Going Back in Time by Brian Gallagher
What’s the worst part of writing historical fiction? That’s easy - facing the blank page each morning. (Just like it’s the worst part of writing any kind of fiction.) And what’s the best part? That’s easy too – the sheer fun of stepping into a time machine every working day, and going back to a point in history that you find fascinating.
How many jobs are there where you get paid to imagine that you’re present as dramatic events from the past unfold? Not many, I suspect. But that’s what a writer of historical fiction does. Which isn’t to say that it’s an easy job – far from it – but it is an interesting one, where no two days are the same. And few things beat the thrill of sitting down to plan a new book and wondering what exciting period from the past you’re going to pick..
Readers often ask me was I good at history at school, and - shocking admission – I hated history at school. Looking back now I can see that it wasn’t actually history that I disliked, but rather the boring way that it was taught back then. It seemed to be all about learning off lists of dates, whereas now I love history, but regard it as being about people, great and small, and what they did, and why. And people, unlike lists of dates, are fascinating.
So when I sit down to write a new book the first thing I do is pick an exciting, action- packed period in which to set my story. But my next priority is to populate the story with interesting, credible characters that the reader can care about. So when writing about the past I want to know what people really cared about, but also what songs they were singing then, what kind of food they were eating, what were the hit films and books of the day. I want to immerse myself in that world so that the reader too can travel back in time, and see things through the eyes of my fictional characters.
Writers have always used libraries to do this sort of research in the past, and today we have the internet to check up on all those tricky little facts and figures that can trip up an author. For me though, the best research source is always people. If I can find someone who has lived through the era I’m writing about, I know I’m likely to get the kind of telling detail that really brings a story to life. And so, having done my research, created my characters, and worked out my plot, all that remains is to travel back in time - and start writing the book…
Why I Love History by Nicola Pierce
Well, I think it is that when I research subjects and events from the past, like the sinking of the Titanic or the most important battle of World War II, or the fearlessness of a walled city stubbornly locking out a king’s army I’m on the lookout for the story within the story. Perhaps I’m actually looking for my story within the story, the history.
For example:
What would I have done on the sinking ship, would I have tried to save anyone or would I have jumped into the first lifeboat available? Why do I think Titanic sank?
Would I have stood up to Nazi soldiers? I believe in peace but Hitler and his followers had to be stopped and there was no other way – was there? Would I have joined the army or would I have simply done my best to exist as quietly as possible?
How important is my religion? Would I have fought for it back in 1689/90? Would it have occurred to me that others should be free to practice the religion of their choice? If I had shut the gates of Derry against King James’ army, would I have continued to stand by my decision when children began to starve to death? Would I have gone for the soft option, anything for a quiet life? What is religion worth to me?
Ultimately, as I read my history books, I am constantly asking myself what I would have done had I been there.
As a subject history has always been my favourite, along with English, because it is crammed with great stories, great characters and lots and lots of gossip.
And I don’t care what year it is, people are people.
For instance when I read about King James, who fought King William at the Battle of the Boyne, I can empathise with the fact that, when he was sixteen, his father, King Charles I, was murdered by an angry mob. That must have been terrifying for a boy who was following in his footsteps to be both his father’s son and a king.
Then, in his later years, James converts to Catholicism, his mother’s religion, and thereby loses the love and respect of his two daughters. In fact William of Orange was his son-in-law so his family was ripped apart when James was obliged to leave England after William was invited by Protestant noblemen to invade. Now, that has got to mess with your head. As far as I’m concerned it explains why James’ heart wasn’t in the fight at the Boyne, he decided to retreat almost as soon as the battle was begun.
The story goes that King William didn’t put up a great chase when James took off back to Dublin. It would appear that William did not want to capture his wife’s father which probably would have proved mortifying for all involved.
And so on and so on. Really – I could go on!
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