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Links of Interest: August 13, 2025

The latest in traditional publishing, Substack, AI, and culture & politics.

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How to Turn Real Family Stories Into Compelling Historical Fiction

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Today’s post is by author Lindsay Marie Morris.

Tales of adversity, star-crossed lovers, buried secrets, and critical decisions keep readers glued to the page. Why? Because in many cases, these stories don’t just feel familiar; they’re part of our own family lore.

For me, it was the story of my grandparents, separated for eight years across an ocean during World War II. When my grandmother emigrated from a Sicilian fishing village to Milwaukee in 1938, she left behind my grandfather, believing their separation would be temporary. But within two years, Italy entered World War II, and my grandfather was deployed to Sardinia. Just 17 months later, Italy declared war on the U.S., and my grandparents’ only form of communication—love letters—abruptly ceased.

Years later, I began penning their story in a creative writing class. But I hit a wall. My grandmother had shared few details about the war years. My grandfather, even fewer. I feared I couldn’t adequately tell the story until my teacher suggested I write it as fiction, using the facts as scaffolding and imagination to fill the gaps.

That advice changed everything. My grandparents, Concetta Marino and Gaetano Agnello, became Concetta Balistreri and Gaetano Alioto with real timelines reshaped through fiction.

My grandmother’s love of math and her garment factory job and my grandfather’s treasured copy of The Divine Comedy and family-owned tabaccheria found their way into the manuscript. The result was The Last Letter from Sicily, a novel “inspired by a true story.”

That debut took years to research and write, but I learned a lot along the way. By the time I began my second novel, Beneath the Sicilian Stars, I was able to complete it in just eight months. I’d refined my approach, developed a repeatable system, and now, I help other writers turn real family stories into emotionally gripping historical fiction.

In the sections that follow, I’ll show you how to do just that.

My grandparents on their wedding day.Start with what you know

Every family has its stories (and in some cases, secrets). Pick a shared memory, a found letter or photograph, or some other detail that has sparked your curiosity. Examine why it stands out and whether there could be more to the story.

As you start digging deeper, ask yourself:

What do I already know about this anecdote or person?What details are missing or unclear?What questions does it raise?Does this memory or object connect to a larger historical event or theme?

As I’ve mentioned, my grandmother worked at a garment factory when she came to the U.S. But in a conversation with my uncle, I learned she’d also sewn parachutes there, a small detail that added unexpected depth to her story.

I’ve also noted how my grandfather was stationed in Sardinia while serving in the Italian Army. Whenever it came up in conversation, he’d quickly add that his loyalty was to the king and not Mussolini. But my uncle later shared that both of my grandparents had belonged to Fascist youth groups. This was news to me.

And then there were those letters. My grandmother saved everything my grandfather wrote, but his messages stopped after three years.

As these examples demonstrate, I started with the known and realized I needed research to fill in the gaps.

Research what you don’t know

We’re fortunate to live in an era where research is just a keystroke away. Genealogical research has evolved from family trees scribbled in a keepsake Bible to rich databases like Ancestry (sub required) or the free FamilySearch.org. If your ancestor arrived through Ellis Island, Heritage.statueofliberty.org helps you uncover when and from which ship that occurred. And there’s even a site called Find a Grave, which displays not only burial plots but also your ancestor’s date of death and, in some cases, headstone photos.

Armed with those resources, you can build on family history. Filling the remaining gaps requires additional research.

Wikipedia is a natural first destination, but that can only take you so far. Ideally, you want to seek out primary sources. You can often find these in the resource section of a Wikipedia article. But don’t overlook valuable offline resources. Your local library offers a wide selection of nonfiction books, many of which contain recorded oral histories, as well as physical and digital copies of newspapers and magazines. Museums also hold vital keys to historical questions.

In my quest to understand why my grandmother started sewing parachutes, I began with a standard search engine query that led me to the Department of Defense website, where I discovered an article about the Wartime Production Board, which transitioned civilian factories to wartime production. Suddenly, switching from dresses to military equipment made perfect sense.

I similarly embarked on a search for more information about Fascist youth groups. Online articles revealed that involvement began as early as age six with membership in the Figli della Lupa (“Children of the She-Wolf”). At eight, boys moved on to the Balilla and girls joined the Piccole Italiane. By fourteen, they graduated into the Avanguardisti and Giovani Italiane. While participation was initially encouraged, it later became compulsory. No wonder my grandparents were involved! This revelation helped me see them in a more complex light.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

However, as my grandparents had passed away by the time I began my research, I had to turn to another source for a first-person account of the experience of being part of such a group. I found it in Sicily on My Mind: Echoes of Fascism and World War II by Joseph Cione. The author provided vivid descriptions of singing and marching in Sabato Fascisita, the Saturday political pageantry of the Fascist regime.

But what about those missing letters? My internet search took me to discussions on Quora about how communication between warring nations was nearly impossible. Further results took me down a rabbit hole to the workarounds people found by sending mail to recipients in neutral countries. These details were later confirmed by an exhibit at the Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943, which I visited in Catania, Sicily.

The more I delved into the geopolitical history surrounding my grandparents’ story, I realized I had enough material to shape plot points, characters, and worlds.

Talk to the people who were there (before it’s too late)

I often regret not asking my grandparents more about their experiences before they died. Fortunately, their children have helped contextualize some of their anecdotes and asides. That provided me just enough of a foundation to build a story.

For my second novel, Beneath the Sicilian Stars, I sought out and found Italian people who lived through those same war years, who helped me better understand what it was like to walk in those shoes. I set up formal interviews, during which I recorded their memories using Zoom and Rev. (Zoom is free for up to 40 minutes, but I pay a subscription for Rev transcripts of those meetings.)

This time, I not only had access to primary sources, but I also had the opportunity to ask the right questions to elicit the richest responses. Here are a few examples of poor questions versus those which will get you much further.

Poor QuestionsBetter QuestionsDid you enjoy the war years?What memories do you have from the war years? What made them particularly special?Was your childhood happy?What was a typical weekday like for you as a child? What did you do on weekends?Was it hard to find a job?Describe your first job and how you got it. Did your family cook traditional meals?Who in your family cooked, and what kinds of meals did they prepare?What was Sicily like?Describe what you saw, heard, or smelled when you walked outside of your home. What was your favorite place to visit?

By asking the right questions, you’ll encourage your interviewee to share experiences and feelings, not just the facts. Your goal is to explore senses, emotions, routines, and personal reflections to really bring the story to life.

Build characters from real people

Just who will vivify that story?

When crafting characters, family history provides a solid starting point, offering names, dates, and significant life events that can be incorporated into the narrative. But that’s just the foundation. From there, we must use our imagination to develop fully realized protagonists who grow and change through their own journeys. Your goal is to blend fact with fiction in a way that feels authentic and relatable.

I’ve put this into practice by developing character dossiers, compiled using memories, interviews, and archival research. This process helped me transform real family members into characters.

After gathering the basic facts, I created a parallel version of Concetta. I based her loosely on my grandmother, but I chose to make her a year younger, adjusted her arrival date to 1939, and added new challenges to make her story even more compelling.

I used a similar approach for Gaetano’s character, starting with genuine family details, such as his birth year, occupation, and long-distance relationship. From there, I shaped his story around the challenges I envisioned Gaetano Alioto would face, including war and the loss of a parent. I created protagonists who are grounded in reality but come alive through the power of fiction.

Use your imagination, and see where it takes you. Don’t limit yourself to just the facts. It’s more than, “She was born in April, had wavy brown hair with light brown eyes, and arrived on the Rex,” or “He was a soldier with dark eyes and black hair.”

Yes. But what did they really want? What did they fear? Who or what stood in their way?

Once you’ve defined their passions and motivations, you can begin to shape their respective arcs and truly build a story.

Use history as your scaffolding

So, what does all of this have to do with that scaffolding metaphor my creative writing teacher used? Scaffolding is the framework that holds up your narrative structure as you build a story. It supports your hero’s journey, adds tension, and ensures emotional beats land where they should.

One of the most effective tools for building that scaffolding is a timeline. Start it before you begin to write, charting key events (both historical and fictional) that shape your characters’ lives. I use Excel to list dates in one column and brief event descriptions in another, but a pen-and-paper grid works just as well.

Your goal is to combine historical milestones (such as wars, presidencies, policy changes, and economic shifts) with fictional ones (including births, deaths, marriages, and breakups). This matters because historical fiction is grounded in real events that affected real people, some of whom (or their descendants) may read your work.

As you weave your characters’ lives into actual history, take care not to distort key dates beyond recognition. Instead, let your characters inhabit history’s established framework.

That’s what scaffolding is really all about: creating something solid to support imagination within reality’s parameters.

Blend fact and imagination with care

Once your scaffolding is in place, the next step is striking a balance between fact and fiction.

Author Geraldine Brooks said, “The thing that most attracts me to historical fiction is taking the factual record as far as it is known, using that as scaffolding, and then letting imagination build the structure that fills in those things we can never find out for sure.”

Writing historical fiction means walking the line between accuracy and imagination. On one side, you have real events and cultural details; on the other, plot and emotional depth. The story lives in the middle: grounded in truth, shaped by creativity.

Your goal isn’t to rewrite history, but to reveal its emotional core. Historical fiction thrives in the space between what happened and what might have.

In my grandparents’ case, I had to fill in some significant gaps. I knew so little about what happened during those eight years of separation. But once I let my imagination take over, the story was finally able to reach the emotional heights it needed.

Your family story deserves to be told

The stories we carry from our families may seem ordinary, but they shape us in lasting ways. Sharing them honors our roots and keeps them alive for future generations.

Bookshop • Amazon

The Last Letter from Sicily doesn’t tell my grandparents’ story; it honors their unique experience while shedding light on the costs of war. My mother and her siblings have read the novel. And each has expressed how the characters remind them of their parents, while noting that it made them see their respective journeys in a new (albeit fictional) light.

I have heard the same from other readers, who recognize traits of their parents or grandparents and have commented that they’ve learned something. That’s what we strive for as storytellers: authenticity, relatability, and enlightenment.

So, consider tapping your family roots for historical fiction. It can be a powerful way to honor the past and even offer insight into the present. And who knows? That story you uncover may be the one someone else has been waiting to read.

Writing a Newsletter When Your Book Isn’t Published Yet

Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+

Today’s post is by author Nancy J. Fagan.

Two years after procuring my agent, most of which has been spent on submission with manuscripts #1 and #3, I’m still in limbo, waiting for an editor to connect enough with my work to want to go forward with a novel.

Meanwhile, I’ve done what’s recommended. I write, I listen, I learn. I’ve watched a substantial number of webinars from experts on marketing and the business of writing. I’ve taken professional coaching and attended countless conferences and classes. I workshop weekly with other like-minded writers. I am halfway through my fourth novel and have written a monthly newsletter for over two years.

Marketing webinars tout a newsletter as an important tool for authors to build their audience. However, I’ve often heard the question asked, “What should I put in a newsletter if I don’t have a book out yet?” I had the same question a few years ago.

I had written newsletters for companies before, filled with updates about industry, procedures, or employee spotlights. I had enjoyed those opportunities, puzzling together the layout, editing the columns, coming up with new ideas for inspiration. But that content basically revealed itself within the environment.

A member of one of my writing groups asked if anyone wanted to work on newsletters and we connected. The two of us tossed ideas around. I knew I did not want to add the pressure of a weekly newsletter to my daily work but recognized that consistency matters so I committed to a monthly offering. I also had no desire to write about my writing process every month, but I was not sure what other topics would attract readers.

When I bemoaned not having a book out to write about, my friend suggested, “You’ve written a manuscript. There are endless things to talk about. Think about all the research you’ve done.” Using her prompt, I created a newsletter that found its inspiration from my work behind the scenes. It developed into something quick, easy to digest, and interesting. I gained a faithful readership, but I found much more.

1. I went back to my research.

I surveyed my bookmark files from my novel research. Within them were countless subjects so I picked broad categories and opened sites to peruse them again. Because I’m a nurse and I often write medically oriented scenarios, I focused on those. The topics, like ether frolics or what the first operating rooms looked like, were ones that fascinated me. I enjoyed learning more about them as I wrote. Now, I often deep-dive past what I’ve used for my novels and find other interesting facts, turning them into informational essays with lots of links for readers to pursue further if they desire. I also tie into my manuscripts, occasionally quoting from them or giving some insight or connection to the topic at hand. My readers get to know my characters and some of their quirks.

2. I developed my structure and layout.

I developed a clean and consistent layout. I wanted sections that readers could deal with quickly. A main essay, some related book recommendations, plus I pull out five quick facts to highlight. In addition, I have a second feature column at the bottom of each newsletter. Initially I wrote flash fiction pieces about historical women or printed rejuvenated cut scenes from my novels. Currently, I highlight an author, some famous, some debut, and many smack in the middle of their careers. I ask them a few questions, and their answers take about a minute to read. I’ve received great feedback about the section, from both participants and my readers. I’ve gotten to know some of the authors a little better and enjoyed learning about them myself.

3. I organically grow my subscriber list.

Initially, I had five friends who subscribed, then fifteen, suddenly I had close to one hundred. I collect them through word of mouth, social media outlets like Instagram and Facebook, and my website link. I build my readership slowly but surely. Though my subscriber base came to me one by one, I have very little attrition. My subscribers stick around. Eventually, I expanded the places my newsletter could be accessed. I keep an updated link on my website so anyone can click to sample the current issue before subscribing. I also post the current newsletter on LinkedIn, Linktr.ee, Instagram, and my author Facebook page. In addition, I maintain an archive linked within the newsletter in case anyone is interested in a back issue.

My email list continues to grow every month, and I’m well into triple figures at this point, plus many readers outside of the newsletter subscription list. All without a published book. I did it without offering any prizes or book magnets. My only incentive is relatable content.

4. I keep readers’ trust.

My readers are special. I want each person to feel comfortable in my hands. To gift them something of myself within each issue that they find value in reading. I am thrilled that they use their precious time to read what I write. When my novels are published, and they will be, I also know many of my subscribers will be buyers. To maintain that level of connection, I keep avenues to contact me obvious, like social media links and email. I message back every time anyone sends kudos or a question. If I know them in person, I often get verbal feedback on a certain subject that has tickled them. One of my writerly friends will text me with delightful commentary on each issue. These are moments that feed my soul in a way that is unique and priceless.

5. The surprise is in the sauce.

I learned through this process how much I love to write about different topics. And now I have a core readership of people who give complimentary feedback and encourage me to keep going with my content, book or no book. Writing the newsletter, once I developed my style and tone, turned from a chore into a bright note in my monthly task list. I simply enjoy writing each issue. I write it for my audience, but I also write it for myself. It is not the same as delving into a fictional universe. Instead, my newsletter and its components exercise a different part of my brain, one that is engaged and growing. It’s a delightful benefit that nourishes me every month. Once a newsletter is written and scheduled for delivery, it gives me fuel to keep going.

No surprise: Boundless fails

When crowdfunding publisher Unbound went bankrupt the former CEO purchased the assets for a new venture, which has also gone belly up.

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On the list: The Farmhouse by Chelsea Conradt

Bestselling, award-winning romance author Carol Ericson has written over 65 books, mostly romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue.

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Macmillan UK launches children’s nonfiction imprint

Rocket Fox will publish activity books and commercial nonfiction “from experts on topics that really matter to children and their families.”

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New literacy nonprofit launched by author Kwame Alexander

One Word at a Time will provide educational resources to school libraries and help connect children’s readers and authors.

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Links of Interest: August 6, 2025

The latest in marketing & promotion, trends, culture & politics, and AI.

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Username or E-mail Password * function mepr_base64_decode(encodedData) { var decodeUTF8string = function(str) { // Going backwards: from bytestream, to percent-encoding, to original string. return decodeURIComponent(str.split('').map(function(c) { return '%' + ('00' + c.charCodeAt(0).toString(16)).slice(-2) }).join('')) } if (typeof window !== 'undefined') { if (typeof window.atob !== 'undefined') { return decodeUTF8string(window.atob(encodedData)) } } else { return new Buffer(encodedData, 'base64').toString('utf-8') } var b64 = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=' var o1 var o2 var o3 var h1 var h2 var h3 var h4 var bits var i = 0 var ac = 0 var dec = '' var tmpArr = [] if (!encodedData) { return encodedData } encodedData += '' do { // unpack four hexets into three octets using index points in b64 h1 = b64.indexOf(encodedData.charAt(i++)) h2 = b64.indexOf(encodedData.charAt(i++)) h3 = b64.indexOf(encodedData.charAt(i++)) h4 = b64.indexOf(encodedData.charAt(i++)) bits = h1 << 18 | h2 << 12 | h3 << 6 | h4 o1 = bits >> 16 & 0xff o2 = bits >> 8 & 0xff o3 = bits & 0xff if (h3 === 64) { tmpArr[ac++] = String.fromCharCode(o1) } else if (h4 === 64) { tmpArr[ac++] = String.fromCharCode(o1, o2) } else { tmpArr[ac++] = String.fromCharCode(o1, o2, o3) } } while (i < encodedData.length) dec = tmpArr.join('') return decodeUTF8string(dec.replace(/\0+$/, '')) } jQuery(document).ready(function() { document.getElementById("meprmath_captcha-68945429657bf").innerHTML=mepr_base64_decode("MTEgKyA0IGVxdWFscz8="); }); Remember Me     Forgot Password

How a Box of Misprinted Books Became My Most Creative Marketing Tool Yet

Today’s post is by author Jen Craven.

When I opened the shipment of newly printed copies of my novel The Skiers, I was riding the high of release season. But that excitement quickly dipped when I realized a handful of books had slight printing flaws—wonky text on the chapter titles and headings.

Readable? Totally. Sellable? Meh … not really.

At first, I was disappointed (read: seriously annoyed). I didn’t want to throw them out (as an author, the idea of books in the trash is practically sacrilegious), and I didn’t love the idea of mailing them to readers as official review or giveaway copies. But I kept circling back to a simple truth: these books still worked. They still had value.

That’s when the idea hit me—if these books weren’t perfect, maybe they could still be fabulous in a different way.

The “Flawed But Fabulous” Scavenger Hunt

Instead of discarding the misprinted copies, I decided to turn them into a literary experience. Over the course of a month, I launched a local book scavenger hunt in my hometown of Meadville, Pennsylvania, hiding fifteen flawed-but-readable copies of The Skiers in public places and small businesses.

Some of my clue locations included, from left to right, a local boutique, park bench on Allegheny College campus, and outside our ice rink.

Each book included a note explaining the contest and inviting the finder to post a photo and tag me on social media. Anyone who participated was entered to win an advanced copy of my upcoming release this fall. Every location featured a clever rhyming clue (think: “Where custard swirls and cones delight, a story waits just out of sight”) posted to my social accounts to generate buzz.

The result? Far more than I expected.

The best book promo I never planned

What began as a creative workaround to a printing problem turned into one of the most meaningful—and effective—marketing efforts I’ve done in years. Within days of launching the hunt, something magical happened. People started talking. Posting. Sharing. Even those who didn’t find a copy were engaged, following the clues like they were part of a community game. Plot twist: The flaws ended up being the feature.

Here’s what I gained from the experience:

Media attention: The local newspaper picked up the story and featured it on the front page, turning a grassroots effort into a community-wide event. That publicity led to increased social engagement and new followers (Readers would DM me things like: “Ah! I think I know where this one is. I can’t get there today, but will you let me know if I’m right!?”)Local partnerships: I collaborated with bookstores, cafés, parks, and even wineries, building relationships that could benefit future events or book launches. Many were excited and thankful I chose them as one of my hiding spots.Increased visibility: With every tagged post, my book—and my brand—reached new readers, especially local followers who may not have discovered me online otherwise.Sales bump: While the goal wasn’t direct sales, I saw a modest but noticeable uptick in local purchases, and inquiries about signed copies. Of course, I always directed them to my favorite indie bookstore to encourage #shopsmall!Community engagement: Most importantly, it promoted literacy and accessibility. People who may not regularly visit bookstores were thrilled to find a free novel in the wild—no strings, no cost, just the love of reading. It brought books to readers in a fresh, unexpected way—something that’s often hard to do in an industry saturated with noise.

One of the most rewarding outcomes? My friend and fellow author Sharon M. Peterson saw what I was doing and decided to replicate it in her small Washington town. She, too, hid books and saw the same ripple effects—heightened engagement, new readers, and a whole lot of local joy. So fun! It was proof that this kind of grassroots, author-driven campaign could work beyond just one zip code.

Creative ways to use flawed or extra books

Whether you’ve got misprints, advance review copies, or simply surplus stock, there are countless ways to turn those “extra” copies into marketing gold. Here are some inventive, outside-the-box strategies to consider:

Host a town-wide scavenger hunt: Like I did! It’s fun, interactive, and builds genuine community buzz. Add riddles, photo challenges, or team play for more depth.Create a “Blind Date with a Flawed Book” display: Wrap misprinted books in brown paper and leave them in Little Free Libraries or partner businesses. Add a teaser: “Flawed on the outside. Fabulous on the inside.”Tuck them into Airbnb guest rooms: Reach out to local Airbnb hosts and offer a copy for their welcome basket. It’s unexpected, memorable, and might turn a guest into a new fan.Collaborate with a local artist: Let a local artist turn the flawed cover into a painted bookplate or altered art piece—then give it away as a one-of-a-kind collector’s edition.Donate to prison libraries or youth centers: These under-resourced communities often lack access to recreational reading materials. Imperfections are more than acceptable—and the gesture is deeply appreciated.Host a “read & release” pop-up: Invite people to take a book, read it, and leave it somewhere new for someone else. Add a sticker tracking its journey (à la BookCrossing).Use for guerrilla marketing in unexpected places: Leave a book on a train, at a laundromat, or tucked inside a shopping cart with a note: “Free book! Take me home!” Bonus if your contact info is inside. (I often do this at airports when I travel, and it’s fun knowing your book will be with a reader in a city/state it might not otherwise have reached).Run a “Find the Flaw” contest: Invite readers to identify the printing error for a chance to win a flawless copy or other prize. It’s engaging and light-hearted.Craft a book-themed photo booth at events: Use flawed books to create a stunning visual backdrop or display at signings or festivals. Readers can snap pics and tag you.Use as giveaway bonuses: Offer “flawed but fabulous” copies as a bonus to readers who preorder, review, or join your mailing list.

My books are both traditional and self-published. Because The Skiers is a self-published novel, I had full control over how to distribute the misprinted copies. Traditionally published authors may need to obtain permission from their publisher or return defective inventory, so be sure to check your contract or publisher guidelines before launching a similar campaign.

Lessons from a misprint

Authors are often told to think like marketers. But we don’t always hear that marketers should also think like creatives. This experience reminded me that not everything in publishing—or marketing—has to be polished to perfection. Sometimes, the best ideas are born out of imperfection.

If I’d tossed those flawed copies, I would’ve missed out on a powerful opportunity—not just for exposure, but for connection. I met new readers, collaborated with local businesses, and celebrated the simple joy of storytelling.

As authors, we often talk about how to get our books into readers’ hands. But sometimes, it’s about getting creative with how they find them. After all, isn’t that the heart of storytelling? Unexpected discoveries. A little mystery.

So next time you find yourself with a stack of not-quite-right books, don’t reach for the recycling bin. Instead, ask: What story can I still tell with these?

You might be surprised by how many people want to read it.

Readers Are Fascinated by Truth in Fiction—and It Matters

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Today’s post is by author Penny Haw.

Readers are intrigued by what is or might be true in literature. Even when authors vow that our fiction is just that—fiction!—readers interrogate us, and dissect characters, behavior, plot, and themes to find hidden elements of autobiography. There’s a sense that truth adds value to books. And, when the opposite occurs and facts are exposed as fiction—as was recently alleged in an Observer article about Raynor Winn’s memoir, The Salt Path—the weight of the work diminishes significantly.

During an event at this year’s Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg, two authors were interviewed about their new fiction. Paige Nick’s novel, Book People, tells a rollicking story about the (largely but not entirely) imagined shenanigans of a Facebook book club with more than 23,000 members, which, in reality, the author founded and administers. Nick freely admits that some of the characters in the book are modeled on actual members and that, with the relevant members’ permission, she lifted several posts and comments directly from the site for her novel.

“Clearly the saying is true, you could not make this shit up…your words are better than anything I could have come up with,” writes the author in her acknowledgments in Book People.

The other author was Bonnie Espie, whose debut cozy mystery, Making a Killing, is set in a South African village very much like the one in which the author resides. Although she insists her book is fiction, Espie concedes some of her characters were inspired by real people from her village.

I was struck, during the interview and by the audience’s questions, by how utterly fascinated people were about who and what in Nick’s and Espie’s books were based on truth. Everyone wanted to know how fact and real people shaped the stories. Those members of the audience who belong to the Facebook book club asked—with what appeared to be a mix of dread and hope—if they themselves had inspired characters and events in Book People. The audience also wanted the lowdown on who among Espie’s neighbors appear in Making a Killing and seemed hungry for gossip about how they’d shaped the story.

“Who, among your characters, are real? Did you have to disguise them?”

“What, exactly, was your inspiration for the story? Who misbehaved?”

“Have people recognized themselves in your book? If so, how did they react?”

Books might be marketed as fiction, but it’s the truth and possibility thereof that intrigues people. I see this with my historical fiction. Inspired by the lives of Britain and Ireland’s first female veterinary surgeon, Aleen Cust; the wife and business partner of the inventor of the automobile Carl Benz, Bertha Benz; distinguished paleoanthropologist, Mary Leakey; and early female astronomer, Caroline Herschel, the books are fictionalized versions of real stories. The disclaimer, “A Novel” is prominent on their covers.

In my author’s notes in each book, I describe what is biographical and where I’ve added to or imagined incidents, characters, thoughts and dialogue. Still, readers inevitably ask me to confirm these claims. They want me to elaborate on the detail, particularly where this involves the challenges, misogyny, and prejudice that the women faced in reality.

“Was Aleen really disowned by her family?”

“Did Bertha’s father actually write ‘Unfortunately, only a girl again’ alongside her name in the family Bible?”

“Did Mary Leakey truly receive only two years of formal schooling?”

When I answer “yes” and reiterate and expand on what I wrote, their eyes light up and they nod. Readers are thrilled by the truth; the more inconceivable, the better. That seems certain. Why it is so, is more complicated, but there are theories.

Stories help us understand

It doesn’t matter who we are, we all want stories. They help us make sense of our experiences and a complicated world. Because we’re inquisitive, social animals, stories help us understand and connect with one another. When we recognize and relate to characters and events in stories—particularly those we believe to be true—it strengthens our social bonds and confirms we belong. There’s a kinship that inspires, informs and comforts us and, though we might not always be conscious of it or understand why, we’re all searching for truths in the world.

Stories also evoke emotions and help us understand what it might be like to be different. We want to see the truth in those stories to help us understand people who are different and have different experiences of life.

We want to be inspired

People love heroes, particularly real ones. We want to read and hear stories about how others experience life, overcome challenges and tragedy, and prevail regardless of the obstacles they face. We rejoice with them. Even where the subjects’ ambitions and experiences are nothing like our own, we want to know it’s possible to survive and succeed. If the stories are declared fiction, we want to believe they could be true because it elevates the emotion we experience. It gives us reason to celebrate.

Readers want to understand authors

When some readers ask authors what inspired a book, they want to know how it came to be written. They’re curious about whether the author is writing from experience. It’s not just that they want to believe the story; they also want to get to know and understand the creator. Even if a story is absolute fiction, readers get an understanding of the personal passions and philosophies of the author through their writing. Our stories represent who we are, what’s important to us, and things we want to share with others. That readers want to understand these things is encouraging. In fact, it’s wonderful. It’s important that readers care as much as authors.

Why authors should care

Authors are advised to write as if everything is true. Good fiction must be credible. While readers shouldn’t be duped, they must be convinced the story they’re reading could be true. If fiction is to effectively engage our imaginations and elicit the kinds of emotions that help us understand our world better, it must be possible the stories and characters could be real. Our emotional responses to stories and characters must be genuine.

If readers are moved to quiz you about the truth in your fiction, you’ve done a good job. Ideally, they’ll understand that fiction is an author’s response to reality. However, what really matters is that our stories feel true.

How authors can ensure their fiction rings trueKnow your interests, passions and key philosophies of life.Write about these things, the matters you truly care about. Passion shines in stories and is transferred to readers. Also, it brings joy to the writing process.Be inspired by real people and events. Observe and reflect upon the world, a place your readers will recognize and relate to.Explore and tap into your emotions. Recognize what moves you and how.Be brave and personal. Don’t be afraid of your struggles and personality showing up in your writing.Be yourself. Don’t pretend to be anyone or anything you aren’t. That way you don’t have to worry about keeping up pretenses.