Historical Fictionistas discussion
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How did you get into Historical Fiction?
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K.D. wrote: "Good question - it's really hard to remember. I read "The Witch of BlackBird Pond" while still in grade school, and later "My Enemy, the Queen" when I was 15. I've read dozens of HF books, mostly b..."I, too, liked Witch of Black Bird Pond.
Del wrote: "I love good writing and some of the best writing is in the historical fiction genre. Here is a short article in a North Carolina newspaper about what inspired me to write my first novel after being..."All the best Del. I'll give it a look. Dave Tamanini
For myself, I began reading the "Dear America" series of novels for elementary to middle school age in 1st grade or so. I loved them so much I ravenously devoured them all in 2-3 years. As a child I loved that they were told from the perspective of children and teenagers as well, and I loved how my imagination came alive in historical settings. I could truly visualize the characters and world. I branched out into historical-esque fantasy in junior high with finding Tamora Pierce and several other favorite authors. I just love to read! I have multiple disabilities and many of my activities are limited, but reading I can almost always manage, and go to a world far away (or close to home)!
I was never much of a reader until I picked up The Source by James A Michener. Now I'm hooked.
How did I first get into historical fiction? My mother gave me historical novels, both for children, and adult ones she thought I could handle, starting at when I was about ten or eleven.She figured I would like historical fiction because we have similar literary tastes. She was right.
I think the first adult historical novel she gave me was The King Must Die by Mary Renault. I loved it.
I have been an avid reader since I was little. And when I began elementary school and began to study early AmericaI fell in love and it’s plain to see how the two meshed.
I hated history when I was young. My high school history teacher threw out the textbook. He lectured and brought it to life. It wasn't the dry recital of dates and facts anymore.I honestly don't recall the first historical novel I read. It could have been The Bastard by John Jakes. Or it may have been James Clavell's Shōgun or one of the tomes written by Michener.
I may be guilty of being influenced by video games. And I'm not ashamed for it. wide grin
I have played Red Dead Redemption, which is (as you may, or may not, know) a western game. That very game sparked my interest for westerns and I have been expanding my western-shelf on GR since.
Also, I recently read a semi-historical fiction book with a group in May, which was also riddled with fantasy. But it have a strange appeal to it, in terms of history. So now I also have a shelf with general historical fiction on GR, which mostly contains books about war eras.
I have always liked reading mysteries but wanted something more in depth, plus I was interested history and the role or lack of role of women in historical events and movements, so I started reading historical mysteries then expanded to general historical fiction.
The first historical novel I remember reading, the novel that eventually led me to write my own historical novels, was "The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers" by Margaret George. I remember buying this book in a specialty book store in lower Manhattan.
I have always loved history. The vivid and tantalising tales of misfortune, courage and adventure was a natural progression to historical fiction. I have been forever moved and inspired by writers like Sarah Dunant, Geraldine Brooks, Carlos Ruiz Zafon etc..I am a historical novelist myself, and I find that history has already set the plot of the story. Creating characters within these historical events is a delight!
Anna wrote: "I have always loved history. The vivid and tantalising tales of misfortune, courage and adventure was a natural progression to historical fiction. I have been forever moved and inspired by writers ...""history has already set the plot of the story. Creating characters within these historical events is a delight!" ... what a great way to formulate one of the great joy of writing historical novels
Hi there. I'm new here (author) and finding my way around the goodreads maze. My intro to historical fiction probably started with reading the Bible at a young age. I've always love true stories and I always look for movies based on true stories — the kind that pull on the heart and show grit and perseverance with characters that find their way through impossible circumstances. My first serious historical fiction reads were Brodie and Brock Thoene series about WW2 and the rebuilding of Israel later. After years of watching WW2 and holocaust movies, it was these books that encouraged me to look at my own family history. And when I did, I realized I was sitting on a gold mine of historical fiction data. And this is what I'm writing now. And I'm currently reading all of Marina Osipova's books about the Russian experience in WW2.
It started when I first read a Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni novel.
When I was about 12, my mother handed me The Black Rose by Thomas Costain. That was 65 years ago and it's still my favorite genre. Ask me about my favorites - I'd love to get into a discussion!
I began reading James Clavell and Wilbur Smith when I was young and became hooked on historical fiction! Now I read Ken Follett, Bernard Cornwell, Robert Harris, and the Flashman series by the late George MacDonald Fraser.
Scholastic’s Dear America series did it for me. I was crazy about those books when I was a preteen and still love them today. I can definitely thank Dear America for my interest in American history. I also read a lot of Ann Rinaldi’s YA historical novels as a kid/preteen. And I fell in love with Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women when I was around 10. Not exactly historical fiction, but it peaked my interest in old-timey settings.
Claire wrote: "For myself, I began reading the "Dear America" series of novels for elementary to middle school age in 1st grade or so. I loved them so much I ravenously devoured them all in 2-3 years. As a child ..."A fellow fan of Dear America AND Tamora Pierce? Those are two of my favorite things in the whole world!
The first historical fiction I remember reading was Scott O’Dell’s trilogy of children’s novels, The Captive, The Feathered Serpent, and The Amethyst Ring. Later, in high school, I came upon Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur and James Clavell’s Shōgun, and there was no turning back!
I have only started to appreciate Historical Fiction in my "older age". After college I read Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series and really fell in love with books about tall ships and the Neapolitan wars...then the Revolutionary war era...and so on. I have also always loved romances set in the Victorian era more than modern day romances!
When I was about 11, the bookmobile librarian recommended The Virginian by Owen Wister. I enjoyed it so much, my father let me read his treasury of Zane Grey novels. That began a life-long love of the Old West and the inspiration for the settings of my own books. I've now inherited & still reread the Zane Greys, finding something new in them every time I crack them open.
My parents never let me have an American Girl doll but I got to read the books! Those books got me into Historical Fiction, specifically the story about Addy.
By visiting a remote graveyard in a pasture in the middle of Kansas. Someone still cared enough to mow and tend to those graves even though some dated back to the 1800s. I started imagining the stories of the people buried there. So, I chose historical fiction as the genre for my second novel, setting it in the area where I spent my childhood. Those who read that novel asked for more, so I wrote a sequel. I must confess in my research I found a history of the area that I'd not even noted before.
Now, I'm including, learning, and enjoying other historical fiction books in my reading.
John wrote: "That's a good question- my answer is slightly 'different'.Through genealogy.
I got interested in tracing my family history and from various places soon had so much information that I could barel..."
I think that is amazing and your ancestors would be so proud!
Kelsie wrote: "Scholastic’s Dear America series did it for me. I was crazy about those books when I was a preteen and still love them today. I can definitely thank Dear America for my interest in American history..."I loved the Dear America books, too!
When I was a girl — a looong time ago — I, of course, lived to read fairy tales and fantasy like Mary Poppins or Nancy Drew. One time when we went to the library, my mother forced me to get books about history. I recall one was about Elizabeth II, which was followed by one about Lady Jane Grey. Shortly after that, I watched “Gone With the Wind” and decided to read the book. The rest, as they say, is history.
Historical Fictionistas
Books mentioned in this topic
The Amethyst Ring (other topics)Shōgun (other topics)
The Captive (other topics)
The Feathered Serpent (other topics)
Shōgun (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Laura Ingalls Wilder (other topics)John Jakes (other topics)
Alexandra David-Néel (other topics)
Ann Rinaldi (other topics)
Ken Follett (other topics)
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I have been teaching history now for 13 years, so it just seemed natural to combine my passions for history, story, and geneology. I just released my first historical fiction this past July and am working on my second. As I like to tell my students, often times the most amazing stories are true. All they need is to be flushed out and brought back to life.