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In this episode Susan J. Austin and I discuss:

• Organizing your historical research for ease of use in your writing.
• Writing for the specific reading level of your audience. 
• Re-engaging with a manuscript that you have set aside for a while.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Susan J. Austin 

As an educator, Susan J. Austin knows the minds of young readers. Her first novel, The Bamboo Garden, is set in Berkeley, California, 1923, and describes an unlikely friendship between two girls that is tested by a fierce fire that threatens to destroy their town. Currently, she is writing about twelve-year-old Goldie, a whiz kid in the kitchen who hopes that her culinary magic can help her family’s delicatessen out of a pickle in 1928 Hollywood. Her characters are always brave, strong-willed risk-takers. Writing historical fiction offers her a way to educate and excite her readers about the past. She and her husband live in Northern California, surrounded by family, their splendid but fussy rose bushes, and a lifetime collection of books. Learn more at www.susanjaustin.com.

Drawing Outside the Lines

Drawing Outside the Lines is an imagined childhood of pioneering architect Julia Morgan, who left behind an extraordinary legacy of creativity, beauty, and engineering marvels.

In 1883, eleven-year-old Julia visits the amazing new Brooklyn Bridge, an experience that ignites within her a small but persistent flame. Someday, she too will build something wonderful. Her journey is not easy. Growing up in horse-and-buggy Oakland, she enjoys daring fence walks, climbing the tallest trees, and constantly testing her mother’s patience with her lack of interest in domestic duties and social events. 

At a time when “brainy” girls are the object of ridicule, Julia excels in school and consistently outsmarts her ornery brothers. A greater battle awaits her in college. The male students taunt her, and the professors belittle her. Through it all, Julia holds on to her dream of becoming an architect. She faces each challenge head-on, firmly standing up to those who are convinced that a woman’s place is in the home. Fortunately, the world is about to meet the indomitable Miss Morgan.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 431

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 431: Writing the Imagined Childhood of a Historical Figure for Middle Grade Readers – Interview with Susan J. Austin appeared first on DIY MFA.

The Essentials

One of my early posts for DIY MFA discussed six key elements of historical fiction and how authors tune those elements in creating their stories. There are plenty of online resources that touch on the definition of the genre and its important elements (or “rules”).

Experts may differ on some of the details. For example, one generally accepted definition says that the events depicted must have occurred at least fifty years ago while another expert argues that the story must be set before 1950. Characters can be real or imagined or both. But everyone agrees that the setting, the characters, the events, and the culture must be period-appropriate for the era of the narrative. And the novelist must immediately transport the reader into that world of the past through strong world-building and appropriate dialogue.

The Adjacencies

So let’s take a look at some of the adjacent spaces and what makes them different.

Historical Fantasy

Historical Fantasy tends to follow many of the “rules” of pure historical fiction. But it veers away with the introduction of speculative elements. Dragons, wizards, immortals, magic swords, special powers. Elements that one might expect to encounter in a more traditional fantasy novel.

And, as always, there are some gray areas. Take the many novels and screenplays written about the Arthurian legends. I would postulate that something like The Mists of Avalon is historical fantasy whereas Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles series is historical fiction, since all the characters, including Merlin, Nimuë, and Morgan la Fey, are flesh-and-blood beings, without any special powers, who might actually have lived in post-Roman Britain. What do you think?

Alternative History

Alternative history takes the notion of speculative elements in an entirely different direction. These stories have the same starting point as historical fiction and follow all the “rules.” But their premise is based on asking what if the events we know had unfolded in an entirely different way. What might have happened, for instance, if Wellington had lost at Waterloo? Or if Nicholas II had been more progressive and had not been distracted by his only son’s hemophilia? Or if Lincoln had not been assassinated, leaving a dyed-in-the-wool racist in charge of Reconstruction?

Historical Mystery

Historical mystery is an example of where genres truly intersect. The rules of both genres apply. The historical details must be well-crafted in order for the mystery to work. One excellent example is Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael Chronicles.

Historical Romance

Historical romance is really a sub-genre of Romance and is defined by the Romance Writers of America simply as a romance set prior to the 1950s. There are, of course, whole categories within the sub-genre based on the time period of the story. Since the romance is central, these novels may take somewhat more creative liberties in their portrayal of the historical setting.

What about other types of stories set in the past?

Many genres have stories that are set in what would be considered a “historical” period. A detective story set in the Great Depression. A thriller set against the backdrop of the 1960s space race. Mystery or suspense set in the Roaring Twenties. Women’s Fiction set in the mid-20th century.

In these cases, the historical setting is not the primary focus of the story. But it’s always a treat for me when the authors of such novels take pains to ensure historical accuracy (including avoiding anachronisms) and give their readers a real flavor of the time in which their story takes place.

The “passage of time” factor

What may have been a contemporary setting for Conan Doyle is, from the 21st-century reader’s perspective, a historical world. And perhaps there’s a lesson we can all take from that. Perhaps it’s a very useful exercise for historical writers – whether of pure historical fiction or one of the adjacencies – to observe how real those once-contemporary settings feel and to strive to achieve that same degree of realism in our own historical worlds.

Pamela Taylor’s inspiration for her first book turned out to be that final straw that pushed her to leave the corporate world behind for the world of words and imagination. Now an author and an editor, she loves helping others polish their stories almost as much as she enjoys writing her own. She’s a member of the DFW Writers Workshop and the Editorial Freelancers Association and is in her fourth year on the judges panel for the Ink & Insights Contest. You can learn more about her books at secondsonchronicles.com, and about her editing services at editing4you.com. 

The post When Is It Historical Fiction and When Is It Something Else? appeared first on DIY MFA.

A finalist for Alternating Current’s 2016 Luminaire Award for Best Prose, her short stories have appeared in Souvenir and Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Area Women as well as The Sky is a Free Country.

Her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. She received her master of arts in English from George Mason University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended The Bread Loaf Writers Conference where she studied with Charles Baxter and Lauren Groff. Currently, she is a media executive at Atlantic Media (publisher of The Atlantic). 

She lives in Maryland and is the co-founder of the Thoughtful Dog literary magazine. 

In this episode Constance and I discuss:

• How a painting inspired A Witch in Time
• Blending together multiple storylines into a cohesive narrative
• Managing pacing with different storylines
• Balancing writing and researching
• Novel-writing lessons from writing short stories

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Constance Sayers

Constance Sayers’ debut novel, A Witch in Time, will be published in February 2020 from Orbit (Hachette Book Group). A finalist for Alternating Current’s 2016 Luminaire Award for Best Prose, her short stories have appeared in Souvenir and Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Area Women as well as The Sky is a Free Country. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. She received her master of arts in English from George Mason University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended The Bread Loaf Writers Conference where she studied with Charles Baxter and Lauren Groff. Currently, she is a media executive at Atlantic Media (publisher of The Atlantic). 

She lives in Maryland and is the co-founder of the Thoughtful Dog literary magazine. Visit her website or connect with her on Twitter.

A Witch in Time

A young witch is cursed to relive a doomed love affair through many lifetimes, as both troubled muse and frustrated artist, in this haunting debut novel.

In 1895, sixteen-year-old Juliet LaCompte has a passionate, doomed romance with the married Parisian painter Auguste Marchant. When her mother — a witch — attempts to cast a curse on Marchant, she unwittingly summons a demon, binding her daughter to both Auguste and this supernatural being for all time.

Born and re-born, Juliet is fated to live her affair and die tragically young across continents and lifetimes.

But finally, in present-day Washington D.C., something shifts. In this life, Juliet starts to remember her tragic past. And this time, she begins to develop powers of her own that might finally break the spell…

A Witch in Time is perfect for fans of A Secret History of Witches, Outlander, and The Time Traveler’s Wife.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 289

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 289: Stitching Together Multiple Timelines — Interview with Constance Sayers appeared first on DIY MFA.