What inspires a historical fiction novel? Love of Finished Years was born through my fascination with World War I. Growing up I noticed how little this major world event was covered in literature and cinema, especially in comparison to World War II. This made me even more curious about the war itself, as well as the world at that time.
How to Define a Realistic Historical Fiction Setting
During my research into World War I, my historical fiction novel came to life. I had so much fun with it that, despite the fact the research was extensive, I really enjoyed it. It was fascinating to see how so much changed in America and in the world between 1908 and 1918 (e.g. the balance of world powers, the balance of social and class ranks, the role of women in society and social leadership, workers’ rights, etc.).
There are two parts of research that go into historical fiction. First, you must immerse yourself in the setting, becoming as familiar with the time period, and with the historical and cultural context in which your characters live, as possible. Here’s how I went about it:
- I immersed myself in art and literature of the time.
- I read novels written 100 years ago to get a feel for the way people spoke and behaved in the 1910s.
- I studied photography from the time for visual cues.
- I listened to pre-World War I music to hear what my characters may have heard.
By experiencing the world my story was set in as much as I could, I was able to develop a realistic historical fiction setting for my characters to exist.
Then comes the second part, which for me, made up much the work of multiple rewrites of the novel. That is where you have to research the specific details, both for accuracy and to add color to the narrative. How did I go about it?
- I did technical research to learn as many specifics as possible.
- I visited the Tenement Museum in New York City.
- I walked the streets of the Lower East Side where the protagonist lived.
- I read extensive accounts from soldiers who experienced World War I.
It is the details that really build the world around the story that hopefully will immerse the reader and make them feel like they were there.
Creating Strong Characters for a Historical Fiction Story
There are a couple of reasons I chose to make my story’s protagonist female.
First of all, so much of the past is already told through men’s eyes. Instead, I wanted to tell a historical fiction story from a woman’s perspective. The world changed a lot during World War I, and a female character’s lens would provide a lot of depth.
Second, I find it easier to write female characters. As an author it’s important to know your strengths; I’ve been told my female characters are realistic and compelling, likely because I find I relate to women best; my closest friends throughout my adult life have been female.
I created Elsa, Love of Finished Year’s protagonist, to be a tough woman in a situation that made her a bit of an underdog; she’s a woman you want to root for and readers really seem to connect with.
One of Elsa’s most endearing traits is her quiet tenacity, which eventually gave her the tools to rise out of a difficult life situation. This tenacity is really what began to shape the story of her life. The specifics came to me gradually over time, but ultimately it was Elsa who began to steer the plot, rather than the other way around.
Historical Fiction’s Connection to Today
I originally wrote Love of Finished Years in 2002-03 and re-wrote it in 2012. I knew this was a story that would resonate with our time, and I thought it deserved another go around. I’m glad I did, because Elsa seems to be a character that readers find very inspiring.
Get your copy of Love of Finished Years on Amazon and let me know what you think of my latest historical fiction novel! You can connect with me here or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.