Face it, writing a book is hard work, but along the journey we've all learned some basic principles to live by when writing historical fiction... or any fiction, for that matter. I write this post with the ideals of one of my favorite books on writing, which is, ironically, "On Writing" by Stephen King. This book, to me, is the Holy Grail of book writing advice... and, honestly, I think it is to most aspiring writers.
Using Mr King's points, I am going to elaborate on each one in relation to writing historical fiction and how the point has helped me along the way.
1. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference.
While this isn't always the case, having a supportive friend or family member to bolster your dream of writing is key in this sometimes very isolating journey. We lock ourselves up in our little writing sanctuaries, staring endlessly at the screen, tapping away at the keys as imaginary characters come to life before us and worlds emerge from our minds. Most who are not writers do not understand the emotional and mental exertion this takes out of writers, viewing it, oftentimes, as a 'cute' hobby, thus the need as we crawl out of our dens to find another like-minded comrade who will slap us on the back and beam with unrestrained delight as we spout our stories into their ears. This is one of the reasons I created the Historical Fiction Club on FB and the website, to provide a safe haven for writers to find other supportive writers and readers to give them the boost missing from their life. Just a little encouragement and the right word might spawn the next Steinbeck or Hemingway to finish that novel and send it out to the world. I know those who have supported me along the way and their names will never leave my mind.
2. "Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open."
Writing is a very personal thing. More often than not, a writer reaches down into the depths of his or her soul and extracts feelings, experiences, words, memories, etc. to draw from when writing a novel. Writing with the door closed means it is just you and the story... no one else. This is a necessary journey to bring a book to birth. And then, when you are ready, you open the door and offer your heart to the world. Then, and only then, should the rewrite come based on how you want the reader to interact with the story. The transformation between first draft and rewrite (and rewrite and rewrite...) is, without a doubt, phenomenal. If most of us published our first drafts, the public would have devoured us whole... and, let's face it, we would never have written again.
One of my favorite quotes from 'Shadowlands', the story of C. S. Lewis, is 'We read to know we are not alone,' but I like to think 'we write to know we are not alone' since our writing connects us with the world around us, especially as historical fiction authors who reach across time to resurrect the lives of nobles and commoners, alike. To transform our novel for the reader, to open the door, we allow our story to be the conduit for many who might not have ordinarily delved into the life of a historical figure. It then behooves us to make our story the best it can be, not only for the reader, but for those we write about... and ultimately, for ourselves.
3. "One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a bit ashamed of your short ones."
Honestly, I've struggled with this one but Mr King is right, which moves me to the next point that made a significant impact on how I approach writing now.
4. "Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is appropriate and colorful."
This is it. Sometimes the first word that comes to your mind is the one you should use... but I love the caveat. Only if it is appropriate and colorful. As a writer, we eat, drink, and sleep words, at least, we should... and the point #7 below expands on the necessity of reading a lot to expand our own mind. Reading books in the era in which you are writing is key in being able to write about the era. Choosing words which are appropriate and colorful, and knowing the era, helps a historical fiction author's book not become so anachronistic that a reader tosses the book across the room. In truth, I've read some of those types of books. In truth, I've written those types of stories... long ago... never to be published. But I learned, and I now absorb as much reading as I possibly can to hone my mind into the voices and actions a character might take in their era, not in my era. Modern words are not appropriate, in my opinion, no matter how colorful they may sound to our modern audiences.
If I am reading a Regency novel, I want the characters to sound Regency. Plain, enough.
5. "Most people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that those talents can be strengthened and sharpened with practice."
I agree with this one, IF you have the passion behind the talent. Passion is what keeps us moving forward along this journey to become a writer, otherwise it doesn't matter how much or how little skill you have. Passion is the only thing that will motivate you to practice. Practice is the only thing that will strengthen and sharpen your talent. Yes, a circle.
6. “The adverb is not your friend.”
“Adverbs, you will remember from your own version of Business English, are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.”
“I insist that you use the adverb in dialogue attribution only in the rarest and most special of occasions … and not even then, if you can avoid it.”
I cannot stress enough how strongly, emphatically, resolutely, and firmly this statement is true. Adverbs are not your friend. If you can find a way of showing or describing something without the use of an adverb, by all means, DO IT. And yes, I used four in my first statement in this paragraph... so now, you take this paragraph and rewrite it in your head without using any of the adverbs I used above. Stretching our mind beyond using adverbs is what Mr King had in mind when he wrote the resolute statement and one I stick to unless, like he said, it is used in the rarest and most special of occasions.
7. "“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
“Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.”
My thoughts on this? Read, read, read.
8. "“What you need to remember is that there’s a difference between lecturing about what you know and using it to enrich the story. The latter is good. The former is not.”
“In my view, stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, which moves the story from point A to point B and finally to point Z; description, which creates a sensory reality for the reader; and dialogue, which brings characters to life through their speech.”
“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”
“One of the cardinal rules of good fiction is never tell us a thing if you can show us.”
All of these points meld together to create a beautiful story. No one likes a know-it-all, and a reader gets bored if a book leans more towards what the writer learned in his research rather than drawing him into the story by using historical tidbits to entice. As a historical fiction author, this is a fine line and we can all get carried away with the history and lose the story all together. Our characters will get bogged down in our own research. Readers read to be entertained, historical fiction readers read to be entertained and to learn... at least, that is what I do when I read my favorite genre. An author must find the balance.
One of my favorite techniques (and yes, I've gotten some looks) is to play out a whole scene of dialogue out loud while driving in my car. I'm not sure why I developed this technique but hearing the words out loud, acting them, if you will, helps me to clarify the authenticity, the feel of the words, before actually writing them down. (Would someone really say that? Does that feel too awkward or unreal?) Most writers have their own techniques, but this one, as well as reading the entire book out loud to myself or recording the manuscript in my voice on a device then listening back, all help to hone the story so it translates from beginning in my imagination and ending in the reader's.
9. “Everything I’ve said about dialogue applies to building characters in fiction. The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see.”
This one applies to what I wrote above. Be real. Tell the truth about what you see, what you feel, who your characters are. If you are not pushing yourself enough, it will show in your writing and the readers will not respond.
10. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
While this might be an odd statement coming from Stephen King whose writing has brought him all of the things he said it shouldn't be about... it is true. So often I have said to other aspiring writers, "If you are not in this for the long haul, then just be content with writing a novel to print one copy of to put on your shelf." - This is a career, a business, and being a writer is a huge creative outlet, an artistic endeavor, it needs to be about more than just the creative aspect. Mr King also said to put your desk in the corner and not in the middle of the room since your life isn't the support-system for your art. Art is the support-system for you life. And for any sustainable art to continuing supporting your life, especially if you want this to be a career, you have to look at it from a business mind instead of an artistic mind. This is a very difficult thing to do since so many writers dream of winning the lottery by getting a six-figure contract with one of the big 5 publishing houses. Yes, it does happen, but for the most, it does not. Thus, the reason for Mr King's final statement - your writing needs to be about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, especially being a historical fiction author, and, in turn, enriching your own life. Getting happy.
For all of you who want a copy of this book, here is the link:
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Thank you Mr King for your words of wisdom and for the little book I still have tucked near my own desk in the corner.
D. K. Marley
Historical Fiction Author
CEO of The Historical Fiction Company