When is Fiction Not Needed in Historical Fiction?
That is a question all authors of historical fiction face when choosing a time period or incident to write about. Yes, the answer can vary, but so can the results and repercussions of the choice. Generally, historical fiction can be broken down into 4 categories of choice regarding the amount of fiction involved. These run the gambit: history light, history interwoven, re-imagined and based upon a true story . History light and history interwoven are perhaps the two easiest to distinguish. History light would include the old Harlequin or Silhouette romances along with paranormal, where history is just a flavoring to the story and not essential. History interwoven are stories when the characters seamlessly interact with the real people and society of the time. The more tricky categories are the last two: re-imagined and based upon a true story . Don’t confuse the two as being interrelated, because that isn’t necessarily the case. Re-imagined or alternative takes ...