Guest Post: Writing Historical Fiction

The writing of history has come a long way. Today historians and those conveying the moments in history have brought a new kind of life to the genre by making the facts of the event or situation or moment more entertaining. This new treatment has instilled additional “surrounding” details into the basic facts. It is a dressing up of what were once the strict elements of historic happenings. Yet despite this new approach, the historians are still dealing primarily with cold hard facts and the writing remains two dimensional. What is missing is that third dimension, the one that was never totally recorded, depth.

Enter historical fiction. Here you have a genre of story telling that is quite magical by simply putting living flesh to those bare bones of cold hard facts. Those many subjects of history -- the people, places and actions -- were vibrant and animated entities. The people being written about were involved in life; they had feelings, they laughed and cried, shared love and hate and were actively engaged in the lifestyles that identified them. The places had their own unique personalities as well and were connecting elements that played a vital part in making history. And the actions of the people and many different societies were all necessary contributors to the full picture of those many and varied electric moments in history.

Crafting such a venture of putting life and vibrancy into history is a tricky proposition if not dangerous at times. Attaching fictional elements to actual historical events can be looked upon as perhaps tampering with indisputable facts. Thus the author must take extreme care not to cross the line between real and make-believe and work diligently to keep history pure and undisturbed.

How is that done? The technique requires the author to actually place him or her self mentally in the midst of the occasion being described. It’s important to soak up the flavor of the moment and situation. It is almost as if the writer has been transported into that part of history and is observing what is taking place. The writer must speak the dialogue out loud as if he or she was the character and determine if it fits the situation or circumstances. By becoming a part of the story the author can add the dialogue of what might have been said in the context of the times in which the story is set. In attempting to elaborate on an action that took place the description must preserve the total elements of that action while imagining (by being immersed in the scene) what it might have been like, such as the direction of the wind, the trembling of the earth as the horses thundered by or the sun glaring in the eyes of the opponents causing temporary blindness. A good historical fiction story must have the right balance between history and fiction. Too much on either side can lose the essence of the story. In this kind of writing the historical facts have not been changed but fictional elements have been added thus bringing that action very much alive.

In the case of my latest book, The Other Side of Courage – The Saga of Elizabeth Blackwell, I had to be careful that I told the story exactly as it happened using all the facts and essentials that my research brought forth. Elizabeth was the first woman to receive a degree in medicine becoming the first practicing female doctor. Within those actual events in her life were those moments that needed the flesh put on the bones in order to show, for example, the pain and agony she endured in attempting to get her medical degree and then the many unique experiences she had in an all male college of medicine. The dialogue had to fit the mid-eighteen hundreds and the descriptions of the dress and mannerisms of the time needed to be properly represented. Conversations had to be plausible and in keeping with the moods while I imagined what was taking place at the time. Was the talk happy or sad or confusing? Did the facts of her life give clues as to what could have possibly gone through her mind at the times of confrontation and celebration? It was important that a coherent and enjoyable story was being told and told accurately.

Historical fiction, if done right, can help the reader go back in time and become a very intimate part of those moments. The reader can be swept up in the emotions and conflicts as well as the intrigue that confronted the protagonist. And most importantly the reader can begin to realize that he or she is starting to enjoy history and not simply remembering dates. Thanks to this innovative approach to history, it has now become very much alive.

Robert Nordmeyer has written professionally for more than 45 years as a published journalist, columnist and author, as well as creating advertising copy for both print and broadcast media, developing public relations and promotional materials, and writing text for marketing campaigns. His published books include Shepards in the Desert, commissioned and published by the Diocese of Tucson and Guide to Organizing and Successfully Operating a Nonprofit Organization, published by the Graduate Group. For five years he was a Professional member of the Society of Southwestern Authors and served on the Society’s Board of Directors. Robert and his wife Rita are residents of Tucson, Arizona.

If you'd like to check out his recent book, The Other Side of Courage, then click on this link: http://amzn.to/2nkuhNl