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Are you writing a World War II adventure novel? A Victorian romance? A 1950s noir? Answer one question: What did your protagonist have for breakfast, and where?

It’s the small details of everyday living that really bring historical fiction to life. They add veracity to the fiction, and turn stereotypical settings into three dimensional realities. And sometimes those details can be the dramatic lynchpin your plot needs to really sing. In this three-hour class, we will talk about historical worldbuilding, pitfalls and assumptions, and how to research the details. We will do a series of writing exercises to see what we know, and where we need to know more. And we’ll talk about dialogue—how to make it sound “of the period” but easy on the modern ear. Whether you’re new to historical fiction, or a seasoned time-traveler, bring your time period and your notebook. We’ll have fun digging around in the past together!

TAKE THIS CLASS IF

• You're writing or interested in writing historical fiction.
• You've gotten stuck writing your historical novel.
• You want your historical fiction to be believable.