Accuracy

When I write a historical fiction novel, I read books from authors I trust. I also watch as many videos as I can find. Then I conduct my research, creating usually two hundred files. The “small stuff” makes things real. When I look at a scene in my mind, I try to see everything. However, too much stuff can slow the pace. In a world where everything is moving so fast, pace matters for the reader. To add the small stuff and keep the pace is a skill. For us who write historical fiction, we have an enormous task to propel our readers back in history. To transport them to another time. If done well, the writing is rich. As for today’s mores, they mean nothing. I have recently written a novel speaking to the slave-warriors of medieval Egypt. How people saw slavery in 1260 CE differs from today. Not to say slavery is okay. Or people in bondage were happy. It’s that I couldn’t write the subject from the viewpoint of a person of the 21st century. My job required me to understand the viewpoint of the 13th century. In doing so, the subject sheds an interesting light as it concerns the subject in history, and how it applies to our present times. I recently read a historical fiction author who stated it takes years to write a novel. I couldn’t disagree more. There are many resources available to writers. I strive for accuracy. When I read a novel set back in time, I expect the author to show me life as it was in history. If I thought they hadn’t conducted adequate research, I’d drop the book out of my hands. When I read historical fiction, I want to lose myself in another time. I want to learn things. When an author does it right, it’s magic.