For All The Historical Fictioners

[Chelsea R.H.]

One of the downfalls of the marvellous Kingdom Pen was the fact that there were hardly any his-fic writers and that when I made a historical fiction topic, it thrived for about half an hour and then died.

HOWEVER

Story Embers has a lot of historical fictioners (yes, I made up that word), so we should all band together and discuss all the best parts of historical fiction and complain about research (or rejoice, if you enjoy it, which I do), etc.

So here’s a few questions for you: favourite time periods and figures? Best historical novels/authors? Current WIP?

My favourite time periods are: WW1, the French Revolution, Roman Britain, early Australian history, the early medieval period, and Anglo-Saxon Britain. A few of my favourite historical figures are the Wright Brothers, Manfred von Richthofen, King George VI, Nancy Bird, Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette, etc. As far as I’m concerned, the queen of his-fic is Rosemary Sutcliff. And my current WIP is actually a fantasy (though really only fantasy in the fact that it takes place in a fictional universe) based on the life of Marie Antoinette. I’m also planning a WW1 novel for some time in the unspecified future.

Let me tag a few people. I apologise if I don’t get all of you. Feel free to come over and introduce yourself 😀

@selah-chelyah @ashira @wisdomofprose @rochellaine @scarletimmortalized @eden-anderson @libby @Samantha-pen

• This topic was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by Chelsea R.H..

Ceud mile failte

[Samantha Farrar]

@selah-chelyah @ashira @wisdomofprose @rochellaine @scarletimmortalized @eden-anderson @libby @seekjustice

Hey Everybody…

Historical Fictioners, What an awesome word to describe us!!! I look forward to talking with you all. I personally love doing my research but it can be hard. Some time periods have a lot of preconceptions about them and others it’s hard to scrape up half of enough information. But then again haven’t I always loved a challenge😁

My favorite Time periods… Civil War is definitely tops, I also like almost any American History cause it’s (this sounds weird) but kinda directly my past. (just cause I live here, Hopefully, that makes sense.) I also love studying the middle ages, though it can be pretty sad at times with all the war blood shed and such.

Favorite Historical Figures: Abraham Lincoln and weirdly at the same time Lee.  I also like Kennedy, I have recently become obsessed with trackers. (especially Kit Karson) and so many other awesome Historical figures. Some remarkable people lived before us and I think we have a thing or two to learn from them.

“The more you know about the past the more prepared you are for the future!!!” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Historical authors, I like Bill O Reily and Ben Thompson.
My Works in progress (two drafts in great need of editing.) One is about a young(16yearold) Southern belle who becomes a Southern Nurse / Union spy during the last year of the Civil War.

The other is about a young tracker (part of a gunslinger gang🔫 but can’t shoot) gets kidnapped. He finds out that his kidnapper is his mom who his Dad has never even mentioned and he has no memories of.

Excited for the future of this discussion and getting to know all you a little bit better!!!!✒📝 It would be cool if we all shared historical quotes on here on some sort of a regular basis. What do you guys think??

 

 

 

*A passionate ENFP author, in training for Christ.*

[ScarletImmortalized]

Ooh! Thanks!

@samantha-pen @selah-chelyah @ashira @wisdomofprose @rochellaine @eden-anderson @libby

Can’t wait to meet all of you!

@seekjustice You probably know that Marie Antoinette never said “Let them eat cake.” then.

Favorite Time Period(s): Anything medieval , the 14th of October, 1066~ 1857-1858~Early 1900s…I could go on and on I love all time periods but these could be my favorites.

Favorite Figures a.k.a Historical Crushes: Alfred the Great, Harold Godwinson, Joseph Plumb Martin,  Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Alvin York…to name a few.

I love love love, G.A. Henty!!!!!! But Rosemary Sutcliff comes in close…have you read her Roman/Britain trilogy who’s name rn escapes me????? Also Elizabeth Adler and Rebecca Tingle….AAAAH!

I’m working on writing a set of short stories set in the Vietnam War. They are about a POW, named Jack, but they are also pretty gruesome and dark…so I’m not gonna talk about them.

I am currently researching all the little aspects of the Civil War for my novel. Its about four brothers who form a cavalry named after them. They discover the true aspects of the war, including the hardships of fighting behind lines and espionage. Both sides had good and bad, that is the way with all wars. They are based off of four amazing relatives of mine that we just discovered in genealogy!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by ScarletImmortalized.

“Scarlet, What are you eating?” ~ “Ghost peppers...” ~ Robin sighed.

[Chelsea R.H.]

@samantha-pen

I agree with you regarding research. It can be so difficult but it makes the triumph all the more sweeter 😉

Oh I remember talking with you about your Southern Belle story. It sounds really good, I like war stories and I can’t remember ever reading a Civil War book. Maybe they aren’t very popular in Australia.

And that second idea is really interesting!

Tell me, do you ever watch movies and critique their historical inaccuracies?

Ceud mile failte

[Chelsea R.H.]

@scarletimmortalized

I did indeed know that. I’m not even sure where that inaccuracy came from, since I believe a variation of the quote should be attributed to Maria Theresa.

Favorite Figures a.k.a Historical Crushes

😀 that is too relatable. I know who all of those are with the exception of Alvin York and Joseph Plumb Martin. Would you care to enlighten me?

You mean The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch and Sword at Sunset? I love those ones, particularly the first two. I have read them…multiple times.

That’s a really cool idea! My great grandfather fought in WW2 and I’ve always thought it would be cool to write a character based on him. (Also, his name was Dudley and wouldn’t it be so fun having a character called Dudley?)

So it seems Civil War fiction is very popular around here.

Ceud mile failte

[ScarletImmortalized]

@seekjustice

I think a prime minister said something along the lines of “Let them eat grass” but don’t quote me cause I haven’t researched that entirely.

Joseph Plumb Martin was one of the only Privates in the War for Independence to give a full account of his experiences. A lot of them are funny especially because he’s 15-22 in the story so he has a bunch of young man stories.

Alvin York was a WW1 Tennessee hero. First a drunkard and fighter he turned to Christ after his friend was shot to death. When WW1 broke out he decided not to go, because fighting was against his doctrine. However he was drafted and his officer pointed out a passage in Ezekiel which speaks of the watchman’s duty to protect. He ended up fighting in France, capturing 100+ Germans men with only a handful of his own. He has a bunch of cool tales.

Yesssss thoseeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooh Dudley sounds like a truly awesome name!

“Scarlet, What are you eating?” ~ “Ghost peppers...” ~ Robin sighed.

[Chelsea R.H.]

@scarletimmortalized

That was an unfortunate fellow named Foulon, who was, before his death, forced to eat grass by some vengeful revolutionaries. I believe something similar happened in America too, with the Native Americans.

They both sound really interesting! I always like WW1 heroes. 🙂

He’s also interesting because he was quite a lot older than people usually imagine WW2 soldiers being. I think he was almost at the top age for enlistment.

Have you ever read Bill Nye’s Comic History of Britain? I’m reading it at the moment and quite enjoying it 😀

Ceud mile failte

[valtmy]

@seekjustice @samantha-pen @scarletimmortalized

Hi.

Considering how deliberately historically inaccurate my settings are, do I count as a historical fictioner, SeekJustice? 😛

My historical readings tend to be about ancient China and Korea. It’s kind of difficult for me to decide what my favourite periods are. Perhaps the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties in China and the Joseon and the Three Kingdoms eras of Korea. Some of my favourite historical figures are Bao Zheng, Gou Jian, Fan Li, Xi Shi, Sejong, Yi Sun-shin, Jang Yeongsil and Seondeok. I also like reading about the enlightened despots (e.g. Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, Maria Theresa).

I am not sure if they all can be considered as historical authors but I like Dickens, Austen, van Gulik and Doyle.

My current WIP is simultaneously a political satire and a romance novel parody and it is set in a very, very alternate version of ancient Joseon. 😛

[eden anderson]

YES!!!!! Finally a thread for us history geeks! 🤓 Thanks @seekjustice , way to be AWESOME!!!!!

To answer your questions:

My favorite time periods…well, I don’t really have any…I like all history in general. 😀 But I’ll just name some off the top of my head: World War I & II, The French Revolution, Civil War, Roman Civilization, and the Roaring Twenties. (There’s a bunch more. 😛)  Favorite figures…that’s hard too…I go with: Hannah More, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, Corrie ten Boom, and Stonewall Jackson…and fifty thousand others. Historical novels: Paris-Underground, Beric the Britain, Almost Autumn, The Scarlet Pimpernel… and does Jane Austin count?😛 (I tend to read more history books and biographies, then historical novels.) Favorite Authors: James Fenimore Cooper, G.A.Henty, and I’d have a huge list if I could name all my favorite authors of biographies and history books. 😀

My WIP is actually fantasy…so. 🙂 (But that said, I’ve created more than one plot for a historical novel…some of which are still begging to be written.)

I think that is a great idea, @samantha-pen  Here’s one of my new favorites:

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ― Rudyard Kipling

BTW, people, I’m currently reading a set of books about the history of Christianity. It’s a twelve book set, that starts at Pentecost and follows christian history up to the twenty-first century. They are really well done, very interesting and informative and I would recommend them to anyone. There called The Christians: The First 2,000 Years. You should totally check them out!

 

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by eden anderson.

"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

[Samantha Farrar]

 

@scarletimmortalized
Seriously your story sounds amazing. The civil war was practically about brotherhood and what that meant in times of war. One of the aspects of the Civil War that I find fascinating cause it still kind of applies to us today is how amazingly loyal we were to our homeland. Even our particular state. It’s so cool that you discovered those relatives. They sound amazing! War really changed people in an incredible way and I am curious how it affected them as brothers and individual people. I definitely want to read the book when you are done.

@seekjustice

I totally do critique movies and books historical inaccuracies. It can be painful the way they represent history.
A world war two Storrie would be awesome. Basing a character off of relatives can be so awesome and a little scary cause they were real. But did U know Louise May Alcott practically based her books of her sisters and her own life?

I have been talking a lot about that(WW2) recently with my friends. It is so sad how we try and push that (holocaust and such)out of our past and pretend it didn’t happen .and the generation who remembers it and was there isn’t going to be around forever to remind us. And that’s why we need to learn all we can from them now an write, write, write to preserve their memory and honor. To enfold their valor growth and sacrifice in the pages of a book. Our past can be sad but the best thing we can do is to embrace that fact and learn. Our past(country and ancestors) built us today, and sadly that is a fact that so few people realize and still fewer embrace. We don’t have to be them but oh what could we learn from them.

(bows)” I am done rambling now “(thank you for your indulgence)XD

Oh, and BTW Dudely is an AWESOME name.

*A passionate ENFP author, in training for Christ.*

[Ariel Ashira]

@seekjustice  I love being called a historical fictioner!  Thanks for starting this topic!

I love Roman history, ecpecially from like 30 BC to 70  AD.  That is the general time period where I have studied about Rome most.  Jewish history is also great, and I like to study various time periods and people although I try to stick with 30 BC to 70 AD because that is when I have several stories set.

I also have a WIP set in the 1860’s in the American West that has been a lot of fun.

Here is one of my favorite quotes.  “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” ~William Wilberforce

@samantha-pen  I love what you said!

It is so sad how we try and push that (holocaust and such)out of our past and pretend it didn’t happen .and the generation who remembers it and was there isn’t going to be around forever to remind us. And that’s why we need to learn all we can from them now an write, write, write to preserve their memory and honor. To enfold their valor growth and sacrifice in the pages of a book. Our past can be sad but the best thing we can do is to embrace that fact and learn. Our past(country and ancestors) built us today, and sadly that is a fact that so few people realize and still fewer embrace. We don’t have to be them but oh what could we learn from them.

"No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how hard you fall, you are never out of the fight."

[Selah CJW]

@ashira @wisdomofprose @rochellaine @scarletimmortalized @eden-anderson @libby@samantha-pen @seekjustice @valtmy

Amazing idea here, @seekjustice! Good thinking. :_

@scarletimmortalized  Wow, I love your favorite historical eras and figures! Been reading about the battle of Hastings and Harold Godwinson recently… I did not realize there were two Edith`s!  Ooo, love the story of Sergeant York! Have you read his journal?

@seekjustice  Never read a Civil War book! Woe, poor thing. :_ Yeah, I guess I can see how they would be a lot more popular here, though.

@valtmy  Wow! Have you studied much of Nepal/ India? I really enjoy history and such of India and Nepal!

@samantha-pen  Oh, I so agree! There was a survey or something that said a large percent of college grads did not know like anything about WWII… who Hitler was, etc..!

@eden-anderson  Wow, that is an amazing group of historical-ness. :_ Love the places, eras, and authors you mentioned!

@ashira  Right on! :_

“I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.” ~Abraham Lincoln

Assistant Guildmaster of the Phantom Awesome Meraki
~ Created to create ~

[Samantha Farrar]

@ashira @wisdomofprose @rochellaine @scarletimmortalized @eden-anderson @libby@samantha-pen @seekjustice @valtmy

I love the quotes, everyone!!!!  Let’s raise History awareness!!! 🙂

 

*A passionate ENFP author, in training for Christ.*

[Rochellaine]

@seekjustice Wow, I cannot keep up with this conversation!  Let’s see if I can give a quick answer to your questions and catch up. 🙂

My favorite time period is American history from 1890-1970.  There are a few other periods I like too, but those are the years I like best.

Some favorite historical figures: Jonathan, son of Saul; Stonewall Jackson; Roy Rogers and Dale Evans; and Amy Carmichael.  And lots and lots more, but actually, since I mainly read his-fic rather than biographies, I usually know only a smattering about each historical figure, and more about the culture and time period.

Favorite authors: I like reading books that were actually written in the time period they are about, because I feel I can get a better and truer picture of what life was like that way.  So for that I like Zane Grey, Carolyn Wells, William MacLeod Raine, Grace Livingston Hill, and Annie Fellows Johnston, to name a few.  One of my absolute favorite contemporary his-fic series is Cheney Duvall, M.D. by Gilbert Morris…but warning for any romance haters: That’s definitely and positively a romance series. 😛  I also like Robert Elmer and Lois Walfrid Johnson, both of whom are very well researched.

My current WIP is a his-fic set in the New Testament, around the time of the early Acts, though not really in the midst of the well-known action of the apostles.  I’ve tried writing a biblical his-fic before and failed, so I hope this one turns out well. 😉

And SeekJustice, I have never understood why you like Manfred von Richthofen so much.  He’s a “bad guy”!  Come on! 😉 😛

Looks like we’re tagging everyone in our intro posts?  Well in that case, hello to those I don’t know! @samantha-pen @selah-chelyah @scarletimmortalized @ashira @valtmy @eden-anderson

Nonsense makes the heart grow fonder ~ Carolyn Wells

[Chelsea R.H.]

Whoa! Look at all these replies 😉 I’ll try to get to them all, but I can’t promise I won’t accidentally miss one.

@valtmy

A honourable historical fictioner. Or maybe a dishonourable one, I don’t know 😛

But your specific areas of interest sound quite captivating and are very different to everyone else’s so I guess you can be excused.

I’ve never heard of any of those people, but I will attempt to find out about them soon. And if you’re talking about Empress Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire (ie the mother of Marie Antoinette, then she is a rather interesting figure).

@eden-Anderson

I completely agree with what you said about nonfiction/biographies. I tend to read more of those rather than historical novels, mostly because historical fiction can be so…ridiculous. especially modern stuff.

Would you give us a little bit about one of your ideas? Please? If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, its fine.

That Kipling quote is the best! And its so true, I think as well 🙂

Ceud mile failte

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