Writing a story can seem like a long and perilous task, even for the most experienced writer. If he wants to integrate his story into a historical framework, one might think that he is complicating his life twice over? Not necessarily…
History is vast, full of memorable events and individuals, but also of incredible richness in everyday life. Whether it is a blacksmith in a medieval village or a midwife in the Victorian era, individuals and popular culture have the ability to bring a new dimension to a story.
In writing my first (unpublished) novel, I chose to set it in 13th century England. Since I studied history and the Middle Ages is one of my favorite periods, doing the research was a real pleasure for me. I was fortunate enough to be able to contact people in England, museum curators and historians who were able to give me clearer indications on certain passages.
I would like to share with you my own experience and advice on how to integrate historical elements into my fictional narrative.
Preliminary research on the time period: After developing a synopsis for my novel, I began my research with an overview of the chosen time period and the chosen country, circa 1280, in England. Knowing the period in which you choose to present your story is the first step. My research has helped me to better understand this slice of history, its atmosphere, events, and « characters ».
Research where the story will take place: Once the period of my story was well understood, I further researched the popular culture, since the majority of my novel would take place in a village a few hours’ travel from London. I was fortunate enough to find a lot of information about village life, what a village was made up of, how the people lived there, what a typical day was like, etc. Adding « historical » details added unexpected depth to my story, without the reader feeling like he was taking a history class! (I’ll come back to that!).
Choosing a period when « not much is happening »: In the course of my research, I found that it was easier for me to fit my story into a less tumultuous time period for England, the Crusades are over and the social, cultural and political situation is relatively calm. If this is your first novel with a historical background, I also recommend choosing a calmer slice of history. This will save you from getting lost in too many details. Again, you are here to tell a story, not to give a history lesson.
Be precise, but not too much! For my part, I wanted to be as rigorous as possible with my historical « background ». You never know who’s going to read the story and thus accuse you of having forgotten this or that detail.
Accuracy is important, but you need to find your balance. Of course, I found out what food people ate, what trades were practiced in the village, how mass was celebrated, etc. Without being overzealous, I researched certain places classified as historic sites and I had the privilege of getting advice from museum curators.
Being accurate also means integrating historical detail into the fictional story, so that it becomes part of the set and gives an extra flavor to your story. I was there primarily to tell a story, not to display my knowledge of the medieval period.
Also, I found it was easier to create a place from scratch than to find a 12th century English village. However, there is nothing to prevent adding historical elements, such as social and cultural life, to immerse the reader in the story and make him or her « live » the story.
Finally, after writing a first novel with historical background, I discovered that it is possible to take some liberties (beware of blatant anachronisms!) while integrating some historical elements, which will harmonize well with your story.
Sanctuaire - Blogue de Véronique Lessard 