I love historical fiction, love it!
That being said, there are some historical periods that have been the subject of so much scrutiny they can seem trite and overdone. Here are a few I’ve personally moved past.
The period I’m over: World War II – There is a lot to mine here, it is true. So many perspectives on the war, so many countries and peoples involved. Still, the sheer quantity of what has been written is nearly overwhelming.
What I’d like to see instead: World War I is fairly underrepresented compared to World War II in recent literature, which makes it more interesting. I also love the way Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series explores the period between the two wars.
The period I’m over: The Tudors. And the Wars of the Roses. So this is sort of a lie, because I still read about them when when I find them, but it is rare to find a truly new take on either of them these days, so I will consider myself as being past them. Stories that take place outside the court may be an exception, however.
What I’d like to see instead: I’ve read two recent books that deal with earlier periods in English history – Godiva by Nicole Galland Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell – and and they fascinate me. Both are set in the century before the Normans conquered England and I think this late-Saxon period is ripe for storytelling. I’m also fascinated by the early Norman period, although Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine may be hard to expound upon in a new way.
Let me be clear, I’m not saying that books set in these time periods won’t sign an agent (maybe even me!) and that they won’t sell, but they really need a unique hook and approach to differentiate themselves from an already crowded market. On the other hand, a book that is tangential to a popular subject can capture fans of the more established subject without having to compete directly in a crowded field. It was from my interest in the Tudors that I became interested in the Wars of the Roses, and judging by the way the periods exploded one after the other, I was not the only one.
It should go without saying, but you should of course write about what speaks to you and not try to write to trends. All I’m saying is that if you have two stories knocking about your brain and one is set during WWII and the other is set during the Great Depression, I’d personally prefer to see that latter.
