What are the rules for writing historical fiction?

Ethics: Rules for Writing Historical Novels

• Don’t invent history.
• Try to be fair.
• You can leave doubt about what happened.
• Keep the chronology as accurate as possible.
• You can leave things out.
• Complete historical truth is unknowable.
• How to test if you’ve done a decent job?

Can I write historical fiction about a real person?

“You can write about historical people because the two main legal areas you need to worry about when writing about real people—defamation of character and invasion of privacy—only apply to living people,” Cook says. “The deceased’s heirs cannot sue under those causes of action either.”

How do you write a historical fiction novel?

6 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction

1. Freewrite to brainstorm ideas.
2. Find an interesting way into a time period.
3. Do your research.
4. Build a world.
5. Don’t get bogged down in dialogue.
6. Add fictional characters.

Can you write a book about historical figures?

You don’t generally need any permission from the family or estate of a deceased historical figure to write about them, although it’s generally a good idea to try to let them know what you’re doing as a professional courtesy. So if you’re writing about someone who’s already dead, you may have less to worry about.

How long does it take to write a historical novel?

Or if you’re meticulously constructing a thousand-page historical fiction novel, it might take an entire decade. But if you’re writing a typical novel (50,000 words or more) on a typical schedule (a few hours of writing per week), you’ll likely fall somewhere in that 6-to-12-month range.

Is historical fiction a novel?

Historical fiction is a literary genre where the story takes place in the past. Historical novels capture the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions.

Your characters are at the heart of your story, and it’s through your characters that your readers will experience the time and place in your novel. Also, remember that historical fiction doesn’t always involve a real person. You can create characters that are period appropriate and also fabricated from your imagination.

Is it legal to use historical characters in a novel?

(Also, when you hesitated, I died a little inside). OK, so maybe the handsome thing is debatable, but legal use of historical characters isn’t. According to WD’s legal guru (and close friend) Amy Cook, writing about historical people is perfectly fine and won’t put you in any legal danger.

Why is research important for a historical fiction novel?

Research is important for every novel, but it’s an essential step for a historical fiction novel. You simply cannot write a historical fiction novel without researching first. Here’s why: Historical accuracy is a big reason why readers are drawn to this genre. Your readers want to be transported into a very specific time and place.

Can I mention real people in a non-fiction book?

If you are writing a non-fiction book, you may mention real people and real events.   However, if what you write about identifiable, living people could be seriously damaging to their reputation, then you need to consider the risks of defamation and privacy and how to minimize those risks.