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@freedomwriter76 @any-other-his-fic-writers-out-there 😛
So… I got this vague idea for a novel when we were discussing the Civil War in school. There’s a lot of themes that could be tackled and lots of opportunities for character arcs!
All I have right now is something along the lines of: Two POVs (I always seem to do that😆) with one fighting with the Union and the other with the Confederates; the Confederate character’s story is where he and his family do not agree with slavery, so when the war starts, they plan to leave the South and escape to the north, but they don’t make it out in time when Character is drafted. He has no choice but to fight, and he tells his family to leave.
On the Union side, is another boy who gets drafted to fight with the Union. I’m not so sure about his story yet.
But both see the horrors of war and slavery. The boy on the Confederate side becomes hardened bc of it, but the Union soldier’s beliefs are challenged. I want them to meet up and see each other throughout the war. They’ll grow in unique ways.
This story is not going to be written until I’m done with my current WIP triology, but I still want to start planning it. I’m getting kinda excited about it tho! 😁
So, any ideas?? Maybe some help fleshing out the plot/characters?? Also, @freedomwriter76, how do you research for your his-fic novels?? Bc I know that’s a lot of information to gather, I just don’t know how to do it. 😉
I know all that was vague, but any help is welcome!
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
I’m not currently a his-fic writer, but I am a history nerd research addict, so history sort of works it’s way into my books. (Although most of my research has to do with historical reenacting/costuming, or medieval history) Anyway, I saw this topic and couldn’t pass it up. XD
That sounds like a good start! I like your character ideas, and your over all idea in general.
Don’t be afraid to let your research change your story, and don’t just throw something in that you aren’t certain is real. There will be inaccuracies, but major mistakes can be avoided.
The great thing is that new records have recently been discovered, and old ones are being reviewed. There is so much information out there now about the civil war, that research is sometimes relatively easy (if that’s possible). For instance, many of the national archives at the Smithsonian Library have been digitized on their website.
And, if you have any random questions, feel free to tag someone on KP! (I typically research early to medieval age anything, and clothing throughout history. Freedom does more historical events and stuff from colonial through World Wars, I think. @freedomwriter76 correct me if I’m wrong?)
I do have one his-fic WIP (civil war too!), but it’s on the back burner for now.
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
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@esther-c. AHHH!!! I’m in love already! XD <3333
First off, I just LOVE that idea!!! 🙂 <33333 A Union and a Confederate soldier!? Yes, please!!! 😀
So, I am also working on a Civil War book, tho right now, my WWII books are taking priority, lol, but I do know a thing or two about Historical Fiction. 🙂
So, any ideas?? Maybe some help fleshing out the plot/characters?
Okay, so, the characters are truly up to you. Plot, that’s where research comes in, so you’ll need to decide when exactly you want your Civil War novel to take place, since the war lasted from 1861-1865, there’s a very wide range to choose from.
But before we get to research, I will say that it’s also a good idea to read fiction books set in the time period you’re trying to write about. So, for you, you would want to look for historical-fiction books set in the time of the American Civil War. Not to copy, but for research. 😉
One I can recommend is Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, both a classic Civil War novel and a great example. (The story was inspired by her grandfather or great-grandfather, I can’t remember quite which one, but it was inspired by one of their own personal experiences during the Civil War)
But, then, without further ado, we move onto the RESEARCH! And since you asked me how I research, I’m gonna try to help you out the best I can. Shall we get started? 😉
1. Books. Books. Books! I cannot count the History books I have gotten over the years from the library. History books/biographies/autobiographies are wonderful resources, but again, be cautious and alert, as History has been tried to be rewritten in recent years. One of my favorite Historical Fiction authors, Jayna Baas, has recommended to me to read history books that are both modern and old, as modern books may try to rewrite history, whilst older ones can over-glorify people and events. So, she said to read both, as balance is key! So, try to find a good library close to you. (or get Ebooks if you like those more. 🙂 ) Ask them for books on the American Civil War or look at their catalogue yourself, and I’m serious when I say get as many books as you can. Books are always my number one resource for researching because they can be filled with soooo much information. Even though it can sometimes feel like a pain, it’s always worth it in the end. 😉
And a few tips on books:
- Check the bibliography. Chances are, especially if you’re reading an actual History book, there will be a bibliography, which will contain the resources the writer used for their History book, which means that it will likely contain more and maybe even better resources for you to look into, though not all History books have these, so you won’t always be able to check it.
- Check the notes/footnotes. Like the bibliography, the notes/footnotes will usually list sources that the writer used and possibly lead you to even better resources.
One great example I can think of is the Author Ben Thompson. His Guts & Glory series (which has a book on the Civil War, mind you) is both a joy to read and packed FULL of information, personal stories, and historical facts. One reason why I love his writing so much is that he tells History as it is, without trying to fit it into his agenda. And, to make it even better, he lists many, if not all, of the sources he used, so he has a very big Bibliography at the ends of his books. 😉
2. Internet. Just like books, the internet can be a great resource for getting information. Although personally, I always head for books first, but it’s always up to your opinion. But again, just like with books, always be cautious, vigilant, and alert, and if you have a question about something that may not seem right about History, talk to someone you trust and find other resources to see if that really is true or not. And that’s one key note: Please, please, PLEASE don’t use Wikipedia. It is not a trusted resource for Historical facts. However, you can look at the endnotes, and, you guessed it, again find resources that were used. XD
And a few notes for this.
- Always use trusted Historical websites. History.com is one example. But again, use your discretion and the holy spirit when researching about truly anything!
- Again, read endnotes! You never know what resources you’ll find!
So, I think those are the last of my tips for the researching part, but if you have any specific questions, just let me know and I’ll try to help you out! 😉
But before I finish this (very lengthy! XD) reply, I’m also going to add a few notes about Historical Fiction period.
- Stay true to the time. Now, this doesn’t exactly mean that your characters need to say and believe in everything people did then, however, it does mean that their life, their culture, the community and world around them will affect the way they think. (And trust me, even for me, it’s been a struggle to try to let go of some of my beliefs to keep my characters and story true to the time) @gracie-j wrote a wonderful article that puts that and a few other things way better than I could. XD https://kingdompen.org/faith-in-your-historical-fiction/
- Don’t be afraid to let your research change your story. This one has also been a struggle of mine, but in the end, it makes your historical fiction all the richer. I’ve had to change some parts of my story so it would be historically accurate, but in the end, it often made my story better.
Okay…I think that is finally the end of this VERY lengthy reply…XD
But all in all, I love your story idea and can’t wait until I hear about it more. 😉
If you have any other, specific questions, don’t be afraid to ask. I’ll help out however I can. 😀
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@koshka. And yes, you got it right. 😉 Colonial through World Wars mostly, although I’m also going all the way up to the Afghanistan war now…XD
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@joy-caroline, if you have any tips too! 😉
So happy to see another historical fiction writer out there! I have a book set during the Civil War, specifically the battle of Gettysburg, that I work on occasionally. My biggest problem was having people tell me “there’s so many civil war his fic books out there already, why try to write another one?”
But I believe that any story idea is special and unique and we NEED to write them. So I did anyway! And you will too! The ideas you have are pretty simple, so you could do a lot with them and make them super great!
As far as researching, I’ve found it very helpful to go to the place where my character lived or a battleground she/he was at. If you live in the North/South there will be many historical sites, museums, and other resources you can experience first hand! If you don’t live near any Civil War battle sites, you could use Google maps to get a close up view of the actual ground and landscape. I do that with my current WIP, since it’s set in Ukraine and I can’t really visit it in person!
Do you have any themes yet?
He must increase, but I must decrease.
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@esther-c. You are sooo welcome! Glad we could help! 🙂 Yes! I can’t wait until we get to hear more about it!!! 😀
And ooh, great theme! 😉
I’ve only written a little his-fic, but your idea sounds super interesting!
I’m glad you’re planning on writing a Confederate soldier and not making him a bad guy. I think our world needs to learn that not all people related to a cause are automatically evil even if the cause itself is.
I think I already like your characters! It would be interesting to see how they develop over time.
Great idea, and keep on writing! 😊😁
Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices.
Thanks!! I like my characters too!! Lol I think I’ll make the moodboards soon!!
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
@starofthenorth @freedomwriter76 @felicity @koshka
Ok!! I’ve got the moodboards!
First, Ethan Graham!
Being the first born son of the Graham family and having a younger brother and sister, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. But his parents appreciate how responsible he is. When a war breaks out in between the North and South, Ethan enlists as soon as possible. But after his first battle, he finds that war isn’t as glorious as he thought it was. That doesn’t shake his determination though. He keeps on fighting. When he sends a letter to his family and doesn’t get a reply, he starts to worry. They always reply! When his family never gets back to him after a few months, he knows that something’s up. Despite that, he doesn’t go home. He keeps fighting, hoping that they’ll reply. After all, God is with them. But when more bad things start to happen, his faith is shaken. Where is God? Why would He let this happen? And does He really care?
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
@freedomwriter76 @starofthenorth @felicity @koshka
Next, Albert Moore!
He was one the fun-loving middle children of the Moore family. Until the war breaks out. They live in the South and don’t agree with slavery. They plan to escape to the North… but before they do, Albert and his father are drafted. They has no choice but to accept. They force the family to leave without them. His brother should will them safe. During the war, all Albert wants is to go home. War is horrible and he wants no part in it. Amongst one of his many battles, Mr. Moore dies. Albert is crushed. He thought God was a good God; why would He let this happen? Albert’s bitterness only grows when he meets a man named Ethan… the man who killed his father. As their company moves on, Albert becomes injured. He is sent home. So home he goes, hoping to be greeted by a warm hug from his mother. But when he arrives, he only finds his brother and his sister. His other sister and their mother are not there. Albert blames his brother for losing them along the journey. As soon as he heals, he joins the war again, fighting only to distract his mind. How could he ever forgive his brother or Ethan? How could he ever forgive God for what He had let happen? Was God actually real? Or was He just a figment of the imagination?
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
I like the names you picked! And great mood boards.
Should be interesting… 😀
He must increase, but I must decrease.
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