Title: 9 Tips for Writing a Historical Nonfiction Novel - 2021 - MasterClass
Headings: 9 Tips for Writing a Historical Nonfiction Novel
9 Tips for Writing a Historical Nonfiction Novel
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What Is Historical Nonfiction?
7 Examples of Historical Nonfiction
9 Tips for Writing Historical Nonfiction
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Content: Just because you are writing about history doesn’t mean you can’t use genre elements. Some of the most popular historical nonfiction books use narrative or stylistic techniques from genres like science fiction, coming of age stories, or thrillers. For example, true crime is one of the most popular genres in both books and movies and is a perfect example of genre overlap between historical nonfiction and thriller. Don’t neglect character development. Just because you are writing about actual events doesn’t mean you should ignore some basic aspects of character development. When developing characters in nonfiction, your characters were living, breathing historical figures—it’s your job to provide the factual details that make the character come alive to appear nuanced and fully formed in the minds of your readers. The best nonfiction books don’t simply recount history in chronological order but rather focus on the people that influenced significant events, trying to explore the traits and desires that drove them and made them human. Focus on a single event. Rather than writing about a topic like the Civil War or World War II, consider narrowing your focus to a specific event that occured during these periods. This is especially useful if you are new to the historical nonfiction genre.