Historical
FightWrite™: How Do People Who Don’t Know How to Fight, Fight?
If your character isn't a trained fighter but the scene calls for a fight, how can you make the scene realistic? Author and trained fighter Carla Hoch has the answers for writers here.
Pam Jenoff: On Writing About Isolation While Isolated
Bestselling author Pam Jenoff shares how she explored themes of isolation in her latest novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, while writing during the 2020 pandemic lockdown.
What Is World-Building?
You might have heard the term before or are even an expert at it without realizing. WD editor Moriah Richard is here to lay out exactly what world-building is for writers of all genres.
Posy Lovell: On History and Inspiration
Novelist Posy Lovell describes what drew her to write her latest novel, The Kew Garden Girls, and why she hopes her readers will be familiar with the friendships portrayed.
Family Stories as Inspiration for Historical Fiction
When writing fiction, there's always a fine line between reality and make-believe. Debut author Kirstin Beck explains how her family's history became the seed for her novel Courage, My Love.
The Past Is Never Past: Drawing on Personal History to Write Engaging Historical Fiction
New York Times bestselling author Karen White discusses what drew her to writing historical fiction and how she uses a modern setting to explore history.
Kristin Beck: On Writing Quickly and Publishing Slowly
Debut novelist Kristin Beck shares what it was like to write her historical fiction novel Courage, My Love and why she was so thankful for a slow publishing process.
Stephanie Dray: On Writing Women's Legacies
Bestselling and award-winning author Stephanie Dray shares how she selects the historical figures that she features in her novels and how she came to see the whole of her character's legacies.
Historical Fiction: Write What You Know, or Know What You Write
Historical novelist David Gilman tackles the age-old question—how can genre writers best bring their subjects to life?
Anna Lee Huber: On Escapism and Historical Fiction
Award-winning author Anna Lee Huber discusses the particular pain of writing during the 2020 lockdown and how she views historical fiction as a form of escape.
David Gilman: On the Accuracy of Historical Fiction
Award-winning author and screenwriter David Gilman discusses the joys and challenges of writing the seventh book in his Master of War series, Shadow of the Hawk.
20 Authors Share Tips on Writing Historical Fiction Novels That Readers Love
20 authors share tips on writing historical fiction novels that readers love, covering topics related to research, the balance between telling the truth and telling a story, breathing life into characters, and much more.
Nadia Hashimi: On Seeing Ourselves in Historical Fiction
International bestselling author Nadia Hashimi discusses how her latest historical fiction novel Sparks Like Stars caused her to see the need for representation in storytelling.
Steve Goble: On Publishing Two Books in the Same Year
Author Steve Goble explains his experience with publishing his next two novels, Pieces of Eight and City Problems, in the same year and why writers should surprise themselves.
Patti Callahan: On Writing About Another Culture
New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan explains why her newest novel, Surviving Savannah, underwent several sensitivity reads and what her experience was like.
How to Co-Author a Book: Building Continuity and Avoiding Pitfalls
Co-authors Simon Turney and Gordon Doherty share their top 5 tips for collaborating with another author on a project.
Nicole Galland: On Returning to Familiar Characters
Bestselling author Nicole Galland explains what it was like to dive into writing a series and how speculative fiction allows her to explore her interests.
Jaclyn Goldis: From Personal History to Historical Fiction
Debut author Jaclyn Goldis explains how her novel When We Were Young was inspired by her real-life grandmothers and how many times she rewrote her first chapter.
From the Practical to the Mystic: 7 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction
Bestselling author Erika Robuck provides her top 7 tips for creating an engaging historical fiction novel.
The Pleasures and Perils of Writing Historical Fiction
Romance author Eva Leigh explains the complications in writing a historical romance and provides tips for how to do it well.
6 Tips for Confidently Writing Historical Fiction
Author Jaclyn Goldis shares her six tips for writing historical fiction, whether its about Regency England or a Jewish community on a Greek island that fell under Nazi occupation.
Erika Robuck: On Writing Historical Women
Bestselling author Erika Robuck explains what it takes to write historical fiction and how she feels a connection with the character in her latest novel, The Invisible Woman.
Julia Kelly: Determining a Book's Personality
Bestselling author Julia Kelly explains how she developed the plot and pacing of her latest historical fiction novel The Last Garden of England and why writers should read outside their genre.
Kristin Hannah: Discovering an Unexpected Protagonist
New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah discusses the most surprising aspect of writing her newest historical fiction novel The Four Winds.