Historical Fiction discussion

Here is a link to a post I wrote on what I learned from history.
http://seriousreading.com/blog/12581-...

People are always asking me how I know such unimportant information. Stupid little details that have no real purpose. I tell them try writing a historical novel. You would be amazed at how many hours of research are needed for just one little detail. Usually just for a single sentence.

N.J. wrote: "People are always asking me how I know such unimportant information. Stupid little details that have no real purpose. I tell them try writing a historical novel. You would be amazed at how many hou..."
That is so true. To research "Bridge of Sighs and Dreams" properly, I conducted countless interviews throughout Italy and translated numerous documents and publications. The discovery of personal letters and journals that belonged to Italian soldiers held in Nazi POW camps augmented my study. Still, as you so rightly pointed out, the smallest inaccurate detail can break the suspension of disbelief.

Rose wrote: "Here is a link to a post I wrote on what I learned from history.
http://seriousreading.com/blog/12581-..."
What an excellent article. My compliments! I share your take on good vs evil, which is a theme that runs throughout my novel Bridge of Sighs and Dreams that takes place in Nazi-occupied Rome. Your novel sounds compelling, and I put it on my to-read list.

Most of my books are Historical Fantasy. I love writing in that genre because you can just let ideas flow. The one Historical Fiction novel I have written was much more taxing. Facts and small details can be so constraining.
Rose's post
http://seriousreading.com/blog/12581-..." The first two concepts that Rose dealt with sound eerily similar to those I tried to develop in 'Awakening'. Even though my work was set 1,500 years before her novel. Perhaps, as people we all struggle to come to terms with with the same challenges. The same fundamental forces that have been at work since humans first gathered in groups. I agree with Rose many people will follow the path of least resistance. They can obviously cope with the tension between their conscience and their actions. However, that tension can easily destroy a person from within. Then again there are those amongst us who have no conscience, no empathy.
Them and us: How much does the ideology we grow with shape our conscience? Crusaders and Jihadists in the 12th century were both sure that they were following their consciences. Vikings raped and pillaged and saw nothing wrong with it. Can we ever really see the world in the way the people write about did? I suppose the best we can do is try.
I cannot help feeling that George Santayana's quote is more relevant in our time than ever before. George Orwell has a huge amount to teach us too.

Pamela wrote: "Rose wrote: "Here is a link to a post I wrote on what I learned from history.
http://seriousreading.com/blog/12581-..."
What an excellent article. My compliments..."
Thank you Pamela! I’ve placed your book to-read as well. World War Two was certainly a minefield of questions of good and evil.

Robert wrote: "Most of my books are Historical Fantasy. I love writing in that genre because you can just let ideas flow. The one Historical Fiction novel I have written was much more taxing. Facts and small deta..."
Robert, I think you make a great point about destruction from within. If what a person believes and what he does are consistently different, it creates a real problem (as well as great fodder for a novel!) Unfortunately, people can ignore their conscience to the point of numbness. The voices of ideology and self-interest can take over in any society and any time. Therein lies our job as historical novelists: to help people see that across the space of history we haven’t really changed as much as we'd like to think.

Thank you for this thread. You have really given me food for thought. Cheers, Rob

Rose wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Rose wrote: "Here is a link to a post I wrote on what I learned from history.
http://seriousreading.com/blog/12581-..."
What an excellent article...."
Thank you, Rose. I hope you enjoy the read.

I agree. Excellent article. Clear, well written and important messages for us in this time.