Writing Historical Fiction

(EGL 270)

How do writers make the past come to life? When writing fiction set in another time period, how does one balance research with compelling character and story? How much liberty can a writer take with the facts of history? In this course, we will look at successful recent works of historical fiction, including novels and stories by Geraldine Brooks, Toni Morrison, Andrea Barrett, and others, and think about how these writers deal with the problems and pitfalls of the genre. We will talk about effective research methods and students will produce a piece of historical fiction of their own, based on and inspired by research that they conduct during the quarter. Weekly workshops will involve group critique of student work, with an emphasis on the fundamentals of fiction writing (e.g. character, point of view, description, narrative structure). We will also pay close attention to language and revision.

Stephanie Soileau, Nancy Packer Lecturer in Continuing Studies; Former Stegner Fellow

Stephanie Soileau’s short stories have appeared in Tin House, Gulf Coast, StoryQuarterly, Nimrod International Journal, New Stories from the South, and Best of the South, Volume II: From 10 Years of New Stories from the South. She is working on a collection of stories and a novel about fishing, oil, and erosion in coastal Louisiana.