3 things I learned from writing my first historical fiction novel
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The writing journey can be lonely, and historical fiction especially can have its own unique challenges.
There were moments when I wondered, “Is anyone else having a problem with researching this era?” Or, “How do I make this setting seem real?” Or, “Do other writers feel like imposters sometimes?” So I wanted to share some of the things I’ve personally learned from my own 8-year historical fiction journey, in the hope that it might resonate with you, too.
But first, some context…
My debut novel is set in the 12th century, and it tells the story of a brother and sister who run away from war-torn England and become caught up in the Second Crusade, which takes them to the ends of the known world.
The idea for the story came to me when I was seventeen years old. Naturally, this means that as I matured over the years, the novel also evolved, so that today it is almost unrecognisable from those pages I wrote as a teenager. But I’m so grateful for the groundwork I put in all those years ago. If you’re a younger writer just starting out, keep going! You’re laying the foundation for something magical, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
Over the course of those 8 years, I learned a lot of things about writing historical fiction, and three things, in particular, stand out to me now.
Lesson #1 - The story comes first
The first thing I learned is that when it comes to research and storyline, the story comes first.
Does anyone else feel terrified of getting something wrong in their novel? I often have visions of my book being published, and then someone calling me out on social media for it being historically inaccurate. And then I imagine everyone denouncing me, my book never sells, and I have to change my name to escape the shame of it! Of course, this is just me catastrophizing, but this fear has often left me agonising over minute details, and doing huge information dumps to make sure everything is absolutely spot on.
The problem with this is that although yes, accuracy is important to create that sense of authenticity in a historical novel, if you lay it on too thick and don't integrate it enough with the plot, it comes out less like a story and more like an academic paper (more on this in my podcast episode with Helena Barnard)!
I did this in one of my earlier drafts, where I forced every single event into the novel, even if it slowed down the plot, for the sake of making sure I portrayed the Second Crusade exactly as it happened. Of course, having a thorough research process was essential, otherwise, my story wouldn’t be taken seriously. But reading back, I saw how much it slowed down the story to include every single detail.
So instead, rather than devoting whole chapters to events that slowed down the novel, I paraphrased them in one or two paragraphs, to keep the story moving along. That way, I wasn’t losing any accuracy, but I wasn’t sending the reader to sleep, either!
“If you’re unsure how to integrate your research into the story in a way that feels natural, try to think of ways your characters can experience it firsthand. ”
For example, if there’s a war going on, rather than give the whole context straight away, you could have your characters chance across a battlefield, where they see the fallen banners of the two sides, and slowly they piece together what’s happening in real-time. This is much more mysterious and exciting, compared to if you give the reader all the information straight away.
Ultimately, historical fiction writing is about storytelling—so that should be the top priority! And if you do feel you’ve taken liberties with some of the history, then you can always leave an author’s note, and/or list some further reading for people who want to dig deeper into the history, so that you’ve covered all bases.
But at the end of the day, it’s really the story that comes first, and that’s what separates historical fiction writers from historians, in my opinion, because we are storytellers first and foremost.
Lesson #2 - Imposter syndrome is real, but it can be overcome!
A lot of writers experience symptoms of imposter syndrome—this feeling that you’re a fraud and that you can’t pull this thing off, and that one day, people will discover how unworthy you are. Writing is a solitary activity, and you’re trapped in your own head for hours, days, weeks at a time, so it’s normal for those negative thoughts to creep in.
This can be especially true when writing historical fiction, because you also have the weight of all the research on your shoulders. You’re expected to become an expert in the era you’re writing about, which can feel like a massive burden, and make you feel underqualified.
My novel spans across several different medieval civilizations, and there were times when I was honestly questioning whether I had bitten off more than I could chew, whether I should give up because I don’t have a PhD in medieval history. The imposter syndrome was—and still is, sometimes—very real for me.
There are a couple of things that help me when I’m experiencing this.
First, I accept that my novel will never reach the level of perfection I imagine in my head. It’s impossible. No matter how hard I work, there will always be something that could be improved, always something that could have been worded better, and so on. And that is OK.
In a presentation at work, I once saw a cartoon that showed two shops, side by side. One was called “the good enough” shop, and it was open, with lots of customers going in and out. It looked active, thriving and busy. Next to it was a shop named “the perfect shop”, and it was all boarded up, with zero activity and a sign saying “coming soon” over the door.
Image source: Jeffrey Baumgartner
The point being, if you wait for something to be perfect, you’ll never actually produce anything! So now, I don’t strive for my novel to be perfect. I just want it to be good enough, like that shop in the cartoon. Because at least then I’m moving forward.
Secondly, I remember that even if I FEEL as if my novel is no good, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. Feelings are subjective, and when we’ve been staring at the same book for years on end without an extra pair of eyes, it’s easy to assume that it’s all a load of rubbish. That’s why it’s so important to share the manuscript with people we trust and get a fresh pair of eyes. They can highlight our blind spots, but they can also build us up and show us that actually, the book isn’t so bad after all!
And finally, I try to celebrate every victory, no matter how small! If I write 2000 words, or if I manage to push through a difficult scene, I try to pause and honour that moment. Positive self-talk really helps to silence my inner critic. So if you’re experiencing negative thoughts about your novel, try to replace them with encouragement. For example, if you’re thinking “This book is so badly researched,” then you could replace it with something like “I did the best research I could for this draft, and I can’t wait to build on this in the next version.” Slowly, your perspective will start to shift.
Lesson #3 - Patience, patience and more patience
Over time, I realised that writing comes in seasons, and it’s impossible to be 100% productive with it all the time. Inspiration comes and goes. Life will get in the way. Sometimes you have to pause and focus on some research. All of this takes time, and it can easily add up into months and years.
I used to feel frustrated about this. I wished I could snap my fingers and magically bring my novel into existence. But when I spoke to my husband about it, he said,
“You’re already living your dream of being a writer NOW. You’re writing your novel and bringing it into existence. Slow down and enjoy the process.”
And I realised he was so right. I was already writing, and if I couldn’t enjoy this part, then when would I enjoy it? Although this is something I’m still getting the hang of, I’m trying to be patient. Historical fiction writing can be especially time-consuming, so the best thing is to just embrace the process and take it day by day, and to have fun with it!
Moving forward
My first novel is now in the query trenches, and I’m trying to focus on my next project to stay distracted! But these three lessons will stay with me as I keep writing, and hopefully, I’ll build on this knowledge as I go.
If you’d like to keep in touch and follow me on my writing journey, you can…