Historical Fiction and Accuracy

I cannot remember a time in my life that I was not in love with history. From sitting at my aunts’feet as a young child and listening to their stories, to enjoying learning new things about history in my classes in school. I can remember in a literature class learning about corduroy roads in the story we were reading. (That’s the placing of logs over marshy areas to make a road across the
marsh.)

All those little tidbits were so exciting. From an early age, I was an avid reader. Though I lived in a small town in mid Texas, we had a good library. The first history book on Great Britain that I found in the library, I loved so much, my mother ordered me a copy. I still have it
and from time to time use it when I need a quick refresher on something. Naturally, I majored in history in college, with a strong minor in geography which is needed in order to tell a good story. I was a history teacher. What else? Though I was also credentialed in English and taught a couple of English classes, I mainly taught American history for most of my career.

Besides my love of American history, and in particular the colonial time period through the Revolution, I also have a deep love for English, Irish, and Scottish history. But for me, all history is fascinating. I currently have a minimum of two hundred various history books. Some I
read just for the fun of learning, some I use extensively for research for the books I write.

I write 17th century adventure romances with strong women, lots of minor characters, and sweet love stories. I currently have seven books released, but I have many more stories in my head, and I am working on three books right now. Three of my published books take place in colonial America, the others take place in England.

Since I have never been to England, though I have this love of England for whatever the reason, I have to do a lot of research to be certain what I am writing is accurate. I want my readers to experience 17th century England and colonial America. I want them to see the people. See the intricacies as well as the discomfort of their clothing. I want them to taste the food, smell the aromas – good and bad, feel the intense cold or the bite of the insects, and I want them to be grateful they are living with electricity and central heat and are not trying to read or work by candlelight or keep warm in front of a wood or coal hearth.

That said, when I write, I hope to also teach, but in a way that is entertaining. I think accuracy in historical facts, details, and information is very important, and I strive to make my works accurate. I hate it when I am reading a novel, and I read something that is historically inaccurate.

It bumps me, especially because I realize other readers are being given false information. Here’s a minor instance; I was reading a romance by a very well-known author that was taking place in Medieval England. The author had the heroine decide she was going to have mashed potatoes as one of the items for a feast that was being prepared. That sounds good. Problem, potatoes came from America, actually South America, and in Medieval Europe, America had not yet been discovered. They could not be having potatoes in England. Some people know that, others may not. Others may say, who cares as long as the story is good. I care because I love history and am saddened when readers are misinformed.

That is not to say I cannot make mistakes. In my book, With Every Breath I Take, I had my characters crossing the King’s Bridge onto Manhattan Island in 1692, only to discover in doing some other research, that the bridge was not built until the following year. I had to rewrite and have them cross on a ferry. My guess is, none of my readers would have known about the year the bridge was built, but I was glad I found my error and was able to correct it.

Because several of my stories take place during Cromwell’s rule in England, I had to do a lot of research to be certain the different laws that were enacted during that time period were accurately described. I will say, I wrote my stories from the Royalists’ point of view. Had I been writing from the Puritans’ point of view, some things could have been seen in a different light. It would not have changed the laws, but how the characters viewed them would have been different. That too is part of being accurate.

Though my main characters are of the yeoman (or middle income) class, the upper class, and the peerage, I like to show how all the classes lived, including the poor and the very poor. Life was far from fair. I like the story of Toby in my A Bewitching Dilemma, and what his life was like as an orphan, a chimney sweep, and a runaway before Captain D’Arcy took him on as his cabin boy. For me, the main story is important, but I enjoy showing my readers accurate depictions of all sides of 17th century life.

Because I am writing about the 17th century, the speech patterns are different than today, as are many of the English dialects. I have a book to help me with the dialects from the various areas in England and can only hope I have captured them successfully. Same with the Irish, Scottish, and Dutch word pronunciations.

I know writers are warned not to use dialects, but I find I cannot accurately portray what I want to portray if I write everything in modern-day English. If my books entertain and enlighten my readers, I feel I have accomplished my goals. I love to tell stories, and I love to share my love of history.

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Celia Martin is a former Social Studies/English teacher. Her love of history dates back to her earliest memories when she sat enthralled as her grandparents recounted tales of their past, As a child, she delighted in the make-believe games that she played with her siblings and friends, but as she grew up and had to put aside the games, she found she could not set aside her imagination. So, Celia took up writing stories for her own entertainment. She is an avid reader. She loves getting lost in a romance, but also enjoys good mysteries, exciting adventure stories, and fact-loaded historical documentaries. When her husband retired and they moved from California to the glorious Kitsap Peninsula in the state of Washington, she was able to begin a full-fledged writing career. And has never been happier. When not engaged in writing, Celia enjoys travel, keeping fit, and listening to a variety of different music styles.

https://cmartinbooks.kitsappublishing.com/

https://celiamartinbooks.blogspot.com/

Follow her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/celia.martin.35728

AND THE GROUND TREMBLED

Lady Elizabeth D’Arcy has traveled to London with her Aunt Phillida in the hope of finding love and adventure. She may have found both when she intervenes, with the help of the ever so handsome William Hayward, to help Annis Blanchard escape the clutches of the villainous Lord Creighton, so Annis can be with the man she loves, Sir Jeremy Danvers.

With each passing day, Elizabeth finds herself falling more and more in love with William as he helps her navigate the intricacies of court life. But is he truly in love with her, or is he merely a fortune hunter after her large dowry? As they escape unharmed from one frightful adventure after another thanks to the help of an array of delightful characters, Elizabeth faces an additional hurdle to love. As the daughter of the Earl of Tyneford, will she be allowed to marry a commoner? Will love win out?

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07TNP174K

 

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Category: On Writing