{"id":734,"date":"2019-01-18T10:52:18","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T10:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734"},"modified":"2019-01-18T10:52:28","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T10:52:28","slug":"emma-darwin-on-writing-historical-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734","title":{"rendered":"Emma Darwin on Writing Historical Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\\\/?p=734\"}' class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img data-attachment-id=\"735\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?attachment_id=735\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?fit=1798%2C2760\" data-orig-size=\"1798,2760\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;HTC One X+&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1547807901&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.76&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.03&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction by Emma Darwin\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?fit=195%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?fit=600%2C921\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1798\" height=\"2760\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?fit=474%2C728\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"735\" data-link=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?attachment_id=735\" class=\"wp-image-735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?w=1798 1798w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?resize=195%2C300 195w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?resize=768%2C1179 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?resize=667%2C1024 667w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Get-Started-in-Writing-Historical-Fiction-by-Emma-Darwin.jpg?w=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the second volume that I\u2019ve read devoted specifically to the subject of writing historical fiction, and it is the better of the two by far. It provides a good practical nuts and bolts approach to the crafting of stories in this most demanding of loose and baggy genres, focusing primarily upon the novel. If exercises should be your thing, then Darwin provides plenty of them peppered throughout the text to get your creative juices flowing. Her lengthy experience as both a tutor of creative writing and a novelist truly shows through here, and whereas some other books I\u2019ve read on the practice of writing tend to contain a fair amount of waffle, this one doesn\u2019t. It is packed with useful suggestions, and would likely be useful to anyone looking to write in a different genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the many things that I liked about this book was that\nit cautioned against the slavish following of advice dished out by any one\nauthor, as every writer has their own stylistic bent, and what is \u2018right\u2019 for a\npredominantly American readership might grate with some UK readers and vice\nversa. Every author has to find their own individual voice, as well as their\nreadership, with the latter being one of the hardest tasks of all, not least\nbecause of genre constraints and expectations. Darwin touches upon several of\nthe subgenres of historical fiction such as adventure and thriller, crime and\nmystery, and comedy to name but three, but alas she does not touch upon my own:\nthe rather idiosyncratic combination of \u2018horror\u2019, historical fiction, and, more\noften than not, comedy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with every book I have read on writing and publishing, she emphasises the importance of submitting your manuscript to professionals in the sphere of copy editing and proofreading, although her text in the final two chapters provides ineloquent testimony to their fallibility in the form of a considerable number of typos, as well as a completely mangled and nonsensical sentence.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emma Darwin&#8217;s book <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/dp\/1473609666\">Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction<\/a><\/em> may be viewed by clicking on the book title. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-734\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-734\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-reddit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=reddit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Reddit\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-734\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the second volume that I\u2019ve read devoted specifically to the subject of writing historical fiction, and it is the better of the two by far. It provides a good practical nuts and bolts approach to the crafting of stories in this most demanding of loose and baggy genres, focusing primarily upon the novel. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-734\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-734\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-reddit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=reddit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Reddit\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-734\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734&amp;share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=734\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[51,261],"tags":[344,343,28,30],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Aam2-bQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":80,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=80","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":0},"title":"Capturing Voices from the Past","date":"5th November 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"One thorny challenge for the writer of historical fiction is how to capture and convey the language of a particular time and place in history, or indeed, whether to bother at all. To what extent should an author seek to reproduce past patterns and modes of speech, bearing in mind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Reflections on Writing&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=42","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":1},"title":"Researching Historical Fiction","date":"27th August 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2018Write what you know\u2019 is one of the cardinal commandments that hangs over the heads of aspirant authors, and if taken too literally, could be fatally crippling to the imagination, particularly with respect to the venture of writing historical fiction, for what do you, I, or anyone else living today,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Publication Blog Post&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":273,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=273","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":2},"title":"Anthology: Wry Out West","date":"1st May 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Previously published as standalone pieces in my West Country Tales series, this anthology gathers together five twisted tales of the uncanny that venture beyond the mere \u2018funny peculiar\u2019, into the realms of black comedy and satire. From the acid-fried occult oddity of Gwydion\u2019s Dawn, to the bizarre rites of a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Publication Blog Post&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Wry-Out-West-Final-Version-Grey-Borders-1403-25-April-2017-jpeg-645x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":943,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=943","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":3},"title":"The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell: A Review","date":"1st January 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Laura Purcell\u2019s The Silent Companions is without doubt the stuff of gothic nightmare, with its settings ranging from a Victorian asylum and match factory, to a Jacobean country house with something sinister lurking in its sealed-off garret. There is a whiff of witchcraft about the place, and the locals shun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;17th Century Fiction&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/The-Silent-Companions-by-Laura-Purcell.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":749,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=749","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":4},"title":"Review of Davenant\u2019s Egg and Other Tales by Jemahl Evans","date":"11th February 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In this slim volume, the reader encounters five tales centred upon the Royalist Siege of Gloucester in 1643. Each is narrated by the author\u2019s roguish character, Sir Blandford Candy, who provides the reader with insights into life both within the besieged city, and without. Notable historical personages make an appearance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;17th Century Fiction&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Civil-War-Armour-Farleigh-Hungerford-Castle.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":618,"url":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/?p=618","url_meta":{"origin":734,"position":5},"title":"Review of &#8216;The Hidden People&#8217; by Alison Littlewood","date":"21st August 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"An Adult Fairy Tale without a Fairy-tale Ending. Every now and again, I read a book by an author new to me that makes a real impression, and I wonder why their work, being so well crafted and written, is less lauded and well known than that of many other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Review&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/The-Hidden-People-648x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":736,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734\/revisions\/736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hebulstrode.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}