Writing Historical Fiction

by Rhona Martin

There are many different kinds of historical novel - the family saga, the romance, the nostalgia novel, the adventure story, the 'straight' historical. However you may decide to handle your chosen theme it is essential that the novel is well-constructed and believable, with a strong sense of period and a storyline which keeps the reader turning the pages. In this revised edition Rhona Martin takes you through the painstaking, but enjoyable, research needed to establish both convincing background and characters, looks at ways of handling dialogue and language effectively and offers excellent advice on all aspects of structuring and crafting your work. The book concludes with a collection of hints and observations from a number of leading historical novelists, including Rosemary Sutcliff, Elizabeth Harris, Winston Graham and Jean Plaidy.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988