Step Four: When is your novel set?
The key question to ask in writing a historical novel is: Is the time period an integral part of the plot? If not, consider a contemporary novel. Successful historical novels are almost always set in a time of social, political or religious conflict. Perhaps this is why there are relatively few novels set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I: this was a period of relative calm between the religious turmoil of the early Tudor period and the political upheaval of the English Civil War.
Research is vitally important in any historical period. There will always be a reader who has read everything about this period and who will point out all the inaccuracies and anachronisms in their review (I admit: sometimes this person is me). Sometimes this reviewer will be a historian who writes an essay-review detailing the factual errors and citing the original Latin scrolls in London’s National Archives (I’ve read this review—and the author’s unsuccessful attempts at rebuttal).
However, this does depend on genre to a certain extent. An author writing genre romance will be forgiven for not including all the historical details (but the ones she does include should be correct). An author writing historical fiction and holding herself out as an expert should check and double-check all facts against reputable sources (i.e. not just Wikipedia.com or Victoriana.com).
There is an element of worldbuilding in historical fiction, as the author has to introduce the reader to a different culture and (often) a different set of values. The further back in time and the more foreign the location, the more difficult this worldbuilding will be.
One fault I find over and over again is authors getting the language wrong when writing outside their own culture. This is especially the case when Americans write about England—they have a tendency to inject Americanisms into the speech of their English characters (which can be a problem in contemporary fiction as well). I find it less of a problem when non-Americans write about America, probably because so much Christian historical fiction is American that we all have a good idea about the historical and cultural context.
Popular historical periods in fiction include:
Scotland (1300-1600)
Americans in particular seem to have an enduring love of Scottish highlanders (probably based on the success of the Outlander books and the sight of Mel Gibson with a broadsword in in Braveheart).
Tudor England (1485-1603)
I loved this period when I was about seventeen. Several authors are bringing it back for a new generation (perhaps due to the popularity of The Other Boleyn Girl). Personally, I’m over it. I’m especially over Anne Boleyn, because it’s all been done before (and we all know the ending). The religious issues make it a fascinating period, but I’d like to see more from the lives of the everyday people. Or anyone who isn’t a Boleyn (and calling her Nan Bullen doesn’t make it any better).
Colonial America (up to 1783)
Covering the first American settlers up to the War of Independence or Revolutionary War, and dealing with the difficulties of settling a new country and the struggle for independence from England.
Regency England (1811-1820)
This is a popular period in general romance, but one that has not yet been fully explored in Christian romance (and some of the authors who have written in this period show a woeful lack of understanding of the basics, to the point where I can’t take them seriously as a reader. For example, it’s called the Regency because the King had been declared unfit to rule and his son ruled in his stead as the Prince Regent).
Victorian England (1837-1901)
Victorian England was a period of huge social change through migration as a result of the Industrial Revolution, the Irish Potato Famine, and the colonisation of Australia and New Zealand. Authors writing in this era include Jennifer Delamere, Kaye Dacus and Australian authors such as Amanda Deed and Carol Preston.
American Civil War (1861-1865)
Gilbert Morris saturated this period with his 60-book House of Winslow series, but there are still a large number of novels set either during the war or just after (e.g. Jocelyn Green and Elizabeth Camden).
Gold Rush (1848-1911)
The Californian Gold Rush started in 1848, and miners moved north and east through the United States and Canada over many years, including the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon Territory in 1896-1899. Tracie Petersen and Deeanne Gist have both written about this era.
Westerns/Frontier Fiction (1850-1880)
Set west of the Mississippi River, usually in the time of wagon trains (although some westerns feature the coming of the railroad. This is currently a very popular time setting for romances from authors such as Karen Witemeyer, Carol Cox and Mary Connealy.
Gilded Age (1877-1900)
The period following Reconstruction, when the rise of the railroads and wealthy industrialists hid serious social problems. Often set in among the Four Hundred, those families considered most worth knowing in New York high society, or among the society leaders in a smaller community. Siri Mitchell and Judith Pella both have books in this period.
Edwardian England (1901 to 1910)
This is a period that is rising in popularity, as a result of the success of Downton Abbey. For examples, see Carrie Turansky and Murray Pura.
Generally speaking, historical novels cover periods up to an including World War II, with anything more modern being considered contemporary fiction. I don’t entirely agree with this view. I wasn’t alive during the 1960’s, and my memories of the 1970’s are filled with sunshine and sandpits, not the impact of the Vietnam War, the American Civil Rights movement, or the rise of women in the professional workplace. This is a period that is ripe for the attention of novelists, and more are focusing on this era (e.g. Pamela Binnings Ewen).
Do you write contemporary or historical? When is your story set? Is that the most appropriate setting?
Next week we will discuss the next step in defining your genre: stand-alone or series?
