Writing historical novels...

[Zkribbler]

One thing that has always blown my mind about people who write historical novels is their knowledge of everyday life.

For example, if a story was to be set in 14th or 15th Century Venice, I can see how it'd be easy to research the political situation, historic events, etc. But how can the writer find out about fashions...or what food they were eating at the time?

[General Ludd]

Imagination / speculation.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Easy. By reading loads of social history and archaeological reports on the time.

I have been working on a historical novel set in 10th century England for years. I can tell you what they wore, what they ate (depending on the seasons), what wages they earned, what their houses looked like and how they were heated.

It's the hallmark of good historical fiction.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Take food, for example. If you want to find out what they ate, contact your nearest archaelogical department and ask what cesspits or latrines they've dug up lately, and where. If it's found in poo, it originated in food.

[BeBMan]

Fashion can be certainly seen on old pics, illustrations, miniatures, statues etc.....Ancient historians include sometimes detailled descriptions of a lot more than what we'd call today political history - they often describe the look of certain people, what clothes and weapons etc they have, what they eat/drink, religion, customs and more. Often medieval chronists are quite influenced by ancient writers and so you sometimes find similar stuff there (sometimes with a heavy bias though, but that's always a prob with sources)

Probably archaeological research finds a lot everday stuff too.

[lord of the mark]

id guess by reading a lot of memoirs, letters, that sort of thing as well. Poetry.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
Take food, for example. If you want to find out what they ate, contact your nearest archaelogical department and ask what cesspits or latrines they've dug up lately, and where. If it's found in poo, it originated in food.

they sure ate a lot potshards, then.

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by General Ludd
Imagination / speculation.

Indeed. Most of those books are full of bull****.

The pillars of the earth. Those kids play football every other day. In the 12th century. Goodbye Mr Follett.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Indeed. Most of those books are full of bull****.

I remember in the movie Taris Bulba, the Mongols chase the Poles through a cornfield. --There was no corn in Europe before the explorers brought it back from the New World!

What I was looking for was a way to avoid the bull****..or at least a way to make it look authentic.

For example, in Sharpe's Gold, author Cornwell mentions that about half of Sharpe's men have captured French knapsacks. When they find the gold, those men tranfer their personal belongings to the men with the English knapsacks and they put the gold in the French knapsacks. Why? Because French knapsacks were make out of canvas while British were plain cotton, and so French knapsacks were much stronger.

Who in the heck knows stuff like this???

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

A military historian, of course. £10 gets you a "Men at arms" series book on both that will detail how they were equipped.

It's not rocket science. Have any of you people ever tried reading the occasional book about history?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
Have any of you people ever tried reading the occasional book about history?

Why yes, I have. Have you ever tried reading How to Make Friends and Influence People? It'd do you good.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by Zkribbler

Why yes, I have.

Excellent. Well, assuming it wasn't one aimed at children, you'll have noticed the section marked "Bibliography" and the copious citations detailing where the author was drawing infomation from.

Having noticed such items, your eyes will have been opened to the massive academic backdrop already accessible to any aspiring author, giving lots of flavoursome facts (both large and small) that can be slipped into the action to provide authentic atmosphere. Easy-peasy.

Naturally, this would make this thread totally redundant.

Have you ever tried reading How to Make Friends and Influence People? It'd do you good.

Consider yourself influenced, unless you feel like making the same mistake again.

[Blaupanzer]

Ignore the Gimp's tone, his idea is right. Military manuals, books addressing manners, fashion reviews, will help you with the more recent centuries in literate societies. For the older times, a bit of BS may be required, although archeologists are helpful, in some cases. Social historians have been persuing this type of data for the last 40 years, so an history department at the local university might be a good source for how to go about the research. Good luck!

[lord of the mark]

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food.html

[molly bloom]

Re: Writing historical novels...

Originally posted by Zkribbler
...or what food they were eating at the time?

Reay Tannahill's 'Food In History' is a very good source, as are cookery books, such as 'The Forme of Cury':

http://www.pbm.com/~~lindahl/foc/

Paintings and prints provide clues as to what people wore and how.