Past obsessions: reading and writing historical fiction
‘Historical fiction’ sounds brainy, doesn’t it? When I hear the term I think of writers like the great Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory, people who spend many years researching their books and are meticulous about getting it absolutely right. But I think there’s a difference between these wonderful, heavy-weight literary works and books that are simply set in the past because for, one reason or another that’s where the story must take place.
Unless your novel is about real–life characters with full, well-documented lives (I’m looking at you, Thomas Cromwell), it is possible to write historical fiction without spending a decade doing research. That said, you do need an obsession with your era and may even find yourself going down a research rabbit-hole. (There’s nothing I don’t know about 1950s’ waitress uniforms.) You have to really love the era you choose because you will inhabit it for months, maybe years.
I chose the early 1950s as the setting for She Came to Stay for two reasons: I found out that in 1952, the Great Smog took hold of London for five days and shook it to its core. Secondly, this is the when my parents came to London from Cyprus, and I’ve always been fascinated by 50s London (and Soho in particular, where they both worked).
Of course the problem with writing historical fiction is that there are so many opportunities for getting it wrong but I’m here to tell you it can be incredibly freeing too. Writing a mystery? Set it in the past and you don’t have characters rushing to their laptops to Google events/ people, phone batteries running out at crucial moments, emails arriving with news faster than the post that takes three days. See. Lots of potential for misunderstandings, non-communication and general skullduggery. Perfect.
Bringing it back to now
One thing I learnt along the way was to include themes and emotions that resonate now, or are universal so readers can relate (hopefully) to my characters and they don’t seem like stereotypes suspended in aspic. For this reason, I also tried to avoid too much idiomatic dialogue from the era. If every person greets another with ‘all right, old girl?’ when they meet it’s going to tedious very quickly.
How I researched the 1950s
Spoke to relatives and friends who were alive then, specifically about their experiences coming to England
Read first-hand accounts
Watched documentaries and immersed myself in films of the era (especially mysteries)
Read books published then, but also ones written about the era including non-fiction about the Soho set (there’s a long list in the back of the book).
Visited photography exhibitions. In fact, photos were a great source of inspiration and nothing brings me back to a time a place more than a postcard stuck in my research folder, or a photo of a couple walking through the fog used as my screensaver.
You know those tacky birthday cards that are year-specific, and come complete with CD celebrating the music of the year you were born? Those.
Depending on your era, YouTube can be an excellent for news footage
Old newspapers can provide inspiration: use real events for stories or see what else was happening in your characters’ world at that time that may have affected them (eg Spanish flu was rife in the early 50s, so yes it’s in my book).
Why research counts
Having a few details, like the brand of soap someone’s using or a poster they see on their walk to work, can give a chapter a ring of authenticity. Too much, though, and you’re wearing your research heavily. Sometimes it’s tempting to put everything in that you've ever found out, but that ends up a bit showy-offy and nobody wants that. As a writer you want to tell everyone everything you know; as a reader you just want a sprinkling of historical detail that doesn’t distract from the plot.
Some of my favourite books set in the past
Music and Silence, Rose Tremain
Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel
Early One Morning, Virginia Baily
The Secret Purposes, David Baddiel
Little Deaths, Emma Flint
Alone in Berlin, Hans Fallada
What’s your favourite book set in the past, and why? Do you have a favourite era? What makes it so special to you?
I’d love to know, so do leave a comment below.