When writing a fiction novel, the author must craft a convincing, interesting story and create endearing or even dislikeable characters. However, creating a credible world backdrop for the characters and the story is just as crucial for writing a first-rate novel. Details are more important than one might think!
Pay attention to these three things to create a credible world, and your readers will return to visit again and again.
1) The world you craft must be believable. That means if you are writing historical fiction set in seventeenth century France, the historical details of the time period must be accurate and consistent. The author will need to research such details as significant historical events or personages, prevailing cultural attitudes and ideas, the political atmosphere and events, types of food eaten, types of clothes worn, manners of speech, and the list continues.
"Fast-paced music echoed through the hall. Violins, cellos, violas and a plethora of other stringed instruments. Heads turned as a new couple entered the festivities. He was tall, well toned, and darkly handsome. His partner was a tall blond beauty sporting a light blue dress with a somewhat fashionable décolleté. It set off her skin tone and breathtaking figure perfectly, despite its relative simplicity. There were whispers about the pair as they joined the reel. Obviously nobles, but strangers still."
The above passage from For Honor by Kat Jaske is the result of extensive research. What kind of music instruments did they play? What color and style of dress would a noble woman wear? What type of dances would they engage in?
"Finally she dropped in through the window of the second story, and snatched the gun from her mouth, panting for breath. Her hands were still shaking as she re-primed the gun and searched for the servants' entrance to Athos' room, hoping that he would not have thought to lock it. She had a bad feeling about this. Really bad. As she opened the servants' entrance she heard the tell-tale spanning of a wheel lock, and she propelled herself headlong into the chamber, yelling, "Athos," at the top of her lungs."
The above descriptions of a gun are just enough to be interesting and accurate. You must be sure your characters use a gun that would have existed in the time period; else, it will stick out like a sour note to the savvy reader who loves this genre of fiction.
2) Pay attention to the amount of detail in your descriptions. Use the details judiciously to enhance the reader's experience of the story and to help him/her imagine the world in which he/she will be traveling. This means striking a delicate balance between too little description of the world and too much description. Either extreme is likely to alienate your reader.
Remember, readers love the historical tidbits that enhance the story, but when it turns into a tedious chore to keep everything straight, they may close your book forever. The way to learn proper balance is to do a lot a reading and see what other good fiction writers have done and also practice creating a lot of worlds. Then, get feedback from readers about what you have written.
3) Add in the elements that are fictional--those that come out of the author's own imagination-- in a way that these elements do not seem to clash with the established atmosphere for the story. Fictional aspects should mesh harmoniously with the realistic aspects of the story. There are times an author can take greater liberty with established facts, but a wise author, especially of historical fiction, will acknowledge that he or she has taken some liberties.
For a fantasy world, there will be more fiction involved and much more detail must be devoted to establishing the rules of the world, the races, the technology, the geography, the history of that world, etc. Be careful though. Characters should still follow "rules of human behavior" or no reader will wish to continue reading.
Remember, to have an outstanding creative fiction story, the world must support the cast and the storyline and not detract from either. So detail, detail, detail--within reason.
Kat Jaske is an English and French teacher in Las Vegas where her high school selected her first book, For Honor, as the featured book for the 2006 Reading Incentive Program. Jaske's second book in the series, Gambit For Love of a Queen, and the third swashbuckling, adventure novel, Righting Time, also feature the musketeers, sword fighting, and the lady musketeer spy, Laurel. See the author web site www.forhonor.com for more information.
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