Tips on writing historical fiction
The beginners guide to writing historical dialogue
Dialogue in historical fiction can be a key aspect of creating an authentic reading experience. It can play a role in world building, character development, and plot. There are many ways to ensure dialogue feels authentic without distracting the readers to the point they give up on a book altogether. Learn best practices to make dialogue serve your story.
Breaking the rules of writing: my take as a reader and editor of historical fiction
Writing, editing, and publishing are all highly subjective endeavours. If you receive feedback that you are “breaking” a writing rule, make sure whoever provides that feedback is able to explain why they think it is a problem. If they can’t, then it is possible they are sharing their own preferences with you and not defensible feedback.
Balancing summary and scene in historical fiction
Let’s dive into the most basic building blocks of writing: scene and narrative summary. Learn when to use summary versus scene and consider whether historical fiction needs more summary than other genres.
Using literary cross-training to help you write better historical fiction
Literary cross-training as I like to call it, allows you to draw on storytelling techniques from other genres to strengthen your own writing. Get tips on how to read as a way to become a better writer and put that learning into practice.
Don't want to cut all those juicy historical details? Make them matter to your characters
Too many historical details can slow down the pace of a novel. So how do you keep some of your favourite historical elements? Make the historical details matter to your characters.
Book review: Crafting Stories From the Past: A How-To Guide for Writing Historical Fiction
Crafting Stories From the Past: A How-To Guide for Writing Historical Fiction (Paper Lantern Writers, 2025) includes a broad scope of essays on research and writing, while also narrowing in on those topics that are particularly relevant to historical fiction writers. This is not a general “how-to” book that covers all the basic elements of storytelling, rather it discusses elements of storytelling through the lens of making the best use of the history in a story.
Writing a multi POV historical novel
Why choose multiple points of view to write historical fiction?
There are many reasons to choose a multi-POV approach for your novel. Showing different perspectives can be a way to increase tension, enhance the theme, and highlight or contrast the choices each character makes. It can also be a useful way to show what is happening in different geographic locations or times for a fuller picture of the story or help subplots tie in more closely to the main plot.
Using point of view to write historical fiction characters readers will love
Readers like to get close to the story and feel as though they really get to know the characters. Third-person POV provides the opportunity to go deep without some of the challenges of using first-person. It gives the reader the most access to a character’s thoughts and emotions and keeps them deep in the story while also allowing some narrator support.
Should you work with an editor on your family history?
Family history can actually be a tricky thing to write and edit because it can easily straddle the line between narrative non-fiction and fiction. It’s important to work with an editor that understands both story arc and various narrative forms of writing while also knowing something about writing non-fiction for a general audience.
How to create your own immersive research and writing retreat
Combining immersive writing with a retreat can have a powerful impact on your novel as you craft your historic world. It gives you a chance to focus on the experiences and feelings that can arise when in a particular place. Seeing, touching, and smelling things that your characters may have also experienced can add depth to your story.
Writing both inner and outer conflict in a historical novel
If you want to write a page-turner, you’re going to have to put your beloved characters in dire circumstances. Preferably ones that highlight the internal trade-offs they have to make in sticky situations.
8 ways to improve pacing and build tension in historical fiction
One of the best ways to keep readers engaged in a story is to keep the pace moving and tension escalating. Here are eight ways to improve your novel’s pace and build more curiosity-inducing tension into the story.
How to write compelling historical fiction characters
History is filled with interesting people and readers are eager to see them come alive on the page. The challenge is to make sure your historical characters are compelling to modern readers while also reflective of their historical world.
Why should you get feedback on a work in progress?
Getting feedback on your writing early not only helps you improve your craft it can also help you identify what is working and what needs improvement.
Creating an authentic historical world for your novel
Transferring real facts into a fictional world is not always easy. You are essentially building a world from known details and working with readers’ imperfect understanding of that world. Deciding what to include and what to pare away can make the difference between engaging readers and losing them.
How to balance research and writing in historical fiction
One of the most common questions I see from writers of historical fiction is how to balance research with writing. First, you want to know how much research is necessary. Then, you want to know when to stop researching and start writing.