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Guest Post & A Giveaway – Re-creating History

Welcome to Confessions of a Writeaholic, my dear readers! This month’s guest post is by Clyve Rose – a Historical Fiction author. She recently published her debut novel Always A Princess based on the regency era. Along with writing this guest post for Confessions of a Writeaholic, Clyve has kindly offered to do a giveaway of a paperback copy of her book along with the gorgeous handmade bookmark that you see in the image below. To enter the giveaway, read the post and leave a comment below. We will select one lucky winner and contact them via social media (be sure to leave your Instagram/Twitter handles in the comments). Creating History One of the most challenging parts of writing historical fiction is that much of it is ‘re-creating’, rather than ‘creating’. I do not world-build from scratch, and I can not invent my own societal codes or my own world events. I’ve worked in Ancient Greece, 1400-1500s Europe and the Americas, and my regular gig in the Regency era. No matter the time period, this simple truth applies: history has happened, and cannot be changed. This affects the choices I make as a writer. What do I mean by this? Certain references are anachronistic to the world I depict on your page. I can describe a sky as ultramarine blue, but I cannot call it ’turquoise’ before the thirteenth century – because that word itself did not yet exist. If my hero offers a ‘steely glare’, he has to do if after 1200AD. A character cannot think in terms of Christianity, before Christ himself did live, and his teachings are known in these terms. This is the kind of research I must deliver for my story to feel true. Are the readers of historical fiction so demanding? I do not see readers as demanding. A reader’s commitment to excellence in storytelling inspires my gratitude. Readers like this make for better writers. Certainly, they make me a better writer. I recently followed a Twitter thread where Enola Holmes was critiqued for its poor handling of the progression of titles and inheritances in the on-screen adaptation. The source material for the film is the novel, and the novel is inaccurate on this point. Readers do notice you see. As an author, it’s my goal to create a place and world in which my readers can lose themselves, but I am ever-conscious that this world did actually exist. I cannot expect the reader to trust me as a storyteller, if I do not deliver a credible sense of time, place, and history. I can only do this via intensive research. Researching takes at least as long as composition. It’s frustrating of course, because I never know precisely what I will need. I once spent four weeks plotting a route by horse and carriage through the Alps in wartime, where the borders of various territories were changing almost daily – only to cut that entire chunk in redraft. I didn’t even need the horses in the end. Nothing is wasted however; I know that alpine trip fits in somewhere. How does this research affect my writing? While I am not wrestling with mental terraforming like fantasy authors do (much respect to these folks; I find this kind of work hugely challenging), I cannot write the world my characters inhabit while ignoring the etymological limitations of the era in which I choose to write. For instance, in my recent novel Always a Princess, I detail a scene where a little girl’s ‘gaze flicked between brothers as though she umpired a game of lawn tennis’ (page 237). Wait a moment – did tennis exist, and was it called that? Turns out, it did and it was, but I must pause during edits to check. This became particularly interesting for me when I wrote Always a Princess, because Syeira (the heroine) is Romany, (more commonly known as ‘Gypsy’). In Regency England, the heroine and her family would certainly have been referred to as ‘gypsies’. The term was intended as a pejorative by the English, both then and now. I am writing in 2020, and I know this term to be harmful. Not always you understand (indeed, some Romany readers have reached out to indicate they are proud to be known as Gypsies), but it has been used to harm others, and I am aware of this context. So, I had to make a choice: My novel is set in 1814. How do my characters refer to each other, in a time when ‘gypsy’ would be correct, and correctly harmful? I made several decisions regarding this. The first one was not to avoid the word ‘gypsy’. To do so ignores the historical context my characters face in the story and by extension, the lived experience of the Romany people of Lancashire. As a descendant of marginalised people, I know how this kind of omission stings. Besides, as a writer I must stay true to my story – and part of that story is the pervasive prejudice during the Regency era. So ‘Gypsy’ remains part of this story. I also allow the heroine to define how she prefers to be addressed, and I choose to highlight this early. Syeira refers to herself and her family as ‘Romany’. The hero (who is English), allows her to lead this. Is this true to the Regency era? Not likely, but it is true to my characters, and my story – and if I get the balance right, it ought to satisfy my readers as well. This is the challenge all writers face, isn’t it? It’s a bit like making a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box lid. It’s a re-creation, with a kaleidoscope of pieces that might fit together in dozens of different ways. Which one is right? Which one is best? These are the agonising choices we call ‘the writing process’. I write in 2020, for modern day readers seeking an experience of a past that was once very real. The Regency era existed, and it is not honest to ignore the painful parts of this history. When we re-create the past, we offer ourselves another way to tell stories from that period. Another way to get the words right. When so much of history has been about specifically erasing or curtailing other voices, an opportunity to adjust who is in focus is golden. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with Austen-style Regency novels; with keeping the lens where it has been for over two centuries now – but it’s not enough for me. I know there is more to tell. There is more I can tell, and so I make the choices I make: To create a different kind of metal from my alchemical wordsmithing. It may not be gold to some people. It may not even be precious, but it matters. This is why the words I choose matter. The context in which I choose to place them before the reader, matters. These stories are not just mine, though I am their author. I write fiction, but all fiction is based on truth – whether it be temporal, psychological, geographical, or physical. When we re-create, we have a chance to re-orient ourselves in place and time – and in history. I am not interested in erasing Austen or anything like. I am interested in widening the view. Clyve Rose is an award-winning author of historical fiction both in Australia and the US. She has been writing historical romance fiction for the best part of two decades. She works in the historical romance and paranormal genres. Clyve Rose believes that love is the highest and strongest force in the world and that it manifests when we are our best and truest selves. Anything less, and we diminish our divinity. She will continue writing about love in all its various, glorious forms. One day, her epitaph will read ‘just one more read-through’. Always A Princess is available for purchase on Amazon and Boroughs Publishing. Follow Clyve Rose on Goodreads for updates on her latest release.

Unbound – Reader’s Choice Award Winner

My short story Unbound won the Reader's Choice Award at the Fall Short Story Writing Contest. It is the story of a young immigrant girl named Laila and one life-altering decision she had to make.

Author Interview – Derek R. King

This month for the author interview segment Confessions of a Writeaholic brings you the interview with Award-winning Author Derek R. King.

Guest Post – My Experience with a Hybrid Publisher

Chasing Fae is finally out in the world, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. When I started on my writing journey for this book, I had no idea that I would end up with a newfangled hybrid publisher who would fall in love with my book and take it from a dream to a beautiful reality.

Author Interview – Lali A. Love

This month for the author interview segment, Confessions of a Writeaholic brings you the interview with Award-winning published Author Lali A. Love.

Book Spotlight – Secrets

CW shines the spotlight this week on Secrets - A Collection of Short Stories by Susan M Lane.

Book Review – The Beloved Fire by Chelsii Klein

I was given the ARC of The Beloved Fire by Chelsii Klein in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading the book and writing the Book Review of The Beloved Fire. The Beloved Fire tells the story of Mikayla and her relationship with the supernatural. The base of the story stems from a challenge between the Angels and Demons of Heaven and Hell, respectively, and how Mikayla becomes a part of that challenge due to her previously unknown connections to the supernatural. Chelsii Klein did a marvelous job building the world of the Purgatory with its mansion, hallways, and the doorways that lead to various locations in Hell. I also enjoyed this fresh take on the supernatural genre and also how the author managed to bring in elements of romance and horror in equal measures. The book begins by introducing Mikayla as a confused 21-year-old girl looking for a good time at a party, while her overprotective best friend Ander tries to stop her. In the blink of an eye, Mikayla’s world is turned upside down and she wakes up in “Hell” literally and figuratively. Slowly, Mikayla meets the various characters who have been watching her for her whole life. She learns of the “true nature” of her blood and about the immortals who are invested in her life. In this new world, Mikayla meets the Dream Walker, Blake, with whom she seems to have past history. However, she is confused about her feelings for Blake, as his brother, James, whom she had met earlier at the party, holds some sort of a tug at her heartstrings. As events unfold, Mikayla tries to come to terms with her reality of her being in literal Hell as well as her newfound powers. When she meets Anock, the Prince of Hell, to whom she is apparently betrothed, she realizes that she is only a pawn in a game between the higher authorities of Heaven and Hell. Mikayla is an interesting character who comes across as any normal young girl of this century. When she is suddenly thrown into a series of frightening challenges she reacts accordingly. While the author has tried to write Mikayla as a strong character, she seems to wait around for the alpha-male characters like Blake, Ander, and James to come to save her. I would’ve liked to see her taking things into her own hands sooner than having to wait until the very near end to see that happening. It may be because this is the first of a series, but there was hardly any scope for character development. However, the pacing of the novel makes up for that by taking the story through an interesting journey towards the beginning of a series. I say this because at the end of the book you are left with some questions that you know will have to be answered in the upcoming books. The Beloved Fire sets the stage perfectly as the first installment for a series. For a debut novel, Chelsii Klein has done The Beloved Fire justice. The story and the characters are intriguing as is the fantastic world of the Purgatory set between Heaven and Hell. The writing has potential for improvement and the author could do well working with an editor. Overall, this book is a good read for all those who enjoy the paranormal romance/fantasy genre. The Beloved Fire is currently available on Kindle Unlimited for Free. Click HERE to grab a copy. You can also follow Chelsii Klein on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or Join Her Spoiler Group to stay updated on Books 2 and 3 of The Beloved Series.

How to Instagram as an Author

As of 2019, Instagram is one of the top 10 social media platforms for engagement ranking second, behind only Facebook. Think about it, a platform for engagement that’s better than Twitter? Yep, you read that right!

5 Steps To Your Non-Fiction Story – Karina Monteiro

My first encounter with non-fiction was Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy. I was in college when I read it. The book infused in me some of Michelangelo’s spunk, a keen interest in his sculptures, and inspired me to travel to Florence six years later. I’ve been writing non-fiction for the past five years – specifically, human interest stories for social impact or employee engagement. It’s been a long and arduous journey with its fair share of heartbreak and of course some wisdom. For what it’s worth, here’s what I learned: Start with one idea Brainstorm over an overarching theme or moral for your story. With non-fiction, you often discover information as you progress. More often than not, you find your story pulling in multiple directions. A clear idea to focus on gives you a big picture and helps you separate the wheat from the chaff to move in a clear direction. Establish an emotional hook  An extremely hard lesson to learn. If you need people to care about what you say or in social impact parlance, change the way they think or act, get them to care. No amount of stats or reportage will help you achieve this. But a few other things can. Human interest stories. Start with your neighbor, or an unsung hero you know, or someone from an underrepresented/marginalized community, or even you. That’s what makes Humans of New York resonate with people the world over. Real-world examples of people who set up or changed the way things are/work. Whether it’s learning to trust your instinct, like we learned from the firefighter’s example in Blink, or learning from genius in Mavericks at Work, showing rather than telling, inspires reflection and action. Impact stories have always helped me raise funds for emergency response, or donations in kind and emphasize program outcomes. Research  If you’re narrating a hero’s story, maybe a David V. Goliath story, speak to people closest to your protagonist. If it’s an issue or topic you’re exploring, speak to people at the heart of the matter or most affected. Know what you don’t know, and pursue it through focused interviews or archival footage from credible sources. A clear beginning, middle, and end  Establish whether your story arc depicts a hero’s journey or a cautionary tale or is a cliff hanger. Sometimes, your initial idea evolves and becomes a whole new idea, or just changes. That’s okay. Now that you’ve established what your story is, where it’s heading, and why, keep going. Outline scenes or sequences in a spreadsheet or create a mind map. This helps structure your writing. I find that after I outline, I begin freewriting/pantsing. Whatever you do, stay true. Edit, edit, edit  Non-fiction is whipped into shape at the edit table. In fact, sometimes, that’s when your story emerges. Of all your data points and notes, focus on content that is personal, relatable, and/or evokes curiosity. If there is one thing I cannot stress enough, find that common. Trust me, your readers will thank you for the surprise. At work, I usually have a peer review or a developmental review system in place for content I create; I do the same as a reviewer. In the writing community, I understand beta readers, critique partners and developmental editors help you add finishing touches and raise the bar with your story. So there you have it. I’ve always believed that fiction and non-fiction are based on the same principles. The only difference is reality and make-believe. Now that you know more, what do you think?