Historical fiction ~ It's what I love to write and read. And I think you do too. So what makes it popular? I was thinking about it the other day and came to some conclusions of my own. I'm curious to know what you think.
Technically, to be historical most say it has to be 50 years ago. I don't know about you, but that makes me historical. In 2020, that would mean 1970 and back.
So what makes stories set in the past popular?
- Excitement and Adventure ~ Stories set in time periods of upheaval, wars, inventions that changed the way people lived, Discovery of new lands and continents. All are interesting and give us a background to write stories with heroic characters.
- Heroes and Heroines. ~ We love a good hero/heroine. Time periods of danger and intrigue provide the background.
- The Myth of the Time ~ I love westerns. LOVE them. I grew up watching them. John Wayne Movies, Rawhide and Bonanza. I always figured I could look at the horses even if the show wasn't that good. But really - the woman's hair never messes up. The man's hat never falls off.
- Westerns were great! ~ Did I say I loved Westerns? YES. The good guys usually won. They were feel good stories that left you yearning for the wide-open spaces of a growing nation. Where opportunities were as vast as the wagon trains traveling across the country. Free land. Hard-working people who carved a nation out of the wilderness.
- The Good Old Days ~ did you know in the Bible, it says don't say the good old days were better Eccl 7:10. How many of us watched Little House on the Prairie and sighed - if only we lived back then? But I bet those of the old days and ways, would think twice about getting in a time machine and going back. People died of hunger, common disease, a scratch could cause death without the antibiotics of today. True, there weren't car wrecks like we have today, but then our cars don't kick us in the head either. But there is a romance to the old days.
- Interest in different time periods. - The revolutionary war, the Egyptians, When England ruled the world. Pirates, whalers. This is as vast as your imagination.
Tell me what you like about historicals.
My newest book is Susan Prairie Roses Collection She's on a journey as a mail-order bride to go on a wagon train to Oregon. Things don't quite work out like she thought.
Stay safe and healthy.
Blessings
Patricia PacJac Carroll
Thought provoking post, Patricia. I love reading and writing historical romances. I even love researching for the historical novels I write.
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline,
DeleteResearching the novels can be fun can't it? And lead to even more stories.