Writing Historical Fiction

Course Description:  

6 self-contained modules, tailor-made to meet individual requirements, each containing email lecture, writing suggestions, reading recommendations and an assignment.   

Week 1: Introduction: 

–        What is Historical Fiction?  

–        Various genres 

–        Importance of Time Period 

 Week 2: Research 

–        How to show both historical and fictional figures dealing with  historical events 

–        Using historical events to complement story’s narrative 

–        How and Where to carry out research 

–        Using research to story advantage 

–        Balancing history and fiction – so that neither overwhelms the other 

Week 3: Characters 

In Fiction characters are king and never more so than when writing historical fiction.  

–        Development of character/s using Character Profile 

–        The power of the senses.  

–        The advantages of showing rather than telling 

–        Using to character advantage clothes/food/ethos of time   

Week 4: Plots and Subplots 

–        MindMapping  

–        Storyboarding.  

–        Creating Cameo sequences;  

–        Set-pieces to create atmosphere  

Week 5:  Locations & Skills 

–        Optimum Locations/settings/weather to compliment characters and story line 

–        Point of Entry  

–        Building on Detail,  

–        Emotional landscaping 

–        Writing Historical Fiction as a contemporary genre 

 Week 6 

–        Polishing first Chapter 

–        Tips on finishing that First Draft  

Tutor: Patricia O’Reilly’s latest historical novel ‘A Type of Beauty, the story of Kathleen Newton (1854-1882)’, set in London, Agra and Paris will be published in 2010. She writes both contemporary novels and non-fiction books, her most recent ‘Writing for Success’, as well as newspaper and magazine journalism and radio plays, documentaries and short stories. She is a researcher, writer and workshop convenor, giving workshops on various aspects of writing as part of UCD’s Adult Education Programme and throughout Ireland.

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