If you are an author and want to make a name for yourself, what better way than writing historical fiction books. These works of fiction draw the interest and imagination of readers across genres and age groups. However, if one wants to sell their book, they need to know how to do it correctly. First off, writers should realize that there is a difference between fact and fiction. There are two types of historical fiction writers: those who stick strictly with facts (assumed or known) and those who take creative liberties in developing characters and situations outside of fact.
Historical Fiction Writers who rely on history as the foundation for their work find themselves under scrutiny by historians and other experts in the field, where it is clear this distinction soon becomes blurred. This makes finding readership of your work harder if it is not well-received by these experts. The upside to this type of work is the positive feedback from peers and corresponding communities.
The Historical Fiction writers who take creative liberties face comparison to other fiction works written in similar settings, dealing with similar characters and themes, albeit ones that are portrayed as historical fact. It’s up to the author to distinguish between their piece of writing and others that may have come before them or those they would like to emulate through updating their setting or point of view etc., so they do not find themselves constantly repeating what has already been done. They also need to know how much influence reality should play in their storytelling abilities because, in the end, they are not just writing for themselves but all their future readers.
For those who enjoy reading Historical Fiction, it is important to understand how the writer came up with their premise and characters. Readers should read a book in this genre without being confused by periods or the character’s names (or language if translated). If you find yourself flipping back and forth trying to figure out what happened during that period of time, then perhaps your storytelling abilities need some work. Otherwise, it would seem that you were more interested in emulating other fiction writers than creating something original.
To help get an idea of what “good” historical fiction writers specialize in, it would be that of taking a story and portraying it in such a way that the reader feels as if she is living – or has lived through – that particular experience. “Good” historical fiction writers will build their characters to be people you wish were real because they show, rather than tell, what life was like for them during that time period. They also keep the dialogue and actions true to the character’s personality and social status, which makes it easier for readers to identify with them.
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