Guest Post by Cheryl Carpinello, Author of Tutankhamen Speaks
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Researching
Historical Fiction: Determining What Type and How Much To Do
By
Cheryl Carpinello
Many writers struggle with this,
including me. Unless you’ve built your own world, it’s hard for most authors to
physically visit the places their characters live. If you’re a writer of
historical fiction, like I am, it is impossible to transport readers back to
those time periods without extensive research. So far, I’ve written in two time
periods: 400-500 Medieval England and 1330 BC Egypt.
For my first two Arthurian stories
set in Medieval England, I started with guidebooks and maps—both modern and
historical. I used these to get a sense of the landscape, which may have
changed a bit, but not that much over the centuries. I also have an extensive
library of books on this time period, which I used to take notes on people,
customs, eating habits, and so forth. In the beginning, it was impossible to
know what details would be essential, so I kept a record of almost everything.
For my two Ancient Egyptian
stories, I fared much better as I’d actually spent three weeks in Egypt prior
to writing Tutankhamen Speaks and Sons of the Sphinx. However, I spent
months reading up on life in 1330 BC Egypt and taking copious notes on ancient
lifestyles, customs, religion, food, and King Tut. I still poured over ancient
maps to get the lay of the land, but the over 500 pictures I took in Egypt
allowed me to visit once more—in full color—all those places that would appear
in my stories.
In both time periods, I focused on
the five senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—to place my readers in
the locations. Also, while the physical aspects of people may change over the
centuries, the emotional makeup of all people stays the same. As a writer of
historical fiction, I just transported the emotions of love, fear, guilt, and
any others I needed to the time period.
Now, I’m writing my third Arthurian
story. I still have all the research from the previous books, but I also have
first-hand experience after spending three weeks driving around the UK. So, I
am able to add those 600+ pictures I took to the wealth of information for my
Arthurian stories yet to come.
If a writer is unable to visit the
modern version of their time period, these days it is possible to do so virtually via applications like Google Earth. I’ve been
very fortunate to be able to add first-hand experiences to my research. And in
the years to come, the pictures of my visits will be a valuable resource for my
stories.
BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US –http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E18KH46
AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E18KH46
AMAZON PAPERBACK – http://www.amazon.com/Tutankhamen-Speaks-Quest-Books-Companion/dp/149615536X
BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tutankhamen-speaks-cheryl-carpinello/1118847147
BARNES & NOBLES PAPERBACK
– http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tutankhamen-speaks-cheryl-carpinello/1118847147
SMASHWORDS – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/413815
GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18220013-tutankhamen-speaksAbout the author, Cheryl Carpinello:
I am a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of
books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from
times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the
Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those
young-at-heart to read more through my Quest Books set in these worlds.
FREADO - http://www.freado.com/users/26878/cheryl-carpinello
Great guest post. I've wondered how historical writers do it. I've only gone a few decades back in my writing, which is what I know. I'd like to transport myself and my readers further into the past.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of researching a time and place I'm unfamiliar with is overwhelming to me. My hats off to writers who can do this well!
DeleteHi Medela. Thanks for stopping by. I love the ancient/medieval worlds and that makes my researching more fun than work. I'm always reading in those time periods, be it fiction or non-fiction. It can be overwhelming so I always make sure I'm focusing on certain areas.
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