The Art and Craft of Historical Fiction: A Reading & Writing Workshop, with Susanne Dunlap

Stephen King once said that reading is the creative center of a writer’s life. Often the best way to learn about a genre is to read and study it, and then apply what you learn to your own writing. This workshop will examine parts of four historical novels by some of the most skilled authors writing in the genre. You’ll have a month to read each book, or as much of it as you like, and we’ll discuss the books in our meetings, exploring a particular craft element. After discussions, you’ll have time to apply the craft technique to your own project and work on your writing, guided by a prompt.

• Grounding your reader in time and place without committing the cardinal sin of info dumping
• Seamlessly interweaving essential historical detail in a complex, layered story
• Creating characters that resonate with modern readers—without unintentional anachronisms
• The borders between history and fiction and the role of research—how much is it OK to invent

For September 4: The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell