Filling In The Blanks

Michael and I are lucky historical fiction writers-- a lot of the people in our time period left behind scads of diaries and personal letters, as well notes from the people who met them. But many historical figures we know only by their actions and by the people who documented them in words and images while they were still alive. The rest is left to our imaginations. So what to do?

The simple answer is to fill in the blanks with whatever comes to mind. Personally, I think the best plan is to corral your imagination a bit and focus on making educated guesses based on the material that is available to you. Think about things like what societal attitudes and expectations the person would have grown up with, on a wide scale as well as within their family and immediate social group. You may be able to deduce some things about this person based on what the 'typical' citizen of your setting would know and believe and desire.

Once you have decided on some parameters, make sure your character is a coherent whole. Having someone who behaves both in character and appropriately for their time gives you realism, even when you're not entirely sure what the facts are.