Writing real events in fiction was something I resisted for a long time, real people even more so - in fact, I have just written my very first book (my actual 29th!) with real people who play a big part in the overall novel. It was terrifying, but also incredibly satisfying.
Now, I am waiting to see if the ideal publisher I have targetted thinks I did a decent job!
Real events are something I immediately select and research once I have decided on the year I am going to set my story - I love weaving in real events and using them as a backdrop in a scene or have characters speak or read about them. I think it adds authenticity, interest and emotion to a scene when characters are affected, whether joyfully or woefully, by something that is happening beyond their immediate lives.
In my Shop Girls series I enjoyed including events such as women's suffrage (A Shop Girl Gets The Vote) and the fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic (A Shop Girl At Sea) and in my Ladies of Carson Street, I take my characters to the Great Exhibition (A Widow's Vow).
Of course, as a history geek, the research required is part of why I love including real people and real events because it means I can justify my hours of reading, watching documentaries and trawling the internet! I think real events and people is not vital in historical fiction so I'd advise any writer who finds such in-depth research more of a chore than a joy, not to include either because it will take away your creative enthusiam which will then show on the page.
Watch this space for news of my next series - fingers crossed, I will soon have good news about my debut into historical fiction with real people!
In the meantime, why not download the entire Shop Girl series with one easy click? Just head over to Amazon for all four full-length novels - perfect summer reading...
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