I, too, love historical fiction. And yet it can be a little daunting at the outset. Not only are we writing a whole freakin’ novel, we have the added layer of research. You might only have the items on your writer’s wish list to go off of, or a vague description of your characters or plot. You could start there.

But I’m guessing you’re reading because you’ve done that in the past and quickly found yourself mired in notes and research while muttering, “Where did I put that?”

Grab the comprehensive starter guide and checklist for historical fiction writers, whether you’re writing about the ancient world or the 1900s. Paid subscribers on our Substack get all of the templates and worksheets.

My must-have documents when planning a historical novel

  1. The Primary Sources Document. This usually looks like a bibliography with links. I also make sections in this document with headers to further organize the research I’m doing. The Era, Fashion, Politics, Real People/Historical Figures, Epistolary sources, Books, etc….
    1. You’ll keep track of the title of the article or book, but also give yourself a little blurb that will help you to remember this specific document. Example: The artist’s revolt where they call the mayor all sorts of nasty names.
  2. Character templates. At least for my two primary characters. These are a must if you’re using real people from history, because it will help you to understand them more fully. If you use Scrivener (and if you don’t, we really need to talk) they have a pre-built character sketch and it’s a great starting point. The better you know your people, the easier it will be to find the areas you want to embellish with fiction.
    1. Sub-document: Character Tree. This is vital if you’re trying to keep track of real historical figures. Who’s related? Who’s not? Which family members belong together? Who belongs to which faction? You’ve seen the epic lists of characters in the beginning of books like Wolf Hall, and this is where it comes from. Not only does a character tree help your reader, it also helps you as a writer. Even if all of your characters are fictional, this exercise is still a fantastic way to keep the who’s who of your world organized.
  3. Timeline. Your story is set during a specific time and for a specific duration. Example: Post War Berlin 1945-1947, or the first three years of the Ming Dynasty, or Jazz Age New York City from 1927 until the Crash of ‘29. A timeline doc not only helps you keep the order of events correct, but it also shows you where gaps exist in your story. Perhaps a ton of time passes without much going on in your plot, or there are whole sections of your book that transpire over a weekend. This document can help you decide how to structure your story based on the timeline.
  4. Story Snatches. This includes the initial spark of the story. Was it a documentary you watched, another book you read, or a recurring dream you’ve had since you were a toddler that you absolutely cannot describe other than a past life experience? Asking for a friend. This can include:
    1. Bits of dialogue that’s come to you
    2. A fascinating person from history you want to know more about
    3. An artifact or item from a time period you find yourself drawn to. I particularly love old pocket watches.
    4. Festivals or Rituals
    5. A place you love and feel drawn to
    6. An argument or climactic event happening between your characters
  5. Research Questions I Might Need Help With. This is basically your research to do list, and I suggest starting with your local library. Librarians are the most valuable and underused resource on the planet, and yes, that’s a hill I will die on. This document includes things like:
    1. How do I figure out what women wore in the lower classes during this time period?
    2. What were the social norms then, and what would instantly mark a person as an outsider in this place?
    3. What’s the best way to find images, schematics, or maps that were created in this era?
    4. Anything that you’ve obsessively Googled, and couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to, goes in this document.
      1. Then take your list to the library and thank me later.

Want this broken down in video form? We’ve gotcha covered for that too:

 

Even if you’re partway through a project, it’s still a great time to start curating these docs. And another great time is during our Writing Community Hour over on The Rogue MFA YouTube channel every other Thursday evening at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST. The full calendar of dates is on our Community page.  Subscribe to get notified, and if you’re interested, please fill out our quick survey so we can expand these in the future with you in mind.