13 Things to Remember When Writing Historical Fiction
Guest post by Avasta Press
Kelsye Nelson, the founder of Avasta Press, hosted a webinar with historical fiction author Gar LaSalle.
Gar talked about 13 things to remember when writing historical fiction. He answered questions from the audience at the end of the webinar.
Our favorite tip is number 13: Villains abound. Gar writes villains very well! We especially like the character Bocamalo from Isthmus.
Here are some of the Gar’s tips for authors writing historical fiction:
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Find primary resources, if possible (3:44)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Look at maps…geography changes (9:18)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Understand customs (11:14)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]See how subject matter has been handled by others, be aware of prejudices (12:27)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Find artifacts…handle them if possible (13:52)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Go to sites, walk in their footsteps (16:49)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]When you do walk the fields respect what was done there (19:50)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Avoid solipsistic viewpoints (20:51)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Invent around what is known (25:02)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Look for treasures, celebrate serendipity (26:59)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]All characters need motivation (31:49)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Every character has an arc (34:18)[/li_item]
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[li_item icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=””]Villains abound (36:22)[/li_item]
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