Kelly Oliver, On Writing Historical Fiction
I love reading historical mysteries—Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody, Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, Rhys Bowen’s Georgiana Rannoch, Sujata Massey’s Perveen Mistry. Recently, I wrote my first historical mystery, Betrayal at Ravenswick, a WW1 mystery featuring file clerk turned spy, Fiona Figg.
It’s 1917, the height of the Great War, and a suspicious South African war correspondent has taken up residence at Ravenswick Abbey. Fredrick Fredricks—big-game hunter-cum-journalist—is swaggering around the village in jodhpurs, shopping for expensive mustache pomades, and taking tea with posh country ladies. He comes across as Mr. Charisma, but the upper brass in the War Office think he’s a German spy. They need someone to infiltrate the abbey and get the goods on Fredricks. Who’s he really working for? Why is he in England? And what kind of name is Fredrick Fredricks?
The War Office plans to send their own spy to the abbey, posing as a doctor on holiday. When he breaks his leg en route, file clerk Fiona Figg sees her big chance. Newly divorced from her philandering ex, Fiona is desperate for adventure, as well as determined to help her country. So she volunteers to go undercover. After a crash course in toxicology, she dons a beard and trousers and she’s off, tracking the huntsman.
Until then, the most taxing part of her days had been deciding which hat to wear. Too bad she doesn’t own a Wolseley pith helmet because at Ravenswick Abbey, a murderer is on the prowl, and it’s not just the big-game hunter who’s ready to pounce.
Several characters in Betrayal at Ravenswick are based on real historical figures. For example, the men in Room 40, British Intelligence and code breakers in WWI, are based on real characters. The turning point in my plot was the discovery of a real-life spy named Fritz Duquesne who used the alias Fredrick Fredricks (among others). He is quite a character in his own right.
Betrayal at Ravenswick was originally conceived as a closed mansion mystery ala Agatha Christie until I decided the antagonist would be Fredrick Fredricks. At that point, the book became a closed door mystery embedded in a larger mystery involving espionage in WW1.
Unlike my Jessica James mysteries, which are more plot-driven, the Fiona Figg mysteries are more character-driven. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot going on in the plot. There is a murder, espionage, and some love interests. But I found once I got into Fiona’s head, so-to-speak, the novel just flowed. I also wrote it in first person whereas my Jessica James novels are in third person. So, I could get even closer to Fiona, and hopefully, the reader can too.
What did I learn by writing historical fiction?
First, I love the fact that the details of history can help shape not only my plot but also the everyday lives of my protagonists. It’s like having a cheat-sheet.
The challenge, of course, is getting it right. And, not just being accurate, but finding the right balance between historical details and story. History can play so many roles in the novel, from those spicy tidbits sprinkled throughout the text, to the rich tapestry of everyday life that forms the background or setting for your story.
Second, as a nerdy academic, I love doing the research! It’s so fun to look through old newspaper advertisements, or to use William Brohaugh’s English Through the Ages, Etymonline, or an old Baudeker’s guidebook.
Of course, the Internet is a vast source of information about everything from the food and clothes of an era to the political events that shaped it. It’s amazing where you can find helpful information, especially stuff to help you paint a vivid picture of the details. Firsthand accounts in documentaries, autobiographies, and nonfiction, are great resources too.
Third, even the dreaded anachronism can be fascinating. What words and gadgets existed and when? Anachronisms are things or words used in the wrong time period, either because they didn’t exist yet, or because they were already out of use. There’s also the issue of region or place. Words used here might not be used there, even in the same time period. For example, in the US we say “cafeteria” and in England they say “canteen.” And on top of that, some words or things might feel out of place, even if they aren’t.
Even though it would be fair game to use a phrase like “hang out” in a 19th Century novel, it might make your reader stop and question its accuracy. So, you need to use words that not only are right, but also sound like they’re right.
It might sound like writing historical fiction is full of landmines and pitfalls, but those same challenges and obstacles can become a great help in fashioning a believable and engaging story. And, while emotions and reactions are also period and place dependent, a good historical novel adds the fleshy truth of experience to the bare bones of historical fact. A great historical novel makes people, places, and the past come alive.
I’m writing the second Fiona Figg mystery now and trying to get back into her head. I wish I could tell you it was as flowing this time around! Still, the research and spending time with Fiona are a wonderful antidote to our troubled times.
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Kelly Oliver is the award-winning (and best-selling in Oklahoma!) author of The Jessica James Mystery Series, including WOLF, COYOTE, FOX, and JACKAL. Her debut novel, WOLF: A Jessica James Mystery, won the Independent Publisher’s Gold Medal for best Thriller/Mystery and was a finalist for the Foreward Magazine award for best mystery. Her second novel, COYOTE won a Silver Falchion Award for Best Mystery. And, the third, FOX was a finalist for both the Claymore and Silver Falchion Awards. JACKAL, A Jessica James Mystery, and the fourth in the series, just launched.
When she’s not writing novels, Kelly is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University, and the author of fifteen nonfiction books, and over 100 articles, on issues such as the refugee crisis, campus rape, women and the media, animals and the environment. Her latest nonfiction book, Hunting Girls: Sexual Violence from the Hunger Games to Campus Rape won a Choice Magazine Award for Outstanding title. She has published in The New York Times and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and has been featured on ABC news, CSPAN books, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.
Learn more about Kelly and her books at www.kellyoliverbooks.com
Kelly’s first Jessica James Mystery, WOLF is free for signing up to her newsletter. https://hello.kaospress.com/welcome/
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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