im curious if its free
...k. And it looks like lots of fun to write, like Sci-Fi you will be able to create a form of parallel world. The writer of Historical Fiction has no such luxury of freedom. All writers regardless of genre have to strive for truth, to convince their readers that no matter how fantastical the tale the story being told is true. If the writer of Historicals deviates from the known truth, by telling unsubstantiated untruths the reader will not believe in the authors honesty. So the story being told will be constrained by historical facts. Historical fiction comes in many guises; the loosest form creates a complete cast of fictional characters. The tightest form inserts a fictional character and or events into a true story. In the second-case the writer is probably trying to advance some pet theory to account for some inexplicable action on the part of the main protagonist. e.g. Why in 1940 did Hitler halt his victorious army and merely encircle the British at Dunkirque instead of annihilating them? (An often asked question) Now say the theory you want to advance is that he was too busy indulging at an orgy! The military history must be correct, as must Hitler's known timetable and movements. The idea will not work unless there is a documented unaccounted gap which creates the opportunity to create the fiction. By now you are protesting I only want to tell a dirty story set in the California Goldrush of 1849; A simple Jack/Jill Off story. If you think like that, stop now! Stick with stories set in contemporary times or write Myth Fiction. The writer of Historical Fiction must always be aware that amongst the readership there will probably be experts whose subject is this particular era. Expert Jack or Jill will stop midstroke when your prospector fends off a claim-jumper with his Winchester Rifle, not only will they be frustrated but they will be angry when a well written story is spoilt by some basic historical inaccuracy. To put it bluntly your history buff readers will not give a flying fuck that you got it right about clipper ships rounding Cape Horn or the fact that there was no railroad – you got something wrong and will have ruined their orgasm as surely as flat batteries in a vibrator. The successful writer of Historical Fiction, regardless of the genre, has to respect the ...