Search found 16 matches
- August 29th, 2011, 2:09 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: question about historical fiction
- Replies: 10
- Views: 3023
Re: question about historical fiction
One thing you might consider doing is writing an author's note to put at the end explaining specifically what is true and what you made up. That is a common technique among historical novelists. Also, since 1923 isn't THAT long ago, you might find more background about the jailbreak by digging aroun...
- June 10th, 2011, 5:39 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Hybrid POV
- Replies: 11
- Views: 3446
Re: Hybrid POV
Thanks, Polymath. So how, in a practical sense, does the writer make a transition from, for example, one chapter told from the 1st person character's POV to the next told from another character's POV in 3rd person without at least initially confusing the reader? Would it suffice simply to make clear...
- June 9th, 2011, 3:16 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Hybrid POV
- Replies: 11
- Views: 3446
Re: Hybrid POV
I think a multiple viewpoint narrative needs a somewhat overt narrator to mediate character viewpoint transitions. I think it's especially important to have a somewhat overt narrator when one viewpoint character is reported in first person and other viewpoint characters are reported in third person...
- June 9th, 2011, 3:02 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Old fashioned dialogue
- Replies: 15
- Views: 4905
Re: Old fashioned dialogue
I'd definitely echo the suggestions to read period primary sources - also some novels set in the period if you trust the authors. I've been keeping a running list of period expressions and trends in speaking/writing as I read sources from my period. I'm writing in the 18th century English-speaking w...
- February 8th, 2011, 3:33 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: A painful but necessary book on writing
- Replies: 20
- Views: 6642
Re: A painful but necessary book on writing
I'm about halfway through this book, and I'm not finding it too harsh so far. Its tone is similar to many writing blogs. I like its straightforward quality: Do this, this or this, but not this.
Re: Ethnicity
That's helpful, Polymath, thank you. Since we obviously can't use directly translated syntax like your "I, John Smith, you tell .." example, but also want to achieve some measure of verisimilitude, maybe a good middle ground would always be to observe the hierarchy you mentioned in writing...
Re: Ethnicity
Polymath - That was an interesting take. Could you elaborate on what you meant by, "Native American syntax favors animacy from individual standpoints." Can you give some examples and discuss what that means for writing dialogue for Native American characters (in English, but the characters...
- January 25th, 2011, 7:56 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Story Structure Videos
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1647
Re: Story Structure Videos
His structural approach is similar to that of Larry Brooks at storyfix.com. Larry's blog and books are worth checking out.
- January 21st, 2011, 4:10 pm
- Forum: Ask Nathan
- Topic: Effect of e-Books on word count standards
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1239
Effect of e-Books on word count standards
Nathan - Do you think the rise of e-books will loosen standards for word count? Although the costs of paper, printing, shelf space for thicker books, etc. are not the only concerns agents and publishers have about offering representation or a contract for longer works, particularly by new authors, t...
- January 4th, 2011, 3:45 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Perspectives on historical fiction
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2579
Re: Perspectives on historical fiction
Another point I'd make is not to underestimate the value of withholding historically important information from the reader (temporarily). There may be a great deal of background information necessary to understand the historical context, but dosing that information out in bite-sized pieces can help ...
- December 20th, 2010, 2:03 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Books About War
- Replies: 18
- Views: 7330
Re: Books About War
I have to disagree with Steve. It's certainly harder if you haven't served, but I certainly think it can be done. Got any modern examples? I've had the Dunkirk chapters from McEwan's ATONEMENT suggested, but I'm not convinced. By "modern examples," do you mean examples of fiction set in r...
- December 6th, 2010, 4:32 pm
- Forum: Ask Nathan
- Topic: Pitching a project at a conference
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1575
Re: Pitching a project at a conference
Thanks Nathan
- December 2nd, 2010, 2:54 pm
- Forum: Ask Nathan
- Topic: Pitching a project at a conference
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1575
Pitching a project at a conference
Nathan - I know you don't query an unfinished project, but is the same true for pitching a project to an agent or editor at a writing conference? There is a conference coming up next June that I'd like to attend, but I won't be ready to query for at least a few months after that. However, I expect t...
- August 19th, 2010, 5:20 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: What's your genre?
- Replies: 87
- Views: 25241
Re: What's your genre?
Yep (historical fiction). American Revolution, New York and Pennsylvania frontier.airball wrote:Anyone else working on historical fiction/mystery here?
England during the 1700s, if you're curious.
- August 18th, 2010, 3:03 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Do your research!
- Replies: 13
- Views: 4180
Re: Do your research!
I'm also writing a historical, and that happy medium between accurate period speech and language accessible to modern readers is a tough one. At the very least, I think authors writing in a historical setting need to make sure they avoid anachronisms and an obviously modern-sounding tone. But they s...