Read articles submitted by our members! Explore the craft of writing historical fiction, including research tips, plotting techniques, character development, time periods, setting descriptions, and more!
Do you have a historical fiction-related idea you think will interest historical novelists? Email Carol Cram, the Board’s Marketing Chair. We love hearing from you!
Three Musts for Writing World War II Fiction
Guest Post by Marcus Brotherton World War II is a popular setting for historical fiction. But your manuscript must ring true to the era or you’ll risk…
Beyond the Headlines: 5 Research Takeaways from Periodicals
Guest Post by Jocelyn Green Newspapers! Magazines! What treasures they hold for the historical novelist, and looking beyond the main articles will yield even more insights for…
Communicating When Circumscribed: Lessons from the Convent
Guest Post by Gina Buonaguro While researching my latest novel set in a sixteenth-century Venetian convent, I was struck by how very circumscribed the world of women…
My Experience at HNS2022 in Durham, UK
Guest Post by Marie Powell My first glimpse of Durham was the stark Norman cathedral, outlined against the horizon, on the drive from the airport at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.…
Normal is Just Another Word for Average: Writing Strong Women Who Still Stay True to History
Guest Post by Stephenia H. McGee I used to teach creative writing at a Christian academy and I will never forget the day when one of my…
The Five Senses of Writing Victorian Fiction
Guest Post by Essie Fox For writers of historical fiction, the background research is an essential starting point. But even when we grasp the facts about our…
Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Native American Characters
Guest Post by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Writing about Native Americans is a hot topic in the author community. On one side is the argument that only people…
The Golden Rules of Writing Historical Fiction
Guest Post by Kathryn Heyman My first historical novel, The Accomplice, was inspired by the 1629 shipwreck of the Dutch merchant ship Batavia and the subsequent massacre…
The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody: Nineteenth-Century Crime Scenes and Their Forensic Evidence
#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Kerry Cathers Every mystery needs an evidence trail. But what if your story is set in the era before forensics? Before police forces?…
COZY CHAT: Authors & Libraries: There’s More Than Getting Your Book on a Shelf
#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Janis Robinson Daly Take a walk with me. Let’s go inside a library, poke around the shelves, and find your book. Congratulations! Permission…
A Pox on Your Story: Tips for Using Medical History in Your Novel
#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Georgie Blalock The mid 19th century was an amazing time in the history and development of medicine. Quacks and snake oil men were…
The Layer Cake Method of Revising Your Novel
#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Robin Henry You have a draft and it is exciting! After you’ve let it rest a bit, it is time to think about…
Cozy Chat: Debuting Debut Authors with Connie Matsumoto
I’m a decisive person. One week after I began to think about writing a book that I neverimagined I’d author, I closed my interior design business and…
Make Sure Your Website Wins Readers and Sells Books
#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Tema Frank – Let’s face it: designing, writing and maintaining a website is not how most authors want to spend our time. Even…
Celebrating Women By Telling Their Stories through Historical Fiction
Guest Post by Janis Robinson Daly As an effort to support the National Women’s History Alliance’s 2023 theme for Women’s History Month in March, Celebrating Women Who…
My Experience at #HNS2019 in National Harbor
Guest Post by Linda Ulleseit In June 2019, I attended the HNS conference in National Harbor, Maryland. As usual, I met fabulous people and heard wonderful speakers.…
The Quest for Accuracy
Guest Post by Marlie Parker Wasserman When writers of historical novels talk about their preparation, they usually focus on how many months or years they spend on…
Tips for Description that Make Historical Fiction Unforgettable
Guest Post by Cindy K. Sproles – We all want to hear the words, “Your historical fiction was unforgettable.” Nothing is sweeter than having a reader tell…
Drinking Ale–An Essential Detail of Historical Fiction Set in Medieval England
Guest Post by Lee Swanson – Ale was the staple drink among the medieval English population, not beer or wine. The first importation of beer is believed…
Mind Readers: Thoughts on the Historical Imagination
Guest Post by Jeffrey Hantover – Within the broad boundaries of historical reality, writers of historical fiction must create a fictional reality that has integrity. The parts…
Account Books and Budgets as Writing Inspiration
Guest Post by Ann Marti Friedman – “Truth isn’t in accounts, but in account books,” Josephine Tey wrote in The Daughter of Time. While she praised account…
5 Things to Remember When Writing a Novella
Guest Post by Grace Hitchcock – When I first began writing novellas, I found that I was going to have to do some serious pruning to get…
Why Women Wear Skirts
Guest Post by Jane Stubbs – When you travel in a country where the toilet—if you can find one—consists of two places to put your feet and…
Don’t Go Down the Rabbit Hole! How Not to Get Lost in the Research
Guest Post by Lori Anne Goldstein – Every novel involves research. Whether it’s understanding what happens when someone goes into anaphylactic shock or how a bullet penetrates…
Researching Historical Fiction: Sources and Applications
Guest Post by William F. Hager Researching historical fiction can be a daunting task, one that can cause delay in completing a manuscript, frustration, and self-doubt. But…
My Secret Tool for Writing Complex, Believable Characters
Guest Post by Lisa Betz – I’m an introverted, non-emotional, unassertive, analytical thinker, while my heroine is nosy, headstrong, extroverted, intuitive, and a little reckless. Because our…
Three Promotional Tools That Worked for Me
Guest Post by Lilianne Milgrom – I spent ten years researching and writing my award-winning historical fiction L’Origine: The Secret Life of the World’s Most Erotic Masterpiece.…
Putting the Color Back into History
Guest Post by Zenobia Neil We all know that history has been written by the victors. Those who recorded history and the texts that survived determine what…
How a Die-hard Novelist Learned the Surprising Joy of a (Short) Story
Guest Post by Alison Taylor-Brown – Most of us long for a readership. We hope to connect with people who appreciate what we write. And so we…
My First HNSNA Conference in 2013
By Guest Poster Sharman Burson Ramsey – My first experience with the Historical Novel Society was in 2013 when I attended the HNSNA conference in St. Petersburg, Florida.…
Looking Ahead to the 2023 Conference in San Antonio: Meeting with Agents
Maryka Biaggio, HNSNA Secretary and Literary Agent Liaison – As always, we’ll again feature a bevy of literary agents who are interested in historical fiction and its…
How I Found My People at My First Historical Novel Society Conference
Carol M. Cram – I’m a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to writing historical fiction. My debut novel, The Towers of Tuscany, set in…
Finding the Real Story in Your Historical Novel
Guest Post by Sam Osherson – Writing teacher Bonnie Freidman has discussed the problem of writers being “transfixed” by their material in a way that drains the…
How to Get the Press Coverage Your Historical Novel Deserves
Guest Post by Rebecca Rosenberg – I’ve worked in publicity and advertising since I was twenty and am constantly looking for ways to apply what I learned…
Jazz, Flappers, and Prohibition: Researching the Roaring Twenties
Guest Post by Skye Alexander – Writing historical fiction requires doing a lot of research, which may sound tedious to some people. But once I started delving…
Hands-on with History: Researching Material Culture
Guest Post by E. C. Ambrose – An archive, library, or internet equivalent is your usual starting point when developing the ideas, conflicts and characters you’ll weave…
The World Needs More Heroines! Use the Heroine’s Journey to Outline Your Next Historical Novel
Guest Post by Robin Henry – Writers of historical fiction often face criticism for placing “modern” characters in a historical setting. Readers send angry emails about how…
Historical Fantasy: Fantastic Answers to Historical Questions
Guest post by Matthew Lucas – One of the pleasures of writing historical fantasy is working within the weave between the facts of history and the flights…
Tools of the Trade
Guest Post by Amanda Cabot – Carpenters need saws and hammers; portrait painters use brushes and palettes; chefs rely on whisks and saucepans. Those are all tools…
Major Legislative Changes Affecting Women in the 19th Century
Guest Post by Brenda W. Clough – In Victorian Britain, women teetered on the verge of a vast change in the laws that had constrained them since…
Zooming Through Time, Space, and Cultures: What I’ve Gained From HNS Conferences
Guest Post by Indrani Ganguly – I have enjoyed reading historical novels since I was a child but have only recently started writing my own. Discovering and…
Writing Historical Characters: Easier or Harder?
Guest Post by N. L. Holmes – One of the most important aspects of any novel that aspires to literary quality is the depth of the characterizations.…
Bringing Norse Sagas to a Contemporary Audience
Guest Post by Stuart W. Mirsky – Modern film and streaming services have conditioned us to expect nonstop action in our stories, and I’m as addicted to…
Historical Fiction in Four Nouns
Guest Post by Deborah L. Williams – “Well, as you revise, think about food, clothing, wine, and gestures,” said my friend Allison. “The manuscript needs more texture.”…
Updating Serialization for the 21st Century
Guest Post by Angeline Walsh – Before narrative radio dramas and television sitcoms, there was the serial novel. Ever popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth…
Using Art to Inspire Story
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Elisabeth Storrs – Have you ever strolled through a museum and found yourself drawn to a painting or a sculpture? What attracted you?…
Shake Up Your Story With Art!
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Paula Butterfield – I feel lucky as an historical fiction writer to have found my niche writing biographical fiction about women artists. Aside…
Demystifying BookBub: Sneak Preview from Stephanie Barko
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Stephanie Barko – Hi HNSNA 2021 Conference Registrants and Board Members – Glad to be with you again! If we met in Scotland…
Researching History: Daunting, Challenging, and Fun
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Patricia Marcantonio – Unless you have a working time machine hidden away in your office, then you’re going to have to research if you’re writing…
Sharpening the Blade: Borrowing Elements from Mysteries to Craft Compelling Historical Fiction
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Julianne Douglas, Mariah Fredericks, and Karen Ogden – With their life-and-death stakes, mysteries have had a profound narrative power since Wilkie Collins wrote The Moonstone in 1868. In…
Stymied in Your Fiction? Talk to Your Characters!
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Trish MacEnulty – A famous writer once said that writers are the only people who can admit they hear voices and no one…
Creating Characters Who Belong Where You Put Them
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Jennifer Steil – Women through history have been more passive than active. True, or false? That’s certainly the conventional wisdom that allowed men…
Fact in Fiction: Bringing Long-Lost Worlds to Life
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Jodi Daynard – When Thelma Adams, Joy Jordan Lake, and I met at a NINC conference two years ago, a remarkable thing happened:…
Onward Through the Past: Writing the long historical fiction series
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Anna Castle – Conventional wisdom says that writers looking for long-term success should write series, however those books will be published. Readers love…
Blue Pencil Café: What’s in it for you?
#HNS2021 Conference Preview by Sandy Frykholm, Blue Pencil Café Coordinator – I remember my first Blue Pencil Café experience a few years ago. The buzz of lively…
5 Good Reasons to Volunteer for #HNS2021
#2021 Conference Preview by Janna G. Noelle, Volunteer Coordinator – The biennial Historical Novel Society North America Conference, #HNS2021, is going to look a little different this…
Eight Fabulous Activities at National Harbor, Maryland
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Christine Trent, Venue Chair – The HNS 2019 conference will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, located inside National…
Ten Tips for Pitching Your Book at the HNS Conference
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, HNS Conference Board Secretary & Agent/Editor Liaison – At the 2019 Historical Novel Society Conference, most pitches will take place…
Author, Editor, AND Screenwriter: An Interview with Preconference Academy Instructor, David Ebershoff
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by David Ebershoff – The Historical Novel Society is excited to welcome back David Ebershoff as a special guest. This year he is providing…
“Writing Fights”: An Interview with Preconference Academy Instructor, Teel James Glenn
#2019 Conference Preview by Teel James Glenn – The Historical Novel Society is excited to welcome Teel James Glenn to instruct at our Preconference Academy. His two…
Top Five Reasons to Volunteer at HNS Maryland 2019
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Jenny Quinlan, Volunteer Coordinator – Get Your Feet Wet If you’re new to attending conferences, or networking with people in person is a…
“Taming Scrivener”: An Interview with Preconference Academy Instructor, Alison Stuart
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Alison Stuart – The Historical Novel Society is excited to welcome Alison Stuart to instruct at our Preconference Academy. Her workshop is entitled…
5 Reasons You Will Love the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Christine Trent, HNS North America Venue Chair – The Historical Novel Society’s North American conference will be held June 19-22, 2019, at the…
Interview with Jeff Shaara, 2019 Guest of Honor
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Jeff Shaara, Guest of Honor – We are excited to have both Jeff Shaara and Dolen Perkins-Valdez with us at our upcoming 2019…
13 Tips for a Winning Program Proposal
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Leslie Carroll, #HNS2019 North America Program Chair – So, you’re thinking of proposing a program for HNS2019. You’ve read the “Call for Proposals…
Interview with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, 2019 Guest of Honor
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Guest of Honor – We are excited to have both Jeff Shaara and Dolen Perkins-Valdez with us at our upcoming 2019…
Behind the Scenes at the HNS North America Conference
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Maryka Biaggio, Secretary and Communications Chair and Vanitha Sankaran, Program Chair – Are you curious how the HNSNA Conference comes together? Well, we’d…
Your HNSNA Conference Board Hard at Work!
#HNS2019 Conference Preview by Christine Trent, HNS North America Venue Chair – After an exhaustive examination of nearly a dozen suitable properties in the Washington, D.C. and…
Remembering 2017, Looking Ahead to 2019
#HNS2017 Conference Roundup by Rosanne Lortz Spears, HNS North America Marketing Chair – As we near the end of June, I recall with pleasure that time a…
2019 Conference Venue Announcement!
#HNS2019 Conference Overview – We are pleased to announce that the 2019 HNS North America Conference will be held Thursday, June 20 – Saturday, June 22, 2019.…
The Writer’s Toolbox
Guest Post by Kate Forsyth – Writing is an art, and therefore mysterious and intuitive. But it is also a craft, like building a cathedral or weaving…