Writing Advice from a Nimrod Pt. 1
When I went to the Nimrod International Conference for Readers and Writers back in October, I received some of the most influential writing advice that I've ever taken to heart. Much of it was generic, some was specific to my stories, and there is so much that I can't fit it all under one umbrella post. So there will be several of these compilations of notes and impressions, starting with:
Magic of the Past as presented by Patricia C. Wrede
First Wrede explained that there are different ways to write historical fiction. How I understood each of the four way she touched on follow.
What is Historical Fantasy? Well, to put it in a simple equation, it's when you take Real History and add a Secret History that would not be known by most of the general population, but still is possible to have been happening in the same time as the Real History. That is how you make Historical Fantasy.
Whenever you are dealing with Alternate History, you need to have specific "Rivets," that is, specific points where Real History diverges and goes the other way from what you're telling.
Parallel History is when Real History is happening the way it should, but there are things in the world that are as they shouldn't be - such as magic, etc.
Imaginary History lets you have the same geography, and perhaps some familiar figures, but the history is different from Real History and the same things don't happen. Different wars, different politics, even different religions, perhaps, occur in the Imaginary History.
"The Past is a different country with different values and resources." The things you take for granted, like snow in March or shoelaces, are things that could be completely out of place in the past. You have to research your time period so that you know how to diverge from it and how to make it different, how to make it yours. You need to know what people were really doing then. What was an average day like for the commoner, the merchant, the palace official, a soldier, or royalty? Did they go to school? What did they learn? What was the religion? What did they eat and how did they prepare it? IF you're going to add magic, how common is it? Are you going to play on superstitions?
Never ever take your reader for granted. People will argue you about what you wrote. Readers are very intelligent, very well informed, and very opinionated.
Recommended Resources:
Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English
1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue - Francis Grose - Free on Project Gutenberg
The New Well-Tempered Sentence - Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire - Karen Elizabeth Gordon
Magic of the Past as presented by Patricia C. Wrede
First Wrede explained that there are different ways to write historical fiction. How I understood each of the four way she touched on follow.
What is Historical Fantasy? Well, to put it in a simple equation, it's when you take Real History and add a Secret History that would not be known by most of the general population, but still is possible to have been happening in the same time as the Real History. That is how you make Historical Fantasy.
Whenever you are dealing with Alternate History, you need to have specific "Rivets," that is, specific points where Real History diverges and goes the other way from what you're telling.
Parallel History is when Real History is happening the way it should, but there are things in the world that are as they shouldn't be - such as magic, etc.
Imaginary History lets you have the same geography, and perhaps some familiar figures, but the history is different from Real History and the same things don't happen. Different wars, different politics, even different religions, perhaps, occur in the Imaginary History.
"The Past is a different country with different values and resources." The things you take for granted, like snow in March or shoelaces, are things that could be completely out of place in the past. You have to research your time period so that you know how to diverge from it and how to make it different, how to make it yours. You need to know what people were really doing then. What was an average day like for the commoner, the merchant, the palace official, a soldier, or royalty? Did they go to school? What did they learn? What was the religion? What did they eat and how did they prepare it? IF you're going to add magic, how common is it? Are you going to play on superstitions?
Never ever take your reader for granted. People will argue you about what you wrote. Readers are very intelligent, very well informed, and very opinionated.
Recommended Resources:
Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English
1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue - Francis Grose - Free on Project Gutenberg
The New Well-Tempered Sentence - Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire - Karen Elizabeth Gordon