath of Culloden – 1746

The retribution that followed the defeat of the Jacobite Army at Culloden in 1746 has passed into legend for its brutality and savagery and has formed the backdrop to many classic stories including Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped and more recently Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of novels.Today, we are so accustomed to picture of the suppression […]

18th Century Smuggling Fact and Fiction

In the 18th century, the British government collected a good deal of its income from customs duties – tax paid on the import of goods such as tea, cloth, wine and spirits. The tax on imported goods could be up to 30% so smuggled goods were a lot cheaper than those bought through official channels. Smugglers […]

5 Ways to Improve Your Writing

So you’re thinking about writing – for your blog, for your company, for industry publications, or maybe just for fun. Maybe you’ve never considered writing but you’re quickly realising you’re going to have to do it, and do it well, for your career. If you’ve not done much writing before you may think you’ve just […]

How to Make a Character Stand Out in a Novel

Believe it or not, the profession or the jobs of your characters do plays a major role in making your novel a hit. That’s because a character’s profession affects the entire story. That’s because it gives an indication of personality, class, wealth and motivation. You can use it as stereo-type for short-hand descriptions or develop […]