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As
an Author of Historical Fiction… I See Dead People!
by
Gail Ward Olmsted
Do
you recall that kid from the 1999 psychological thriller The Sixth Sense?
You know the one- he looks at the character played by Bruce Willis and says
quite convincingly ‘I see dead people’.
It is an iconic scene and a shocking admission from an unlikely source. But
you know what? I see dead people too!
Writing
historical fiction is a balancing act of creating a good story while doing
justice to real people, places, or events or in some cases. all three. Fictionalizing
real people can be tricky, resulting in anything from a bland version of a
well-known character from the annals of history to a vampire-hunting Abe
Lincoln. It all starts with a thorough understanding of your characters.
With
my purely fictional main characters in my contemporary novels, I start out with
an in-depth analysis. Physical characteristics, personality traits, social
behaviors, attitudes, likes and dislikes. I alone can decide that ‘she would
never say that’ or ‘he would never go there’ and no one can argue with me.
They’re my characters, my invention and I have the final say. Regardless
of whether they are based on real people or more likely, a combination of a
number of people, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
But
what if a character is closely based on or inspired by a real person? Just how
much fiction is allowed to be included and still have the novel be considered historical
and/or biographical? Striking the right balance between fact and fiction can be
challenging, but it’s what elevates a memorable story into a novel that begs to
be read. Readers of historical fiction are seeking entertainment, an escape and
according to one of my readers, “it gives you somewhere to go when you have to
stay where you are.” In order to reveal the character’s true self, you need to truly
‘see’ them and discover their attitudes, beliefs and expectations; their
essence, if you will.
The
two historical novels that I have published highlight the lives of real people.
The first is a male, well known for his professional achievements but little
has been written about his personal and family life. To complicate matters
further, he shares the same surname and family lineage as my husband. In my
author notes, I explain in detail what is factually true and what parts were
liberties I thought necessary to develop the story I wanted to write. I felt
honor-bound to respect his legacy and hope that I did him proud.
In
my second novel, I chose a remarkable woman who most of us have never heard of.
I learned of her while doing research for my first historical fiction title. She
has a difficult last name, was not in the least bit photogenic and accounts of
her personality ranged from lively and fetching all the way to ‘dull as
dishwater’. Which description is the more accurate? I don’t know for sure but
at some point, instinct takes over. With only a very sketchy outline to follow,
I needed to decide who this person really was, to really get to know her. I
based what I wrote on what I was able to glean from actual letters she wrote
and received as well as her professional accomplishments and lifestyle. Once
again, I hope I did justice to her legacy.
So
yes, I see dead people and I hear them too. My books include a good deal of
dialogue and when the characters come from another time and place, it is easy
to weigh the writing down with cumbersome language, words and phrases that may
be unfamiliar to modern readers. Balancing the different styles and manners of
speaking in order to be authentic as well as enjoyable is the key.
The
next time you read a historical novel, look closely at the characters the
author has chosen to bring to life. I predict you’ll see dead people too!
Gail
Ward Olmsted is the award-winning author of eight published novels. Her two
works of historical fiction are the best-selling Landscape of a Marriage,
the mostly true story of park builder Frederick Law Olmsted and Mary, his wife
of 44 years, and Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip, a newly
released fictional journey of a remarkable real woman: Katharine Prescott
Wormeley.
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