In this blog post, I offer practical advice to anyone seriously interested in writing historical fiction - especially those without much experience. The following steps assume you know the historical background you intend to use already, and have at least a vague idea who your characters are (or might be), and the obstacles they must overcome.
Step 1. Chronology.
Before you begin story-crafting, you need a thorough understanding of the chronological limits and problems of your story. It's good to draw up a chronology of all major, relevant events and when they occur. Probably the biggest chronological problems one faces, in historical fiction, are 1) having numerous things happen to different characters in the same place, at the same time, and 2) having major events occur in different places at the same time, involving different characters. How you choose to deal with this will have a major impact on every aspect of your novel because this has a direct bearing on the point-of-view you will be using. Point-of-view is crucial, but, like salt, it can either enhance or ruin everything.
Step 2. Characters, Motivations, & Conflicts.
Story-crafting, I think, begins with characters. Characterization is a major writing topic in itself, but for the purpose of plot-building you must know what your character's inclinations and motivations are, which means knowing their back-story. You also need to understand the conflict(s) they will be facing. Bear in mind that a good antagonist (even if it's inanimate) has the capacity to become worse, throwing new, seemingly insurmountable obstacles at your hero.
Step 3. Understanding Plot Structure.
There are many different schemes for plotting novels, and I don't think any particular one is better or worse - as a writer, you should be aware of all the options, and use the one that works best for your particular story. I am partial to the Hero's Journey, myself, but this works best for the first book of a series, or for stand-alone works. For subsequent works of a series, I use a more generic plot scheme that more or less looks like this:
Step 4. Weaving Plot Structure & History.
At this point, weave the above plot structure (or some other one) into your historical chronology in a way that makes sense, taking all sensible liberties that may be necessary. The more points at which your character-driven plot meshes with history, the better. The important thing is to keep story foremost - you are writing a historical tale, not a dramatized history.
Having your fictional characters be somehow connected with a historical person is one way to do this. Making actual events key plot-points also helps. In my "realistic" historical-magical adventures, I often have magic bring about some sudden, often unexplained event that actually happened. Thus, I can have magic in a historical setting without having to alter history - furthermore, since most people in the "world" of the novels don't believe in magic, the causality is not altered, either, except for those in the know.
This is where your research really comes in. I always research events, culture, and settings very thoroughly, and in doing so I find some wonderful historical details I can tie into my characters' personal stories.
Step 5. Structuring the Sub-Sections.
Some writers' guides are very specific about how much of your novel should be used for the basic steps of plotting, but you should not follow these instructions too slavishly. However, as Philip Pullman once remarked, in an interview about his purpose, "I have the agenda of every storyteller, which is to make the reader turn the pages and read on to the end of the book." Your most devoted readers will be the ones who read because they want to know what happens to your characters, so your priorities are to create strong characters and tell a compelling story.
When structuring your sub-sections, bear in mind that all conflict should be contextualized, and characters' choices should have consequences. Furthermore, the choices characters make should change them. Real change is a learning process, so it will always entail discovery, inquiry or analysis, and internalization.
Step 6. Aspects of Character Development.
Good characters, especially in an adventure / historical novel will develop physically, emotionally, and perhaps intellectually. You will want to understand the different steps of your main characters' evolution, when they occur in the plot, and how their development impacts the plot. You also will want to give your characters a realistic amount of time to build the skills and knowledge they may need to deal with the challenges eventually thrown at them. This is what character development really means. Some people think it's instant death for a writer not to demonstrate character development on the first page of their manuscript. That's absurd. No intelligent reader expects the main character to undergo any development during the first 360 words of every manuscript written. Sure, it can happen, but imagine if every novel began with this sort of "hand grenade" plot device, and you always knew it would be there, on the first page? How can a character develop, really, when you don't even know who they are yet? What matters is that your character needs to develop to a point at which they can plausibly deal with the final conflict, and this must happen before that conflict occurs. Your main characters' learning process should be built into your plot, and it should be continuous.
Step 7. From Sub-Section to Scenes & Chapters.
The building blocks of a novel are scenes. Some writers write primarily short, single-scene chapters, while others may group scenes into longer, more complex chapters. In the end, this aspect of your novel may be a matter of negotiation between you and an agent or publisher. My personal preference is for scenes that vary in length from 600 to 1000 words, with chapters averaging about 1800-2000 words. With practice, you begin to develop a strong sense of what will (and won't) fit into various word limits.
Scenes can take many forms, but they should always advance the plot in some way. Most scenes will be a combination of action and dialogue, with some description; a few will be primarily action and description, with perhaps minimal dialogue. Ideally, your scenes should "show" the progression of your story rather than "tell" it. This is another "rule" you should not follow slavishly. It is often much better to tell than to show. Most readers agree that a book that shows us every little thing would be unreadable.
Step 8. The Importance of the Lull.
Let your characters (and your readers, frankly) have a chance to stop, rest, and regroup. Even Jason Bourne needs some sleep and a meal every now and then. Inserting quiet, "normal" moments into your story gives the tale believability, making your characters more human (i.e., people your readers can relate to), and the lull can perhaps even draw the reader into a false sense of security. That next surprise plot twist will be all the more hard-hitting. However, lulls also offer moments in which the wider significance of the action can be understood. Lulls also can be momentary, occurring even in the midst of intense action, such as when Darth Vader, in The Empire Strikes Back, informs Luke that he is his father.
Step 9. Romance
If part of your story involves a romantic relationship between two characters, this will also have a certain arc of development. The evolution of romantic entanglements should follow some kind of logical, believable progression. For instance:
Step 10. The Initial Outline.
Finally, you come to the point where you can lay out all your scenes / chapters. I usually do this once I have figured out my sub-sections and everything they entail. Initially, do not concern yourself with anything other than laying out all the steps you think may be necessary to tell your story. List these, and give each scene / chapter a recognizable, plot-related description. Proper chapter titles (if you use them) will come later.
Step 11. The Refined Outline.
Once you have your list of scenes / chapters, you can begin to refine it by combining scenes that may not require an entire chapter, or which might best be hinted at, or eliminated altogether. However, you should make sure that every essential part of the story receives plenty of attention. Finally, treat every chapter heading in the refined outline as a writing challenge.
Step 12. Always Leave Room for Adjustment.
Your story will change as you actually write it, and you should anticipate this. Always outline conservatively so that you can add chapters, if necessary, without your novel becoming excessively long. You will encounter some "scenes" that are unnecessary, or which can be told as an aside, and you will encounter points where a wholly new chapter may be in order for various reasons. Try to plan your novel with 80% of the chapters you think you may need, and then give yourself permission to expand, but only as absolutely necessary.
Copyright, William Lailey, 2014. Images from Flickr, Creative Commons Lic.
Step 1. Chronology.
Before you begin story-crafting, you need a thorough understanding of the chronological limits and problems of your story. It's good to draw up a chronology of all major, relevant events and when they occur. Probably the biggest chronological problems one faces, in historical fiction, are 1) having numerous things happen to different characters in the same place, at the same time, and 2) having major events occur in different places at the same time, involving different characters. How you choose to deal with this will have a major impact on every aspect of your novel because this has a direct bearing on the point-of-view you will be using. Point-of-view is crucial, but, like salt, it can either enhance or ruin everything.
Story-crafting, I think, begins with characters. Characterization is a major writing topic in itself, but for the purpose of plot-building you must know what your character's inclinations and motivations are, which means knowing their back-story. You also need to understand the conflict(s) they will be facing. Bear in mind that a good antagonist (even if it's inanimate) has the capacity to become worse, throwing new, seemingly insurmountable obstacles at your hero.
Step 3. Understanding Plot Structure.
There are many different schemes for plotting novels, and I don't think any particular one is better or worse - as a writer, you should be aware of all the options, and use the one that works best for your particular story. I am partial to the Hero's Journey, myself, but this works best for the first book of a series, or for stand-alone works. For subsequent works of a series, I use a more generic plot scheme that more or less looks like this:
a) Introduction - The characters are introduced, along with their motivations; the key features of the world they inhabit also are introduced. The antagonist / problem may be foreshadowed or mentioned (indeed, probably should be). This should all unfold within the first 15% or so of your story.
b) Discovery - The protagonist encounters an obstacle - or perhaps a few obstacles. These may be the main obstacle, or they may be just a few hurdles screening the big problem that will be coming on soon. In any event, the hero must decide to take up the challenge or reject it. This brings is up to about 25% of your novel.
c) Opening Moves - The antagonist and hero make their initial efforts and react to each other. At this point, it is really a matter of testing strength and wits, or of trying to overawe and frighten. The hero may experience a "wake up call," as well as self-doubt. Here, we are around 37.5% of the way through.
d) Crisis - At this point in the novel, newly revealed information or events dramatically alter the situation, creating a seemingly insurmountable problem for the protagonist. This is roughly the midpoint, or 50% mark.
e) Cornering / Escalation - Now, the antagonist and protagonist take a series of steps and counter-steps that precipitate a final showdown, or which escalate the stakes and intensity of the conflict. Here, we are at the 67% mark.
f) Final Challenge - The hero and antagonist confront each other directly in a high-stakes conflict. This falls at about the 75% mark.
g) Resolution - The primary plot lines are brought to a satisfactory (i.e., logical) conclusion. Ideally one that will not shock your readers in such a way that they subsequently hate you. This is the last 10% or so of your novel. Some might say the last 2%.
Note: The above marks are standard story beats, but my terminology and description, here, differs somewhat from many other models you can learn about. These are not rigid proportions, but you'll find that nearly all good, successful books adhere very closely to some kind of model, and to the placement of these beats.
Step 4. Weaving Plot Structure & History.
At this point, weave the above plot structure (or some other one) into your historical chronology in a way that makes sense, taking all sensible liberties that may be necessary. The more points at which your character-driven plot meshes with history, the better. The important thing is to keep story foremost - you are writing a historical tale, not a dramatized history.
Having your fictional characters be somehow connected with a historical person is one way to do this. Making actual events key plot-points also helps. In my "realistic" historical-magical adventures, I often have magic bring about some sudden, often unexplained event that actually happened. Thus, I can have magic in a historical setting without having to alter history - furthermore, since most people in the "world" of the novels don't believe in magic, the causality is not altered, either, except for those in the know.
This is where your research really comes in. I always research events, culture, and settings very thoroughly, and in doing so I find some wonderful historical details I can tie into my characters' personal stories.
Step 5. Structuring the Sub-Sections.
Some writers' guides are very specific about how much of your novel should be used for the basic steps of plotting, but you should not follow these instructions too slavishly. However, as Philip Pullman once remarked, in an interview about his purpose, "I have the agenda of every storyteller, which is to make the reader turn the pages and read on to the end of the book." Your most devoted readers will be the ones who read because they want to know what happens to your characters, so your priorities are to create strong characters and tell a compelling story.
When structuring your sub-sections, bear in mind that all conflict should be contextualized, and characters' choices should have consequences. Furthermore, the choices characters make should change them. Real change is a learning process, so it will always entail discovery, inquiry or analysis, and internalization.
Step 6. Aspects of Character Development.
Good characters, especially in an adventure / historical novel will develop physically, emotionally, and perhaps intellectually. You will want to understand the different steps of your main characters' evolution, when they occur in the plot, and how their development impacts the plot. You also will want to give your characters a realistic amount of time to build the skills and knowledge they may need to deal with the challenges eventually thrown at them. This is what character development really means. Some people think it's instant death for a writer not to demonstrate character development on the first page of their manuscript. That's absurd. No intelligent reader expects the main character to undergo any development during the first 360 words of every manuscript written. Sure, it can happen, but imagine if every novel began with this sort of "hand grenade" plot device, and you always knew it would be there, on the first page? How can a character develop, really, when you don't even know who they are yet? What matters is that your character needs to develop to a point at which they can plausibly deal with the final conflict, and this must happen before that conflict occurs. Your main characters' learning process should be built into your plot, and it should be continuous.
Step 7. From Sub-Section to Scenes & Chapters.
The building blocks of a novel are scenes. Some writers write primarily short, single-scene chapters, while others may group scenes into longer, more complex chapters. In the end, this aspect of your novel may be a matter of negotiation between you and an agent or publisher. My personal preference is for scenes that vary in length from 600 to 1000 words, with chapters averaging about 1800-2000 words. With practice, you begin to develop a strong sense of what will (and won't) fit into various word limits.
Scenes can take many forms, but they should always advance the plot in some way. Most scenes will be a combination of action and dialogue, with some description; a few will be primarily action and description, with perhaps minimal dialogue. Ideally, your scenes should "show" the progression of your story rather than "tell" it. This is another "rule" you should not follow slavishly. It is often much better to tell than to show. Most readers agree that a book that shows us every little thing would be unreadable.
Step 8. The Importance of the Lull.
Let your characters (and your readers, frankly) have a chance to stop, rest, and regroup. Even Jason Bourne needs some sleep and a meal every now and then. Inserting quiet, "normal" moments into your story gives the tale believability, making your characters more human (i.e., people your readers can relate to), and the lull can perhaps even draw the reader into a false sense of security. That next surprise plot twist will be all the more hard-hitting. However, lulls also offer moments in which the wider significance of the action can be understood. Lulls also can be momentary, occurring even in the midst of intense action, such as when Darth Vader, in The Empire Strikes Back, informs Luke that he is his father.
If part of your story involves a romantic relationship between two characters, this will also have a certain arc of development. The evolution of romantic entanglements should follow some kind of logical, believable progression. For instance:
a) The Meeting - Two characters encounter each other for the first time. The reader should know why, precisely, they notice each other on more than just a casual level. Try to get at the underlying "chemistry" between the two characters. To be a compelling romantic figure, a character needs qualities about which others would be curious - this is even more important than physical attractiveness. After all, a person can be physically stunning and, yet, completely uninteresting. Again, it's the life a character has led - their back-story - or just their vibe, that arouses curiosity.
b) Friendship - Most relationships pass through a friendship phase, even if that only lasts a few hours (literally) before transforming into something deeper, or - at any rate - something more intense. This stage of a relationship will involve some initial exploration that excites curiosity and perhaps triggers desire. The characters also may be afraid. After all, friends and lovers are not quite the same thing, and there are trade-offs shifting from the one sort of relationship to the other.
c) Building Intensity - Characters who fall in love will follow many different paths. Relationships do not always progress from lust to love. Sometimes it works the other way around. Many epic affairs begin with shared intellectual interests and then evolve into mutual respect and physical passion. You will only know what kind of relationship is right for your characters when you know them. Hence, Step 2, above.
d) Intimacy - This can take many forms, and does not necessarily mean two characters' relationship becomes overtly sexual. In any event, you need to know when the characters cross this line, and what it means for them - and for the plot. Some people consider intimacy very carefully, before taking the plunge, and others think about it only afterward. Know which kind of person your character is.
e) Conflict - Even wonderful romances can be unsettling. What if the beautiful, wealthy stranger who loves you madly really does want to sweep you away from everything and everyone you've ever known? What if your true love belongs to a different religion, class, or race, or turns out to be a criminal, or an enemy agent, and everyone will hate you for loving that person? There is always going to be strife, even in the midst of true love, and you need to be aware of how that strife will arise, and how your characters will deal with it.
f) Bonding & Breakup - Relationships can be strengthened or destroyed by adversity. Don't be three dimensional about this. Even if a relationship that is tried becomes stronger, it will change - the innocent "puppy love" may not be there anymore. By the same token, breaking up is never one-sided, and anyone who has ever been on both sides of a breakup knows that both sides of the coin have their own unique experience of "rotten." Also, although many people who have been hurt in relationships often feel the person who breaks a lovers' bond is always in the wrong, there are plenty of situations in which leaving someone is absolutely the right thing to do.
Step 10. The Initial Outline.
Finally, you come to the point where you can lay out all your scenes / chapters. I usually do this once I have figured out my sub-sections and everything they entail. Initially, do not concern yourself with anything other than laying out all the steps you think may be necessary to tell your story. List these, and give each scene / chapter a recognizable, plot-related description. Proper chapter titles (if you use them) will come later.
Step 11. The Refined Outline.
Once you have your list of scenes / chapters, you can begin to refine it by combining scenes that may not require an entire chapter, or which might best be hinted at, or eliminated altogether. However, you should make sure that every essential part of the story receives plenty of attention. Finally, treat every chapter heading in the refined outline as a writing challenge.
Step 12. Always Leave Room for Adjustment.
Your story will change as you actually write it, and you should anticipate this. Always outline conservatively so that you can add chapters, if necessary, without your novel becoming excessively long. You will encounter some "scenes" that are unnecessary, or which can be told as an aside, and you will encounter points where a wholly new chapter may be in order for various reasons. Try to plan your novel with 80% of the chapters you think you may need, and then give yourself permission to expand, but only as absolutely necessary.
Copyright, William Lailey, 2014. Images from Flickr, Creative Commons Lic.
Note: I wrote this 12 years ago, but the advice is still pertinent, today. Reproduced with only minor changes.
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