by Stephanie Dray | Apr 18, 2011 | For Writers, Historical Fiction Genre
When an author throws magical elements into a modern setting, its called paranormal romance or urban fantasy. But what about when an author injects magic into a historical setting? Usually we still just call it historical fiction. The use of magic in historical...
by Stephanie Dray | Apr 4, 2011 | Historical Fiction Genre, Miscellany
It may come as a surprise to most people, but the dominant historical setting in commercial fiction isn’t Tudor England. It’s Regency England–the godzilla of the romantic fiction world. I’d like to point out a surprising number of similarities...
by Stephanie Dray | Mar 27, 2011 | Historical Fiction Genre
Historical fiction exists in the sometimes murky world between literature and scholarship. As authors, we rely upon sources both in the public domain and out of it, both contemporary and ancient. Yet, no uniform procedures or system for recording and giving credit to...
by Stephanie Dray | Jan 26, 2011 | Historical Fiction Genre, Miscellany
I’m about to do something ill-advised. I’m about to pick a fight with a blogger. I don’t do this to be disagreeable. It’s just that I’ve decided not to shy away from my claim that Historical Fiction Doesn’t Have to be Good For You....
by Stephanie Dray | Nov 8, 2010 | Historical Fiction Genre, Other Writers, Reviews
The first chapter of Lady MacBeth should humble any historical fiction writer. Susan Fraser King gives us a compelling introduction to a fascinating queen. Lady MacBeth is a wonderful example of what historical fiction does best. It corrects the errors of...
by Stephanie Dray | Aug 28, 2010 | Entertainment, Historical Fiction Genre, Miscellany
This is an excellent review of the Sword and Sandal Genre in cinema. I’m not sure what the correlation is to novels, however. It’d be interesting to compare. I’ve been contemplating writing an article for the Romance Writers of America monthly zine...
