I am not ashamed to admit that when I started writing my first novel, I knew absolutely nothing about the craft of writing. All I knew was that I had a story I wanted to put out into the world, and I was determined to get it done no matter how long it took. It took a long time, meaning five years from when I initially sat down to write until I had a final product I could be proud of.

I remember attending my first local Historical Novel Society meeting and hearing someone say, “You need to get all the historical details right or people will rip your novel to shreds.” For that reason, I believe I did far more research than was necessary.

Since then, I have discovered only the die-hard sticklers of a particular era will point out every little inaccuracy. There are best-selling histfic authors who get taken to task for playing loose with the facts, but it hasn’t stopped them from selling lots of books and making good money. So while historically accuracy it a wonderful goal, it is impossible to get everything right, and it may not make for the best story.

It would have been helpful to have a great reference guide like the one the Paper Lantern Writers recently published, Crafting Stories from the Past: A How-To Guide for Writing Historical Fiction. The chapter by Vanitha Sankaran, How to Know When and What to Research would have saved me a lot of unnecessary hours of research. That is just one of many really wonderful chapters that can point a writer in the right direction in how-to address things unique to the historical fiction genre.

I asked our lanterns to share some of the myths that might be holding writers back from getting their wonderful stories out into the world.

Anne M. Beggs, author of the Dahlquin Series

A myth, or misinterpretation about writing, especially historical fiction, is to write what you know. I recently blogged about this.

People told me I couldn’t write about those who lived 800 hundred years ago. I didn’t know the mindset of medieval people. I needed an advanced degree in history. I had to be a scholar. A degree in creative writing and literature were mandatory. Who was I to think I had anything to say?

Challenge accepted!

Just start writing. Jot down your ideas, dreams, voices. You want to write histfic because you love history and untold stories. Your desire to get the “facts” as accurately as possible will lead you to research what you don’t know to support the story YOU DO KNOW. My mantra: I researched the Middle Ages into middle age and beyond. I love learning, especially when it allows me to share the stories I am driven to tell.
Your writer’s journey will teach you so much, so start writing.

Ana Brazil, author of the Viola Vermillion Vaudeville Mystery series

“Wait for the muse to strike”.

You can’t wait for any muse to strike you with inspiration or a story idea or a character motivation or a perfect plot. You have to do the work yourself by researching, thinking, writing, editing, and offering your words for critique. You have to do the work, and that’s when the muse usually strikes, in response to the hard work you’ve already put in.

Mari Anne Christie, author of the Sailing Home Series

This will make me sound like an editorial snob (which is okay, since I am one), but one thing I really wish many writers would internalize: every word we write is not necessarily worth saving and/or selling. Some books are born and not meant to be published (everyone’s first book falls in this category). Some words are meant to help us heal or make sense of things or clarify, not to be read by the entire world. Likewise, education does not “make” a writer, but it does nothing but help with writing mastery. It takes ~10,000 hours to master a skill—including writing in any genre.

Certainly there are many more. Please share the myths about writing historical fiction that you wish writers would stop believing.