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Post by mdpthatsme on Apr 17, 2011 0:30:39 GMT -5
I don't know if there's a thread like this on here...but if there is...oh well, I'm posting mine. Ok, I have been stuck for awhile on redoing a chapter in one of my prose manuscripts and this chapter involves history. Of course, my history is made up history, considering my stories are completely fantasy and have almost no ties connected to this world we call Earth. Any how, my question is how do you guys and gals write a chapter, or conversations, that you know that you are going to have to give tedious facts such as history? How do you make it interesting and not totally a science or history book? chips and dip
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pinkfiend1
Full Member
Missing everyone
Posts: 467
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Post by pinkfiend1 on Apr 17, 2011 15:07:59 GMT -5
I've never really wrote anything like that I'm afraid, but a quick google found this link it's an interview with Jules Watson who is a historical fantasy novelist. It seems like an interesting read anyway that article. There's a link on that page for a workshop she did to help historical writers, whether fantasy or more factual. This excerpt might be especially relevent. " Your books have such a rich wealth of historical detail and yet completely avoid the dreaded info-dump. How do you manage the balance?Thanks! The thing to remember is that you are an author, not a historian. You are hoping to entertain people with a great yarn, so the story comes first. Despite your reams of research, only put historical details in if they advance the plot or develop the characters. Keep the pacing up and slip bits and pieces of historical detail in among exciting action. Have your heroine stomp into her father’s chamber and get involved in a terrible argument, whereupon she grabs a paperweight off his desk and throws it at the window. Her mother puts down whatever she is doing and gets up, nervously smoothing her dress. The focus is on the argument, but as your heroine storms about you get to describe what she is wearing, what her father has on his desk, and even what kind of windows they have (glass she shatters; shutters the paperweight bounces off; or stone openings through which the paperweight soars?). You also show your readers, without pausing to describe them, that your heroine is fiery and unafraid of her father, and that her mother is timid. Take the minimum amount of historical information readers need to engage with the story, and drip feed it in when something else is happening, so they hardly notice: they just absorb. "
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Post by mdpthatsme on Apr 17, 2011 20:03:54 GMT -5
That's a wonderful find Pink...but it really doesn't help me. My question(s) above really do not involve relationships or history of the characters, but more the history of the world, political stuff, and how it all became what it became. I suppose I should have expounded, but I didn't have a brain when I typed that above.
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Post by simslia on Apr 21, 2011 10:38:40 GMT -5
In all the books I've read where I have to read lots of historical background I find it the most interesting (AND sometimes not dry at all) when the history of the land, the political situation, etc relates back to the main character who I am/will be invested in for the majority of the rest of the story. Instead of stating just the political situation, I like it when the character's own political views are tied in. Or instead of just writing about the land, how the world came to be, I like it to be in the context of the character's own upbringing. That's just my own personal opinion, but maybe you will find it helpful.
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