I love history but I find nonfiction books to be tedious and hard to read. It's difficult to relate to dates and numbers and descriptions that aren't anchored in anything relatable.
Historical fiction is a magical tool for me. I love how it transports me back into another time and/or place. I mean people are the same right? so the characters and their situations are mostly familiar and relatable, at least at the most fundamental thoughts and feelings. By the grace of God I don't have the sweetest idea what it felt like to be a slave in North Carolina, but I know what it feels like to be scared, to be lonely... I'm reading The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. So far it's fantastic. I love the voices. I love the droplets of history in every scene - the mentions of clothes, chores, household goods, routines, songs, political expectations... Someday I want to write a historical fiction story - take my emotions and experiences and transport them back to a time I can research and paint into the novel.
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Natalie, I'm with you on this one. I have written a historical fiction. At first, I thought I'd pitch it as creative non-fiction, but when I realized how much I had manufactured, I decided to approach my queries differently. It's my grandmother's story set in what is now Western Ukraine between 1915-1929. Fingers and toes crossed that I can find a publisher that wants to take it on. Good luck with your wishes to write one yourself. Fun.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! All appendages crossed for you :)
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