By all rights, this post could just as easily be titled THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING FICTION. The entire craft is not for anyone, takes meticulous preparation, attention to detail, and a passion that goes above and beyond simply one’s love of writing. That being said, I write historical fiction, specifically historical crime fiction, and I know there are aspects of this particular genre that become a challenge with many hurdles and speed bumps.

Take out the concepts of plotting, character development, and scene description from the conversation. These are facets of all fiction writing. Yet, within those disciplines there are characteristics of historical fiction with which to take specific note.

Perhaps you can plot a story from the 1930s or 1940s the same as contemporary fiction. It’s just as likely you might need to slow the pace down. Look at any crime film from the 1970s and beyond and you will see how rapid the pacing is in order to maintain a level of action conducive to that time period. Car chases, though they existed somewhat in Old School hardboiled fiction, are rare. While a fight is more typical, it was closer to boxing or brawling than anything approaching martial arts.

Character development is a little more straightforward. While characters may have psychological motivations or quirky nuances, these were not as noticeable, Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” notwithstanding. My own series, The Wichita Chronicles, strays from the run-of-the-mill hardboiled narrative by having the main character be a Jewish private detective with moral conflicts.  This was done intentionally to separate the series from the standard tropes of the classic fiction of the 1930’s and 1940’s. While film noir did deal with moral ambiguity, it took its style from German Expressionism. My series lingers in Realism.

Scene description is of greater concern. The look and feel and sights and sounds and smells of a time period are not second nature to anyone living today. The buildings you are familiar with may or may not have existed 80 years ago. Cars are certainly not the same nor is a person’s wardrobe. Prices are vastly different as are salaries and the value and cost of basic items. Daily living, whether it is sleeping, hygiene, or dining, is extraordinarily different. These all require the necessary research to make your work come alive and be as real as possible.

I made a significant mistake in my very first work of historical crime fiction, Ark City Confidential. I used as a title for an unmarried woman “Ms.”, an expression that did not exist in 1934 and became part of regular usage in the 1970s. I made sure not to repeat that mistake moving forward. Whereas no one might have noticed that (until my confessional declaration now), it is an example of the kind of details necessary for accuracy.

It’s understandable that contemporary writers of crime fiction and thrillers have other kinds of research to consider. Most involve modern weapons, forensics, and computer technology. The procedural aspects of criminal investigation in 1946 (the time setting for The Wichita Chronicles) is vastly different. I consulted with a retired sheriff from Garland County, Arkansas who indicated most information was gathered and inscribed on index cards until the early 1980s.

What I find refreshing about historical crime fiction is the ability to focus more on story and character than the minutiae of the technology of contemporary fiction. I can ensure the background looks, shall we say, just like it does in the movies. I can put slang and period verbiage into the mouths of characters that might seem foreign but is only a couple of generations removed. I can focus on criminal activity that is, perhaps, less elaborate, but not less impactful to those involved.

It is said the devil is in the details. Therein lies the challenge.