MAKE YOUR HISTORICAL FICTION SEAMLESS

If it’s your intention to write a true to the times story, here are a few historical fiction tips that will mark your writing as believable.

Give your characters historical resonance

People in earlier eras were much more formal in their public dealings than we are today. Ladies generally wore gloves until around the mid-1960s. Everyone usually wore hats; they were a symbol of social status. Tipping the hat was a sign of respect and salutation. Sleeping caps were worn to keep the head warm on cold nights.

Children wore children’s’ clothes until they were around 13 to 15 and then straight into adult clothes. There were no “teen” fashions until the mid-60s.

Often in the 18^th century married couples referred to each other as Mr and Mrs in public, although in Jane Austen’s writing this was mainly around the upper and middle classes. Lower classes usually referred to their spouse by their first name but they too referred to their equals as Mr, Mrs or Miss in the workplace. Servants and working class people were always deferential to their betters, or suffered the consequences; perhaps a clip around the ears or thrown to the lions in the gladiator ring.

Tip: Understand the difference between a manservant, a butler and a valet, likewise a maid of all work and a ladies maid.

Create believable locations

If you’re using real places in your story, make sure that the bridge is built of either steel or wood, or that the rail line actually did go through the town. Architecture can be difficult to get right if the buildings have been demolished.

How long did it take to get from A to B on foot or in a cart? We can take for granted times and distances as we’re now so mobile in our cars or on public transport.

Tip: Understand the differences between a parlour, living room, receiving room, and anteroom.

Create believable dialogue

Language is a marker of era. Slang of today such as “no worries” and “bro” didn’t exist although each era had its own slang. Usually slang is spoken not written but can be useful as an indicator of the era in dialogue.

Colloquial language was the everyday familiar conversation with no formality involved. However, as language was more formal in times past it can be difficult to give characters less formal language without resorting to modernisms. What colloquialisms did people use in your story’s time? Some characters can be full of rustic colloquialisms that are a pointer to their status or class but overdoing it can be a distraction. Finding the balance is the key to believable dialogue.

While a small amount of dialect conversation might be tolerable from a particular character, a whole book of it can be a very tedious read. Learn to sprinkle a quirky turn of phrase appropriately and if it’s very unusual don’t use it too often. It will grate on the reader.

Tip: Give every character a distinct voice. Be careful with sayings and clichés to ensure they’re not too modern or archaic for your story.

Research the time period

Depiction of the era must be authentic. Did people walk, ride or take a hansom cab? How much did they pay for a loaf of bread? Did they drink beer as their beverage because the water was unsafe? When was the first human blood transfusion? It was 1795, until I looked it up I would have said probably the mid-19th century. Understanding the subtle differences between eras such Georgian and Victorian England, and what people were actually eating and drinking in Ancient Rome will add realism to your writing.

Letters were the mainstay of communication even after the telephone came into common use. In England, the Penny Post was taken over in 1683 and revolutionised the carriage of letters as there were up to four deliveries a day in greater London. Until early in the 20^th century very few people had a telephone. These constrictions can make communications difficult when deciding on the plot and realisation of the story. Everything moved a lot slower but cleaver manipulation of your story can alleviate these difficulties; word of mouth, overheard conversations, gossip and secrets are your friends.

While it may be tempting to spend a lot of time researching the era you are writing about, don’t let it get in the way of important writing time. It’s also important to avoid using too many facts and figures to illustrate your story, while some are essential to convey realism, too much will weigh down the action or the dialogue.

Tip: Write until you need a fact and then research to confirm its authenticity.