Voice in historical fiction
Historical fiction needs an authentic voice
For the readers, it’s connecting with a main character that arrests their interest when thrown into an unfamiliar time. For instance, apart from historians, who can imagine life as a soldier in Russia’s wars, the distances and climate and how their families fared without them? A convincing voice makes the difference between a factual account and a rich experience of distant and alien events – although the experience is second hand and in the comfort of an armchair.
Whether in prehistoric Britain, a Roman forum, a Scandinavian forest or an African village, the task of the historical fiction author is to persuade the reader that the story characters are real. For that, the narrative voice must strike as authentic. This validates the plot; what the characters convey are their life experiences.
Try one or two of these historical fiction authors FREE and test for yourself whether the main characters convince you that you are suffering or enjoying the same fate.