Epic Historical Fiction, Christian Style by Peter Leavell

Peter Leavell

Epic historical fiction comes in many shapes, but usually the same size—long. They’re difficult to write, and many readers find they are an acquired taste. But what sets aside these tomes of sagacity from other genres? And can you find them in the Christian market?

Epic historical fiction is about crisis. Society cannot tolerate disorder, so we give power to certain group of people hoping order can be reached and maintained. Security, both for our lives and our consumables, is our goal.

Every point in history, society is at one stage of order or disorder, and it is constantly shifting. Sometimes (or usually) people in power misuse their role.

Any writer would think that men and women chosen to lead a nation would show reason. But just the opposite. It seems the job only fills their minds with an obstinate preordained notion of how things must be proceed, and no matter the circumstance, the path laid before them marches towards failure so clearly that one hundred or one thousand years later, even grade school children understand the historical implications. For example, why does a perfectly self-contained society make war on another with assured resource loss it can never hope to regain through conquest? Why, when sciences and arts create such beauty, do governments make war and other perverse decisions? It makes no sense.

Reflecting any civilization’s state of rise or decline demands massive study. The finds, though, can be disheartening. Historians have long argued that locked inside humans’ genes is a need for failure. Many times we read that, when forced with a decision, ‘he did the worst thing he could have under the circumstances.’ These effects are profound when a nation’s sovereignty is locked in a single individual, like a monarchy or dictatorship.

An epic historical fiction writer’s job is to show (not tell) this idiocy in hopes someone might follow Plato’s cry for reason amongst those who make decisions in governments. For an epic historical in the Christian market, it is the job of the writer to coax Christ’s mercy and redemption from the hopelessness that is civilization. We can show that despite the madness of mankind, beauty and hope can be obtained through Christ. It was humans, after all, who ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, a deed that was incredibly unintelligent and something every person would do.

No historical epic has a perfectly happy ending, nor does it waste time condemning society as a whole for its actions (the story itself does just fine). A well-researched historical epic is simply people doing the best they can against the changes in society. A Christian historical epic points to redemption and hope, despite societies failures. How to write one? All it takes is epic historical research.

A few of my favorite epic historical novels come from the Christian and general market. Some include violence, language, and sex. Ironically, so does history. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, Shōgun by  James Clavell, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, Roots by Alex Haley, Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, Iscariot by Tosca Lee, and I’m running out of word space. There are five hundred more.

What are your favorite historical epics?

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Peter Leavell is an award winning historical fiction author. He and his family research together, creating magnificent adventures. Catch up with him on his website at www.peterleavell.com, or friend him on Facebook: Peter R. Leavell. 

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Gideon's Call

Based on true events from the Civil War, Tad longs to better himself, but is hindered by his skin color. When his plantation owners evacuate, they leave their slaves without any money, education, or leadership. Can Tad overcome unimaginable prejudice and family secrets to become the deliverer of thousands? Gideon's Call is winner of Operation First Novel 2011 and Christian Retailing's Best First Novel 2013.

Avoiding the Pitfalls Historical Fiction – Part Two by Amanda Cabot

Amanda Cabot

Two weeks ago, Amanda Cabot offered pitfalls in writing historical fiction. If you missed it, you can catch it here. This week, she's back with part 2. Enjoy!
~Dora

Welcome back! I’m delighted that you’re here for the second (and last) part of the historical fiction pitfall discussion. There’s no quiz today, because I’m certain that when you read the next selection, you’ll know immediately what’s wrong. This is the more than slightly modified opening scene of Paper Roses, the first of my Texas Dreams books.

March 1856

“It’ll be all right.” Sarah Dobbs wrapped her arms around the child, wishing with all her heart that she could believe the words she’d uttered so often. The truth was, it didn’t matter what she believed. All that mattered was keeping Thea safe. And so Sarah knelt on the hard-packed dirt of San Antonio’s main street to wipe the tears from her sister’s cheeks. The child was hot, tired and excited by the unusual sights, a combination that turned normally sweet-tempered Thea querulous.

Thea was too young to appreciate San Antonio’s rich history. The original Spanish settlement of San Antonio de Valero, named for the Viceroy, was founded in the same year as the French began New Orleans. Located just below the Balcones Escarpment, it had the advantage of a mild, dry, healthful climate; plentiful water and an abundance of limestone for building. In 1721 Valero himself sent a force of 54 soldiers to build a strong fort, what many would call a presidio, nearby. They named the fort San Antonio de Bejar, in memory of Valero’s brother, and by 1726 more than 200 men, women and children inhabited the area. Indians, of course, were not included in that count, although by the middle of the century, each of the five missions in the San Antonio region had more than 200 Indians.

The dominant tribes in Texas were the Apaches and the Comanches. The Spaniards were never able to conquer the first, and the second gave them the greatest defeat they ever suffered at the hands of natives in the New World. But all that had occurred over a hundred years ago. Now the city was part of the great state of Texas, the state that would soon be her home and Thea’s.

Are you yawning? Or did you decide that this was what a friend calls a wallbanger, a book that’s so bad that you hurl it against the wall rather than read it? I’ll admit that I’ve exaggerated the problem, but I’ve judged enough contests to know that including too much history is a common problem.

It’s easy to understand why it happens. We do extensive research and we find so many fascinating details that we want to share them with readers. Unfortunately, heavy-handed infusion of history has the effect of boring readers, including those critical first readers: agents and editors.

So, how do you know what details to include and when? There are undoubtedly other ways to make that decision, but I suggest following three rules.

1. Remember that less is more. When you include historical facts, select the ones that are most critical. In many cases, these will be little-known facts that you’ve chosen to weave into your plot. If one of Sarah’s ancestors was one of the 54 soldiers who’d built the original fort, that would be the fact that I would have included, but rather than simply inserting the fact, I would have followed rule #2.

2. Ensure that each piece of history affects the character in some way. One of the problems with the passage above is that the paragraphs of historical facts have no tie to either Sarah or Thea. Consider the difference if I’d said, “Thea was too young to appreciate San Antonio’s rich history, but Sarah couldn’t dismiss the thrill that ran up her spine at the realization that she was only yards away from the fort her great-grandfather had helped build. Mother had raised her with tales of how Great Grandpa was one of the 54 soldiers the Viceroy had sent to build the presidio.” In this case, there was a reason to have included that particular detail, and so the reader doesn’t feel as if she’s being force-fed history.

3. And, most importantly, remember that you’re writing a novel. Your primary goal is to entertain. Readers do not expect a history lesson. As you edit your manuscript, look at each piece of research you’ve included and ask yourself, “Will the story make sense without this?” If the answer is “yes,” delete it.

There’s no doubt that there are challenges involved in writing historical fiction and pitfalls to be avoided, but from my perspective there’s nothing quite so enjoyable as being transported to a different time and place. If you’ve always dreamt of telling stories about times gone by, I encourage you to make that dream come true. I’m looking forward to seeing your books on the shelves!

With Autumn's Return
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She’s planning on instant success. What she didn’t plan on was love.

When Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne to open a medical practice, she is confident that the future is as bright as the warm Wyoming sun. Certain she’ll have a line of patients eager for her services, she soon discovers the town may not welcome a new physician—especially a female one. Even Jason Nordling, the handsome young attorney next door, seems to disapprove of her chosen profession.

When a web of deceit among Cheyenne’s wealthiest residents threatens to catch Elizabeth and Jason in its snare, they must risk working together to save one of Elizabeth’s patients, even if it means falling in love.

From the time that she was seven, Amanda Cabot dreamed of becoming a published author, but it was only when she set herself the goal of selling a book by her thirtieth birthday that the dream came true.  A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages.  She’s delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian historical romances.  Her Texas Dreams trilogy received critical acclaim; Christmas Roses was a CBA bestseller; and a number of her books have been finalists for national awards, including ACFW’s Carol award. 

www.amandacabot.com

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Cabot/110238182354449?v=wall

Why Should Writers Read Newspapers? by Sandra Ardoin

Newspapers can be a valuable research tool. While I’m writing the following from the viewpoint of a historical writer, most of the tips can apply for those who create contemporary stories.

Over the past few years, libraries, historical societies, and archives from thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia

Image Courtesy of Grafixar at morguefile.com

have contributed to a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress to form a national database that makes historic newspapers public. That database can be found on the Chronicling America website.

Since these organizations submit digitized issues to Chronicling America, not all newspapers are listed on the site. The available dates range from 1836 to 1922, though there are search mechanisms for finding additional papers in various archives. Search by date or keyword.

To illustrate some tidbits of what you’ll find and reasons why searching newspapers will add authenticity and uniqueness to your story, I’ll use examples from one page of an actual newspaper found on Chronicling America: The Madisonian from Richmond, Kentucky, February 3, 1914.

• Story Ideas – Has your well run dry? Do you need something to stir your imagination? Try this headline: “Post Office Robbed at Crab Orchard.” Twelve hundred dollars in money and stamps were stolen from the post office after nitroglycerin was used to blow the safe. No one heard the explosions because the perpetrators used mail bags to muffle the sound. It was assumed the robbers got away on an early train. But what if the thieves didn’t blow the safe for the money? What if there was something in the post office they wanted or wanted to destroy, something incriminating, perhaps. Who? What? Why? When (it could happen today)? Historical and contemporary writers, are the creative juices flowing? 
• Cultural/Social Attitudes – On Wednesday, Edward Baxter Perry gave a highly touted classical programme and lecture to a “large and cultured audience.” On Sunday, Dr. E. B. Barnes sermonized on “Marriage and Misery” at the Christian church and expressed his view that those who were miserable in their union should be allowed to divorce through the civil courts. The next week he would preach on “Marriage and Happiness.” 
• Weather/Farming Reports – Unlike today, most early newspapers did not have an official section for weather reports and forecasted temperatures. However, sometimes we’re given an indication of the weather through a particular article. A small paragraph about the groundhog seeing his shadow advised people to look out for “squalls, bursted water pipes, and plumber’s bills.” 
• Political News Both Local and National – Presidential executive orders have been in our news quite a bit in recent months. The Madisonian ran a paragraph stating that President Wilson signed an executive order for a permanent government for the Panama Canal Zone and gave the person he named as the first civil governor. 
• Prices – A three-line tidbit advertised signs for sale through the newspaper. Available were “For Sale,” “For Rent,” and “Furnished Rooms for Rent.” Prices for the cards were ten and fifteen cents. 

Here are some additional facts I’ve uncovered in the past while looking through old newspapers:·         

• Railroad schedules that have come in handy when I want a character to travel from one location to another
• The yearly subscription cost of a newspaper
• Advertisements for various businesses and products (including the infamous patent medicines)
• Period names/Terms/Turns of Phrase
• Businesses of the day and some of the goods they carried, along with prices
• Jokes and humor of the period
• Parenting/Marriage Advice

Even if you’re writing a contemporary story, scour the newspapers in the vicinity of your setting for little tidbits that make your story come alive. It could be local businesses or products, parks, local government, etc.

Do you regularly check newspapers (old and new) for facts and ideas for your stories? Have you found something interesting that hasn't been mentioned above?

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As well as being the Wednesday hostess on the Seriously Write blog, Sandra Ardoin crafts stories with stalwart heroes who melt the hearts of strong, sometimes unconventional heroines. Connect with Sandy on various social media sites and at sandraardoin.com.

Mom Knows Best by Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis

I remember when I began writing around fifteen years ago, the only person I would allow to see my precious work was my mother. Who understands inner hopes and dreams better than your mom? And who would accept me for the flawed creature I am, yet still love me unconditionally? Since I’ve always had a lifelong passion for both travel and history, I decided I would set my books in the South. I loved taking off for long weekends or on summer vacations to study people who spoke with drawls, never worried about snowstorms and loved sweet tea. I was also fascinated with eras when men were men and ladies wore big hats and corsets. While writing my first book, I did laundry every Friday at my mother’s house. (Who could afford a Laundromat’s high prices?) While my clothes tumbled in her dryer, I would read my latest chapter aloud True to the code of motherhood Mom would laugh…or cry at every appropriate spot. When she died unexpectedly, I buried that manuscript in my sock drawer. It was too painful to submit, even though I went on to publish a dozen other novels in two different genres.

But Mom wasn’t happy. It was as though she was sending messages through my dreams that would stay with me all day. Finally I dug out and dusted off my old masterpiece. After a major overhaul (funny how much you learn after a dozen books…) I sent it in. What a surprise that my agent liked it as much as Mom.

One thing I learn while traveling the globe for research—deep down inside people are all the same. Everyone stands in awe before a gorgeous sunset; everyone loves to see a baby smile, everyone enjoys putting their feet up when day is done. And people never stop trying to please their parents, no matter how old they are. It’s the same with history. People might have dressed differently back then and ate odd sounding food, but when you get down to it, we haven’t changed much. Stories that delve into the human heart are timeless. The issues deviling our ancestors like what to be when you grow up or who to marry are the same ones facing us. So a romance will still ring true today, even after spending a considerable amount of time in my sock drawer.

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What Happens When an Underground Railroad Conductor

Falls in Love with a Man Loyal to the Confederacy? 

Emily Harrison’s life has turned upside down. At the beginning of the Civil War, she bravely attempts to continue her parents’ work in the Underground Railroad until their Ohio farm is sold in foreclosure. Now alone and without a home, she accepts a position as a governess with a doctor’s family in slave-holding Virginia. Though it’s dangerous, she decides to continue her rescue efforts from there.

Alexander Hunt, the doctor’s handsome nephew, does not deny a growing attraction to his uncle’s newest employee. But he cannot take time to pursue Emily, for Alexander isn’t what he seems—rich, spoiled, and indolent. He has a secret identity. He is the elusive Gray Wraith, a fearless man who fights the war from the shadows, stealing Union supplies and diverting them to the Southern cause.

The path before Alexander and Emily is complicated. The war brings betrayal, entrapment, and danger. Amid their growing feelings for each other, can they trust God with the challenges they face to provide them with a bright future?

Mary Ellis has written ten bestselling novels set in the Amish community. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate. Living in Harmony, book one of her last series won the 2012 Lime Award for Excellence in Amish Fiction. Love Comes to Paradise won the 2013 Lime Award. An Amish Miracle, a collection of novellas, released in December from Harper Collins. She is currently working on a three-book series of historical romances set during the Civil War. The Quaker and the Rebel released January 1^st. Book two, The Lady and the Officer will release this summer, both from Harvest House.
She can be found on the web at:

 www.maryellis.net or https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Looking Back and Looking Ahead by Anya Novikov

I'm happy to host Anya Novikov, a YA writer and enthusiastic supporter of this blog. Have you ever thought that this world's gone crazy? Young people acting worse than ever and it's all going to you-know-where in a handbasket? Well, Anya has done some research on another period in history and found that folks are not all that different. Here's her take on what history really teaches us. - Angie

After I read Little Women for the first time at age eight, I knew someday I’d be a writer.

Indeed, I got by-lines and awards writing for the high school newspaper. I co-edited the senior yearbook. Got excellent grades on college term papers but . . . I can confess it now:

Only when I took on a position teaching Freshmen English did I really understand how to write. Breaking it down, stripping it to the bone for fourteen-year olds finally brought me comprehension. Honed my own understanding, and resurrected my own skills. I mean, I knew how to get it right. I just hadn’t understood why.

Along with the students, I drew spider diagrams for pre-writing. Helped them with their rough drafts--required to be handwritten. Yapped endlessly about the No-No List. (“Do not use second person; its/it’s are not the same thing, nor are there/their/they’re. Use semi-colons sparing if at all. Don’t use ‘the end’ because your conclusion statement should BE the end. Bleh bleh bleh.)

Oh, and we had a dictionary unit. They learned how to check spelling and definitions in the grubby class set of thirty Merriam-Websters.

Most of all, we worked on uncovering their “voice.”

Then the big kahuna: a typed final copy. Oh, yes, I started out in the days of the dinosaur: the typewriter.

Technology hit us all over the heads quick, though, and I can’t deny embracing The Computer and Word Processing myself. No more messy white-outs. No more re-typing a whole page because another phrase or word would work better.

No more endless drafts because you could firm up the rough draft in Word. Save it. Fix it...

No more...shall I admit it? Yes, I use Merriam-Webster online. I fix it with a fast click when little red squiggles dance underneath a glob of letters . . .

Yet I rather yearned for the Old Days when Raymond, a dear, C-plus/B-minus student turned in a wondrous paper I had to fail. I knew him, his skills. His voice. It just wasn’t his work.
Tearfully, he vowed the work was his own.

To impress me, he’d hit “Synonyms” to find bigger, fancier words whenever he could. (Such explained his use of magnanimous.) And yes, I accepted his re-write.

And technology bit in other ways. Later on, I double-checked a boy’s college-admission personal statement. He gushed about his eagerness to attend Pepperoni University.

(Spell Check doesn’t know Pepperdine.)

One last area I hoped I hammered home to those legions of rapt students: The comma. “Of course there are rules, but when in doubt, leave it out. Put one in if you read your sentence out loud and naturally pause. Always use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase.”

Bleh bleh bleh.

Anyway, in the recent past, working with editors now and reading voraciously, I’m finding the comma is leading a different life. Why is it now so acceptable to smush introductory clauses and phrases into the main sentence without the comma?

Why is the final comma in a series so ignored? Grrr. I guess I’m just too old school.

Just today, I read an article on an animal shelter fund-raiser where “the food will be prepared by professional chefs, and dogs and cats from the shelter.”

Obviously not written by one of my former students. ☺

Anyway, those days I spent back in “high school” also inspired my first-ever Young Adult romance, The Circle Girls: Once Upon a Witch, recently released and part of the launch of a brand-new line, Watershed Books.

You see, in addition to freshman, I also taught American Literature to Juniors, and the Salem Witch Trial unit was always their favorite. Somehow, someday, I knew that grim time in history would gel into a story suitable both for teens and their parents. It isn’t about witchcraft at all — nor were the trials in 1692. It’s about finger-pointing, bullying, refusing to take personal responsibility. And I loved writing every word of it, used SpellCheck and synonyms . . . and made certain I got those commas right!

Since I write Western romance both inspirational and secular under another name, I must admit I wonder what the future holds for Anya (my pen name). Will my love of American history and literature continue to worm its way onto the page?

Will those good and evil prep-school kids have more adventures? Learn more lessons? Do I retain enough of my high school “voice” to write another?

I don’t know. But so far, it’s been a good ride. Or should I say, write?

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It’s about finger-pointing, bullying, refusing to take personal responsibility. Click to Tweet
"Pepperoni University," because Spell Check doesn't know Pepperdine. Click to Tweet
Most of all, we worked on uncovering their “voice.” Click to Tweet

Anya Novikov lives on California’s Central Coast with her firefighter husband. They thank the Lord every day for their sweet family, good health and many travels. Although Anya writes full time, she finds she misses “high school” because, she always learned much more from her students than she taught! She’s got a Contest Page so check it out . . . and keep in touch.
Connect with Anya:
anyanovikov.blogspot.com
anya.novikov@aol.com

The Circle Girls: Once Upon a Witch 
God will give you blood to drink . . . An ordinary teenager finds out what witch-hunting is all about—in her own everyday world.

When Deliverance “Delli” Willis, an ordinary, almost-sixteen-year-old, finds herself dreaming wild dreams, she’s amazed when some of the stuff appears during her classroom unit on the Salem Witch Trials: When a dream girl of 1692, who shares Deliverance’s name, finds herself entranced by a mysterious man in the woods, Delli finds a new neighbor walking through her family avocado grove.

Eager to share the handsome newcomer with her circle of friends, she doesn’t realize the danger of someone unique entering the closed loop. Fingers point, jealousies surge, lies are cast, sides taken—and people are out for blood. It’s a modern-day witch-hunt that collides with 1692 in ways Delli never dreamed.

It will take lessons from her dreamscape and a stand against bullies to tighten Delli’s faith in our omnipresent God.

For more information about The Circle Girls, click here. Or check out my review of her book here.