All posts tagged: Historical era

So you want to write a novel? Historical or fantasy, the PROs and CONs

Published by

As I’ve stated in earlier posts, I think both the historical and fantasy novel have more in common than separates them.  Both appeal to readers who want to escape the modern world with all its safe structured uniformity, and be transported to another time or place where the actions the characters can make a difference and life can be exciting and have real meaning.  However there are obvious differences, and when I decided to write a novel I had to decide which way I wanted to go – historical or fantasy.  In both cases I chose historical, but don’t let that make you think it is my preference, as I genuinely love both genres (I WILL write a fantasy novel at some stage). This week I will go through the PROs and CONs of the Historical Novel, and I will follow this up next week with the PROs and CONs of the fantasy equivalent. Pro: Researching a subject to base your novel around can actually be fun.  If you’re like me, and you love history, …

Ten types of evil henchmen!

Published by

The Assassin.  This silent killer is cold and dispassionate.  Prefers to stand in the shadows until called upon by their master to despatch an unfortunate victim.  The first time you see their face may also be the last thing you ever see. The bodyguard.  Forever trailing their master, whose personal safety is their only concern.  Their loyalty is unquestionable and so they can be relied upon to partake in any evil deed their master demands. The street tough.  Handy with their fists and unafraid of any brawl, they are often found in the seediest of bars.  Not renowned for their intelligence, they are still a useful resource if hired muscle is all you need to put some pressure on a competitor or rival. The Torturer.  Sometimes information is more valuable than gold.  If you need to extract anything from a victim before bumping them off, a reliable torturer is essential.  No other henchmen can instil as much fear as someone who specialises in giving pain.  The best torturers will also be adapt at keeping a victim …

A fun packed read, starting at the beginning – Gates of Rome, Conn Iggulden #historical #fiction #gladiators

Published by

When a famous character of the past is depicted in a novel, where do you start?  Normally the proscribed path would be to research the history books, find out where he or she first comes to the attention of the historians and start your story there.  However, with some historical figures that means that you don’t pick up their story until they are approaching middle age, and you learn nothing of what shaped their character or motivated them through their youth.  That’s certainly the case with Julius Caesar; by the time he started conquering Gaul he was already in his forties and often bemoaned the fact that Alexander the Great managed to achieve so much – he conquered all the lands from Greece to India – by the age of thirty. So rather than wait until Julius Caesar has become a successful Senator and skillful politician, Conn Iggulden, in his novel ‘Gates of Rome’ has gone right back to the beginning and starts his story when Julius – or Gaius as he goes by then …

Great periods of history to write about – STAGE 1 (Ancient to Medieval)

Published by

Okay, so you want to write a historical novel, but what period of history do you choose?  The list is endless, but here are a few options…. Featured novel: The King Must Die by Mary Renault Ancient Greece 1200BC – 300BC:  Greek gods, myths, large scale battles of Hoplites… PRO’s:  The birthplace of democracy, the Olympics, philosophy, and other ideas that shaped the modern world, give you lots of subject matter to base your novel around; whilst the mythology of Ancient Greece allows your novel to be full of gods, goddesses, and all the mysticism that goes with it.  If you prefer a little more action, don’t worry – you have the warlike Spartans, their rivalry with the Athenians, or Alexander the Great’s invasion of Persia.  Disclaimer: I couldn’t resist the last on that list, so I tried my hand at that myself in the first novel I wrote. CONS:  It can be more difficult than you think to research a historical period so far in the past.  Although there are a host of non-fictional books …