Imogen Martin's Blog
October 27, 2023
Real places come to life in historical fiction
Do you have a favourite place which has been used in a novel? Did it help or hinder your enjoyment of what you were reading?
I few years ago I walked around the coast of Cornwall in search of the buildings that inspired Daphne Du Maurier when she wrote Rebecca. I found what might be the boat house, but the large manor that inspired Manderley was surrounded by trees and deliberately out of sight. I have been thinking about my own use of real places in my books.
In Under A Gilded Sky I had a clear picture in my head of various locations. But I wanted to anchor as many scenes as possible in real places.
Ginny, my heroine, has a rich aunt who lives in Jefferson City, Missouri. There is a series of illustrations of Midwest towns, drawn in the 1860s, and this was a fabulous starting point. The illustration of Jefferson City is on my website and is fabulous. You can see steamboats on the Missouri River, the railroad running along the shore, the enormous State Penitentiary, and the State Capitol.
Next, I thought about Aunt Josephine’s house. I wanted something showy and ornate to reflect the family’s fortune and character. I found a house just outside Hannibal, Missouri built in 1871 (perfect for my novel) by Colonel John Garth, a tobacco and lumber tycoon. Mark Twain was a friend of the Garths and stayed at this house several times. Today it is a bed and breakfast.
A climactic scene happens at a ball in Jefferson City and I hit gold with the Missouri Governor's Mansion Built in 1871 – in less than one year and using prisoners from that massive penitentiary I mentioned - it cost $75,000 and has been home to every Governor since. I mean, if I were Governor, I’d definitely want to live there. It has 13 bedrooms but originally no bathrooms or closets (ok, I’m re-thinking my move). The website is a treasure trove: it even has a video tour. Click through to my blog to see the exact place Ginny plays the piano during the State Ball.
Historical fiction writers work in different ways. My preference is to write the story first, exploring the characters and how they relate to each other. I then try to find authentic settings in order to deepen the experience for the reader. This second stage of research frequently brings new plot and character possibilities which make the writing process even more fun.
If you'd like to know more about the historical settings for my books, why not sign up to my monthly newsletter? If you want to comment on any of the above, I'd love to hear from you through the comments page on my website.
Under a Gilded Sky
I few years ago I walked around the coast of Cornwall in search of the buildings that inspired Daphne Du Maurier when she wrote Rebecca. I found what might be the boat house, but the large manor that inspired Manderley was surrounded by trees and deliberately out of sight. I have been thinking about my own use of real places in my books.
In Under A Gilded Sky I had a clear picture in my head of various locations. But I wanted to anchor as many scenes as possible in real places.
Ginny, my heroine, has a rich aunt who lives in Jefferson City, Missouri. There is a series of illustrations of Midwest towns, drawn in the 1860s, and this was a fabulous starting point. The illustration of Jefferson City is on my website and is fabulous. You can see steamboats on the Missouri River, the railroad running along the shore, the enormous State Penitentiary, and the State Capitol.
Next, I thought about Aunt Josephine’s house. I wanted something showy and ornate to reflect the family’s fortune and character. I found a house just outside Hannibal, Missouri built in 1871 (perfect for my novel) by Colonel John Garth, a tobacco and lumber tycoon. Mark Twain was a friend of the Garths and stayed at this house several times. Today it is a bed and breakfast.
A climactic scene happens at a ball in Jefferson City and I hit gold with the Missouri Governor's Mansion Built in 1871 – in less than one year and using prisoners from that massive penitentiary I mentioned - it cost $75,000 and has been home to every Governor since. I mean, if I were Governor, I’d definitely want to live there. It has 13 bedrooms but originally no bathrooms or closets (ok, I’m re-thinking my move). The website is a treasure trove: it even has a video tour. Click through to my blog to see the exact place Ginny plays the piano during the State Ball.
Historical fiction writers work in different ways. My preference is to write the story first, exploring the characters and how they relate to each other. I then try to find authentic settings in order to deepen the experience for the reader. This second stage of research frequently brings new plot and character possibilities which make the writing process even more fun.
If you'd like to know more about the historical settings for my books, why not sign up to my monthly newsletter? If you want to comment on any of the above, I'd love to hear from you through the comments page on my website.
Under a Gilded Sky
