Swords, buckling of swashs, quill and ink, bodices (ripped or otherwise) travelling by horse, smugglers, wicked women and handsome cads! Ahhhh, historical fiction (or at least the stuff of my limited imagination)…
This week’s speaker was Rosemary Gemmell, who was honestly forthcoming about the highs and lows of historical writing.
She had much advice on what to read and look for to inspire you to write historical fiction, what you can use to help you pin-point details, such as dress and popular culture of the time, not to mention historical events and people, and the importance of character.
I particularly liked her enthusiasm for primary sources which are, to my inexperienced mind, one of the best sources of information on events, day-to-day routines, opinions, and tones of voice.
Also, helpfully, Rosemary discussed the different kinds of historical fiction – romance, crime, time slip and, most invigorating, Steam-Punk! Publishing houses and new faces on the publishing world, the joys of the internet, editing, anachronisms, dialect and language… all were covered.
So now all we have to do is write the biddy things!
Karen