Writing About History & My New Site

There was an interesting article in the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly that addressed this year’s biopics ranging from Selma, to American Sniper, to The Theory Of Everything. The article spoke of how even though these films were wonderful, certain parts of the movies weren’t factually correct. This got me to thinking about historical inaccuracies I’ve either read in books or seen in movies, and the question of: “How many inaccuracies should an audience member let slide?”

I think the answer is two-fold: writers & producers should try to do due diligence regarding historical accuracy, but at the same time, the audience member needs to suspend disbelief. At the end of the day, most novels and movies are pieces of entertainment. Unless, of course, we’re talking about something that’s meant to be educational, like a textbook, authorized biography, or a documentary.

I recently experienced some of the “facts versus entertainment challenge” in my just published novel, The Intended Ones. The novel is set in the present and is the continuing story of Farren & Doc, my main characters from Substitute Angel. But it’s also the tale of the angel in Substitute Angel, Clair, and her love story when she lived in the same small town back in the 1950’s. So the book ping-pongs back and forth in time. One chapter takes place in the present, while the next occurs in the past, until Farren’s and Clair’s stories converge. (That, BTW, is why the paperback edition of The Intended Ones is a little more expensive than the paperback edition of Substitute Angel. It’s a lot longer, literally two novels in one book.)

Since half the book took place in the 1950’s, I had to do a lot of research about cars, planes, popular songs, hair styles, swim suit fashions, men and women’s clothing, and what was going on with the economy in Michigan where the story takes place. Did I get everything historically accurate? I hope so, but there also came a point where I to stop worrying about it and can get on with the story telling. The same was true with the brand new book I just finished, the still unreleased A Farm In Pennsylvania. That novel is my first 100% historical novel and takes place in Gettysburg, PA, in 1863, five weeks after the infamous battle. I fully realize Gettysburg is hallowed ground for many Civil War fans, but the book isn’t a historical study, it’s a love story. So again, at a certain point, I had to leave my penchant for historical accuracy behind and concentrate on my characters and plot development.

I’m learning that writing books is a lot like cooking: you need certain ingredients to make everything tasty, and ultimately, the reader will decide if the author had a good recipe.

Switching subjects somewhat, I’d like to remind everyone that The Intended Ones from Touchpoint Press is now available both in paperback and eBook editions. If you buy it through Amazon.com, please be sure to write a kind review! I’d also like to invite everyone to visit my new website, timbestonline.com. The site is divided into two parts: my advertising career and my book-writing career. So, whether you want to hear some funny Mayhem radio commercials for Allstate, watch award-winning TV spots for Honda, or check out reviews and story synopses of my books, you can do it at timbestonline.com. You can even read some short stories there. Please check it out and, as always, thank you!