Trish St.Hill

Embracing the Emotional Depth of Historical Fiction

As a historic fiction writer, it is challenging to build a story that invokes curiosity from your readers. Authenticity is key to writing a convincing tale, as readers are often drawn to narratives that resonate with real historical contexts and human experiences. To create a narrative with an authentic feel, it is essential to delve into the emotions of your story while equally drawing your readers into those feelings. By painting vivid scenes that transport your audience to a different era, you can immerse them in the sights, sounds, and sentiments that define your world. Telling a story alone is not enough to engage your readers; it is crucial to keep them wondering about the what, when, and where of your characters. What is happening? How are they feeling? To keep readers intrigued, tantalize them with the journey of the characters, injecting just enough mystery to leave them questioning what’s next. This tension encourages a deeper connection, compelling your audience to turn the pages as they yearn to uncover the truth behind the characters’ actions, motivations, and the historical events that shape their lives. Ultimately, it is the blend of rich detail, emotional depth, and suspenseful storytelling that creates a memorable experience for the reader.

Readers might grow to like your characters, hate them, or become curious about them, but the goal is to avoid indifference. You don’t want your audience feeling lost or confused as they navigate through the storyline, as this can lead to disengagement from the plot altogether. It’s acceptable for them to be curious and wonder about the characters’ motivations and backgrounds, but not to feel adrift in a sea of ambiguity. As a writer, you must dive into the heart and soul of each character in a way that maintains your readers’ attention and fosters a connection to their journeys. This connection is key; you want them asking questions and remaining engaged enough to seek the answers. By weaving in rich backstories and nuanced personality traits, you can create multifaceted characters who evoke strong emotions, ensuring that readers not only invest in their fates but also reflect on their own experiences and feelings as they relate to the unfolding narrative.

• What are they doing?
• Why are they doing it?
• What are they feeling?
• What will happen next?

As the author, you must have a clear vision of where the story is heading; however, your readers should be left to wonder about the twists and turns that lie ahead, igniting their imagination and creating an engaging experience that captivates their minds and emotions. This delicate balance between the author’s intent and the reader’s interpretation is vital for crafting a narrative that resonates deeply, encouraging them to explore possibilities and anticipate outcomes that may not align with their expectations, all while allowing the story to unfold in unexpected ways. By maintaining a subtle air of mystery, you allow your audience to become active participants in the unfolding tale, enhancing their connection to the characters and the world you’ve meticulously built, fostering an environment where they feel compelled to think critically and dream vividly about what could happen next. As they venture further into the narrative, their investment in the plot deepens, making every revelation and twist feel personal, as if the story is uniquely theirs to discover.

Yesterday, I sat in my sunroom working on my fourth novel, surrounded by the gentle warmth of sunlight filtering through the glass. As I peeled back the layers of my characters and wove my intricate story, I found myself deeply embroiled in a particular storyline that tugged at my heartstrings. After typing 25 pages, a wave of sadness washed over me; I realized that I had become so entrenched in my characters’ experiences that I felt overwhelmed by their struggles and triumphs. Each line I wrote seemed to pull me deeper into their world, making it increasingly difficult to separate their pain from my own reality. I reminded myself that my characters were fictional, mere figments of my imagination, and took a break, inhaling deeply, trying to ground myself. I stepped away from the keyboard and grabbed a bottle of water from my refrigerator, the cool sensation refreshing against my lips. Yet, despite the brief reprieve, I couldn’t shake the feeling that resonated within me, an echo of their emotions lingering in the air, a testament to the power of storytelling that can transcend the boundaries of ink and paper.

This wasn’t the first time I had felt overwhelmed while writing a novel—it likely won’t be the last. I began to question my emotional response: Am I normal? Why do I get so emotional about fictional characters and storylines? With my laptop pushed aside, I reclined in my armchair and watched ten minutes of news, momentarily losing myself in the world outside my own creation. Then, it hit me. I am the only person who knows the future of my characters and truly understands them inside and out. Each detail, from their flawed motivations to their triumphs, has been meticulously crafted in my mind. I have spent hundreds of pages developing them and watched them grow within the confines of my novel, like watching children mature and face life’s challenges. No one else carries that burden, that intimate knowledge of their struggles and dreams. It’s okay to feel their pain, I thought, because in doing so, I honor their journeys. If my characters lacked depth, they wouldn’t invoke such emotions in me. Instead, they speak to the universal human experience, reflecting our own fears and aspirations. It’s important to share in their stories, celebrate their joys, and lament their sorrows—this is what breathes life into good historical fiction, allowing readers to connect with the past through the vivid artistry of narrative. In this emotional landscape, both writer and reader find a sense of belonging, a reminder that even in fiction, we are never truly alone.

Unlike regular fiction, historical fiction involves inserting fictional characters into a backdrop of the past, intertwined with historical events that shape their lives and choices. This genre requires thorough research and a vivid imagination to create characters grounded in the social norms and lifestyles of the time period, ensuring that the nuances of each era are accurately represented. To craft believable characters true to their era, one must deeply understand and care for them, immersing oneself in their motivations, struggles, and triumphs to evoke authenticity. Additionally, weaving their stories into the broader historical narrative demands an awareness of the societal context in which they exist, thus allowing the plot to resonate with both historical accuracy and emotional depth. I gave myself permission to feel overwhelmed, recognizing the weight of this creative responsibility, but I also allowed myself the grace to take a break, breathe, and regain perspective, understanding that even the most dedicated writers must periodically step back to nurture their creativity and maintain clarity in their storytelling journey.