Writing Historical Fiction

Foreword
Preface
The Writers' and Artists' Book of Historical Fiction
Part One: Historical Fiction
Part Two: Tips & Tales
Part Three: Write On
Introduction

Part 1: Historical Fiction

Reflections 1 by Duncan Sprott
1. On being stuck fast
2. On myth and historical fiction
3. On being not quite proper
4. On writing about antiquity
5. On the heart

Reflections 2 by Celia Brayfield
1. The Past Polemical
2. Love and sex, fact and fiction
3. Welcome to my Storyworld: History in digital games
4. The Land of Stories: Historical fiction for children
5. Heroine addiction: Women as protagonists in historical fiction

A Short History of Historical Fiction
From Gilgamesh to Rome by Duncan Sprott
From Beowulf to King Arthur by Duncan Sprott
Early Modern by Celia Brayfield
Le Morte d'Arthur to The Castle of Otranto
Modern by Celia Brayfield
Waverley to Middlemarch
Tess of the d'Urbervilles to Wolf Hall
New Women
Seeing with fresh eyes

Part 2: Tips and Tales - guest contributions
Margaret Atwood
Ian Beck
Madison Smartt Bell
Ronan Bennett
Vorona Bennett
Tracey Chevalier
Lindsay Clarke
Elizabeth Cook
Anne Doughty
Sarah Dunant
Michel Faber
Margaret George
Philippa Gregory
Katharine McMahon
Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Ian Mortimer
Kate Mosse
Charles Palliser
Orhan Pamuk
Edward Rutherfurd
Manda Scott
Adam Thorpe
Stella Tillyard
Rose Tremain
Alison Weir
Louisa Young

Part 3: Write On
Planning by Duncan Sprott
Finding your subject
Choosing a period
Evaluatiuon
Historical research by Duncan Sprott
How much research?
Finding your direction
Establishing foundations
Advice from experts
Basic sources
Modern times 1500+
Early times
Where to start?
Ancient Greece and Rome
Ancient Egypt
Roman Britain
Dark Age Britain
Medieval Britain
Wales
Scotland
Ireland
Online sources
Search engines
Online genealogy
Going offline
Libraries
Public libraries
Major libraries
University libraries
Subscription libraries
Special interest libraries
Archives
National Archives
Wales - National archives
Scotland - National archives
Northern Ireland
Basic sources
Archives
University libraries
Other libraries
Births, marriages and deaths - UK
Wills
Local archives
County Record Offices
What can you expect to find?
Other useful organizations
Historic buildings and monuments
Heraldry
Museums and galleries - England
London - Museums
London - Galleries
Museums outside London
Museums and galleries - Scotland
Historical societies and relevant organizations
Welsh journals
House history
Topography
Picture libraries
Ireland (Eire)
Basic sources
Archives
Local archives
University libraries
Museums and galleries
USA
Research
Basic sources
National archives
Local archives
Libraries
Public libraries
University libraries
Other libraries
Museums and galleries
Historical societies
Canada
Research
Basic sources
National and local archives
Libraries
Major libraries
Museums and galleries
Australia
Research
Basic sources
Public libraries
Museums and galleries
New Zealand
Basic sources
Research plan
Costing, time management, travelling
What will it cost?
How long will it take?
Last minute questions
Beginning
How to focus
How to get going
Drafting a plot
Drafts
Practical stuff
Troubleshooting
What to do with a gap in your evidence?
Writer's block
Exercises by Celia Brayfield
Writing courses
How can they help?
Writing courses - UK
Organizations - UK
Writing courses - USA
Writing courses - Canada
Writing courses - Australia and New Zealand
Ending by Duncan Sprott
Historical Fiction from A-Z
Lastly...
Is it really really finished?
Getting published
Literary agents
Finding an agent
Submitting the manuscript
What to send?
Contacting an agent
The Letter
Writing a synopsis
Handling rejection(s)
Agency agreements
Publishers
Self-publishing by Celia Brayfield
Online publishing by Celia Brayfield
Acknowledgements
Permissions
Bibliography
Index