Monthly Archives: July 2012

Flight From Berlin – a novel by David John

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction

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On Friday, along with millions of people from all corners of the earth, I watched the opening ceremonies of London’s olympic games. A copy of David John’s Flight From Berlin lay on the coffee table, a slip of paper marking the page where I left Richard Denham and Eleanor Emerson about to risk further danger. The note on that slip of paper said “When I want to flip to the last few pages and peak at the ending, I know that the story really has me”.

Tragedy and scandal have occurred at other Olympic games: a bombing in Atlanta in 1996, the 1980 boycott of the Moscow games, athletes shot and killed by a terrorist group in 1972 Munich. But imagine Berlin in 1936, Hitler’s power and increasing daring, the rest of the world wondering when he would stop or whether he could be contained. This is the time David John has chosen for his story, a dark, sinister time.

From page one mystery draws us in. Initially David John threads two story lines, one focused on Richard Denham, a journalist bent on exposing the Nazi menace, the other on Eleanor Emerson, an Olympic athlete from the US. When they meet during a party hosted by Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, the pace quickens as Hitler’s goons threaten Hannah Liebermann, a world-class fencer and Friedl Christian, a former actor with a dangerous secret. Then the Nazis turn their sights on Denham.

The reader is plunged into pre-WWII Germany complete with SS officers, Hitler youth, thuggish Brownshirts, and growing anti-semitic hysteria. Amidst the intensity of competition we feel the brutality of Hitler’s world. Eleanor’s scenes reveal the controlling nature of Avery Brundage, head of the US Olympic mission who openly admired Nazi Germany and deliberately excluded two Jewish athletes from the relay team. Through Denham we see those who fear Hitler cannot be stopped.

David John blends real and fictitious characters to create a high stakes scenario in which Denham and Eleanor are unexpected heroes. Having read In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, I was delighted that Mr John included William Dodd and his daughter Martha. They seemed like old friends. He also situates figures like Goebbels, Goering, William Randolph Hearst, Hugo Eckener, Helen Hayes, Jesse Owens, Himmler and Adolph Hitler to great effect.

Structured like a three act play, Flight From Berlin has all the ingredients of a great story. Part I ends with a dramatic turning point and compelling questions. What was the mysterious dossier? Why did the Nazis think it was in Denham’s possession. Will Richard and Eleanor survive? In Part II the shocking contents of the dossier are revealed and tension heightens as David John reveals the couple’s daring plan. Part III is full of back and forth action that keeps the pace taut until the very end.

Do I have any caveats? Eleanor Emerson is not as well developed as Richard Denham. She begins as a stereotype, a brash American whose bold impudence gets her dismissed from the US Olympic team. Her transformation into loving partner and skilled espionage agent came too quickly for me. A second comment has to do with the ending. No spoilers! I found several spots where I thought ‘here’s where it will end’ but the story continued with another twist.

Neither caveat takes away from David John’s well constructed, tension-filled novel. He has another in the works – I hope it has the same exciting blend of history and story.

Note: A Writer of History was not intended to include book reviews but when a woman from Harper Collins asked, I could not resist a story set amongst the same world events as Unravelled, a novel I have written.

Top Historical Fiction Sites – Historical Novel Society

27 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in Connecting Readers & Writers, Historical Fiction, Top Historical Fiction Sites

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I am vey pleased to welcome Richard Lee of the Historical Novel Society to today’s post. HNS was one of four top digital sites selected by survey participants – a wonderful accomplishment! If you have not yet investigated the society’s online site, you should do so; it offers a wealth of information as well as significant benefits for members. I recently subscribed to one of its services, the Historical Fiction Daily, which features a wide range of articles in an easily readable format.

Why did you create the Historical Novel Society?     I wanted to join the society and it didn’t exist. I thought long and hard about starting up because I’d founded a literary magazine during my Oxford days, and it was successful but very hard work – and financially exposed. I knew that with the HNS I was going to be committing myself to considerable expense (printing and mailing magazines) as well as exposing myself to flak from those who would believe I wasn’t ‘qualified’ to run this kind of thing. So I didn’t jump blind, and I didn’t jump straight away – but I did jump in the end! Happily people were kinder than I’d expected, and though I was bank-rolling the society for a few years, we eventually got to break even, and have some surplus now.

Why are you passionate about historical fiction?     I am passionate about fiction. For me it is the highest art, and my favourite form of fiction is the novel. I love historical fiction because it continually challenges authors. Many writers essentially have one idea, and write the same book every time. This is less possible with historical fiction, because you always have something new to challenge yourself with. You can’t write the same book in two different periods. If you are a committed author, you cannot write the same book about different historical characters. I’m also drawn to historical fiction because I love history: archives, architecture, and culture in its broadest sense. Historical fiction can sometimes bring history closer: you can touch back to the way that people used to think. I find it magical when that happens.

What twists and turns in the Society’s offerings have been most significant?     So many! The real point about a society is that it changes as the people change. You get different input, different enthusiasms – and I have always given a pretty free rein to those who are willing to follow their ideas through.  Also, my life changes, so I have had to stand back a lot over the years (I have a business and three children). We are more a North American society now than a UK group, both in terms of member numbers and numbers of active members. I’m delighted at that. I’m also delighted that technology has made things so much more dynamic for literary societies in general. The idea that we can conduct interviews by skype and promote them on our own YouTube channel would have seemed like science fiction when we started out.

What trends have you seen in HF novels in the past? What new trends are emerging?     My view is that publishing works by following the ‘boom’ authors. I talk a bit about this here: http://historicalnovelsociety.org/the-bleeding-land/. Examples of ‘boom’ historical fiction authors since the society began are Philippa Gregory (though she had a following before), Conn Iggulden, Tracy Chevalier and, right now, Hilary Mantel. In a lesser way there have been several others. There have also been some influential movies and TV. Gladiator has done wonders for making men read historical fiction again – and Gladiator allied with the lasting popularity of Bernard Cornwell has had a large impact on the UK market. The film of The Other Boleyn Girl reached a different audience from the books. The success of Sharpe led to Hornblower on TV, and Jack Aubrey on film. The future? I think we are going to see a lot of less-literary, less-exigent versions of Hilary Mantel. I also think that the fantasy Game of Thrones will have an impact, though what impact is unclear to me. I also think that the genre that is loosely based on genealogy will continue in popularity: our grandparents and great grandparents lived through times that will seem increasingly mythical.

Is historical fiction growing in popularity? If so, why?     One of the things we set out to say from the beginning with the HNS is that historical fiction is ALWAYS very popular. The perception back in 1997 was that it was the genre that dare not speak its name. But the reality was that in the top twenty UK fiction paperbacks for the year in those days there would always be something by Wilbur Smith, something by Bernard Cornwell, something by Catherine Cookson and a ‘surprise’ – so 4 out of 20. I think we are actually less certain of getting that kind of result in the UK now. But happily the second rung authors seem stronger, and the perception of the genre is stronger. Literary HF has also always done well.

What debates are occurring today about historical fiction?  Can you provide a perspective on them?      The main debate I always hear is about whether novels are good history or not. I sometimes despair. Novels have to be good novels. It is history that has to be good history. Hilary Mantel is no more writing the real Thomas Cromwell than Shakespeare was writing the real Macbeth – or Jane Austen the real Elizabeth Bennett. My perspective is that I wish more of the discussion was about the skill (or not) of the writing (literary or mainstream). Other debates – yes – centre on commercial versus literary historicals, but there is confusion about what these terms actually mean. To that end we wrote as series of articles about the Walter Scott Prize shortlist, trying to define ‘literary’. Strangely, I think it is even more difficult to define ‘commercial’.

Who are the Society’s members? What do you know about them? Do you collect specific data about them?     I have always tried to respect members’ privacy – perhaps too much – so no, I have never attempted to collect specific data. Now that I see member sign-ups through our new website I can see that a lot of us are writers as well as avid readers. My guess is that people join because they approve of the project, and of the care and work that goes into it. Essentially we are a volunteer organization, and happily there are a lot of people out there who love historical fiction enough to want to help us promote it.

What prompted the Society’s recent overhaul of its web presence? What are the most popular features? Are you planning to add further features?      We have been meaning to get the site overhauled for years, and to make our archives freely available. It is a fairly huge job for volunteers, and it had to wait till someone had the time and drive to devote to leading it (I tried several other people before taking it on myself). The most popular thing will always be the breadth of what we offer: the sheer number of reviews and features, all searchable in one place. So far what you see is the tip of the iceberg. New features? I am really looking forward to being able to have space to review more classic historical fiction. Our USP for the magazines was our ability to give the most complete coverage to new historical fiction. With the website we have scope to add to this much more of the history of historical fiction. After all, we all still love Dumas, Graves, Renault, Dunnett et al. There are also many of once popular authors who have now disappeared from view. We’d like to make them visible again.

Do you think of HNS as having a brand? If so, what is it?     Not really. We didn’t even have a logo till this year. I confess I’m not really all that clued up in marketing terms: that’s perhaps another area we need to improve on.

Where would you want HNS to be in 5 to 10 years? What are your marketing strategies to achieve these objectives?     As I just said, I’m not much good at marketing, but the aim is always to get more ‘reach’. That doesn’t mean more members necessarily, but hopefully more visitors to the website, and a better percentage of the membership who are actively helping with our projects. To that end I hope that the website will provide more connectivity. And of course we need more completeness in our coverage of historical fiction. We should have 10,000 reviews on the site by the end of this year. Maybe 20,000 is a good number to aim at for 10 years’ time?

Why do you think so many people blog about historical fiction or participate in blogs about historical fiction? What are the implications for writers, agents and publishers?     People are enthusiastic about historical fiction, and they are probably a little star-struck by their favourite authors. Blogs allow them to show their enthusiasm and, sometimes, to interact with the authors. Another thing is people have their own point of view and like to express it. Blogs are a very cost-effective way of doing that, and of connecting with people whose interests and views coincide. The implication for writers and the industry is that there is much more democratization of reviewing and ‘word-of-mouth’. It also means that you have to be VERY careful with how you spend your time. Blogs, twitter, facebook… all eat up hours.

What do you see writers doing differently to market their books and build their platforms? What about publishers?     I always remember talking with Iain Pears in the days when An Instance of the Fingerpost was only part written. He was a Reuters journalist, really gifted, had had a few of his art-world mysteries published, and I could see that he had a future. I can’t remember how the subject came up, but he surprised me then by saying that he was not prepared to be a ‘public’ author. He wasn’t going to do the whole interview thing, the standing on stage. I thought – well you won’t get far then. I was wrong. Some authors will – always have – built their platform. The UK author I think remarkable for this is Alison Weir, who endlessly tours and lectures. She has made herself powerful with little help at the beginning from her publishers, and without a ‘boom’ book. But others are very head-in-the-clouds, either intentionally, like Iain Pears, or unintentionally. For them, the writing is the only thing. And if the writing is good enough, that can work too.

What advice do you have for writers?     All writers are different, so you can make few generalizations, but one thing that Tracy Chevalier once said to me has always struck me as very good advice. Before she was published she attended the University of East Anglia Writing MA – the most prestigious writing course in the UK. She said that she knew pretty early on which of her fellow course members would be successful and which would not. It wasn’t the talent, she said – in fact, she said, the most talented of the writers had never succeeded. It was the attitude that mattered, the commitment. I think there is something for all of us in that.

Top Historical Fiction Authors – Sharon Kay Penman

23 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Authors, Writing Process

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Source: Author’s Website

I am extremely pleased that Sharon Kay Penman is here today talking about writing historical fiction. This spring’s survey placed Ms. Penman in the number one position with readers – a truly wonderful accomplishment. I remember being captivated by Here Be Dragons and The Sunne in Splendour and my current read, Time and Chance, her novel about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, is equally captivating.

Why do you write historical fiction?     I always wanted to write, scribbled my first story at age six.   In my teens, I did a novel that mercifully has vanished from the earth, for I am sure it would be very embarrassing to read.   But I didn’t have a story burning to be told, and so my writing efforts were sporadic and random.  Then I stumbled onto the history of Richard III, and my life changed—literally.   I felt compelled to write his story, if only because my friends quickly grew tired of listening to me preach to them about the terrible injustice done to this long-dead medieval king.    The end result was The Sunne in Splendour, my first novel.  By that time, I’d spent twelve years in the fifteenth century with Richard, so it never even occurred to me to write of another time period.   And I’ve been happily ensconced in the Middle Ages ever since.

You are clearly very skilled at writing historical fiction.  What do you think attracts readers to your books?     I wonder that myself at times.  I feel very fortunate to have such amazing, devoted readers.  From what they’ve told me, they appreciate my efforts to be as historically accurate as humanly possible.  Obviously, any novel is a work of the imagination, but I believe very strongly that it needs a strong factual foundation, and this is what I strive for when writing.  If I do take any liberties with known facts, I clear my conscience by reporting that in my Author’s Note.   My readers also seem to like that I am writing of people who actually lived and events that really happened, for there are very few purely fictional characters in my novels.

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?     I research on two levels, general and specific.  For example, I researched the life and reign of King Richard I before beginning the first of my two novels about him.  This enabled me to know what I would need to dramatize.  I also do specific research as I write, usually about a particular battle or castle, etc.   I am now following that pattern in the sequel to Lionheart, A King’s Ransom, which entails doing considerable research about Austria and Germany, where Richard was held prisoner on his way home from the Holy Land.   I love researching, so my concern is to rein my enthusiasm in.  I became so fascinated with medieval Sicily and Cyprus in Lionheart that I probably went overboard with my research of their societies, and I am trying to show a bit more self-discipline with A King’s Ransom.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?     I don’t think I have been influenced by other historical writers.   There are many writers I admire, of course—Anya Seton comes at once to mind.   Among my contemporaries, I am a fan of Bernard Cornwell, Margaret George, Elizabeth Chadwick, C.W. Gortner, and Steven Saylor, just to name a few.  I also enjoy historical mysteries very much, my favorites including Priscilla Royal, Margaret Frazer, and Sharan Newman.

What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author?  Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?     Truthfully, I have no idea!   I can tell you what I look for as a reader.  Historical accuracy is very important to me, both as a reader and a writer.   I also believe that we owe a debt to the people we are writing about.   My fellow writer, Laurel Corona, expressed this perfectly when she said, “Do not defame the dead.”  I think that ought to be the First Commandment for all writers of historical fiction!

How do you select new stories to tell?     I usually have ideas marinating in my brain for years before I actually begin to write.   If I did not have another novel in mind as I came to the end of one, I’d probably panic.   I tend to write trilogies, so that makes life much easier for me.  What my readers call my Welsh trilogy is set in the 13th century, and dramatizes the clash of cultures between the Welsh princes and the English kings.  I then did what was to be a trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  But as I finished the final book, Devil’s Brood, I realized there was still so much of their story to be told, and the result was Lionheart and now A King’s Ransom; so my trilogy turned into a quintet.

What advantages do you think come from concentrating on a period of time or creating a series like you have done?  Any disadvantages?     I feel so comfortable in the Middle Ages that it would feel strange to write about another time period.  After so many years, I am familiar with medieval customs, beliefs, superstitions, and the details of daily life.  So I would find it somewhat daunting to start from scratch in writing of another era, ancient Rome, for example.   I know some writers who do shift from one time to another and do it very well; Margaret George certainly does, writing about the Tudors, Cleopatra, and Helen of Troy, just to mention some of her books.    But I’ve put my roots down in the Middle Ages for thirty years now, and have no plans to move.

What techniques do you employ to write productively?     I have an established routine by now.  I begin with an outline of the novel, and then I do a chapter at a time, staying with it until I am satisfied.   Some of my writer friends do several drafts, but I’ve never tried that approach.   Of course I always do some last-minute pruning and polishing, but once I’ve completed the novel, that is the final version.  I don’t do any rewriting unless my editor requests it.

Do you think of yourself as having a brand?     No, I do not think of myself as a brand.

What do you do to connect to readers?     I have always responded to letters and then to e-mails, but social networking sites like Facebook have made it so much easier for writers and readers to interact.    I confess that I was hesitant about venturing onto Facebook at first, but I soon became addicted.  In addition to my personal Facebook page, my readers have set up three Facebook fan clubs, and I try to stop by as often as I can.  I had formed friendships with readers via snail and e-mail, but Facebook makes it so much easier.  This past week I had a phone chat with my Australian Fan Club, who were holding their annual meeting, and it was so much fun.   I feel as if I know them all by now, and I have moved a visit to Australia to the top of my Bucket List as a result.   So far I have avoided Twitter, but writer friends tell me I should give it a try, so that will probably be next on the agenda.    I have also formed friendships because of my blogs, for blogs are inter-active, too.    And websites like Goodreads and LibraryThings are another way for writers to meet with readers.

What do you know about your readers?     Well, they have good taste in books!  They are also well educated and, to judge from their letters and Facebook comments, quite articulate and often very funny.  They share my passion for the past.  And my publishers have told me that I am unusual in that my readers are split about evenly between men and women; apparently most of historical novel readers are women.  But I’ve always had a fair share of male readers, too.

What data do you collect about your readers?     I do not collect any data about my readers.  I am not that organized!

What strategies guide your writing career?     Truthfully, I’ve never had a strategy.  I was just following my passion, the need to write.  This led to The Sunne in Splendour and after that, the dominos seemed to fall naturally into place.

What would you do differently if you were starting again?     I have been so fortunate in my writing career that I don’t think I would change anything.  I love writing and still feel blessed to be able to do it.    I have a wonderful editor, who has been my editor for all twelve of my books, which is almost unheard-of in publishing.  I have very gifted agents on both sides of the Atlantic.  And I have never been required to meet a word quota, as some of my writer friends are.   This is both remarkable and rare and I feel so lucky.

Do you have any advice for writers of historical fiction?     If at all possible, I would try to find an agent.  I know that can be quite a challenge, but I think it is well worth the effort.   And of course publishing is very different now than it was when I first began my career.   Writers today have options that writers never even dreamed of in the past.   E-books are becoming more and more important, so I would advise writers to educate themselves about this phenomenon.   Some writers are choosing to bypass publishers altogether and to publish their books themselves.  This was once a high-risk venture, and it still can be a bumpy road.  But in the era of e-books, it can be an enticing option and I think it is one worth exploring for those just starting out, as long as they remember how time-consuming it can be.

Is there a question you would like to answer that I haven’t asked?     Actually, there is one.  What are your favorite research sources?

That would be the medieval chronicles, which are a fascinating mix of the foreign and the familiar.   The chronicler will be complaining about high prices, bad roads, and corrupt sheriffs, stories that could be found in any of today’s newspapers.  And then I will come across an account of green children found in Kent!     The chronicles cannot be taken as gospel, for the chroniclers often pass on rumors and gossip.  I also have to take personal bias into account.  The vast majority of chroniclers were monks, so they tended to look upon women with a skeptical eye, as daughters of Eve.  Nor were they free of nationalism; French chroniclers were highly critical of English kings and vice versa, and the English were hostile to the Welsh, who returned the favor.    But the chronicles open a window to these distant times and offer us personal glimpses of people dead for centuries.  This was especially true for my last novel, Lionheart, much of which was set during the Third Crusade.  The Lionheart of legend smolders like a torch, glowering, dour, and dangerous.  But the chroniclers who accompanied Richard I to the Holy Land and the Saracen chroniclers give us a very different man—sardonic, playful, unpredictable.  I worry that Lionheart has spoiled me for future books, as I will never have such a rich treasure-trove to draw upon again.   I had eye-witness accounts of the battles fought between the crusaders and Saracens, told from both sides, and for a novelist, that is beyond wonderful.  For those interested in reading them, too, I list them all in the Acknowledgments of Lionheart.

I also mine for gold in the Pipe Rolls and other government records.   There we learn that Lady Neville had to pay King John a fine of 200 shillings “to lie one night with her husband.”   What I wouldn’t give to know the story behind that cryptic entry!  Another favorite entry captures a royal temper tantrum for all time, reporting the cost of repairing the crown of Edward I, noting that it was damaged “when it pleased the king to throw it into the fire.”

As you can tell, Mary, I love researching!  To be able to spend time studying the Middle Ages and then to write about it and actually get paid for doing so—well, it does not get any better than that.

Thank you so much for inviting me to visit your blog.

Thank you, Sharon. Your responses offer a fascinating peak at the life of a favourite author. And thanks for telling us about the medieval chronicles and pipe rolls. The fact that you spent twelve years researching Richard III shows us all what passion and perseverance can do!

Is Fiction Changing for Better or Worse?

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey

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In its online home, The New York Times offers a series of topics under the banner Room for Debate. One of these topics discusses whether fiction is changing for better or worse. Having read what all six debaters had to say along with many comments offered by readers, I’ve concluded that most are optimistic about the novel’s place in our world.

This is good news.

Jane Smiley ”In our dangerous world, the freedom and empathy that fiction develops in its readers remain essential.”

Matt de la Pena ”We’ve grown terrified of sadness and self-reflection, and we actively avoid ideas that challenge.” De la Pena seems less optimistic.

Robin Sloan ”Novels, on the other hand, are just about the most durable home for words we’ve yet discovered.” Sloan argues that new forms of writing prompted by technology are far less durable.

Thomas Glave ”For it is at last undeniable that for all of us, wherever we may be, the opportunity to experience other people’s stories — their fiction — is a powerfully human one, that requires the uncommon and invaluable skills of careful listening and the ability to enter the lives of people different from ourselves.”

William Deresiewicz ”the novel continues to do what it has always done best: compile the atlas of private experience, show us what it feels like to be alive at our particular time and place.”

Historical fiction is a particular type of novel. Survey participants responded to a question about why they enjoy this type of fiction.

What do these responses suggest?

To be fair, I did not frame the question to reflect whether historical fiction is better or worse, but look at the number one reason for reading this type of novel: to bring the past to life, appreciating how people lived and coped in very different times.

The stories of the past are highly relevant today which seems to me to resonate with Smiley, Glave and Deresiewicz. I would also argue that this top response is consistent with what Sloan has to say given that the notion of reading about history emphasizes the popularity of durable stories.

Just a thought.

Top Historical Fiction Authors – Susan Higginbotham

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Authors, Writing Process

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I am delighted that Susan Higginbotham joins the Top Historical Fiction Author series today. She brings fresh insight to the dialogue about writing historical fiction and I know that readers and writers alike will enjoy her views. Two of her books that I can personally recommend as wonderful reads are The Traitor’s Wife and The Stolen Crown.

Why do you write historical fiction?     I sort of blundered into writing historical fiction a few years back when I re-read Christopher Marlowe’s Edward the Second online and became intrigued by the history behind the play. I began reading everything I could about Edward II, and when I read the story of his niece, Eleanor de Clare, it occurred to me that she would make a wonderful subject for a novel. In the process of telling her story, I found that I really enjoyed writing this sort of fiction, and it had the added bonus of giving me ready-made plots, as plotting has never been my strong point.

You are clearly very skilled at writing historical fiction. What do you think attracts readers to your books?     I think a lot of readers enjoy the fact that I tell my stories through fresh viewpoints—the story of Richard III’s seizure of power through the Duke of Buckingham and his wife, for instance, instead of through better-known characters such as Richard III himself or Elizabeth Woodville. I believe readers also like the fact that I treat the historical figures I write about with respect and try to avoid black-or-white characters and clichéd characters, like the dreaded bride “sold into marriage” to a mean old man with bad breath.

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?     For research, I use primary sources as far as possible, even when that means I have to pay someone to transcribe and/or translate sources for me. (Fortunately, so many printed primary sources are available online now, that’s not as daunting as it sounds.) I also rely heavily on journal articles, which are often neglected by authors—there are some lovely nuggets of information in them. I love research and never really stop doing it while I’m writing, because there’s always a scene that will trigger a question and send me to my sources.

Since I write about actual historical figures, I know how my story is going to turn out, so I don’t always write my story in a strict linear fashion, but write a scene as it occurs to me and incorporate it into the story later. Except for the natural outline that the known historical facts provide, I don’t write according to a strict outline, so there are always some surprises along the way and changes in focus. For instance, my last novel, Her Highness, the Traitor, was supposed to be just about Frances Grey until I read a letter by Jane Dudley and decided that she needed a starring role as well.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?     I’ve learned a great deal about how to construct a good historical novel from authors such as Sharon Penman, Jean Plaidy, and Margaret George. I’ve also learned from my own reading of historical novels what I don’t like as a reader, and therefore what to avoid.

What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?     I think the primary ingredients are good writing, good storytelling, and, above all, the ability to create memorable, well-rounded characters. I plan for these elements in my writing in that I try to write the sort of novels that I would like to read, but I’m not really one of those writers who thinks a great deal about the writing process.

How do you select new stories to tell?     I look for a historical figure who catches my interest or  who appeals to my sympathies. If if I start researching a certain character when I’m supposed to be working on something else, it’s a sign to me that I ought to write about him or her at some point.

What advantages do you think come from writing within a particular time period? Any disadvantages?     There are definitely some historical periods that are more in vogue with readers than others, such as the Tudor period, and there are always going to be those who suspect a writer of attempting to cash in if she writes about that period, although for me, it was a natural progression from the fourteenth to the fifteenth to the sixteenth century. On the other hand, a writer who sets a novel in a less popular period risks having a wonderful story go unnoticed because readers simply don’t seek out stories set in that period. In the end, I think a writer should tell the story she wants to tell, but anyone who’s writing for a commercial publisher can’t afford to ignore the market altogether. Sometimes you have to tell the story you want to tell that will also sell.

What techniques do you employ to write productively?     I often have a hard time buckling down to the keyboard, because I have a full-time job summarizing legal cases and by the end of the day, writing a coherent sentence is the last thing I want to do. Fortunately, I have a home office and a flexible work schedule, so I can rush to the computer when the mood strikes. When I’m on deadline, I just have to discipline myself.

Do you think of yourself as having a brand? If so, how would you describe it and how do you reinforce it?     I think of my “brand” as writing well-researched historical fiction from a less-traveled point of view. I like to write about figures who haven’t featured much in historical fiction or about figures who haven’t met with much sympathy from other novelists. I reinforce my brand with my blog posts, which focus on the facts behind my fiction.

What do you do to connect with readers?     I’ve been blogging for about seven years now, and I’m also active on Facebook. (I’m on Twitter too, but I send out links to my blog posts more than anything else—I just can’t be active there and be productive.) I post about my research and about topics that happen to catch my fancy, and I also let my sense of humor have full play there too.  In addition, I run a reader-oriented bulletin board, Historical Fiction Online. I started doing these things to market my first novel, which was originally self-published, but I’ve made some wonderful friends through these sites and have had some great discussions about books and history.  My blog and my Facebook pages also help to keep me connected with readers in between novels. At this point, I’d be on social networking sites even if I wasn’t an author, because they’re fun.

What do you know about your readers?     I know they have a high regard for historical accuracy, and I know that many of them like the same authors I do. And I know they have excellent taste!

What data do you collect about your readers?     I don’t collect data about them, though I read surveys about readers’ preferences and tastes, such as the one you did, with interest.

What strategies guide your writing career?     I don’t really have one, except to try to write consistently good books so my readers won’t be disappointed.

What would you do differently if you were starting again?     I’d start writing historical fiction earlier. I’d have a lot more novels under my belt now!

Do you have any advice for writers of historical fiction?     Too many writers get paralyzed with worrying over what they should or shouldn’t do—Should I join a critique group? Should I hire an editor? Should I pick a “marquee name”? Should I write about someone who’s been written about already?—that they end up not writing! I say just write the story that’s in your heart and take it from there.

I also think that writers of historical fiction need to be prepared to “walk the talk.” If you bill yourself as someone who’s concerned with historical accuracy, you have to be prepared for the fact that readers will expect you to be able to back up what you say with sources. I also think you have an ethical obligation to treat the historical figures you’re writing about with respect, even those historical figures you dislike, and not to smear a person’s reputation just to spice up your story or to make your protagonist look better in comparison. For at least some of your readers, you will be shaping their view of history.

But while novelists should take their responsibilities seriously, they shouldn’t  take themselves too seriously, and should cultivate a sense of perspective. A good sign that you are in need of a reality check is when you start comparing someone who gives your book a bad review to someone who tells you that your newborn baby is hideous. Your book is not a human being. It’s a product, just as the shoes you’re wearing and the car you’re driving are products, and not everyone is going to like the same products. If you realize that from day one, you’ll be a lot happier, and so will those around you.

Many thanks for your very interesting perspective, Susan. Some of the many aspects that stand out for me are: (1) writing about well-known historical figures offers a ready made plot structure which also allows you to write in a non-linear fashion, (2) “write the story that’s in your heart”, (3) that you run an online historical fiction forum – where on earth do you find time?, and (4) by the end of the day, writing a coherent sentence is the last thing you want to do – and yet you do it so beautifully!

Top Historical Fiction Sites – Historical Tapestry

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Connecting Readers & Writers, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Sites

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The survey asked readers to list favourite sources for book recommendations. Four top sites emerged from their responses. Historical Tapestry is one of those sites and I am delighted that Marg, Teddy, Kelly, Ana and Alex agreed to be interviewed. Marg kindly colour-coded their responses.

Happily, this week is their blogiversary week. Make sure you drop by for a visit.

Why did you start blogging? Did your group come together to create the blog or did you add folks as time progressed?

Marg: I had a period of seven years where I didn’t read much at all. Once I did return to reading with a vengeance, the next thing was that I wanted to find people to talk to about the books I was reading. I started hanging out on the Oprah books boards where I met Kelly and Teddy and some other bloggers and then I started hanging out on other forums as well. I can’t remember how I found my first book blogs but after watching those blogs I started to think I could do that. Then I read a book that I just HAD to talk about and my book review blog was born.

Teddy: I use to keep a spiral notebook with notes about all the books I read.  I always had such a hard time referring back to any specific book because there was no order.  I was in a book club in Yahoo groups and a couple of the members started their own book blogs.  I started reading them and realized that a book blog would be a much more organized way to keep track of books that I read.  I never dreamed that people would actually read and follow my blog, much less, that publishers would start sending me books to review.  Seriously, who knew?  Then one day I was invited to join Historical Tapestry, wow what an honor that was!

Kelly: I never even really paid a lot of attention to blogs until I decided to have one of my own. I had an old Livejournal account where I sort of rambled, but that was about it and hardly anyone ever followed it. I knew that I liked talking about books, though, which lead me to online areas and then that lead to meeting Marg. She started her blog in November of 2005 and I followed suit in December. It was initially just a fancier place to ramble, just about books this time, but it grew to be much more than that.

Ana: I have always written the titles of the books I read. When I started discovering the internet, one of my first interests was joining book groups and book forums. I started reading everyone else’s blogs and one of my friends challenged me to start one. A few years later I met Marg at one of the books groups, she invited me to join Historical Tapestry and the rest, as they say, is history! 

Marg: In terms of how Historical Tapestry began, I had been chatting with Kelly on MSN Messenger (remember that?) and I said to her I am thinking I would like to do a historical fiction group blog and she said I have been thinking about something similar. I knew Ana from a historical romance focused Yahoo group and initially there were a couple of other people that Kelly and I knew from the Oprah boards. They didn’t stay too long so then we asked Teddy to join us and Alex initially was involved because she did all our fabulous graphics and did a couple of guest posts and then joined permanently.

Kelly: Man, we used to chat on MSN all the time! Now there are so many other ways to chat… Anyway, I remember our initial conversations about starting Historical Tapestry. I even remember the discussion about a name and our search for our first background. (Thankfully we have Alex now, so our backgrounds look much nicer!) It is too bad that our other early members don’t even blog at their own blogs anymore, but I like the group we have now. I did know Teddy a bit, but I only met Ana and Alex through this blog. 

Alex: I’m the latest addition to our group. If my memory is correct, I already knew Marg because we were both in an HF discussion group. Teddy and Kelly I only knew through this blog, but Ana is a good friend of mine for several years now. We used to blog about period dramas (another passion!).

Why do you review historical fiction?

Kelly: I read historical fiction because history is my ‘thing’. I am a huge history buff. I have always been one, too. It was my favourite subject all through school and I took all the variations that were offered. I actually used to read more non-fiction than historical-fiction, but after I graduated from university I was a bit burned out on academic work. And now, my reading interests are just so eclectic it is hard to find time for everything. There are some subjects I still prefer non-fiction to fiction, but for me it is all about experiencing these time periods in a readable way with characters and situations you can get lost in. It just seems to help make history more real when spend time with the characters that lived it. I am not sure if that makes sense, but non-fiction is more aloof than fiction.

Alex: Like everyone in our group, I’ve been interested in history for as long as I can remember. It was really my passion and I even decided to follow this interested and study archaeology and history at university. When I think about it, I enjoy many genres (HF, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, non-fiction…), but each time I need a comfort read, most of the time I choose an HF book.

Ana: I read a variety of genres but historical fiction is my first and biggest passion. Like my blog colleagues I have always been interested in history and reading is one way of making the past come alive.

What trends have you seen in HF novels in the past? What new trends are emerging?

Alex: The most recent HF trend that comes to my mind is the Tudor period. I don’t think I ever saw as many books about those times as these past 10 years or so. Right now I’m noticing an interest in Spanish Inquisition, but maybe this is just wishful thinking.

Ana: Yes, I agree that the Tudors were a big trend. I do hope we get to see some other themes soon though.

Kelly: A more recent trend was the large amounts of books related to the Titanic to coincide with the anniversary of the Titanic sinking. One that I find emerging is WWI books with the upcoming anniversary of the start of that war in 1914. I think that those books will become popular in the next little while. I don’t think anything competes with the Tudor obsession, though.

Is historical fiction growing in popularity? If so, why.

Kelly: That’s a really good question. I have been pondering it since I originally read it. I have found that more blogs seems to talk about historical fiction, but it could also be that I am paying more attention to it. There does seem to be books that are transcending their genre and being read more mainstream. It seemed like for years historical fiction was either something you liked or something you found boring. There was no in-between. Now I find that people who swore off historical fiction entirely, and blatantly admit that in their posts, are sneaking one or two in and then slowly historical fiction is becoming a genre they enjoy. Maybe this is just something I hope is happening?

Who are your readers? What do you know about them? Do you collect specific data about them?

Alex: We do know that most of our readers are from North America, but we don’t really look for any detailed information about them. We have several countries represented in our group (Canada, Australia, Portugal and France) and we know that we have readers from all those nationalities too.

Stats from Sitemeter.com

Ana: Other than that we also know their favourite features on our blog: Reviews and The Why I Love Guest Posts

What features does your blog include? What features are most popular? Are you planning to add any features?

Marg: We do have a few features that we use on a regular basis. Personally, my favourite is the WhyILove feature where authors tell us something they love about their characters, or their story/book. I really enjoy seeing what authors are passionate about in their own books and some of the posts we have had have been completely fascinating. Another regular feature is the BooksofaLifetime where we ask our guests to talk about the books and authors that have influenced them as readers and writers. In addition, there are Spotlights on particular series/authors, CoverStory posts about the book covers for specific titles which might just be different editions or covers from different countries.

We have also been known to run weeks focusing on particular authors. For example, we have had SusannaKearsley, ElizabethChadwick and MichelleMoran as our focus over the years. On a larger scale we are currently in the midst of ourfourthseason, where we spend a month talking about particular author – in this case Daphne du Maurier.

When you add in the HistoricalFictionReadingChallenge and the new feature that we are hoping to announce in our upcoming blogiversary, there’s quite a lot on!

Ana: I think Marg pretty much said it all about the features we currently have. I think we probably have to do a new poll to find out what appeals more to our readers but the Challenge is definitely a favourite.

Do you think of the blog as having a brand? If so, what is it?

Marg: I don’t think that we have consciously developed a brand as such, but thanks to Alex’s fantastic graphics I think we definitely have a cohesive feel to our blog, and we have tried to keep that feel going to the other sites that we use as well.

Do you conduct reviews on a paid basis for any other publications?

Ana: No, I only review for the fun of it. I do receive books from authors for review but that’s about it.

Kelly: Same here.

Marg: Nope. Do it all just for the love of it here too.

Why do you think so many people blog about historical fiction or participate in blogs about historical fiction? What are the implications for writers, agents and publishers?

Ana: I think blogs are an easy and fast way to share information about book releases, likes and dislikes. With so many blogs around today you can choose the one(s) that better fits your reading tastes and interact with people who share the same tastes on a daily basis. I think authors and publishers already see that they can use it as a big promotion tool.

What do you see writers doing differently to market their books and build their platforms? What about publishers?

Marg: There is a definite increase in the number of authors who are looking to online sites like blogs etc to publicise their books, whether it be through guest posting, getting reviews etc and social media like Facebook and Twitter. Anything that helps find your audience is a good thing!

What advice do you have for writers?

Marg: Whilst I wouldn’t dare give advice in relation to actual writing, I would say one thing and that is that at the very least you should have some web presence. Some authors manage to blog, be on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and so much more. I am not suggesting that all authors need to do that, but at the very least there should be a website where readers can go to find out more about the books you have out.

If you are going to do any of the other stuff like blogging then it is important to be consistent. For example, if your blog hasn’t been updated for more than a year and there is no post saying anything as to why, then it just looks bad and it would be better to have no reference to the blog on your website.

Other than that, write on! There are plenty of avid readers out there who are looking for interesting books, with interesting settings and characters!

Top Historical Fiction Authors – Hilary Mantel

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Authors

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I am very pleased to announce Hilary Mantel as the fifth interview in the Top Historical Fiction Author Series. In a recent survey of 805 individuals, readers ranked Ms. Mantel in the top twenty favourite authors.

As part of my book club list in 2011, I read Wolf Hall. Discussion amongst our group was wide ranging and enthusiastic as we debated the merits of Ms Mantel’s work, the intricacies of plot, the vividness of language and how Cromwell’s time, place and persona came to life. Next up for me is Bring Up The Bodies, her recently released sequel.

I can see that you have written several books of a more contemporary nature as well as a book of short stories. Why are you currently focused on historical fiction?    I started out with historical fiction. I wrote my French Revolution novel,  A Place of Greater Safety, in my twenties, though it wasn’t published till much later. The impetus for that book was simple: I thought ‘I want to read it,’ and as it didn’t exist, I set about creating it. I was fascinated by the Revolution but all the stories I read about it were highly romantic and focused on the royalists. I thought the revolutionaries had the better stories: more unlikely, more human. Later I came across the story of the eighteenth century Irish giant, Charles O’Brien, and the surgeon John Hunter.  Its quality — the quality of a gruesome fairytale — seemed to cry out for an imaginative treatment: so I wrote the book simply called The Giant, O’Brien. I’d been thinking about Thomas Cromwell for many years, as the focus of a great untold story. I half-expected someone else to write it. But as the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession approached, I decided to have a go. I didn’t know then it would be a trilogy; I thought in terms of one book, which became Wolf Hall and came out in time for the commemorations in 2009.

You are clearly very skilled at writing historical fiction. What do you think attracts readers to your books?     I try to bring to historical fiction just the same qualities I would bring to a contemporary literary novel. In other words, it’s the best writing I can do. I hope readers are interested by the quality and scope of my research, which I take seriously; and by the fact that I don’t twist the truth to fit the story, but try to find the dramatic shape in real events. I also want my readers to know, to appreciate, that all historical accounts, whether fact or fiction, are compromised to some degree, and that we can never arrive at the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I regard the enterprise as a joint effort between writer and reader. If one of my books leaves the reader with questions, and a desire to know more, then I’m happy.

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?     To work from general accounts of an era to biographies of major figures, then of minor figures, then to the specifics of what I need to know, culled from the evidence that is closest to source. And at the same time, to cast the net across a whole culture, listen to their music, read what they would have read, look at the pictures they might have seen: who makes their world-view? To visit places if it’s feasible. To learn about food, furniture, clothes, all the small material things, and also to learn about the prejudices, assumptions, value judgments of a particular era. To leave most of this on file; but to select, for the reader, the telling detail.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?     I like Anthony Burgess, Gore Vidal, Thomas Keneally, JG Farrell, Barry Unsworth: all these writers have at one time or another given me heart, and encouraged me to be both playful and serious. And ambitious.

What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?     Integrity, so that you’re true to your material. A strong and flexible imagination. An ability to live with the ambiguous. And a facility to suspend judgment, and work with alien world-views; it’s false to project 21st century western values back into the past. These are the qualities I’ve tried to cultivate generally as a writer. I may not always be able to live up to my ideals but I try to infuse them into everything I write.

How do you select new stories to tell?     I look for the ones I think I can tell better than anyone else: stories that resonate with my interests and seem to play to my abilities. You have to have a driving desire to tell the story; historical fiction is hard work, and commitment is everything.

What techniques do you employ to write productively?     I spend a great deal of time on background research and fact-gathering, so I have a good overall picture of where my story is going. Then, just before I write a particular scene, I gather all my notes and sources and reread them, so that all the different versions, the different voices are fighting in my head, all the characters are urging me to listen and pulling at my elbow. Then I write a scene very quickly, in something between a rage and a trance.

With a cooler head, I then go back an unpick it, to see if it does the job I need it to do and if there’s a neater, shorter way of putting over the points.

Do you think of yourself as having a brand? If so, how would you describe it and how do you reinforce it?     All my books are different, whether contemporary or historical. So I’m the opposite of a brand. I have never allowed myself to be pushed by a perceived drift or shift in the market, but have always gone my own way and presented my publisher with the result. This is perhaps why I wrote for 12 years before finding a publisher; I was unwilling to compromise. This is also why it has taken me so long to sell books in large quantities. I didn’t build up a core readership because I could give my publisher and my readers no idea what would come next. Artistically, I think this is a good thing. Financially, not so good.

What do you do to connect with readers?     Just write as well as I can. My primary responsibility is to the next book, not to a marketing effort. That said, I do all my publishers could reasonably require of me by way of media interviews and public events, and I put my heart into them.

What do you know about your readers?     Since Wolf Hall was published, my readers are in 32 countries. So it’s hard to know or guess anything. But the main assumption I make is that my readers are highly intelligent and don’t appreciate being spoon-fed. My books will never be for everyone, because they demand an effort of attention. They’re not quick reads. But I hope they stand up to being read twice, maybe more, and that the reader will find different things each time.

What data do you collect about your readers?     Their opinion is important to me, and I hear it online and at festivals and events. But analysis of the market I leave to my publisher.

What strategies guide your writing career?     It’s a long game. You may incubate a project for twenty years. Never despair and never throw anything away. Ideas transmute in the darkness of a drawer, and what doesn’t work now may find its application in the far future.

What would you do differently if you were starting again?     I probably wouldn’t have chosen to enter the market with a long and difficult historical novel during the late 1970s, which weren’t a great time for historical fiction. I found it almost impossible even to get anyone to read my manuscript; they expected romance, and it was a political novel. I would have been published quicker if I had written contemporary fiction first. But I can’t really regret it. A Place of Greater Safety was a young woman’s novel. I couldn’t possibly write it now, any more than I could have written my Thomas Cromwell novels when I was young.

Do you have any advice for writers of historical fiction?     To find a story that you are really committed to, and a cast of characters that enthralls you, whether they are real people or fictional people set in an era that attracts you. And then to read and research as widely and diligently as you can, but be prepared to let that research simmer as background knowledge; only a little of it will ever emerge onto the page. Don’t be tempted to bend the facts, because one lie trips another, and before you know it you’re in fantasy land. Shape your drama around history; be flexible, be supple, be ingenious.

Is there a question you would like to answer that I haven’t asked?     You’ve covered it, I think, Mary. Except I’d just like to mention what comes next: after Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, the final part of the Thomas Cromwell trilogy, at present entitled The Mirror & The Light.

Many thanks for such an insightful interview, Hilary. Your advice such as “find the dramatic shape in real events”, “work with alien world-views” and the notion that all historical accounts are compromised to some extent will resonate for many readers and writers. As someone who has a cabinet stuffed with research materials, I particularly like the thought that “ideas transmute in the darkness of a drawer”. 

Time is a Writer’s Most Critical Asset

06 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in Writing Process

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The other day I wrote a guest post for the folks at Historical Tapestry who had asked me  whether insights from my historical fiction survey will change my writing plans. As I deliberated, one issue kept leaping of the page – MY MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY IS TIME.

Of course, this statement is obvious and one that has come to mind before but the issue seems much more compelling since I launched A Writer of History and conducted a major survey. My ‘to do’ list is rather out of control these days leaving only dribbles of time for my novels.

I know I have bum glue. Every morning, coffee in hand, I check into my office around 8:30 and rarely stop until late afternoon. But now there are blog posts to write, interviews to organize, bitly links to tweet, Facebook and LinkedIn and Goodreads groups to check, comments to reply to, Twitter followers to check, emails from readers or other writers who have liked a particular post or have a question about survey results.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. In fact I’m quite excited about the activity level but I do need to think seriously about whether I am spending time on the right things because as far as I know, no one has invented more than 24 hours in a day.

And at the moment, I feel like a juggler spinning too many plates.

Top Historical Fiction Author – Elizabeth Chadwick

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Survey, Top Historical Fiction Authors, Writing Process

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I am very pleased to announce Elizabeth Chadwick as the fourth interview in the Top Historical Fiction Author Series. In a recent survey of 805 individuals, readers ranked Ms. Chadwick third in the list of favourite authors. A wonderful accomplishment.

I’ve read several of Ms. Chadwick’s books, the most recent being The Running Vixen. Originally published in 1991, the reprint clearly shows that Elizabeth Chadwick’s writing stands the test of time. I was immediately transported to 1126 and immersed in the tale of Adam de Lacey, Heulwen FitzMiles and England in the time of Henry I and his daughter Matilda.

Please use the comments feature if you have questions or comments for Elizabeth.

Why do you write historical fiction?   It began with teenage hormones and falling in love firstly with Keith Michelle when he played Henry VIII in the BBC series about his six wives, and secondly with a French actor called André Lawrence in a series about a handsome French knight living in the holy land in the 12th century. I had told myself stories from earliest memory, always verbal never written down and usually inspired by things that had fired my imagination – frequently cowboys and Indians, horsey stories, or traditional fairytales with a dash of excitement. While on my French actor crush, I began writing my own tale about a 12th century knight who had been born in Syria of Anglo Arab parentage, and decided to return to Europe. I had to research the period because I knew nothing about it. The more I researched the more interested I became and the more the story grew. By the time I arrived at page 500, I knew that what I wanted to do for a living was write historical fiction with strong themes of adventure and romance.  In the decades since then, I have continued to research and the mediaeval period still holds its fascination for me, as does writing about it.

You are clearly very skilled at writing historical fiction. What do you think attracts readers to your books?    I have always written for myself. That was how it began – stories to entertain me, but once they were written and I entered the adult world, I began to wonder if I could write historical fiction for a career for other people to enjoy.  Going from what readers tell me when they write to me, or talk to me on Facebook and Twitter, they love feeling as if they are there in the moment with the characters. They really appreciate that the characters are of their time, believable and not anachronistic, but also accessible. They enjoy the vividness, the colour and also the emotional and historical integrity.

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?    Once I have decided who or what I am going to write about, my first task is to write a synopsis and the first three chapters that will sell the novel to my agent and editor.  That means a lot of polishing on the thinking and writing front over a short space of time and concentrated area. At this stage I will do preliminary research – enough to know the broad brush strokes and the major points I’m going to be using to dramatise the novel.  Once it’s a done deal, I do the writing and the research alongside each other.There are two  aspects to my research.  One is the must-have detail.  What do I have to know in order to write this novel? That is obviously a primary concern. The other aspect is ‘What might be interesting to know to deepen my awareness of the period I’m writing about and to help develop my characters and their situations?’   In other words I research both specifically and in a more random fashion.  Since I’ve been studying the 11th to 13th centuries for 40 years now, I  have a reasonable working knowledge base, but I’m still aware how much more I don’t know.

I also research in a multidisciplinary way. I research the primary sources to get a general idea of mindset, and by primary sources, I include archaeology and living history. I re-enact with early mediaeval living history Society Regia Anglorum to get a flavour of the life and times and to learn and experiment with the crafts and artefacts of the period. Re-enactment and archaeology bring history off the page and into the  three-dimensional which make all he difference to the writing when my knowledge is filtered through those mediums and returns to the page in novel form.  I go to locations to walk around and get a feel for atmospheres and a closer look at the local history of the area.  Of course one should never ever splurge one’s research into the novel as info dump.  It’s one of the fastest ways to send the poor reader to sleep. However, the more one knows about one’s chosen historical period, the easier it becomes to walk around within that period and the more the characters will be of their time.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?    Several in my early days and for various reasons, not least that all do their research in depth. There are others beyond the three below, but these ladies were probably my major influences when I was starting out.

Roberta Gellis – Among her oeuvre, she has written several very strong romantic historicals set in the Middle Ages. I picked them up during my late teens and early 20s.  Bond of Blood, Knight’s  Honour, The Sword And The Swan, and the famous  Rosalynde Chronicles where I fell head over heels in love with Ian de Vipont – a tall, dark, handsome hero who could have been the generic romance novel cardboard cutout, but proved in Gellis’ hands to be so real that I swear I could see him standing in my room. Roberta Gellis showed me that it was possible to write strong historical romances where the characters were of their time and not modern people in fancy dress.

Sharon Kay Penman.  With The Sunne in Splendor and Here Be Dragons, Sharon showed me the other side of the coin to Roberta Gellis.  i.e. that it was possible to write deeply engaging and romantic (in the best possible use of the phrase) novels about real people and make you utterly bereft that you had to leave them behind when you came to the end of the novel. That you could weave the research into a fantastic story without warping the historical fabric out of true.

Dorothy Dunnett. Whenever I wanted to raise my game, I would read Dorothy Dunnett. Not that I ever have or will raise my game to her level. She was in a league of her own and still is. She taught me a great deal about the imaginative and fearless use of language.

What ingredients do you think make for a top historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?    A top historical fiction author will be someone who can tell a story that brings the past to life while maintaining the historical integrity.  There should be sufficient drama, history, entertainment and food for thought to keep the reader busy from beginning to end, and perhaps go away wanting to know more about the subject, and to read more of the author’s books! I don’t deliberately plan these ingredients, but hope that they happen as a matter of course.

How do you select new stories to tell?    Usually something will spark my interest when I am reading a primary source chronicle. I will think ‘Hmmm, I want to know more about this incident, or this person’. So I will go and find out more, and if that more is interesting and has a full story behind it, then it becomes a viable subject for future work. With William Marshal and The Greatest Knight, I kept coming across him whenever I was doing research on my earlier novels. I knew he’d led a full and adventurous life and I thought it would be interesting to explore in fiction. With the Eleanor of Aquitaine novels which are my work in progress, I know she has been written about before, but there is so much left to find out and to say, that I think my novels will bring a whole new set of facets to her life story.

What advantages do you think come from writing trilogies as you have done? Any disadvantages?    One advantage is a nice long publishing contract, so I can plan a couple of years in advance!  I have time for the characters to develop and change as they would in real life and to flow through the scenes like turning seasons.  Readers become invested in the lives of these characters and are keen to engage with the next instalment. Disadvantages – not so much a disadvantage, but something to be aware of, is keeping it fresh. You can’t suddenly decide you want to write something completely different in the middle of book two. You are in it for the long haul.  It is also better to make sure that your novels stand alone even while being part of a trilogy, so that a reader who picks up book 3 will not be bewildered, and will be encouraged to go back and read books one and two.

What techniques do you employ to write productively?    Backside on seat basically! I set myself a word count of at least 1000 words a day, seven days a week when I’m writing fresh material.  I don’t have a problem with writer’s block, but should the words be flowing more slowly, then I will write my scene as a rough sketch and come back to it later to fill in the colour.  Even though I am writing 1000 words a day, I give myself regular breaks. Some of these breaks will be of the go for a walk, make a cup of coffee type of moments.  Others will be dropping in to Twitter or Facebook for a few moments of chat.  This is extremely productive as it’s engaging with readers and with interested and interesting people. I have to stress that I can do this because it’s the way I work. I’m an extreme multitasker. if you’re someone who needs to sink into your world for hours on end my particular way of working won’t suit you. But if you can work on several levels at once, then it’s a good method. One of my breaks in the day is to go to the gym and this helped keep up my fitness and energy levels. I think this too is important.  Build some exercise into your routine.

Do you think of yourself as having a brand? If so, how would you describe it and how do you reinforce it?    Loosely I think. I haven’t pro actively gone out to build a brand, but that brand has formed around me by a couple of decades of really strong word-of-mouth recommendations by readers.  The perceived view is historical accuracy married to vivid storytelling that puts the reader there in the moment.  Again it’s what I’m told, and what I have built on from there. I run a blog called Living The History which contains essays on different aspects of the mediaeval period and characters I’m studying. (The most popular post is a mediaeval sexuality!).   I have extra historical information at my website.  On a daily basis, I put up books from my reference library and my historical photo archive at Facebook, and talk further about them in response to reader comments.

What do you do to connect with readers?    Simple. I talk to readers at Facebook, Twitter, Good reads and on blogs, and I just treat them as I would like to be treated myself  when talking to someone about a subject I’m interested in.   I chat.  I sometimes have a giggle.  I keep it good-humoured and I’m just me.  It seems to work. I never ever do it cynically either.  You have to mean it; you have to be yourself; and while it’s okay to put the novels and your success at the forefront every now and again, don’t make it a daily habit. Give the readers added value, and they will value you.

What do you know about your readers?    That they are lovely people from all sorts of different backgrounds round the globe who have a keen interest in history and a love of historical fiction. They want to engage; they want to talk history; they want to know.  But they also want to be entertained.  Age and gender are no obstruction.

What data do you collect about your readers?    If they write to me or openly volunteered information, then that tells me something about them, but I don’t go collecting information or keeping tabs on them.  That smacks too much of cynical marketing, and while cynical marketing will get you so far, it’s not always productive for the long haul and the hearts and minds.  I’ve done very well indeed by just being open and natural and me. Readers can smell the whiff of marketing a mile off.  Sometime being full on works, but you really have to know what you’re doing.  It doesn’t suit me.  I prefer the gentler approach with grace.

What strategies guide your writing career?    Professionalism.  Always hand in a manuscript that is the best you can do and ahead of deadline.  Do everything with a whole heart and to the best of your ability.  Play nice with others but always be true to yourself. Sounds a bit like a mantra for life I guess, but then writing is my life.  Keep an eye on the market, but don’t be it’s slave, and don’t get hung upon self-destructive emotions because someone has given you a snarky review or said something unpleasant about you online.  That’s their problem.  Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t change.  I have seen authors get themselves a bad reputation with readers because they bite back at bad Amazon reviews.  It doesn’t matter, really it doesn’t.  Be professional – as I said.

What would you do differently if you were starting again?     It’s a very different world out there now. I would probably network a lot more, and I would really love to have done a history degree  and learned the nuts and bolts of academic study in a dedicated course rather than having picked it up as I’ve gone along.  As a writer I wouldn’t have done anything differently.

Do you have any advice for writers of historical fiction?    Do not defame those who have gone before – maintain the integrity even if your characters are imaginary. You are building a world for your readers and it has to feel real to them, so that means you have to do the research.  You don’t have to dump it into the novel, but you do need it to inform your writing.  It’s like the difference between watching men fight with rubber swords where you can see them bending, and with the real thing with the battle light gleaming off the steel.  C.S. Lewis called it the deep magic, and if you write with that deep magic, audiences will know and appreciate that difference.  I would also add enjoy yourself!

What great insights and information about how you write, Elizabeth. I find the notion of ‘deep magic’ very intriguing. As someone who reached out to contact you for this interview, I can attest to your gentle and graceful approach as well as your professionalism. 

Readers and fellow writers will truly appreciate your candour.