Why write historical fiction?
A deep dive into historical fiction | Article 1 of 7
It is no secret that historical fiction is a popular genre in twenty-first-century media culture.
With historical accuracy ranging from minute attention to detail through to outright disregard, many TV series, films, and books fall into this genre. Alongside crime thrillers, historical fiction seems to be one of the most popular media genres (in Britain, at least).
It’s beloved on Substack too.
Over on my other publication, the
, I’ve got a whole directory dedicated to historical fiction writing on Substack, which you can find linked HERE.One of my favourites at the moment is
by , which tells ‘stories of adventure, misadventure and hope in South Africa, the Middle East and beyond’.Then there’s Empress and Soldier by
, shared on - a serial set in the deep past. by , where she shares excerpts from Theda’s Time Machine, is another favourite that I look forward to reading each and every time.I’ve also just finished up my own first historical fiction serial, Bertha’s Tale (linked HERE), which wove a narrative around the bare bones of the factual details left behind about Queen Bertha of Kent, the first Christian Anglo-Saxon queen.
And I’m about to start a new historical fiction serial, Hild’s Tale, which tells the story of an early medieval woman who defied social expectations about gender to become one of the most powerful people of her time. It launches exclusively on Substack on 14th November 2024.
But what is it about historical fiction that so captivates us?
Why does history - so often thought of as boring and inaccessible (invaluable insights brought to my attention by the lovely
and - as a history nerd I had just never imagined anyone could ever find it boring!!) - have the power to draw in so many readers and viewers when transformed into fiction?So perplexed was I by this question that I put it to subscribers of
and , and this is what they had to say…Historical fiction makes past people more familiar.
::One reason, I think, is that it allows us to reframe history in a more personal and immediate way. Fiction deals in characters with whom we form attachments and about whom we care, in a way that a biographical sketch has to work harder to achieve. So we see familiarity, maybe even aspects of ourselves, in the context of the past.
:It’s a great way of presenting and experiencing something that is clearly “different” while still part of our humanity.
:One thing I love about historical fiction is that it gives me an opportunity to see the humanity of people in wildly different times and places through their struggles, joys, heartbreaks, and loves. And, on the flip side, the best historical fiction takes me out of my modern mindset and helps me to understand the worldview of someone living with different values in a completely different culture. One of my favorite examples of this is Kristin Lavransdatter, which very much immersed me in the mindset of a woman in 14th century Norway, to an extent that is rare even with historical fiction novels.
:Historical fiction brings a human element to stories of the past which non-fiction often struggles to do. Whereas a historian is limited with how far they can take their conjecture, fiction writers can give us the conversations and inner thoughts of their characters and in this provide a valuable connection to people in the past as just like you and me.
:As a historian, we usually know the outcome of a historical event. We know WW2 ended May 8, 1945. When we write fiction, we can recreate the uncertainty humans felt back then.
:As Pierre Brant said “Even if it’s not true, you need to believe ancient history”. There is so much lost to the mists but bringing it to life through fiction can illuminate our understanding of the past beyond the evidence, allowing us to see characters from the past as human beings too.
I’m a historical fiction author and I write it for the same reason I read it - because I love learning about the past and how it might have got us to where we are now, as well as exploring how people used to live, but also realising that although we exist at different times, we still share all those emotions that make us human… in fact, there are soooo many reasons it’s hard to condense them!
Historical fiction allows us to escape our own times and places.
: It allows me to indulge my fascination with times and places so different from our own. I get to consider how people in contexts we can only imagine survive, even thrive against incredible odds. I can travel and experience great wonder that would otherwise be out of reach.
Historical fiction illuminates the future.
:Happy to quote the protagonist of my novel, who is a Ph.D. in historical archaeology😊: "I love history and archaeology because I want to uncover and preserve the stories of the past. On a personal level, ‘a person without history can’t escape time.’ On a larger scale, ‘history teaches us about the rise and fall of dynasties.’ My modest goal is to help understand the past to light up the present and future.”
Historical fiction is entertaining!
::Keeping the past ‘alive’ is essential and fiction-inspired-by-fact (which is what I love) is often a way of learning about the past while being entertained by story. For example, I’m presently reading THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah and have absorbed knowledge about the Vietnam war where I wouldn’t have actively sourced a documentary on the subject!
Sometimes, reading histories can be dry and uninspiring. Historical fiction, on the other hand, adds setting, drama, nuance, and people to root for (or against). Truly the stuff of life. That's what I love about it!
What do you think?
Why do you read and/or write historical fiction? If so, what are your favourites? (I’m putting together a master list, for subscribers, and I’d love your input!)
This has been the first in a four-part series diving deep into the topic of historical fiction. Over the next month, I will be sharing collaborative articles drawing on a wealth of experience from various Substack writers to share with you…
How to get published in historical fiction
What not to do - one author’s experience
A directory of the best historical fiction out there
Did you know I’ve written a book of short historical fiction stories?
It’s included in the paid membership at
, or you can buy it HERE.
Welcome to Telling Their Tales!
If you’re new here, I’m Holly and I’m passionate about sharing medieval history that’s about more than just kings and battles. I also am a big supporter of everything to do with serialised fiction and historical fiction, on and off Substack, with a series of ‘How-Tos’ and testimonies on these genres coming to Telling Their Tales super soon!
Connection and relatability are two of my key words here on Substack, and I can’t wait to uncover these hidden stories with you. I’m currently a PhD student (Medieval Archaeology), and I’m delighted to be here to serve and support you.
Paid membership starts from just over £4 per month, and includes access to our cosy history book club, exclusive instalments of my serialised novels, an ebook of short historical fiction stories, and the ability to pose your own questions in chat to our worldwide readership.
Ready to uncover the hidden tale of a favourite medieval person, place, or event? Join our Scriptorium membership to unlock your own research article or short story, created in collaboration with your very own ideas.
Want to connect with more History writers?
Join us over on the Society of History Writers, the only Substack community dedicated to sharing the history writing of its members to a global readership.
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I write historical fiction because I think it can be an accessible window to characters and events that may pass us by. Colleen mccullough is a firm favorite as is Sharon Kay Penman. I really like getting into the heads of deeply religious characters. The religiosity of the past is made interesting by the very real temporal power of the church
Great initiative! For me, it comes down to a fascination with memory and imminence: we want to know what it was like to live a specific moment unfolding in all its precarious uncertainty and possibilities. To do that we not only have to re-create that period, that moment, but also re-imagine that moment's idea of past and future. It is an adventure of the imagination into the minds of those who are no longer with us: reverse haunting.