Kimber Albrechtsen and Dr. Leonard Tourney, English

The objectives of my project were to identify and implement theoretical aspects of writing historical fiction, and to write the first four chapters of a historical novel. My creative text examined themes of the emergence of communism, the development of modern terrorism, and the complexity of family relationships.

My process for completing this project involved an extensive amount of both research and writing. I conducted research into the experiences and perspectives of historical fiction authors, and also into the historical information necessary for writing my story.

To frame my creative work, I analyzed the challenges and opportunities of writing historical fiction. I researched the perspectives of established historical novelists and drew on my own experiences as well. I found three main challenges of writing historical fiction: maintaining accuracy, capturing the spirit of the time, and navigating conflicts between fact and fiction. The opportunities I identified were exploring another time, gaining insight into the present, using historical elements as plot scaffolding, and filling in the gaps of history.

The creative content of this project includes the events surrounding the emergence of communism in England. Friedrich Engels, the cofounder of communism, was living in Manchester, England in the 1850s, and I use his historical impact to frame part of my story. In my novel, a fictional group of radicals inspired by Engels’ and Marx’s work seeks to advance their ideology through a public attack on the Great Exhibition of 1851, an effort by the British Government to highlight the industrial advancements of the world. The radicals’ plot is uncovered by my heroine, young widow Madeline Carey, whose investigation of her husband’s recent mysterious murder leads her to the scheme. Her entanglement in the plot results in her discovery of distressing truths about her husband, family, society, and self.

My writing process began with idea generation. I created about ten one-sentence plot ideas, and then narrowed my selection down to the three most promising with the help of my mentor. From that smaller pool I chose the one that excited me the most. From there, I outlined the entire story chapter by chapter. Then work on the creative text began. I continuously edited as I wrote the first draft, and then went through my work again several times. I met regularly with my advisor for his feedback on my work.

Throughout the process of writing my creative work, I learned a lot about myself as a writer, the writing process, and specifically the process of writing historical fiction. While writing my thesis, I was able to identify several of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. My perfectionism while writing my first draft proved a stumbling block and kept me from progressing as quickly as I would have liked, and it was difficult in the beginning to overcome my fear of my writing being inadequate. I was also initially very intimidated to have my mentor be reading my work. However, my mentor was very encouraging, and soon I felt more confident in my abilities and was able to progress more quickly.

I also learned that I write best when I am not trying to conform to some stereotypical ideal in my mind of what my writing should be. When I overanalyzed whether a reader would like my writing or not, my writing suffered. When I let my voice come through my writing and wrote for the joy of it, and not to satisfy imagined standards, I felt my writing flourished.

My experience with writing the first several chapters of a novel taught me a lot about the writing process. Writing an outline of my entire work before starting proved to be an invaluable step in my process. These chapter summaries were extremely valuable as I worked to pace my story and keep my plot on track. Having a map of my story also helped me to avoid stalling for lack of a plan; I always knew what was coming next, and I avoided writer’s block this way. With respect to the issues involved in writing historical fiction, I learned so much. While writing as well as researching the craft of writing historical fiction, I learned the value of extensive preliminary research. I also appreciated the importance of choosing a time period and topic that is interesting to me. Because I chose subject matter that was exciting to me, the hours spent doing research were enjoyable and motivating.

Managing the roles of historical fact and fiction in my novel proved a challenge. It took time to learn how to navigate the known and unknown of my novel’s time period. In the beginning of my project, I spent too much time ensuring that the smallest, most insignificant details were accurate. Eventually, I learned to analyze whether the details were necessary to include. I think this process also helped me as a writer in general. Learning to determine what is important to my story and what is superfluous will help me write concisely and with greater focus.

On a larger scale, I learned to use history to drive my plot and give my story a more realistic, historical feel. History became a tool, instead of a creative impediment. I learned to know when to give history deference and when to disregard it as necessary for the sake of my story. This was a difficult balancing act, but I believe I achieved a successful equilibrium of fact and fiction. I also became aware of how much my writing is impacted by my own cultural context. While my story is set in the past, it is told by a contemporary author with contemporary ideas and perspectives. My 21st century experience frames how I depict my characters’ 19th century lives. It was very interesting for me to look back and see how this largely subconscious filter impacted my writing. I believe this increased awareness of how my ideologies influence my work will be helpful to me as a writer.

While my Honors thesis consists of only the first four chapters of my novel, I plan to finish the story and prepare it for publication. I look forward to the extensive work and revision this will entail, and I hope to one day be a published author. This project was a wonderfully enriching experience for me as both a writer and scholar. Learning about the craft of writing historical fiction was very rewarding, especially as I was mentored by an experienced professional. I also had the opportunity to devote a significant portion of time to something I love: writing fiction.