How did you get into Historical Fiction?

[Ingrid]

I fell in love with history as a child when my father recounted historical events from various countries, in a form of a short story. When I was an adolescent I began reading the history book. I did not move into the historical novel-reading habit, until much later in life.

[Del]

I was a reporter, so I wanted to read something that was fiction, not just borderline fiction, and far enough back that everyone was dead and nobody could give an interview.

[Jaime]

Two books hooked me into historical fiction, and . I read these in the late-1970s.

[Josef]

I begun enjoying historical fiction by accident. My grad work was in history, mainly the historical novel’s of Sir Walter Scott. Spending the time to learn the foundational works of the genre for me hooked. Now, I’m writing historical fiction novels myself! My first is coming out in less than a month.

[Wisteria]

I love the Classics because they are often very well-written. And, many of the classics are written earlier. Thus, I found myself immersed in the past because I enjoyed the writing, and now read current historical novels, such as "The Historian." I also favor the French Revolution era, such as "Les Miserables," "The Red Pimpernel" and "Scaramouche." Honestly, I never enjoyed history, however, reading historical novels has immersed me into history in a way that is palatable.

[N.M.]

The first chapter books I ever read were the Magic School House books. I loved sinking into a different period and learning about past events and different cultures. Even so, I still wasn't THAT obsessed with historical fiction books until my great grandmother gave me her copy of Night by Elie Wiesel when I was in 3rd grade.
Reading about the Holocaust for the first time made me aware of how much about the world I was completely oblivious to so I only read historical fiction for many years. Now I read a wide variety of genres, but there will always be a special place in my heart for historical fiction. :)

[Kymm]

I have always loved history and all it had to teach me. In school as a child I soaked up everything I could during history class, but it didn't seem to cover enough of what I wanted to know. As I grew into adulthood I realized I loved reading for fun and started off with psychological thrillers and crime dramas. Not even thinking about historical fiction, I was in between books and tired of reading the same old thrillers and crime stories, they all seemed so similar, then my sister loaned me Molokai, by O.A. Bushnell. I was hooked! I soon couldn't get enough historical fiction! I then started on the Kingsbridge trilogy by Ken Follett and fell in love with his books. That was over 5 years ago. I've read hundreds of books since then and the majority are historical, I just love learning about different time periods and people within those times. So very interesting and I learn so much. It's like a fantastic history class that never stops.

[Barbara]

Naomi wrote: "The first chapter books I ever read were the Magic School House books. I loved sinking into a different period and learning about past events and different cultures. Even so, I still wasn't THAT ob..."
Amazing that you read "Night" in the third grade! How interesting that this book led you into reading historical fiction.

[Barbara]

Kymm wrote: "I have always loved history and all it had to teach me. In school as a child I soaked up everything I could during history class, but it didn't seem to cover enough of what I wanted to know. As I g..."

I totally agree--reading historical fiction is "like a fantastic history class that never stops."

[Will]

Gone with the Wind I was forced to read this by my mum almost and after reading I wanted ore of the historical fiction genre even though I'd been into general history for ages I hadn't read it in a fictitious setting

[Barbara]

Thanks for your comment. I read "Gone With the Wind" years and years ago and never thought of it as historical fiction!

[Wayne]

Barbara wrote: "Thanks for your comment. I read "Gone With the Wind" years and years ago and never thought of it as historical fiction!"

Barbara, that's a good point. As a kid I never thought about genres, it was a good story or it wasn't. I often learned things by accident! I think a lot of histfic authors tend to focus on the history and the research instead of focusing on the story. I like to think of my books as historical fiction for people who don't read "HISTORICAL FICTION."

[Barbara]

I also think the best historical fiction is, as you say, primarily a good story. I do love learning about another time or place through fiction, whatever we call it.

[Barry]

When I was younger genres may or may not have existed in the world but I never heard of them and there was no sign of them in book stores. Books were divided into fiction and non-fiction. The rare exception to this was the occasional store that had a separate shelf for westerns. And, unknown to the decent customers of the store, most stores had a back room with a shelf of science fiction books. Those were too obnoxious to be shown to the public. I only knew about that because as a kid I enjoyed science fiction.

I don't think I ever saw a book store with genres taken seriously until the late 1970s or early 1980s. Maybe even later. I'm not quite sure. And I was always looking at book stores.

I was born in 1940 and I was browsing bookstores and libraries regularly from about 1950 on. Libraries did have genres but not to the extent that bookstores do now. Not even close.

I read what we call historical fiction today since I was in my teens. To me it's always just been fiction. Some fiction takes place in the present. Some in the past. Some in the future. As others here have said it's only the story that matters.

I suspect that genre was an invention of marketers and I think it's a pretty sneaky way of doing business. The business of marketing is fooling people and genre does that very well. I'll browse Literature and Fiction on Amazon and it's full of mysteries, romance, westerns, zombies, ghosts and every other kind of novel. Then I'll look at mysteries and see many of the same books. That's supposed to be a different group of books but it's a way of pushing the same book at me twice.

Barry

[Wisteria]

Hi Barry, Wayne and Barbara,

I, too, am in that age group where there was not a section for "historical fiction/novels." I, personally, use that term now, as that seems to be how many people think about stories that have a historical aspect and are fiction. You're right that libraries had "novels," and "non-fiction; there were just books and magazines.

My mother encouraged me to read "Gone with the Wind," which was just a "good book." I hadn't actually thought about the genres, but you are all correct that it is different now.

I was born at the end of 1947, so I guess some of us just read because we enjoyed books, but didn't think about categorizing them into genres. Although it does make it easier to sort through various kinds of books that way now. And we didn't have the internet, either, to categorize them so quickly and easily! ;)

Interesting viewpoints!
Wisteria

[Barry]

I'm not sure genres do make it easier for readers. For one thing the categories are totally ignored by the people selling us books. Every genre contains most of the books of some of the other genres.

What I've read does happen is that authors are pushed by their publishers and editors to stay within the imaginary bounds of genre and that seems like a good way to stifle imagination. I'm not a writer but I've read that this is common and if it's true I don't think it's a good thing.

Publishers and booksellers have as their primary concern selling the most books. Selling good books probably is less an issue today than it was, again just based on things that I've read.

According to the US Constitution the point of copyright is to encourage creativity. It seems like the point of publishers is kind of the opposite. :)

Barry

[Wisteria]

I've not heard that about publishers pushing people into a particular genre, but maybe. If it is true, it's not good. Then where is the individual's creativity? It's best to categorize after the book is written. I'm sure publishers can figure out a category.

I don't know much about the publishing industry, however, I think anyone who has a great idea for a book, regardless of what niche someone thinks it might fit into, should write it.

I also think that some things are just serendipity - just being in the right place at the right time, and knowing the right people.

Besides, publishers hardly push books anymore, and with the internet millions of people are printing on Kindle, and the number of publishers and editors has dropped.

I don't really know what the new "rules" are today...

[Of Butterflies & Books]

I would say reading Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters were my biggest influences when it came to becoming interested in HF because I just loved reading about people set in a different time, but that were still so relatable on some level.

[revcodes]

In 2006, I picked up Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, finished all 800+ pages in record time and went back to Barnes & Nobles to see if she has written other books. I checked in the Sci-fi Fantasy section, not there. Checked fiction. Not there. Finally, I asked a clerk who pointed me to the Romance section, and thanks to Gabaldon, I've enjoyed romance novels ever since.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

I seem to recall as a child in the 70s that our local bookstore had different non-fiction genres (separating science from history, for example). Fiction had only big separations, such as children's from adult (no YA because it wasn't a thing then), and I believe they also had a mystery section. I think everything else was just "fiction." By the end of the 70s there were more genre divisions, but I don't think "historical fiction" was one of them.

[Dawn]

Three Boys Mom wrote: "Cane River by Lalita Tademy was a book I could not put down. But years later I read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and I was hooked. I remember thinking I only want to read books like this."

Oh my gosh, I remember that book by Lalita Tademy. I was already a non fiction reader but that book was great.

[Susan]

When my family moved as a child, the previous home owners left a set of Charles Dickens books. I was hooked as soon as I began reading them.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Awesome.

[John]

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 barely make sense of it. On several occasions I thought that if only it were a novel then I could put it all together and see how it worked.

Then I found the grave of my great grandparents- and it had no headstone on it which surprised me. They were of a generation that would have had a stone- if they could afford it. But of course 100 years ago, like many people, my family did not have two pennies to rub together so they were buried with no stone.

I thought; if only they could earn some money I bet they'd have a stone.
Then it struck me that they actually could. Their story was interesting enough to make a novel so if I used their names, though long gone from this world they could 'earn' their own money.

So I wrote two novels.

The headstone was put into place last week, which pleases me.

But it also set me in a genre; I have just finished my third historical novel. Like the previous two it is based on close and detailed historical accuracy. It struck me that to do otherwise was disrespectful to those I was writing for. I want my readers to be able to walk in the shoes of those long gone and see their world as they did. Not the rich, the aristocratic, but ordinary people going about their lives. They too have their dramas and their incidents worth the telling.

So my great grandparents set me to the writing of historical fiction; I hope they'd like the books.

I think they would.

[Emma-Nicole]

I got into HF through my love for ghost stories. I stumbled across a dual time story, 'House of Echoes' by Barbara Erskine, loved the historical side of it and was then hooked on the genre.
I realised that what i love about history is all that raw human emotion underpinning historic events.
I started broadening my reading interests into pure historical fiction too.
It inspired me to research historic legends and stories here in the UK and now i write my own historical fiction....with a paranormal twist to it.
The irony is that I hated history at school. I adore it now and it is historical fiction writers who fuelled my love for history!

[Emma-Nicole]

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..."

What a lovely and touching story John! Such a wonderful way to get your great grandparents the headstone they deserve. Please can you provide the name of the novel about your great grandparents?

[John]

Well Emma-Nicole, it did the job that I wanted to do, and folk seem to like it. If it's allowed on this thread, it's called 'The Collier's Daughter'. The sequel follows on but is more based on three of their children. That's called 'The Light over the Solway'.

What name do you write under? I'll look you up on Amazon.

[John]

BTW - I did write a book of 12 ghost stories- I see you are interested in them. Another good genre.

[Jean]

Emma-Nicole wrote: "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 ..."


Hi John, my answer is the same! Through Genealogy. I found so many great stories in their lives. My second book is written about one of my ancestors Catherine Wasson Clyde and her life during the American Revolution.

[Kymm]

I found historical fiction through my love of history. I've always loved learning about other people, places and times, so when I started really reading in my young adult years it was only natural that I was drawn to the historical fiction titles. I go through stages where I'll read everything I can on a certain time period, then switch to another and continue this over and over. There is so much to learn from these books and I love it. I like other genres, but I always find I go back to historical fiction. Just so much history out there to learn.

[Emma-Nicole]

Thank you. I did ask for your book's name as I'm genuinely interested, so I definitely think it is okay to mention it on the thread.
Yes, I write under my name on Amazon.
John wrote: "Well Emma-Nicole, it did the job that I wanted to do, and folk seem to like it. If it's allowed on this thread, it's called 'The Collier's Daughter'. The sequel follows on but is more based on thre..."

[John]

I just bought A Shadow beyond; looks interesting.

Mine are more expensive- I suppose because they are damned great thick things. I imagine since you asked it's ok to link you my author page.

I shall read it next- after I finish the biography of Patrick O Brian I am reading. When I read his Aubrey/Maturin series I am green with envy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B01F3TPYJY...

[Zsófi]

Have been a history addict all my life, it was a family topic, one everyone read in their own particular field of interest. My father introduced us to Jules Verne and Hungarian history, as well as Horatio Hornblower. My mother was more into romantic period tales. Aunts into heavy sagas. So I came by it honestly.

I became interested in writing it when I was working on a memoir. I realized that though there are millions of books about WWII, very few are about Hungary. I want to fill that void.

[Alexander]

History has fascinated me all my life, especially medieval England and France, but I never read any historical fiction until my early twenties. When I was travelling through India, I bought Ken Follett's masterpiece The Pillars of the Earth at a local fleece fair, and since then I've been hooked on everything he's ever written.

[Don]

My interest in history developed gradually, as it seemed to be an integral part of real literature. I taught history "on the side" (my credential is in English), and eventually read more historical fiction than anything else. Once I started writing HF, I could not stop researching a wide variety of eras and cultures, which is why my novels are quite diverse. Literature is about people; psychology and history are the essences of humanity. If you are fascinated by the evolution of the human race, you must study history.

[Dave]

HF. Funny in a way. I view most good HF as more literary. After all, everything written about a time before the life of the reader is HF, isn't it?

[Dave]

I got into it when I was told about 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara. I was very young at the time, and already had an interest in history. Having historical figures come to life like that hooked me permanently. I've reread that book a dozen times since, and I still enjoy it.

[Mary Ellen]

Dave wrote: "I got into it when I was told about 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara. I was very young at the time, and already had an interest in history. Having historical figures come to life like that hoo..."

Are you a Civil War buff as well? It is a great book as are all in the series and the Western Theatre series. I assume you have read them all. How do you feel about John Jakes? He is the one who similarly hooked me, though I’ve been reading historical biography since the third grade.

[Lisa J]

I grew up in a middle-class family, both of my parents overcame poverty, and the challenge of coming from a family of alcoholics and violence. They had the odds against them, with barely a 9th grade education when their first child was born. They worked hard towards learning the trades. My mother became a Master Electrician, and my father a Master Mechanic. My parents worked full-time and were always working on earning more money in their spare time, like flipping homes. My parents taught about work ethic, but they didn't overly express how important education was. It wasn't just about going to school, there needs to be support at home. I was the first one in the family to actually graduate from high school and go to college. Still during this time, there was not one book in our home, nor any desire on my part to read. When I read for school, it was all boring and I couldn't be bothered. I couldn't understand why anyone liked to read. I could barely get through any book without my eyes tearing and feeling terribly tired while reading. I never seen anyone read for enjoyment in my immediate family. In 20 years after college, I had read 3 books. I did enjoy them but they all took so long to get into them, I didn't feel it was worth it to me.

I watched part 1 of Outlanderseason 1 and I felt a hole in my heart. I needed more. So I ordered the book and read it immediately. That was the beginning of it all, and I still can't get enough of it. That was at the age of 38, and now 44 years young, I am close to 70 books and still plowing away. I love long books, since I feel I can never get enough of each story and never want them to end.

Now with 6 children, 4 adult (all college graduates, and avid readers too), two of my daughters love the HF too and we share our books with each other. I did fake it for a while for my children's sake, since I wanted them to read for pure pleasure too, and now I am too.

I have always loved period piece movies and tv series, I just didn't realize I loved HF, nor had I known how much I would love reading HF. I am also not stuck on only reading the book version, I love seeing their movie or tv adaptions too. Because I can't get enough of the stories, I don't care if they veer away from the book or not. Give me more!

[Xina]

The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I still remember how exciting it was to search the shelves in our local library for another volume. When I got older I went through phases -the Louis L'Amour phase, the historical romance phase, and so on. History was my favorite subject - still is. It's all about stories!

[Anne]

I read the Little House series a dozen times throughout my preteen years. Then I discovered Jeanette Oke... I also read a series of historical romance from my library when I was 13-14, a huge series but I’ve never been able to remember the authors name. Around 20 books in that series! I love HF so much I now write it. ❤️

[Fleury]

I can't remember when I first started reading HF, although I've read most of the books mentioned in this thread. HF reminds us people are people, whatever the age in which they lived. Ideas change. People don't. Also, I love learning cultural details. Just finished "The Tilted World" by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly about 1927 flood. It was a threefer-beautifully written, compelling story, and I learned something.

[Alana]

As a girl, I loved books like "Ivanhoe." From there it eventually went to Brother Cadfael. I really enjoy Tom Franklin's books, as well.

[Lisa]

After my father died in May 2014 I wanted to know more about Jewish history in NYC and the immigrants that came in the early 1900s before WWII when my family came. I eventually got interested in other HF as well.

[Jill]

I've found that many historical novels (not all) are character driven and use beautiful language. Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See is an example of this, as is Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. These are my favorite kind of historical novels, as they contain the literary qualities that originally drew me to the genre.

Writing historical fiction enables me to distance myself from my life and fully immerse myself in another character's personality and experiences, without falling into any autobiographical trappings. As someone who loves to research period details, I also enjoy learning about the sociological aspects of history - both as a reader and a researcher.

[Vhia]

My mum's friend loaned me a book by Johanna Lindsey once, when I was in my teens, and the rest is history ;) I fell in love with the historical romances set in Scotland and England, and eventually started reading Fantasy and Sci-Fi books, and historical fiction with a time traveling spin like the Outlander series. Now, I'm writing my own historical fiction set in Ancient Greece. I'm slowly chipping away at the manuscript and hope to publish by early next year!

[Betsy]

I am a big military history reader so it kind of followed that I'd try historical fiction too. However, I prefer historical fiction with little romance, thus my favorite books are more like Killer Angels and Das Boot. I do like Gone With the Wind, War and Peace, and Pride and Prejudice. It really depends on how the romance is handled, and that it is not the only reason for the book. Some authors just seem to write romance with a war as background.

[K.D.]

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 because I just love history. Maybe I should have been a historian???

[Lewis]

The Just-About-Cocky Ms M wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Some authors just seem to write romance with a war as background."

Exactly. WWII as wallpaper--and faded at that--for Big Romance has proliferated past all reason, including horrible..."

I agree. The characters need to be integrated into the history, with a real role to play. But, as my wife always tells me when I write, "Don't tell everything you know." Too much history drowns the characters' stories.

[Del]

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 nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. https://www.statesville.com/opinion/o...