I'm so happy you brought up the history of words: for me personally the most common mistake found in historical fiction is the use of too modern words or sayings. For instance, the way people cursed or used swear words can be a red flag to a reader if the character of 1500's curses the same way kids would today. Or jokes/dialogue referencing to people, places etc.: please check if that place/person even existed at the time, or was as known back then (especially political figures: they might not be as known 5 years prior to their period of influence as they are just a couple of years later). I think readers are pretty willing to look past the overall narration style, if they are sucked into the story, but checking out dialogue language and what things were called back then is worth the effort in my opinion. I'm currently writing historical fiction and the most useful tip for me was to check the everyday details (like would a toaster exist back then) and the overall political/historical situation, and then just write and alter things later if needed (you can research all you want, but you should also get some writing done). Thanks for the great video!
I like your advice on focusing on smaller historical details instead of knowing everything. I always manage to kill my own enthusiasm for my story when I research because I get hung up on every single detail and I drown in a never ending stream of historical research. I end up not writing more than maybe a few pages and then Iâve killed my interest with too much information.
My debut novel took place first in the 40s (then every decade after). I had to research the cost of things in that period, how much was a customary amount of a tip, what hotels looked like, etc. I was fortunate to know someone who lived in the 40s and was able to tell me that some of the dialogue I used wouldn't have been spoken in that period đ I love research and history, so it was fun trying to make sure my little details were accurate for their time period đ Also, there was some legal lingo in my book and I had to look up what certain legal actions were called back then compared to now. It confused my beta readers at first, so I used dialogue to help explain it. While I enjoyed researching it all, I'm glad to be done with it đ Now I'm working on fantasy where I can create anything and not worry as much about accuracy! Even my Elves speak different than Tolkien, but they're also not a typical "Elf" đ Great video...and I'd love to see you taking the van through the areas!
I wish I had a machine that could take this video and transport it to the time when I was in 3rd grade. When I was I was that age, I wanted to be a writer. But I was also a very self-aware child. I don't know where I got the idea that writers live out everything they write in their books. Even at that age, I realized that I knew very little about the world, people, or life. How could I write about anything? The idea that writers do research never entered my mind - not for years! By the time I figured it out, I had developed such a severe case of mental block / "blank page syndrome" that I was unable to write anything at all. Sadly, it persists to this day.
I've had so many people tell me I need to get out and experience things in order to write them, and although that can certainly help, I don't think it's at all necessary! I haven't done 90% of the things I write about, lol!
Iâm writing a graphic novel about two cowboys falling in love in the old Wild West and my favorite part of research by far is finding old fashioned swears there just hilarious.
Fantastic video, I couldn't agree more with all of these tips! A lot of my historical research is word origins and usage. I have a huge book (The Dictionary of Etymology) on the bookshelf behind my writing desk, and I consult that thing more than any other research book. I love that book so much.
@@bluenetmarketing Mine is called the Dictionary of Etymology, edited by Robert Barnhart. There's one on Amazon listed as Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology that might be similar or a different edition!
@@bluenetmarketing The book I have is a Chambers book, but it was published in 1988, so its availability might be limited. I wondered if there had ever been a more recent publication, but maybe not?
I m writing a novel Series called The Crusaders since I m a History Buff Which is about a Half French Half English Soldier Named Tristan De Bois His father was a Norman Nobleman Who participated in The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 Fighting for Rollo s Grandson The Duke of Normandy William The The Conquerer First Book Will be called 1096 He will also Two Twin Crusader Noblemen Fighting in this holy war there names are Charles de Soissons and Michael De Soissons.
I write AU historical fiction, and I did 14 years of research on the late Victorian era. Major events are super important, definitely especially if like myself, you want to move things around!
These are some great tips! I feel they could be used in other genres too. A Pistol Daisy road trip sounds sooo fun! I really hope you go and film some of it. That would be great to be able to see you visit the places in the book after I read it :D
Great video. Writing my historical fiction I also discovered how much I didn't know and also how much their lifestyle differs from ours. Things like they didn't lots of stuff they didnt need. They didnt just go out to eat to eat. They ate to live. Things like that.
@@NataliaLeigh It's coming along pretty well. I finished not even a rough draft. It's more like a draft zero. I am now working on fleshing out my characters, plot points, and world more before going back to write out a full draft 1.
I really liked this :) currently working on a ghost story, set in Catalonia in the late 19th century -- it was originally meant to be a pastiche of M.R. James' stories, so I've been able to refer back to him for help with the overall writing style and some of the details of daily life, but some days have been about 5 parts historical research to 1 part actual writing.
Thanks for these fantastic historical writing tips...I'm also writing a historical fiction novel that mostly takes place in and around Colorado Springs in 1986. I relate to the way you talk about feeling as though you live in the time period you're writing about!
I loved this! I relate so much to being daunted by research, but the way you broke the process down made it actually seem do-able. Good luck with Whiskey City!
When you said keep all your notes in one place. I immediately said YES. im writing my first novel and got stuff all over the place that i am now consolidating into one place in scrivener.
This was a wonderful video with tips I am definitely going to use when I write my historical fiction novel (centered around WW 2 era- that's a couple of years out though) and since I'm someone who is in my own head a lot I can definitely use the reminder to not get overwhelmed lol... Thank you Natalia and I love westerns too so I can't wait to see the wild west road trip! Take careâ€
Thanks for all the good advice! And thank you especially for bringing up clothing. As a costumer and fashion history nerd, the number one thing that pulls me out of a story is when the clothing is not only wrong for the period, but reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of a character's relationship to their clothing. It's not just about adding a little flair to a story with a cute detail. Clothing is deeply personal and very much an integral, every day part of any historical character's life, so I'd argue it's one of the more important things to research, even if you don't spend a lot of time describing the clothing itself. (I actually prefer books that *don't* do detailed clothing descriptions, just too many opportunities to go wrong đ )
The project that I am working on during Camp NaNoWriMo is a historical book for the Horror Dark Fantasy. It is Rise of the Spirit Dragons might change title. It goes back all the way to the beginning of time. Like when the galaxy got created, how planets were form. It goes forward in time from there. The series title is Life of the Supernatural, might change that as well, right now it works. Awesome video.
Ive been wanting to write a book for as long as I can remember, and I finally made the decision to write my first historical fiction! Your video has been so helpful, thank you so much!!
I think we've talked about Doc Holliday's grave in Glenwood Springs before. That'd be an interesting place that you could go visit! There's a hike involved, but I don't think that'd be a problem for you guys for when you're doing your PD trip :)
Oh thank you so much Natalia :) I have a side project going on and it is a historical fiction story, that I wanted to give up because oh boy was I overwhelmed. The idea that I don't have to know everything about that time is just so helpfull XD I wanted to give up because there are so many things that I will never know and they probably don't even matter... now I'm a little calmer. Thank you :) it's true that the little details matter and not every single thing because not every charakter will experience everything that happened in a time period. It's like this today. Corona will be written in history and 100 years from now maybe people will read about it and thing everyone was super affected although some are more and some less. Does that make sense? XD I guess it's different when you live through it.. so yes, not every single thing has to be known to write about a time... now I'm less stressed. Thanks.. :)
I'm currently planning a Historical Fiction book based on the Titanic and the sinking of it, but I am finding it incredibly hard to start, any tips would be greatly appreciated
I normally write historical fiction and really love it. Speech is something people normally overlook and it drives me bonkers! They wouldn't have used the word, whatever, in 1889 Vienna for instance, which happens in a movie about the Crown Prince Rudolph. He was known for his impeccable English as well. I wrote a book about him so, I watched all the movies there are about him. There aren't that many...but that one I will always remember because of the speech that was used....If that part is messed up, it really stands out, even if you don't know the time period that well.
I started on a historical fiction novel a while back, but got stuck and couldnt go further cause I didn't do any research so this will really help me get back into it
Just another note on writing for accuracy - sometimes it's better if you don't! If you're only writing your book because you love the time period, then sure historical accuracy is something you probably want to strive for, BUT if the time period is not your main focus and you're instead writing character-driven, plot-driven, romance-driven etc. novels, then please ~~don't let historical accuracy get in the way of the story you want to tell ~~ Be as historically accurate as you can be without sacrificing your story, if you put accuracy above characters and plot your book will probably come out less great than it can be.
Great advice. Question: You have itemized your budget for song of the dryad in a previous video. I would like to hear your perspective on it now that some time has passed. Do you feel that everything you spent was worth it? Did you end up making it back in sales? What are some things you would have done differently in hindsight? Thanks again for taking the time. I am an aspiring self-published author working on my first novel. Your vids are always inspiring.
For me i wish i could go to the library. I live on a small village in north Yorkshire, and im researching 1963 texas. It is so difficult, but i managed to research certain things. Mainly the homolife, food, houses
Thanks sooo much for these tips! Iâm in the beginning stages of a historical fiction-western and although daunting, find it fascinating as well. One book I can recommend is âNews of the Worldâ by Paulette Jiles. Amazing book set in our time period!! đ€ In fact, I just heard Tom Hanks is starring in the movie adaptation coming out this year!
Going to living history reenactments if they are available for your time period if so helpful to get in the mind set of your project. I've been working on my American revolutionary war and dressing up in the clothing, firing the weapons, and cooking and eating in period cabins/homes is great!!!
A good tip would be: localize the important historical facts that you are going to use, and also the blank spaces between them, so you can fill those spaces with your own creativity.
Itâs always a struggle not to use generalised info, when youâre having a hard time finding- even slightly more specific information. For instance; Iâm starting my story in the 17th c Scottish Highlands, on the west coast- thereâs a decent amount of info for 17th c England (but the story moves specifically to Kent), but I canât necessarily generalise things like weather, environment & social customs- just because they exist in the same time...
I'm working on my character's bio first so I can get the facts down and in order (I write it like an essay on the character and go from there). Then I plan on doing my novel. Been working on the bio for a long time now. But I have a problem with getting the facts straight too. How things were spoken, the specific names of objects, and overall relationships/interactions between people back then. My girl is born in 1880. I love western themes and I love ghost towns. But I struggle with town names and the actual states. I want mine to take place in Texas but I don't want to use real town names. So, not sure if that is something people can do. Is your book coming out on hardcover or paperback? I don't have Kindle. Great tips btw, very helpful and very needed!
Hey, thatâs cool that weâre both writing about 1880! And I used a mixture of made up places and real places in Colorado, which took quite a bit of researching also. Paperback comes out on June 9th!
@@NataliaLeigh That's awesome. I will add your book to my wishlist! Excited to read it! That's cool that you mixed it up. I wasn't sure if that was a possibility. I go back and forth on the town names (real vs. made up). Right now, my focus is just get her bio done so I get a timeline for her life. It reads like a book report and then go from there. Thanks for the info!
thank you for the tips huhuhu exactly what i need to hear XD and yeah, writing hisfic novel is hard, when i didn't even exist in the 8th century ahdjdkdn
My favorite historical novel is the Man in the Iron Mask. If/when I attempt to write historical fiction, it's going to involve the participation of some historical figure such as, in the example above, King Louis XIV.
Hereâs an idea maybe you could just hint things and or use things that everybody knows and dont go too much into detail about the period just leave enough info to give an authentic feel but not enough where people could call you or out or contradict u
Congrats on the book! What do you think of Scrivener? It's not user friendly, but I'm trying to keep it as a tool that'll house all my research. I'm re-writing in duel timelines - my 6th draft - (1890 and 2017). Do you have any thoughts on how to make the MS flow better? Alternating chapters? A few chapters in each timeline? I know the events need to not feel disjointed or the reader will get lost. But any tips would be appreciated! Thank you!
Natalia: Keep all your notes in one place... Me: _Laughing so hard I started to choke..._ Even with **a hard drive** dedicated to my writing, this is a struggle- as is my at-times incomprehensible writing...
What about crossing time periods like maybe something happened years ago during a characters backstory thatâs in a different time than the book is actually set in?
So I'm trying to start a novel set in achaemenid dynsasty in Persia, which is set in 550 BCEI t's going to be about a commander who finds himself in a battle for his sanity while trying to achieve victory in the ongoing war. Also I was thinking of adding mythological elements,. So basically their language (Ancient Pahlavi) is extinct since the time was 2500 years ago, and many details are vague about those times. Any tips?
One of the first things they teach you when you start a History major, is how to use historiography, and that is too useful for the research of a historical fiction novel.
I love this video, I been working on a series of pre-historical fiction novels. That research is super important, i did research on travel, Olympics, prisons, lesbians, school gang & bullies, stock Markets, security, football, viruses and learn on how to use News Media to update material. I wrote interviews, tv shows and news flash. My future novels are going to cover games shows, call girls activities, sugar daddies and last but not least the gnomes or dwarfs. All these novels are covering the history of the 2170s. By the way, there is no colonies on other planets. So thank you so much for good information.
Arizona today is an "Open Carry State". Imagine my shock going to a Super Market and seeing two couples armed with Pistols, wearing camouflage clothing, standing at the entrance of the store while an other couple was shopping. A very scary looking situation and is still quite common. Colorado is just a short day trip to Arizona. Check out the Vibe and experience it. It's a real eye opener.
I love history ans historical fiction and as someone mwntioned inaccurate dialogue will literally ruin it for me. If the phrases being used or too modern for that time period i get annoyed. I nevwe quit a book but itll become a hate read
I'm so happy you brought up the history of words: for me personally the most common mistake found in historical fiction is the use of too modern words or sayings. For instance, the way people cursed or used swear words can be a red flag to a reader if the character of 1500's curses the same way kids would today. Or jokes/dialogue referencing to people, places etc.: please check if that place/person even existed at the time, or was as known back then (especially political figures: they might not be as known 5 years prior to their period of influence as they are just a couple of years later). I think readers are pretty willing to look past the overall narration style, if they are sucked into the story, but checking out dialogue language and what things were called back then is worth the effort in my opinion. I'm currently writing historical fiction and the most useful tip for me was to check the everyday details (like would a toaster exist back then) and the overall political/historical situation, and then just write and alter things later if needed (you can research all you want, but you should also get some writing done). Thanks for the great video!
I digged down so deep in my research that I felt I had to edit Wikipedia.
That is so awesome đ
Boy do I know the feeling! I Wonder how many other historical lies I believe to be solid truths? Kinda scarry for a nerd.
@@ulrikschackmeyer848 True, there is so much lies told about me.
I realize I'm kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good place to stream newly released series online?
@Angelo Braydon i watch on FlixZone. You can find it on google :)
I like your advice on focusing on smaller historical details instead of knowing everything.
I always manage to kill my own enthusiasm for my story when I research because I get hung up on every single detail and I drown in a never ending stream of historical research. I end up not writing more than maybe a few pages and then Iâve killed my interest with too much information.
My debut novel took place first in the 40s (then every decade after). I had to research the cost of things in that period, how much was a customary amount of a tip, what hotels looked like, etc. I was fortunate to know someone who lived in the 40s and was able to tell me that some of the dialogue I used wouldn't have been spoken in that period đ I love research and history, so it was fun trying to make sure my little details were accurate for their time period đ Also, there was some legal lingo in my book and I had to look up what certain legal actions were called back then compared to now. It confused my beta readers at first, so I used dialogue to help explain it.
While I enjoyed researching it all, I'm glad to be done with it đ Now I'm working on fantasy where I can create anything and not worry as much about accuracy! Even my Elves speak different than Tolkien, but they're also not a typical "Elf" đ
Great video...and I'd love to see you taking the van through the areas!
One thing that helped me was searching searching for newspapers. Library of Congress helps a lot.
These are great tips! I'm writing a book also set in the 1880s--I totally get caught up in the little details and trying to make it perfect, haha!
I wish I had a machine that could take this video and transport it to the time when I was in 3rd grade. When I was I was that age, I wanted to be a writer. But I was also a very self-aware child. I don't know where I got the idea that writers live out everything they write in their books. Even at that age, I realized that I knew very little about the world, people, or life. How could I write about anything?
The idea that writers do research never entered my mind - not for years! By the time I figured it out, I had developed such a severe case of mental block / "blank page syndrome" that I was unable to write anything at all. Sadly, it persists to this day.
I've had so many people tell me I need to get out and experience things in order to write them, and although that can certainly help, I don't think it's at all necessary! I haven't done 90% of the things I write about, lol!
Iâm writing a graphic novel about two cowboys falling in love in the old Wild West and my favorite part of research by far is finding old fashioned swears there just hilarious.
is it published now by any chance and what would it be called it sounds fun :))
Omg gay cowboys sign me up
Fantastic video, I couldn't agree more with all of these tips!
A lot of my historical research is word origins and usage. I have a huge book (The Dictionary of Etymology) on the bookshelf behind my writing desk, and I consult that thing more than any other research book. I love that book so much.
Ooh, that sounds like a dictionary I absolutely need to get!
@@bluenetmarketing Mine is called the Dictionary of Etymology, edited by Robert Barnhart. There's one on Amazon listed as Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology that might be similar or a different edition!
@@bluenetmarketing The book I have is a Chambers book, but it was published in 1988, so its availability might be limited. I wondered if there had ever been a more recent publication, but maybe not?
Historical fiction is my fave genre and the only one I write but I needed to actually hear out loud some of those things. Thank you!
I know that this is 3 years old, but it was very helpful. I subscribed! Hopefully you are still putting out videos. Thanks!
Literally the ONLY video that comes up for tips on this kind of writing that CZcams pulled up! I hope your writing is going well
I m writing a novel Series called The Crusaders since I m a History Buff Which is about a Half French Half English Soldier Named Tristan De Bois His father was a Norman Nobleman Who participated in The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 Fighting for Rollo s Grandson The Duke of Normandy William The The Conquerer First Book Will be called 1096 He will also Two Twin Crusader Noblemen Fighting in this holy war there names are Charles de Soissons and Michael De Soissons.
I write AU historical fiction, and I did 14 years of research on the late Victorian era. Major events are super important, definitely especially if like myself, you want to move things around!
These are some great tips! I feel they could be used in other genres too.
A Pistol Daisy road trip sounds sooo fun! I really hope you go and film some of it. That would be great to be able to see you visit the places in the book after I read it :D
Great video. Writing my historical fiction I also discovered how much I didn't know and also how much their lifestyle differs from ours. Things like they didn't lots of stuff they didnt need. They didnt just go out to eat to eat. They ate to live. Things like that.
Absolutely-Iâve been surprised by so many small details in my research. How is your novel coming along?
@@NataliaLeigh It's coming along pretty well. I finished not even a rough draft. It's more like a draft zero. I am now working on fleshing out my characters, plot points, and world more before going back to write out a full draft 1.
History is one of my weakest points. Itâs really commendable to right history in a way that is new and fresh but historically believable.
I really liked this :) currently working on a ghost story, set in Catalonia in the late 19th century -- it was originally meant to be a pastiche of M.R. James' stories, so I've been able to refer back to him for help with the overall writing style and some of the details of daily life, but some days have been about 5 parts historical research to 1 part actual writing.
Thanks for these fantastic historical writing tips...I'm also writing a historical fiction novel that mostly takes place in and around Colorado Springs in 1986. I relate to the way you talk about feeling as though you live in the time period you're writing about!
Good luck
I just bought Campfire and my god am I in love. Iâm a pantser at heart and Iâm so happy to have a place to write all my ideas down.
I loved this! I relate so much to being daunted by research, but the way you broke the process down made it actually seem do-able.
Good luck with Whiskey City!
When you said keep all your notes in one place. I immediately said YES. im writing my first novel and got stuff all over the place that i am now consolidating into one place in scrivener.
The story Iâm writing takes place in 2012 in a different country than the one I live in, so tip number 5 was actually really helpful! Thanks!
Hey Iâm glad to hear it! Where does the story take place?
This is helping me sooo much!!! I was so overwhelmed trying to figure out how research.
This was a wonderful video with tips I am definitely going to use when I write my historical fiction novel (centered around WW 2 era- that's a couple of years out though) and since I'm someone who is in my own head a lot I can definitely use the reminder to not get overwhelmed lol... Thank you Natalia and I love westerns too so I can't wait to see the wild west road trip! Take careâ€
Enjoying this video. Alot of what you did for this I'm doing for my attempt at a regressive science fiction
You have inspired me. If someone who "has no idea what she is doing" can write a book, then by golly, I can do it too.
Thanks for all the good advice! And thank you especially for bringing up clothing. As a costumer and fashion history nerd, the number one thing that pulls me out of a story is when the clothing is not only wrong for the period, but reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of a character's relationship to their clothing. It's not just about adding a little flair to a story with a cute detail. Clothing is deeply personal and very much an integral, every day part of any historical character's life, so I'd argue it's one of the more important things to research, even if you don't spend a lot of time describing the clothing itself. (I actually prefer books that *don't* do detailed clothing descriptions, just too many opportunities to go wrong đ )
The project that I am working on during Camp NaNoWriMo is a historical book for the Horror Dark Fantasy. It is Rise of the Spirit Dragons might change title. It goes back all the way to the beginning of time. Like when the galaxy got created, how planets were form. It goes forward in time from there. The series title is Life of the Supernatural, might change that as well, right now it works. Awesome video.
Ive been wanting to write a book for as long as I can remember, and I finally made the decision to write my first historical fiction! Your video has been so helpful, thank you so much!!
This is exactly the video Iâve been looking for! Thank you!!
You're so welcome! Happy writing Kayla!
I think we've talked about Doc Holliday's grave in Glenwood Springs before. That'd be an interesting place that you could go visit! There's a hike involved, but I don't think that'd be a problem for you guys for when you're doing your PD trip :)
That would be so so awesome!!! I love how much history is around Colorado :)
Ohh sis actually im working on my historical fiction novel happy to see that you made video about it đ
Wow, your video is probably the most informative I have come across regarding research and historical fiction. Thank you so much!
Oh man this comes at the PERFECT time for me with my new WIP!
See, I knew what you needed exactly when you needed it and delivered, lol! ;)
Amazing video! Thank you Natalia! This is my first time seeing a video by you and I'm definitely sticking around!
I want to write historical fiction so these tips were super helpful. Thanks!
Happy to hear it! Best of luck writing your book!
Oh thank you so much Natalia :)
I have a side project going on and it is a historical fiction story, that I wanted to give up because oh boy was I overwhelmed. The idea that I don't have to know everything about that time is just so helpfull XD I wanted to give up because there are so many things that I will never know and they probably don't even matter... now I'm a little calmer. Thank you :) it's true that the little details matter and not every single thing because not every charakter will experience everything that happened in a time period. It's like this today. Corona will be written in history and 100 years from now maybe people will read about it and thing everyone was super affected although some are more and some less. Does that make sense? XD I guess it's different when you live through it.. so yes, not every single thing has to be known to write about a time... now I'm less stressed. Thanks.. :)
This is really a very informative video.
Thank you for posting
Glad you enjoyed it! Happy writing!
Thanks, these tips will be certainly helpful to me too
I'm currently planning a Historical Fiction book based on the Titanic and the sinking of it, but I am finding it incredibly hard to start, any tips would be greatly appreciated
I normally write historical fiction and really love it. Speech is something people normally overlook and it drives me bonkers! They wouldn't have used the word, whatever, in 1889 Vienna for instance, which happens in a movie about the Crown Prince Rudolph. He was known for his impeccable English as well. I wrote a book about him so, I watched all the movies there are about him. There aren't that many...but that one I will always remember because of the speech that was used....If that part is messed up, it really stands out, even if you don't know the time period that well.
I started on a historical fiction novel a while back, but got stuck and couldnt go further cause I didn't do any research so this will really help me get back into it
Just another note on writing for accuracy - sometimes it's better if you don't!
If you're only writing your book because you love the time period, then sure historical accuracy is something you probably want to strive for, BUT if the time period is not your main focus and you're instead writing character-driven, plot-driven, romance-driven etc. novels, then please
~~don't let historical accuracy get in the way of the story you want to tell ~~
Be as historically accurate as you can be without sacrificing your story, if you put accuracy above characters and plot your book will probably come out less great than it can be.
Yup . Thanks .
Great advice. Question: You have itemized your budget for song of the dryad in a previous video. I would like to hear your perspective on it now that some time has passed. Do you feel that everything you spent was worth it? Did you end up making it back in sales? What are some things you would have done differently in hindsight? Thanks again for taking the time. I am an aspiring self-published author working on my first novel. Your vids are always inspiring.
Hey, those are some great questions. Thanks for the video idea!
For me i wish i could go to the library. I live on a small village in north Yorkshire, and im researching 1963 texas. It is so difficult, but i managed to research certain things. Mainly the homolife, food, houses
Not me watching this so i can get a good grade on my historical fiction paper due tonight nsnsbsbbsbs
Thanks sooo much for these tips! Iâm in the beginning stages of a historical fiction-western and although daunting, find it fascinating as well. One book I can recommend is âNews of the Worldâ by Paulette Jiles. Amazing book set in our time period!! đ€ In fact, I just heard Tom Hanks is starring in the movie adaptation coming out this year!
Going to living history reenactments if they are available for your time period if so helpful to get in the mind set of your project. I've been working on my American revolutionary war and dressing up in the clothing, firing the weapons, and cooking and eating in period cabins/homes is great!!!
A good tip would be: localize the important historical facts that you are going to use, and also the blank spaces between them, so you can fill those spaces with your own creativity.
Itâs always a struggle not to use generalised info, when youâre having a hard time finding- even slightly more specific information. For instance; Iâm starting my story in the 17th c Scottish Highlands, on the west coast- thereâs a decent amount of info for 17th c England (but the story moves specifically to Kent), but I canât necessarily generalise things like weather, environment & social customs- just because they exist in the same time...
After watching this, I am looking forward to read the book even more. ^_^
hi natalia i was woundering how you made that pistol daisy picture on your computer it looks super cool
My fourth grade class is doing historical fiction and did the assessment and I got a 100 thank you sooooo much
Thanks a lot for this! I'm curious, how long did your research take you?
I want to write a western as well.
Setting Arizona Territory, 1872
Protagonist is former Condederate cavalryman goes out west to find peace
đ Pistol Daisy preorder đ
Is it going to be digital format only or should we hold out for a paperback round of preorders?
Paperback releases on June 9th! Can't wait! đ
I'm working on my character's bio first so I can get the facts down and in order (I write it like an essay on the character and go from there). Then I plan on doing my novel. Been working on the bio for a long time now. But I have a problem with getting the facts straight too. How things were spoken, the specific names of objects, and overall relationships/interactions between people back then. My girl is born in 1880. I love western themes and I love ghost towns. But I struggle with town names and the actual states. I want mine to take place in Texas but I don't want to use real town names. So, not sure if that is something people can do.
Is your book coming out on hardcover or paperback? I don't have Kindle. Great tips btw, very helpful and very needed!
Hey, thatâs cool that weâre both writing about 1880! And I used a mixture of made up places and real places in Colorado, which took quite a bit of researching also. Paperback comes out on June 9th!
@@NataliaLeigh That's awesome. I will add your book to my wishlist! Excited to read it!
That's cool that you mixed it up. I wasn't sure if that was a possibility. I go back and forth on the town names (real vs. made up). Right now, my focus is just get her bio done so I get a timeline for her life. It reads like a book report and then go from there. Thanks for the info!
thank you for the tips huhuhu exactly what i need to hear XD and yeah, writing hisfic novel is hard, when i didn't even exist in the 8th century ahdjdkdn
What books did you use in your research that you especially enjoyed, or found especially useful?
One of my problems is the lack of resources. This may due to financial and my places problem, cause there's no any library in here literally.
My favorite historical novel is the Man in the Iron Mask. If/when I attempt to write historical fiction, it's going to involve the participation of some historical figure such as, in the example above, King Louis XIV.
Hereâs an idea maybe you could just hint things and or use things that everybody knows and dont go too much into detail about the period just leave enough info to give an authentic feel but not enough where people could call you or out or contradict u
Congrats on the book! What do you think of Scrivener? It's not user friendly, but I'm trying to keep it as a tool that'll house all my research. I'm re-writing in duel timelines - my 6th draft - (1890 and 2017). Do you have any thoughts on how to make the MS flow better? Alternating chapters? A few chapters in each timeline? I know the events need to not feel disjointed or the reader will get lost. But any tips would be appreciated! Thank you!
Natalia: Keep all your notes in one place...
Me: _Laughing so hard I started to choke..._ Even with **a hard drive** dedicated to my writing, this is a struggle- as is my at-times incomprehensible writing...
Downloading Campfire to try..
Hope you enjoy it! đ
What about crossing time periods like maybe something happened years ago during a characters backstory thatâs in a different time than the book is actually set in?
I'm currently researching for a historical fiction set in 1850s and there on the Oregon trail can you reccomend some books for me to check out
Is there a historical word generator?
Will Pistol Daisy ever been in print? Sorry I am old school......
I think Iâm gonna write the story first and add the details of the time period later
I know a LOT of history, yet I still struggle with historical fiction.
Iâm developing a series thatâs part fantasy with elements of historical fiction. Should I consider this as well?
So I'm trying to start a novel set in achaemenid dynsasty in Persia, which is set in 550 BCEI t's going to be about a commander who finds himself in a battle for his sanity while trying to achieve victory in the ongoing war. Also I was thinking of adding mythological elements,. So basically their language (Ancient Pahlavi) is extinct since the time was 2500 years ago, and many details are vague about those times. Any tips?
One of the first things they teach you when you start a History major, is how to use historiography, and that is too useful for the research of a historical fiction novel.
I love this video, I been working on a series of pre-historical fiction novels. That research is super important, i did research on travel, Olympics, prisons, lesbians, school gang & bullies, stock Markets, security, football, viruses and learn on how to use News Media to update material. I wrote interviews, tv shows and news flash. My future novels are going to cover games shows, call girls activities, sugar daddies and last but not least the gnomes or dwarfs. All these novels are covering the history of the 2170s. By the way, there is no colonies on other planets. So thank you so much for good information.
Arizona today is an "Open Carry State". Imagine my shock going to a Super Market and seeing two couples armed with Pistols, wearing camouflage clothing, standing at the entrance of the store while an other couple was shopping. A very scary looking situation and is still quite common. Colorado is just a short day trip to Arizona. Check out the Vibe and experience it. It's a real eye opener.
I love history ans historical fiction and as someone mwntioned inaccurate dialogue will literally ruin it for me. If the phrases being used or too modern for that time period i get annoyed. I nevwe quit a book but itll become a hate read
Are you able to make a decent living as a indie author?