How to Write Historical Novels

What is the definition of a historical novel?

Writing historical novels is said to be a challenge. On one hand the novelist escapes the true-false rule. He does not write a testimony. The story has not to be genuine -though most readers want it to be credible. His discourse is a fiction, beyond the opposition of truth and lie.

On the other hand, the historian has no alternative and does not escape the true-false rule. His discourse is refutable. If he does not tell the truth, or at least the version the documents attest, he will be attacked on the ground of the true-false rule.

The historical novel must reconcile the reality and the fiction.

The first writing rule is that the background of the historical novel has to pertain to History -the one that is taught in textbooks. The little story takes place within the great History. But is there anything more ordinary for a novel than taking place at a given time? Does this criterion allow to store Chase's No Orchids for Miss Blandish or Ellison's Invisible Man on the historical novel shelf? It is doubtful, even if many details in the narration enable the reader to date them.

The present reader who would ignore when Conan Doyle wrote his novels could think that he reads historical novels: the stories take place in the past (the past for him, the reader) and mention real characters. The truth is that almost any novel is bound to become an historical one, just because time passes.

When it comes to the characters, dictionaries give two definitions of the historical novel. The first one wants that the novel tells us the psychology, the destiny, the adventures, and often the love stories of people who appear in the History books, and how these elements explain the historical events.

The second definition applies the same criteria to fictional characters who are supposed to live in the intimacy of real characters.

Those who write dictionaries are not the same as those who read historical novels.

In most historical novels, neither the historical events nor the historical characters take place. Often, they are not even mentionned, except in the case they influence the main fictional character's adventures.

The challenge, despite the scholars, is quite easy to overcome.

A famous name, some details of clothing, housing and equipment, a living exhibition of what has become a tradition, a choice of evocative words are the threads you need to weave when you write a historical novel.

The main rules for writing a Story in History

To write a historical novel you have to obey basic laws. The more obvious: you need some specific knowledge about the time period in which you place your heroes. Nonetheless, keep in mind that the most important word in the phrase “historical novel” is “novel”.

Whatever the time frame you choose, you will have to gather information about three main points.

1 - The way people lived at those times. The more recent the past, the trickier the details. For example, if a baby was born in 1900 in London, can you describe how he was vaccinated against the smallpox? No. But you could describe how his mother received the vaccine!

2 - The political regime. Usually, it is easy to know which regime ruled a country at a given time. If your story takes place in a harried era, make sure your datation is right.
3 - The fashion. The quickest, easiest and nicest way to get a picture of the fashion at such time is to pay a visit to a museum. If you write about a people or a time for which there are no visual testimonies, you are free to invent what you want without risking of receiving a learned reader's corrections.

The best way not to be wrong is also the best way to write well: write only what is needed to tell the story. If a description is useless to explain what is happening, do not write it. Not only your reader will be thankful, but you will also avoid historical traps. Do not write it, even if you are a specialist of what you describe! Of course, for your story ringing true, you need to sprinkle it with details, but choose them wisely. A historical novel is not a textbook.

Though classified as a genre in itself, a historical novel can also belong to another genre. There is no reason for a love story not to take place in the 16th century or a detective story in the 11th.

It is an open genre: take advantage of it and double your readership.