Historical Fictionistas discussion
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How did you get into Historical Fiction?
Gail wrote: "My fascination with the past started young, when I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was about eight years old. Ever since, I have always gravitated toward historical fiction. I also bec..."I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books too.
Melissa wrote: "I got into it because of American Girl. I was reading their bi-monthly magazine, and they were talking up their historical fiction books for the 8-12 set. I was a bit of a bookworm then, but it was..."My favorite books were the Molly ones, and I had the Josephina doll.
I'm an avid reader of non-fiction and history books but also have a powerful imagination for story creation so it was a good fit to write historical fiction. When I started I didn't realize that it would be HF but the more I researched the more I wanted to include historical events into the timeline and how they impacted the characters.
Great question Joanne....My interest grew out of my studies at uni - I studied English and History (Social and Political) and I guess HF brings the two together nicely. I like to try and understand how historical events impact upon the lives of ordinary people. I like reading about that and I love writing about it. I'm currently focusing on novels inspired by the English Civil War (Swords, Saints and Sinners) and I'm just knocked over by the extent to which the ideas that emerged in that period influenced and helped to shape some of the biggest democracies in the world today.
I'm a late bloomer by getting hooked on historical fiction, but once I started, I knew there was no returning to another genre. I quite accidentally stumbled upon Cold Mountain at a local Goodwill store, and somehow jumped to the Wagons West! series of western romance novels written in the 1980's by Dana Fuller Ross (pen name for James Reasoner) at a local Goodwill store. I doubt if I will ever return to Psychological Thrillers!
As a child, I was confined in a room behind a sheet-covered door with Scarlet Fever for more weeks than I remember. Amongst the books passed to me was The Castle of Rhanby and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Before that, I’d never read anything historical, but now I was excited to know about times past. As a writer, I didn’t intend to write in the genre but my character was born in 1932 and so my trilogy, A Relative Invasion, developed. A lot of research about the Home Front in WW2 followed, then Intrusion was published and now Infiltration - just. We have now reached 1945. Impact is set in dismal post-war London.
When I was 12, my mother handed me "The Black Rose" by Thomas Costain and I was hooked forever on historical fiction. I still love that book!
The old-fashioned way: grad. school for English literature!
Ii got into historical fiction my sister wrote historic novels I like it!!!!!
I used to just go to the A section and read every book from left to right. I read As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer and loved it so much that I then vowed only to read historical fiction. 10 years later, I am still reading only HF - life is too short to read books I'm not really into!
Why is history so interesting? Your question prompted me to ask this; it's a mystery why some people love it so. My degree is in sociology but that too involved a lot of history, it just gave one a different analytical perspective. The drawback is that a love of historical fiction makes one a picky reader; if I come across a novel where the background doesn't feel authentic it is impossible for me to enjoy.
When we moved to England we lived in Bristol and our house had a name. I decided the house must be a character in a book and a time travel historical seemed the perfect genre. Each character in a story has his/her own motivation, goals and conflict so I had fun developing the house as a character with these three things. I didn't assign the house a his or her, it was definitely an 'it'.'It' was one of the obstacles to the heroine's wish to live in the present but also 'it' was the moral core for two families whose crimes in the past caused the central conflict in the story.
Sarah Richmond
I have always been a history buff and to combine that with a world you could weave through your own imagination, while still staying true to the time in which you are basing your story in is amazing to me.
Lindsey wrote: "For me, it was finding the shelf at the library with Jean Plaidy's books. I went through every single one and am now trying to find them for my own library."Lindsey--Is "Jean Plaidy" one of Norah Lofts' pseudonyms? I think it is. If so, you can find a bunch of her novels inexpensively at half.com. I have a whole shelf full of cheap paperback copies of her novels. The only bad thing is that the covers often look like silly, trashy romance novels. They're not, though! Still, it's kind of embarrassing, so I've torn the covers off of the cheesiest looking ones. :)
I think my fascination with historical fiction began as a young child with the Little House on the Prairie series. It was so amazing to me that a family actually lived out the life described on those pages.
The first book I read in this genre was The Three Musketeers when I was 14 yrs old.
Watching documentaries on WWII with my dad growing up. Oh, and MASH reruns.
A.E.: I don't think Jean Plaidy is a pseudonym for Norah Lofts-at least not that I've heard. Jean Plaidy, Philippa Carr, and Victoria Holt are all pseudonyms for Eleanor Hibbert. However, some of her covers just scream trashy romance novel even though they are about the Tudor or Plantagenet sagas. I am trying to find the more modern releases with the "respectable" covers. :) I have read some by Lofts though and like them as well.
When I was living in England (1996), I took a cheap package tour to Egypt, and from then on I was hooked on history! So much so that I then read every fiction book involving the ancient Egyptians! But Edward Rutherfurds books have done more for my appreciation of historical fiction than any other author. His books have influenced by writing. His writing, and the books by Deborah Harkness - those I love!!!
Why is it so engrossing to find out how people got into historical fiction and so enjoyable to remember one's own introduction to the genre.? The length of this conversation is proof that it is. Does anyone listen to audiobooks? I've turned my historical novel into an audio and am happy to give a free download to anyone who will consider reviewing it. Time is early eighteenth century and light-hearted theme is of a young man trying to become a success in the playhouses of London: 'Messiah. Love, music and malice at a time of Handel.' by Sheena Vernon. I can be emailed through Goodreads I believe.
Kristen wrote: "I'm a late bloomer by getting hooked on historical fiction, but once I started, I knew there was no returning to another genre. I quite accidentally stumbled upon Cold Mountain at a local Goodwill ...""Cold Mountain" is a great book. May I recommend A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s first two novels about the early West:
and his Pulitzer Prize novel
.
I had read Girl With a Pearl Earring in High School. One of my friends had recommended it and since then I started reading more historical fiction books. :)
I read Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney books in high school, then went on to become an English major and a librarian. When I'm not reading, I like to watch BBC productions like Jane Eyre and the upcoming re-do of Poldark. Not to mention Downton Abbey, of course.
My favorite genre since grade school. Jane Eyre and Rebecca were favorites. I loved English country novels. Today I seem to gravitate towards WWII era stories. My late father was a veteran, maybe that has something to do with my love of that era.
I've always loved history but when I was in school, they didn't teach us much about it. So my mum decided to homeschool me and we followed a history syllabus which had many reading assignments. That was when I started reading more and more historical fiction books.
I had older parents who lived through WWII. My father was a German-American who fought in WWII and my mother was Japanese. My dad was born in 1908, so he occasionally talked about the Great Depression as well. So I feel that I grew up with living history. Additionally, I've always loved historical books, whether nonfiction or fiction, as well as films.
My junior year history teacher got me to love history. In my early 20s I developed a crush on the British culture. Then I began watching all the British period pieces I could find. Then I began picking up the books. In my early 30s I went from Austen to Tolstoy to Dumas and realized that I loved the genre. I've read tons of other books, and now I'm hooked. It's all about British and European historical fiction for me. I've never been a fan of American historical fiction.
I've always loved to read historical fiction. I think the first books I started with was the Little House on the Prairie series. My family is one of the first families to settle in Ohio after the American Revolutionary War. I use to love to sit down with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and whoever else would tell me the family stories and just listen to all of the stories. I began writing stories when I was Kindergarden and come to think of it most of my stories were historically based. I began my formal writing career after taking a break from teaching in 2008. My first book was published in 2010.
Now that I think about it, I actually got into historical fiction when I was 5 years old with the Anne of Green Gables books and PBS special.
I really wanted to write crime, but members of my writing group pushed me into writing about the now uninhabited Island where I was born. With many stories from my grandmother and mother, I began. The first of my trilogy is loosely based on fact, and I did so well with it that another two followed. I enjoyed the research and my interest grew.As Well as that, I must say, I devoured Jean Plaidy books when I was younger.
There isn't much going on in the modern world that makes a good story plot in my opinion. Sounds like a sweeping statement, I know, but it's too close to real life. I like a bit of escapism and I love history. Therefore, historical fiction.
I received in the mail from a book club (moving error) To Dance with Kings and was hooked on historical fiction since.
Some of the first historical books I read was about the Tudor period. Phillipa Gregory mainly. Then I got into steampunk and Victorian history in my teens. Historical books felt like fantasy worlds, as there could be entirely different cultures and landscapes introduced to me. I love finding out something new from the past, especially folk and herb lore, just from reading about an event hundreds of years ago :)
I have to laugh. I did poorly in history classes in school. So why for the past six years have I been writing nothing but historical novels, for which I have to do tons of research?
The universe has a sense of humor?
Devorah wrote: "I have to laugh. I did poorly in history classes in school. So why for the past six years have I been writing nothing but historical novels, for which I have to do tons of research?"History class usually focusses on the stuff we're not normally interested in. Somehow it always know. (When all I wanted to do was research Victorian medicine and Egyptian afterlife, classes were mainly only about WWI and II). Once I was out of class, I researched what I was interested in and found out so much interesting facts.
Kitty-Lydia wrote: "Devorah wrote: "I have to laugh. I did poorly in history classes in school. So why for the past six years have I been writing nothing but historical novels, for which I have to do tons of research?..."I find myself thinking if history had been taught differently, I would have paid more attention. I don't remember it being alive for me. It was just dates and places and names to memorize.
I recently attended a lecture by an archaeologist who wrote a book about her findings, but framed that as part of the experience of a fictional woman. I thought that was brilliant.
(I have yet to read the book but if you're curious, it's https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Lives-B...
The Just-About-Average Ms M wrote: "I taught Western Civ for 26 years at the local community college. Every semester I told my students that history was like Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless, In other words, history w..."Now that does sound like fun.
While growing up, I always hated listening to jokes about the Italians going into World War 2 with their hands raised. This was not at all the case, and I wanted to point out the bravery of the Italian population during this horrific time. Although "Bridge of Sighs and Dreams" is fiction, It is based on real events. I felt compelled to write a war novel in which the women don't play the role of wallpaper or objects of amusement to soldiers and politicians. The women in "Bridge of Sighs and Dreams" take center stage in a behind the lines battle between good and evil.
History (in the US, anyway) tends to be taught pretty poorly, with an emphasis on rote memorization (I know I've never used the tariff act information I memorized in high school US history - and I'm a historian!) and somehow never seems to teach the material that a lot of kids (or adults, for that matter), would find actually interesting.It also focuses on the "what" rather than the "why" to an enormous extent. For example: those tariffs we had to memorize were never connected to what a "trade war" is, or what effects they can have on the lives of ordinary people. We might have paid more attention, in that case.
The teaching of history needs fewer dry dates, and more soap opera shenanigans. (Of which it has plenty, but they so often aren't taught!) My best high school history teacher only required us to know a handful of dates offhand, and we were the better for it.
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "History (in the US, anyway) tends to be taught pretty poorly, with an emphasis on rote memorization (I know I've never used the tariff act information I memorized in high school US history - and I'..."Yes, I think that's what was lacking: the "why."
Some great books mentioned. I'll have to check them out. Thanks! :)
I have always read historical fiction and now write it. For a writer it has its challenges not the least being the need to preserve the basic timeline of history. The advantage is you can take your reader away to a world of wonder other than the gritty never ending misery that modern thrillers serve up by just churning out the worst features of the modern world.
I got into historical fiction because in my opinion, a lot of things in the past were beautiful, yet gritty. I love worlds that can be both, and history does it both in spades. Plus knowing history is important to know where we might be going in the future-we don't want to make the same mistakes as our ancestors.
I got into historical fiction because history was always something that was around me. My father was a history teacher and I was always interested in the past. To me there was always something to be learned from it and stories that were waiting to be uncovered. As a child and to this day I adored Colonial Williamsburg and walking the streets that were once walked by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Naturally the books I read reflected the history that I enjoyed the most. I started with American History and that has grown to include World History. It's a part of my life and one that I find a lot of comfort as well as joy in. I always learn something new which is part of the fun.
As a school kid growing up in Hong Kong, I was a fan of Jin Yong's martial arts & chivalry novels (a genre that mixes fantasy with romance and heroism) which are all set in China's distant past. That sparked my life-long interest in Chinese History. As an adult, I've come to love world historical fiction, especially novels set in old-time Europe. I'm amazed to find there are striking similarities between East and West histories, like the oppression of women and the underclass, the bloody power struggles within the ruling class, the inhumane punishments etc.
Alice wrote: "As a school kid growing up in Hong Kong, I was a fan of Jin Yong's martial arts & chivalry novels (a genre that mixes fantasy with romance and heroism) which are all set in China's distant past. Th..."You put your finger on one of my reasons too. I'm interested in the question of what makes us human. One way to explore this is to look into the past or into the future, and see what's familiar: what connects us. I'm also interested in when we step outside that and why. Why are a very few times and places less oppressive to women, or more egalitarian in terms of prosperity and rights. Historical fiction and science fiction are two excellent genres for thinking about these issues.
I was corrupted early by the books I read (Kipling, Stevenson, Dumas) and movies that took place in different times. It was a way of traveling when as a kid I didn't believe I'd ever really get the chance to see the world. Also, swords are cooler than guns. Just saying.Wayne Turmel
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 started by asking myself the question ...What if.....