Giving voice to women of the past

A recent interview by Dame Hilary Mantel, of Wolf Hall fame, has generated a number of discussions in the historical fiction community on how women have been portrayed in the past. Dame Mantel went on to say women writers who write about women in the past “can’t resist retrospectively empowering them.” The discussion got me thinking about Æthelflæd, daughter of King Albert of Wessex, who led an army of Mercians into Wales. I first learned about Æthelflæd by reading the novel To Be a Queen, written by Annie Whitehead. I loved her portrayal of Æthelflæd and found her to possess…

Author Spotlight: Elaine Cougler

November 16, 2016August 19, 2019 Categories: Author SpotlightsTags: Creativity · Elaine Cougler · historical fiction · Loyalist Legacy · Loyalist's Luck · Loyalist's Wife · storytelling · War of 1812 · Writing5 Comments

It is my pleasure to introduce historical fiction Indie author, Elaine Cougler. Elaine is the author of The Loyalist’s Wife, The Loyalist’s Luck and her third book, The Loyalist Legacy, just came out. Elaine is a fellow Canadian whose trilogy covers the lives of British Loyalists from the American Revolution, beyond the War of 1812 to the Rebellion of 1838. From these conflicts, Canada emerged as a nation. Join me in welcoming Elaine as she shares her thoughts on the writing process. Did you have any scene which was more difficult to write than the others? One that you pondered…

Don’t speak to Bob

March 21, 2016August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: 17th century enthusiast · As you know Bob · character driven dialogue · English Civil War · historical fiction · lazy writing · story pet peeves · tips for historical fiction · Traitor's Knot · Worcester13 Comments

Just don’t. Trust me, no one wants to hear that conversation. Ask my critique group, I have no tolerance for him. Who’s Bob? You know Bob—every writer knows Bob, but historical fiction writers know him best. Bob is the gate crasher, the unwanted guest who always brings down the party, only instead of hanging out at the bar and being obnoxious, Bob hangs out in a story with the protagonist taking on the role as tiresome wingman. At first, it’s all fun and games. Our hero is happy—no relieved—when Bob shows up. Finally the opportunity to trot out his knowledge of…