Historical Fiction--Read It and Write It!

History is one subject we all had to take during our education years. We studied American History and World History, Ancient History and that closer to our own times. There were dates to be memorized, treaties and pacts to figure out and myriad historical figures who influenced our lives to this very day.

Even with all that, history was sometimes boring and even a bit overwhelming. Facts and figures, personalities and battles become great blurs once we are past the learning process for this subject. 

I find a far more painless way to learn history is to read historical fiction stories and novels. It's one of my favorite genres. It's painless because we get involved in a good story and many of those facts and figures drop unnoticed into our subconscious. Instead of learning a list of Civil War battles, we can read about fictitious folk who lived through it because an author put them there.

We can read about a slave girl in ancient Rome who served her mistress well enough to be made a favorite messenger sent to warn soldiers of a coming siege. Or the story of immigrants who fled religious persecution, sailing on none-too-sturdy ships across an ocean to a newly settled country. 

Yes, we can read about those things but we can also write those stories. I have written several historical fiction short stories for kids. They are as enjoyable to write as reading them. I like making up the characters and slipping them into a particular period of history in our country. I try to add bits and pieces to show the times when the story takes place. Knowonder! ezine published one I especially liked writing. It takes place during the Civil War and features a young Southerner stuck in the Northern Territory, trying to reach Southern lines and a father fighting on that side to give a special message. You can read the story here if you would like to get an idea of ways to incorporate history into a fiction story.

Things to keep in mind when writing Historical Fiction:

• Check you facts--you don't want to make up dates, battles etc.
• Be careful you don't end up giving a historical lecture--stick to the fiction story itself
• Use fiction techniques to tell the story but add accurate historical points
• Sprinkle in details about clothing, foods, transportation and more
• Develop characters your readers can relate to

If Historical Fiction writing is new to you or relatively so, use your favorite search engine to find article with tips from writers who have experience in this genre. Read and absorb the suggestions, then give it a try on your own. 

Whether you write for kids or for adults, Historical Fiction is worth trying. One of the Historical Fiction novels that is set in my state of Kansas gives a good picture of what homesteading was like here in the nineteenth century but it is also a wonderful story about people and how they meet new challenges. Check out Never Waste Tears by Gloria Zachgo on Amazon. 

What Historical Fiction books or stories would you recommend to others? Ones you especially liked and have stayed in your mind long after you finished reading? 

Never Waste Tears--Worth A Read

                                                         

Gloria Zachgo's second novel is historical fiction at its best. She seamlessly weaves the story of five individuals who travel west from Ohio where they homestead in western Kansas a few years after the Civil War has ended. Gloria is a native Kansan so it seems natural that she used Kansas as the setting for her book.

The novel opens at the beginning of the Civil War when two of the main characters are young teens. We follow Rebecca and Nathan as they mature, fall in love, marry and head west. Carl and Hannah are part of the wagon train that the young newlyweds travel in. The two young couples decide to settle close to one another in western Kansas in an area that Carl had seen once but never forgot. We follow the progress made by the two young couples, their hopes and joys, their sorrows and trials. Hannah's sister, Sarah, joins them later and is the fifth main character in the book.

There have been many other books written about the pioneers who settled the western parts of our country but this one hooked me immediately and kept me reading at a fast pace. The oversized paperback book is just shy of 400 pages and my interest level was such that I read it in two days. I kept picking it up between household tasks because I wanted to find out what happened next.

Gloria Zachgo used an interesting technique in presenting her story. The five main characters tell us the story in their own voice. The reader might hear from three characters in one chapter but the narrative flows smoothly. She labels each with the name but the five are such individuals that the reader can figure out who is speaking without the names. Even so, I liked seeing the name above the narrative.

This technique allowed the author to achieve excellent character development, even though doing so in a book written in this method is not always easy to do. She mastered the technique. Because I'm a writer, I read a novel with two sets of eyes--that of strictly a reader and also a writer. I'd give it five stars in both categories.

The title of the novel is explained on the back cover:

 Five journeyed into the unknown, where opportunities and tragedies were in equal abundance.     Those who were strong didn't waste their tears, but used them wisely to help wash away their grief.

You can order the book at Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

In tomorrow's post, author Gloria Zachgo, will be my guest blogger. She will discuss self-publishing which she did with both Never Waste Tears and her first book, The Rocking Horse. Each one was done in a different manner. Anyone interested in self-publishing will want to read what Gloria has to say. So check in tomorrow.