How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction [Hardcover]

Persia Woolley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1997

Woolley's one-of-a-kind guide teaches writers the fundamentals specific to creating compelling and accurate historical fiction.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA--A thorough and informative guide. Wooley discusses writing in the genre and explores many facets of developing the skill and expertise required to attract the publishing community and appeal to the reading public. She emphasizes the importance of patient and detailed research and includes numerous examples of superb historical fiction. The author offers budding writers many helpful pointers and much sage advice, including the essential acquisition of a good agent. A valuable manual that provides optimistic but realistic information to YAs who contemplate writing for publication.

Peggy Mooney, Pohick Public Library, Burke, VA

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 209 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; First edition. edition (March 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898797535
• ISBN-13: 978-0898797534
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #705,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read if you're writing historical fiction, January 15, 1999

By 

Eric Balkan (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction (Hardcover)

I bought this book at Amazon sight unseen, without knowing anything about it, just hoping it would have some useful stuff in it. It definitely does.

Other writing books I've read are written from a contemporary mainstream or particular genre viewpoint. Yet writing historical fiction requires a somewhat different approach. And this is what Ms. Woolley covers, from plot and characters and research to the business aspects of being a writer, like exactly what happens to your manuscript after it's accepted for publication.

Because she's done this herself (The Guinevere trilogy) the tips and examples she offer all make sense.

Some are practical -- she predicts you'll be buying a lot of books (for research) and getting additional bookcases to put them in.

Some deal with writing -- she notes that readers want to read about people and not about facts, so don't load down your narrative with stuff that doesn't impact the plot or the characters -- instead, you might follow Carson McCullough's example and save that info for a glossary in the back of your book.

Other examples are culled from Parke Godwin, William Shaara, Margaret Mitchell and other historical novelists.

Advice aside, I found it encouraging just to read a book by someone who understands that historical novelists share something that other novelists don't have, or should I say, aren't afflicted with.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most helpful how-to book for authors I have read, September 27, 1999

By 

Elizabeth Hirst ([e-mail]) (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction (Hardcover)

There are a lot of how-to books out there for authors and aspiring authors, but this is definitely the most helpful one I've read. Persia Woolley covers everything from initial research, through plotting and re-writes, to residuals and movie rights. Along the way, she pays special attention to one of the biggest challenges that writers face while in thick of their work: dealing with technical details without letting go of the big picture. Woolley offers specific, practical advice on both the 'inspiration' part of the writer's work (research resources, forceful characterization, story momentum) and the 'perspiration' part(keeping track of story action using computers, file drawers or index cards, dealing with an agent). But her greatest gift is encouragement: the conviction that the world needs your story. As she says in her preface, "I fell we need more voices, not fewer." With books like this one, we'll have more.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for the aspiring historical novel writer., September 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction (Paperback)

Accomplished author Persia Woolley covers every aspect of successfully writing an historical novel in her writing "how to" reference and instruction guide How To Write And Sell Historical Fiction. The aspiring author will learn how to choose a time period and a story that will interest publishers and captivate readers; give their fiction historical accuracy by drawing upon the resources of libraries, museums, historical societies, and on-site visits; create a compelling storytelling arc that crosses generations and multiple exotic locations; weave real historical events into a fictional story; develop characters who thoughts and actions are memorable and plausible within the context of history and the human experience; revise, polish and prepare a manuscript for publisher acceptance. Anyone aspiring to write a successful historical novel should first begin by a careful reading of Persia Woolley's How To Write And Sell Historical Fiction!