When I first became obsessed with Outlander, I went online to read some of the reviews on the books. Why, I don't know, but curiosity always drives me. Perhaps, it's because I like to see that no matter how much of a blockbuster a book is, it will still have a broad range of reviews [...]
Ask any reader the question: "How important is historical accuracy in a novel?" And, for the most part, you will get the answer of "very". Of course, that's the answer you should receive. Why even write historical novels if you aren't going to stick to historical facts? While there are some who believe that authors [...]
Aside from finding your perfect time period and creating your perfect plot and characters, research is perhaps the most important rule to writing historical novels. Why? Because you will never be able to draw your readers into a different time period if you don't know what you're talking about! So how do you know what you're [...]
Why do readers read Historical Romance and Historical Fiction? When asked this question, the overwhelming answer is always 'to bring the past to life' and it’s our job as the author to do just that. Nothing will pull a reader out of a historical novel faster than something or someone out of place. Whether it's [...]
Books don't have the luxury of the visual effects that a television show or movie has. We can't see a time period prop when watching a scene unfold and we can't see the character's clothes. Of course, you don't want to describe every single detail about what your characters are wearing or using throughout the [...]
Whether real or imagined, characters behave in keeping with the era they inhabit. That's just one of the secrets to writing Historical novels that people will love to read. They don't want to read about a man or a woman who acts as though it's 2018 when the novel is set in the 1800s. It [...]
What is elocution? The skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation. So, in other words, speech. Using proper dialect for the time period of your novel will either draw the reader into that era or it will pull them out of the story and cause them to shut the book [...]
