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How to write historical fiction in 10 steps

by Andrew Noakes

This scenario will be familiar to many historical fiction writers! Research never really stops, even when you’ve started writing. It’s easy to feel frustrated during periods when you spend more time researching than writing, but remember it’s all part of the same process.

Step 3: Strive for accuracy and authenticity

When people start thinking about how to write historical fiction, this is one of the areas that often comes to mind first – and for good reason. Historical fiction readers will primarily buy your book for two reasons: 1) because they’re looking for an absorbing, page-turning story, and 2) because they want to be immersed into a historical world that feels true to the period you’re writing about.

Your readers will expect you to accurately depict the details of every-day life as well as the wider political backdrop of your period. Readers will also have expectations when it comes to the treatment of historical events and real figures of history. Most will tolerate a little creative license as long as you justify it in your historical note, but filling your novel with numerous egregious falsehoods about easily verifiable facts is likely to get you into trouble.

You’ll also need to consider how people spoke and the common social conventions of your period. There’s little worse in a historical novel than a character speaking in modern slang or acting as if they’re in the 21st century.

For detailed guidance on how to achieve accuracy and authenticity in all of these areas and more, download our full guide on accuracy and authenticity in historical fiction.

Accuracy and authenticity in historical fiction

You won’t finish your first historical fiction book overnight. There will be plenty of hurdles along the way. Stick with it!

Step 9: Revise your first draft

You shouldn’t aim for perfection with your first draft. It’s an opportunity to get your ideas down on paper, primarily for your own benefit rather than anyone else’s. Some of it will probably be quite good, but some of it won’t be – and that’s fine. Once it’s finished, it’s time for your first round of revisions.

Ideally, take six weeks off from your manuscript after the first draft is finished. That way, you can start the revision process with fresh eyes. We recommend reading the whole thing through without any editing the first time; just make notes as you go along, recording what works and what doesn’t. When you’re done, review your notes and put together a short editing plan.

The next step is to go through each chapter making the necessary corrections, additions, and deletions. You’ll probably find that changes you make in one place have knock-on effects elsewhere. If so, note down the effects and pinpoint where you need to compensate for them.

Sometimes, all that’s needed is some tweaking. Other times, you might need to start entire sections of your novel from scratch. Either way, when you’re finished you should have a complete second draft. You might want to do an additional round of revisions at this point, or you might be ready to send it to an editor.

Step 10: Hire an editor

Once your manuscript is in reasonable shape, it’s essential to get a professional manuscript assessment. By the time you’ve reached this stage, you’ll know your manuscript inside out, but that proximity might prevent you from spotting errors that would be obvious to someone reading it for the first time. This is where a professional editor comes in.

But editors are more than just a fresh pair of eyes. They’re experts in story-craft, and they’ll help you take your manuscript to the next level by tackling its weaknesses and building on its strengths. They’ll help you turn your story into the best possible version of itself before you submit to agents or self-publish it.

So, those are the essential 10 steps explaining how to write historical fiction! If you ever feel like you’re getting stuck, come back to this guide and get yourself oriented. Remember, writing historical fiction is no easy feat, and it pays to take it one step at a time.

If you want to learn more about how to write historical fiction, check out our guide,  Top tips on writing historical fiction from 64 successful historical novelists , here .

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Krystal N. Craiker

You don’t need a history degree to write historical fiction —you just need to love history.

But many writers find writing historical fiction intimidating. Although it requires more research than most other genres, it doesn’t have to be any harder than writing anything else.

If you’ve ever wondered how to write historical fiction, you’re in the right place. Here are ten steps you can take to become a historical fiction writer.

What Makes a Good Historical Fiction Novel?

How important is historical accuracy in a historical novel, 10 steps to writing historical fiction, final thoughts on how to write historical fiction.

Historical fiction readers love this genre because it’s a perfect balance of realism and escapism. Historical fiction is grounded in real events and time periods, but it’s more engaging than reading a history book on the subject.

A great historical fiction book brings history to life. But it does more than focus on the events. Rather, historical fiction transports readers through time, connecting them on a human level with people of the past.

When you’re studying history in school, it’s easy to forget that the past was full of real people who did very human things and had very human struggles.

Good historical fiction writers humanize the past, immersing their readers in a world that feels new and familiar at the same time. Historical fiction reminds us we’re not so different from other people after all.

Historical accuracy is a controversial subject among historical fiction writers. But the truth is, you will have readers who don’t care much about accuracy and readers who will hyper-fixate on an obscure detail you got wrong. So, keep in mind that you can’t please everyone.

Historical fiction ranges in accuracy. There are books like Wolf Hall with real people and events that are as accurate as possible. And some writers prefer to only fill in the gaps of what research can’t tell us, like The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are historical fiction books that are only loosely inspired by history. These books may occur at a specific time, but accuracy about details isn’t the author’s primary goal. Regency romance like Julia Quinn’s books are great examples of this.

And of course, there are eras in history that we know little about. Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear focuses on interactions between Neanderthals and early modern humans. We know very little about their culture and customs.

The level of historical accuracy in your novel is up to you. In general, it’s a good idea to keep a broad sense of the era accurate. But you can choose to overlook smaller details.

For example, in my upcoming pirate novel, my timeline for major events, as well as travel time between locations, is very accurate.

But ships with steering wheels instead of tillers didn’t become mainstream until a couple of decades later. That didn’t fit with the pirate aesthetic I wanted, and most historical romance readers aren’t maritime historians, so my ships have the traditional wheel.

If you worry about getting emails citing all your errors, consider adding an author’s note that explains your choices in the back of your book.

Writing historical fiction can feel overwhelming at first. But these ten steps on how to write historical fiction will help break the process down.

1) Pick a Story Premise and an Era

Chances are you’re reading this article because you already have an idea for a historical fiction novel. Perhaps you have a favorite historical era or event you want to explore.

But if not, spend some time thinking about what you love about history. What excites you? What do you wish you knew more about?

Once you’ve decided on a premise and an era, it’s useful to pick an actual year. This will help you narrow your research and build your setting with external conflicts and events.

For example, if you’re writing a WWII novel, decide if you’re setting the story before or after D-Day. This will affect your story’s narrative.

2) Research the Basic Historical Context

Now you have to become a semi-expert in your era. This will require some in-depth research, but it’s hard to know where to start.

I once heard a historical fiction writer say she starts by getting an overview of the time period from the children’s section of the library. Then she can formulate research questions to go into great depth. Crash course videos are another great starting point.

I like to use a strategy that AP history teachers use with grade school students. Break down a time period and location by using the acronym PERSIA to take notes.

The acronym PERSIA stands for political, economic, religious, social, intellectual, arts . Social refers to social structure and social norms. Intellectual deals with major achievements.

A simpler form is PEGS , which is political, economic, geographic, social . Use these categories as an outline for your research.

Using one of these formats can help guide your research and organize the information you learn.

To go into greater depth, look into books, podcasts, documentaries, journals, and primary sources. Consider reaching out to a research librarian to help you find information. They’re professional researchers and can save you time and frustration.

3) Keep a List of Interesting Historical Details

As you research, your creativity will kick into overdrive. You may stumble upon one line in a book that fascinates you and will fit your story well.

These may be obscure details that aren’t important in the grand scheme of history. But these historical tidbits bring your story to life.

Keep a list of these little facts, along with a citation of where you found them. You may weave them into your story later.

4) Take Great Notes

There is nothing more frustrating than jotting down a historical fact to use later, only to never find the information again. I speak from personal experience.

When you take notes, add enough details to give you context. Then, add a citation to find it later. You don’t have to be picky about using a style guide. Just make a note of the book and page number, website, or episode where you learned the fact.

Find a note-taking system that works for you. Many people use a database app or spreadsheet to keep track of notes. Some people use folders and notes within their novel-writing software.

I like to use a project management board like Trello. I can keep track of all my information, take quick notes on my phone, and easily categorize my research.

5) Plot Your Novel

Not every writer is a “planner.” But with historical fiction, there are so many pieces to keep track of that some degree of plotting is necessary.

You must keep a real historical timeline of events, pick the historical details you want to include, plus you have to create a plot with conflict and character arcs.

There are many plotting formats you can use, such as the Snowflake Method, the Story Circle, or Save the Cat! beat sheets. Or you can create your own system.

If you’re more of a “pantser,” create a basic outline. Remember, nothing is set in stone when you plot. Your outline is a living document, and your characters may decide your story needs to go another direction.

But having a rough outline will help you keep all research and plot points together in a way that makes writing easier.

6) Keep Diversity in Mind

You know the phrase, “History is written by the victors?”

We often get a one-sided view of history, particularly that of the group that held the most power. But there’s more to history than you learned in school.

Women have always had agency in their lives, even if they are largely erased from the historical record. Queer people have always existed, but they didn’t have the vocabulary we have now for their diversity.

People of color are also not a monolithic group. Be careful not to erase the stories of marginalized people, but do so sensitively. Avoid harmful stereotypes and caricatures.

Research these groups of people during your era. Often, this information lies in scholarly journals. A librarian can help you get access to many of these.

We recommend hiring sensitive readers with experience in historical fiction to help you portray characters different from you with respect. ProWritingAid will also flag some potentially harmful language with our inclusive language report. You’ll see these improvements alongside your style suggestions in the tool.

7) Craft Engaging Characters

This step is true for any type of fiction. But it can be extra fun when writing historical fiction.

Characters make a story. Readers keep turning the page because they’re invested in your characters.

Consider what makes your characters stand out. Find interesting vocations from the era. Make your characters’ motivations match their time period.

This is also a great time to play with social norms. Do your historical characters break any societal standards? What are their pastimes?

Small quirks and historical details will also make your characters memorable. Does your heroine always forget her bonnet? Do your characters bond over a writer or philosopher of the time?

8) Create a System for Missing Information

Just when you think you’ve researched everything you need to know, you’ll run into questions while writing. These are usually minor details, like fabric types or when something was invented.

It’s easy to fall down a research rabbit hole when you run into these problems. You’ll think it’s simple to find the answer, only to spend several hours looking up when shoelaces were invented.

I spent at least fifteen hours over several weeks trying to find a visual of historic bilge pumps on ships so I could describe it. It culminated in me reading an entire book about bilge pump technology at 2 a.m., which still didn’t have a good diagram!

You will never finish writing your novel if you do this too often. So, you can create a note system to fill in the gaps on your first round of revisions. I like to add “LOOK THIS UP” in all caps. Other writers prefer to use brackets or comments on their document.

You’ll often find that you learn the answer later, or you may not need the information at all.

When you do need to fill in the missing information, you can now separate your research time from your writing time. Give yourself dedicated time to look up information that doesn’t take away from the time you spend writing.

9) Find a Balance of Old and New Language

Language changes over time, and your historical characters likely spoke quite differently from how we speak today.

You want to show the time period through dialogue, but you also run the risk of alienating readers if it’s too hard to read.

The balance of old and new language patterns is up to you. It will depend on your sub-genre, your comparison titles, and your own knowledge of historic speaking patterns.

It’s a good idea to use modern language in narration. Then choose some words or phrases to work into dialogue to enhance the historic setting.

10) Edit, Edit, and Edit Some More

Once you have your completed draft, put it away and celebrate. Give yourself a couple of weeks before you come back to edit. This ensures you’re looking at your manuscript with fresh eyes.

Historical fiction will take several rounds of edits. In your first pass, you’ll fill in those missing details and perhaps elaborate on certain scenes.

You’ll do developmental edits for plot holes, pacing issues, character development, and more. Then you’ll work at a chapter and scene level.

Finally, you’ll do line edits, cleaning up your prose and making sure every word is perfect.

ProWritingAid can help. We can offer pacing feedback and line edits on your manuscript. You can set your document type to Historical Fiction to get personalized feedback about how well your writing matches genre expectations. It’s a great feature that can save you time during your editing process.

While it may require more research than other genres, historical fiction is a fun genre to write. It doesn’t have to be any harder than writing anything else.

If you maintain a solid system for your research, plotting, and writing, you can write an amazing historical novel that readers will love.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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6 Principles for Writing Historical Fiction

Today’s post is by Andrew Noakes ( @andrew_noakes ), executive editor of The History Quill .

Let’s face it: historical fiction can be a daunting genre to write in. Endlessly fascinating and rewarding, yes. But still daunting.

If you’re diving into this genre for the first time and feeling a little overwhelmed, or if you’re already a historical fiction writer and looking for some guidance to help restore your sanity, then help is on the way. I’ve put together six concrete tips for historical fiction writers—the dos and don’ts of writing historical fiction.

1. Establish your own set of rules for when to bend history for the sake of the story—and stick to them.

There are as many opinions on how accurate historical fiction should be as there are historical fiction authors, and they vary widely between those who consider accuracy an optional bonus and those who can be, well, a little bit pedantic. Historical fiction writers tend to get anxious about the possibility of censure if they bend the historical record a little, which is both understandable and healthy, but ultimately you have to tell a good story, and you can’t please everyone.

Rather than worrying about never, ever deviating from history, I advise establishing your own set of rules for when to bend history or not. That way, you’ll be able to make fair and consistent decisions and achieve the kind of balance most readers are looking for. Here are some tips that might help:

• There is a difference between altering verifiable facts and filling in the gaps. History is full of mysteries, unanswered questions, and gaps in the record. If what really happened can’t be verified, you have much more freedom to play around with history.
• History is open to interpretation. As long as you can back up your interpretation through your research, it’s fine to contradict conventional wisdom.
• Plausibility matters. If you want to bend the historical record, your changes should be plausible. For example, if you want a historical figure to arrive somewhere a few days earlier than they really did, they shouldn’t have been, say, imprisoned or incapacitated at the time.
• If a historical figure isn’t well known and not a lot has been written about them, you have more room for maneuver than you do if their life has been exhaustively documented. But, if you’re going to make something up, make sure it’s consistent with what you otherwise know about the character, including how they behaved, their interests, and what their values were.

If you’re looking for more tips on historical accuracy, do check out The History Quill’s free, official guide to accuracy and authenticity in historical fiction.

2. Do plenty of research—but know what to include and what not to include in your novel.

Research is one of the very first steps on your journey to becoming a historical fiction author. Here’s a safety warning: you’re about to dive down a whole load of research rabbit holes. From ancient cutlery to medieval agricultural techniques, there is a lot of stuff historical fiction writers need to know about. Secondary sources are your starting point, but primary sources, particularly letters, newspaper reports, and diaries are also vital.

Don’t be afraid to push the boat out and visit some archives, and, for that matter, do go and visit historical sites relevant to your story if you can. If you want to get really immersed, you can read the fiction of your period, cook the food, or even try and find authentic recreations (or possibly recordings, depending on the era) of the music.

Here’s the thing, though: you’re going to do all of this research, and then you need to discard 95 percent of it. Don’t actually delete your notes, obviously. What I mean is, only a very small fraction of your research should actually make it into your book. The sum total of your research will make the world you create feel real and authentic, and you need to deploy little details carefully and selectively to immerse the reader, but don’t be tempted to show off and dump everything you’ve learned onto the page. Otherwise you’ll end up with a dry tome of a history book, not an engaging historical novel.

3. Include characters who break the conventions and norms of their period—but don’t forget to include context.

History is replete with exceptions—people who ignored or rejected social conventions , overcame entrenched political and economic barriers , or challenged the prevailing wisdom of their time . One could argue it would be inaccurate not to include people like this in your historical novel. If every single one of your characters perfectly encapsulates the prevailing culture of their time, then you lose the change, difference, and non-conformity that have always been just as much a part of history.

Most of the trouble with depicting non-conformist characters comes when their non-conformity is represented as normal rather than exceptional. To persuade the reader that your anomalies are authentic, you must provide context. That means showing the obstacles, conflict, and ostracization your characters face. By doing this, you’re implicitly recognizing that they are unusual for their time, while persuading the reader they are nonetheless as real as any other part of the story.

4. Don’t write like you’re in the 14th century.

One of the ironies of writing historical fiction is that, in many cases, your dialogue should actually not be historically accurate. If you’re wondering why I would say such a profane thing, this is the reason:

Aleyn spak first, “Al hayl, Symond, y-fayth; How fares thy faire doghter and thy wyf?” “Aleyn! welcome,” quod Symond, “by my lyf, And John also, how now, what do ye heer?”

These lines are from The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, written in the late 14 th century, and I often use them to remind people just how different the language was back then. If you have your characters speaking to each other like this, most readers will put your book down in five seconds flat.

At the same time, historical fiction readers often really hate it when modern-day language creeps into historical fiction, which leaves us caught between a rock and a hard place.

The answer to this conundrum lies in a literary sleight of hand. We must create the impression of accuracy while ensuring the language remains readable and enjoyable. To do this, writers have to avoid modern colloquialisms and keep most of the language neutral, using words that, in some form or another, feel equally at home in history as they do in the modern day. Then you must add some more archaic words and constructions into the mix—not so much as to overwhelm the reader, but just enough that the story feels of a different time. The type of archaic language you select is important here—they have to be words and phrases that are still recognizable, even if they are no longer commonly used. This is an intricate task, but it can also be a fun and rewarding one once you get into the rhythm.

Historical language obviously becomes less alien the closer you get to the modern day, but even 19 th century language was sufficiently different that it must be tempered for a modern reader to some degree.

5. Integrate the history seamlessly into the story.

In A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens portrays a French aristocrat in his carriage running over a child on the street, before tossing a coin to the devastated father and driving off. The scene perfectly encapsulates the sentiments and forces that generated the French Revolution.

When it comes to striking a balance between history and story, this scene shows us the way. The cold indifference of the aristocratic class, the inequality not only in wealth but in the application of justice, and the debasement of the common person’s humanity all live and breathe in these lines. And yet the scene does not impassively summarise the causes of the French Revolution. Instead, the history is integrated into the story, and Dickens dishes out a history lesson without us even realizing it.

Dedicating large chunks of your story to outlining historical context through exposition or focusing on historical details purely for their own sake will quickly test your reader’s patience. Instead, follow Dickens’ lead and think about how you can illustrate history rather than exhaustively describing it, and try and integrate the smaller details organically. That means not sending your character off to a banquet purely so you can show off all the historical cuisine you researched or into an armory just so you can list all the weapons. Details like this have to fit naturally around the plot, not the other way around.

6. Don’t insist on accuracy if it will cause disbelief (but here’s a workaround if you really must).

A paradox of writing historical fiction is that sometimes accuracy must be sacrificed for the sake of authenticity. When you come across something that really happened in history but is just too ludicrous for the modern day reader to believe, often it’s better to leave it out. Like it or not, the impression of accuracy matters more than actual accuracy if you want to tell a story that will be well received.

If there’s some facet of history that you simply must include in your story but you’re concerned the reader won’t believe you, there is one way to gently disarm them: introduce their scepticism into the story. Depict at least one character finding it just as unbelievable as you think the reader might, and then depict another character putting them right. This is a subliminal nudge to the reader acknowledging their scepticism and reassuring them that, yes, this really was a thing. In a pinch, this can work.

So, those are my dos and don’ts of writing historical fiction. If you’re thinking about giving the genre a try or you’ve already started and feel like you’re out of your depth, I hope this guidance will help you move forward with confidence. No one with any sense ever said writing is easy, and historical fiction can be a trickier genre to master than some, but it’s worth every bit of perseverance.

Andrew Noakes is the founder and executive editor of The History Quill , which aims to provide support to historical fiction writers at every stage of the writing process, including through editing, coaching, and book promotion via their book club . A graduate of Cambridge University, where he studied history, he spent nearly a decade working in the world of politics and international affairs before happily giving it up to pursue his real passion: historical fiction.

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Andrew, This is really helpful. As an established nonfiction author working on my first historical fiction, I find myself grappling with each of the six things you mention. Your suggestions make me feel like I am doing things right. However, number 6 is hard in my case, because I am dealing with bringing to light precisely those things that the modern reader finds hard to believe about peasant life in Western Europe during the 11th-13th centuries, such as the common ban on milling flour and baking bread.

I chose to deal with this by interjecting my voice as narrator occasionally throughout the text, when things are confusing. In this sense, the book is an extended storytelling conversation between me and the reader. I wasn’t sure how this would be received, but 12 beta readers have almost unanimously loved it. I’m not sure how common this kind of narrative voice is.

Hi Samuel! That sounds fantastic. The most important thing is that your beta readers are happy. If they’re a good sample of your eventual target audience, that means you’re doing well. It’s common for an omniscient narrator to have their own distinctive voice and to pass comment on the events of the story. Less so for a third person limited narrator. I assume you’re not writing in first person as that would make it difficult to introduce a different narrative voice.

All of these are really good tips, speaking as an unrepentant historical novelist, specialising in the Elizabethan era (10th book of a series under the pen name P F Chisholm coming out next year). My recommendation would be to do plenty of general research and then write the first draft of the book. There will be large lumps where you simply don’t know enough and have to make it up – so you research those bits specifically, standing ready to rewrite the whole thing if necessary. And please, please, please make sure that your characters don’t commit the infuriating crime of psychological anachronism.

Excellent article. I am currently working on my fourth novel, third historical. Thanks.

[…] Andrew Noakes: 6 Principles for Writing Historical Fiction […]

Gratefuly to Fussy Librarian for sharing your post. I find myself agreeing with you point by point, especially about language. (Hurries off to subscribe to the Quill and the club.)

Great advice as usual, Andrew! The bit about doing all that lovely research and then discarding 95% of it is painfully close to home! 🙂 Thanks for sharing such in-depth insight. Sometimes it’s handy to read these things to remind us we’re on track.

This is excellent: thank you.

In my Western novel’s front matter I included a page noting that many events in the story are hysterically accurate (as far as possible), though relocated a few years in time.

Thank you, particularly the comments on archaic language and constructions. I often wrestle with the use of 18th century idioms.

Great guidelines! As a stickler for historical accuracy (yes, I’m one of those pedants–but I try to do it gently), I appreciate the support for facts … and the elegant ways in which to justify bending them. I like the gaps in history and the odd (to us) ways of believing. So many veins to mine–after doing thorough research, of course.

[…] Noakes enumerates 6 guidelines for writing historical fiction, and David James Poissant ponders how to write a timely novel in a world that won’t stop […]

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51 Of The Best Historical Fiction Writing Prompts

You’re looking for historical fiction ideas , and most of the ones you’ve come across are either too detailed and specific or too vague — at least for you. 

History writing prompts should paint enough of a picture to allow you to fill in the gaps as you step into it and look around.

Your own perspective and the connections that form in your mind will take that partial image and complete it. 

We kept that in mind while creating this list of 51 writing prompts for your novel . May each one flood your mind with the possibilities. 

51 Historical Fiction Writing Prompts 

If you’re racking your brain for interesting historical events to write about, check out the following prompts to get those synapses firing. You’ll find everything from civil war writing prompts to famous unsolved mysteries . Dig in and find something to play with. 

1. Changing Sides. A slave sent by his master to fight in the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy changes sides to fight for an end to slavery, not knowing what it will cost the woman he loves. Meanwhile, she risks her own life to protect a friend. 

2. Mail Order Bride. Your only support dies, and to survive, you answer an ad for a bride in the midwest. You’re not looking forward to being a stranger’s wife, but something in the letter he wrote you calms your reservations.

3 . Circus Fugitive. It’s 1925, and you’ve joined the traveling circus as a clown to hide your identity after being framed for a murder you didn’t commit. A rival performer recognizes you and threatens to expose you but doesn’t. He wants something else.

4. Atlantis Rising. You’re a citizen of ancient Atlantis and one of the few chosen for preservation during the centuries of submersion, thanks to Atlantean technology. You’ll never see your family again. One friend — with secrets — sabotages the plan.

5. Pearl Harbor. You’re one of the pilots in an air fight with Japanese bombers over Pearl Harbor. You spot one going in an unexpected direction and follow it, only to see them kamikaze into the building where the love of your life is working.

6. Equal Rights for All. A friend invites you to a meeting where you decide to join the fight for women’s suffrage and equal rights. Your employer spots you protesting and gives you a choice: distance yourself from the cause or lose your job. 

7. Prodigal Daughter. In the 1970s, you ran away from home to see Woodstock and only now, ten years later, are you heading back home, after a brief but troubling phone conversation with your mother. 

8. The Speakeasy Scandal. It’s 1923, and you’ve just opened your own speakeasy, limiting its patronage to select members of your community. But one of them is a mole for the local sheriff. He ends up dead in the alley, and you’re arrested for it. 

9. Sioux Pioneer. You lose your husband on the Oregon Trail to a wagon mishap and are then abducted by a Sioux tribe. Write a story describing your evolving relationship with the Sioux chief’s (adult) son. 

10. No Place for Black Veterans. You’re an orphan who befriends a returning WWII soldier after seeing how the community rejects him because of his skin color. Your friendship attracts the attention of local Klansmen and a neglectful aunt.

11. Undercover DJ. An undercover American WWII soldier sneaks into a German radio room and delivers a cryptic message in perfect German, hoping to alert other Americans to a devious German plot he’s discovered. 

12. Haunted Hotel. It’s 1930, and you buy a hotel that just happens to be haunted by the ghosts involved in a very public murder in the roaring 20s. Turns out, plenty of people are willing to pay good money to be haunted by glamorous murder victims. 

13. Jack the Seam Ripper. Using an item in your grandmother’s “treasure box,” you go back in time and get a young Jack interested in tailoring and fashion design. But can you really stop him from following his darker impulses when an old lover returns?

14. Poker Face. In 1800s England, the poker stakes are higher than most spectators are willing to risk. You’re the reigning champion until a new challenger hits the scene. Thing is, you’re ready to lose and disappear. But it won’t be that simple.

15. Don’t Forget the Pie. You run a 1940s diner and see all sorts of people, many of whom you only see once. Everyone who tries your pie wants the recipe, but it’s a closely-guarded family secret. One customer offers to work for a month to get it.

16. Dear Jane. Your sweetheart is a Vietnam soldier who just broke up with you in a letter. You do some digging and find out he’s left you for one of his fellow soldiers, whose fiancée is the same best friend who comforted you after the break-up. 

17. Once Upon a Drama. You’re a novelist who wakes up in Victorian England and meets your own characters. While rooting for your favorite two people, you don’t expect to fall for one of them. You definitely don’t expect to tell them about it.

18. Ever Since Summer Camp. Five teens meet at summer camp and bond together in response to a tragedy. Their lives continue to intertwine as they grow up in 1950s California. One of them shares the secret that binds them, and lives fall apart. 

19. The Stolen Child. As part of a time-traveling detective couple, you’re excited about your next assignment in Germantown, Maryland: the kidnapping of Charley Ross — a mystery that remained unsolved. 

20. Darkness in the French Quarter. In the early 1880s, your connections with the New Orleans aristocracy leads you to a beautiful Creole woman, Madame Delphine LaLaurie , who has been torturing and murdering the slaves of her household. 

21. Road Trip! Lewis and Clark plan for the Oregon Trail. They talk about hardships they expect, people they’re leaving behind, and what each one most hopes to gain. Your main character is a jilted lover who hatches a plan to stop the expedition..

22. Special Delivery. He delivers milk. She delivers newspapers. They cross paths when they both witness a mugging in 1920s Chicago and intervene to protect the victim. The supposed “victim” then offers them both a job with a hefty payoff. 

23. Nursing History. You pay someone to help you explore your past and see one of your past lives as a WWII nurse. Your fiancé in that life looks an awful lot like your current boss. You see what you went through together and the child you had. 

24. Lost at Sea. A loved one boards the Titanic on their way back home to you. When the ship goes down, they supposedly end up on one of the few liferafts, but they don’t return with the survivors. A year later, they show up at your door.

25. Million Dollar Fling. Ten years ago, you had a moment with a ship’s captain during a 1950s cruise with a group of wealthy socialites you met at college. You show up at a life-changing job interview in New York and come face-to-face with him again. 

More Related Articles:

63 Of The Best Memoir Writing Prompts To Stoke Your Ideas

55 Fun And Creative Writing Prompts For Kids

252 Of The Best Writing Prompts For All Writers

26. American Blood. Your family came to the U.S. after government intervention essentially handed rule in your native country to an organized crime network. A former friend is recruited to their ranks and comes to the U.S. for a business deal. 

27. Two for One. You’re waiting in the parlor for your gentleman host, watching the butler pour tea and eyeing a plate of jammy biscuits. You’re here to meet the man your sister wants to marry. So, why does he know everything about you ? 

28. Jazz Runaway. Two new friends cajole you into joining them to check out a new jazz band. It’s 1930s Mississipi, and you know your parents wouldn’t approve of these friends, but they remind you of someone you lost. What you learn changes you. 

29. Voodoo Priestess. It’s June in 1881. You’re walking in a funeral procession while the band plays. In the coffin is your mother, the Voodoo Queen Marie Leveau , and you’re headed to the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, plot 347. 

30. Is it Jack or Jackie? A woman named Mary Pearsay is arrested for the murder of a woman and her child. After her death, Ripperologists suggest she may have been the real “Jack the Ripper.” Your investigative partner has a weird fixation on her. 

31 . Missing, Presumed Innocent. You’re investigating the case of a young English maidservant who disappeared on January 1st, 1753 and reappeared on the 29th, emaciated and weak. Her story of abduction doesn’t match what investigators find. 

32. The “Mad Monk.” You’ve just met the man who murdered Grigori Rasputin on the 17th of December in 1916, and he’s only too happy to recount the details. He’s not so forthcoming about why he did it, and you’re determined to find out. 

33. Da Vinci’s Muse. The world knows about Leonardo da Vinci but not about the Renaissance woman who inspired him. As one of her descendants, you’re determined to make her known, at the risk of exposing a dark secret. 

34. The Invisible Apprentice. Being William Shakespeare’s apprentice would be great if he weren’t always stealing your ideas and claiming them as his own. So, you write a brilliant satiric play exposing him. He loves it and takes it to the stage. 

35. Death in the Family. You know who really killed JFK, and it wasn’t that patsy Oswald, who’s already dead. Exposing the real killers would put you and your family next on their list. 

36. Nightmares in Heaven. You’re secretly watching Michaelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel. You know he’s been having nightmares, which find their way onto the chapel ceiling — before the Archbishop demands he paint over them. 

37. Candy Creep. The creator of Sweethearts candies sends you a box “anonymously.” The messages on those tiny hearts reveal more than you want to know about him. 

38. Better Half. You’re on a visit to New York in 1977 with your fiancé, and you’re separated when the blackout hits. Write about your adventures as you find your way back to each other — and when you find out where he’s been. 

39. Tactical Magic. It’s 1692, and you’re a witch keeping a low profile in Salem, Massachusetts while trying to protect your sister. She’s just been accused by a group of girls after meeting with the minister’s daughter in the woods. 

40. The Baby Diaries. You found your mother’s hidden diaries detailing her experiences as a young Black woman in the 50s. Now, some of the things she said and did while she lived make sense. You didn’t expect to learn about a half-sister.

41. Forbidden Knowledge. You wake up in the famous library of Alexandria mere hours before it burns, destroying everything. You witness the arson and stealthily pursue those responsible. 

42. Profanely Biblical. At the Nicene Council, Emperor Constantine has booted any bishop who doesn’t agree with his decision on which books belong in the Christian Bible and which should be destroyed. You’re a collector of the latter.

43. Before the Mayflower. On the west coast of Africa, in 1462, you see hundreds of captive men, women, and children being loaded into ships. You ask why and learn the truth as you spot a friend among them. What do you do?

44. The Haitian Revolution. In 1804, Haitians win their independence from French rule. As a Haitian immigrant to the U.S., you openly supported their fight. But when a massacre follows the revolution, you encounter open hostility. 

45. More Than Courage. You’re a student at Harvard when the university admits its first Black student: Beverly Garnett Williams. You share some classes with her, and you witness her courage every day. You also witness people’s reactions. 

46. Illegal Heritage. It’s the Spanish Inquisition, and your family has converted to Christianity from Judaism to survive. That doesn’t stop the local clerics from harassing you — or your pious neighbors from pointing fingers.

47. Crazy in Love. You’re the last person Marilyn Monroe talked to before she was murdered. And you’re determined to expose her killer. But no one believes the “crazy best friend” — including your doctors at the mental hospital.  

48. Model Neighbors. You read your parents’ collected love letters and learn about what they experienced as an interracial couple in the 1960s. They had you before they were forced out of their white neighborhood. 

49. Pirate Queen. You’ve been kidnapped by Blackbeard and instead of killing you, he keeps you as a slave. But you have a brilliant plan to take over the ship and become the new pirate captain of the Queen Mary’s Revenge. 

50. She’s Indisposed. You’re an apothecary in the 1600s, and two star-crossed lovers have asked you to prepare a potion to help one of them fake their death. You create the potion but get it mixed up with a powerful remedy for constipation. 

51. Tele-porta-vision. In 1972, you sit around your English family’s first TV set — a gift from your dad’s new employer. You wake up hours later in the middle of a crop circle nearby, unable to remember how you got there. Dreams tell you more. 

Final Thoughts

Now that you have 51 prompts with cool historical events to write about, which ones make you want to put this aside and start writing? 

And what else will you bring to your story to make it uniquely yours? 

Humor? Romance ? Horror ? Fantasy ? Choose-your-own adventure? 

Pick a prompt , and play with whatever comes to mind. Tell your inner editor to take a nap while you get the words out. This is a time to create. 

Write away. 

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40 Writing Prompts and Ideas for Historical Fiction (with pictures!)

Are you a curious novelist exploring uncharted genres or are you a current writer of the past seeking new adventures?

Whatever your purpose, these 40 historical writing prompts , partnered with a collection of vintage photographs , are guaranteed to help you get ideas, transcend to an inspiring era and help you to write your own piece of history.

And once you’re done with these prompts, please visit my post on “How to Write Historical Fiction.”

1. The Lonely Lighthouse

2. Behind Enemy Lines

It’s 1864, and the United States is in the middle of a Civil War. Write a scene in which an undercover Union soldier passes through a quaint southern town brimming with Confederate rebels. 

3. Fire at the Factory

Imagine you’re an Irishman working at a factory in the 1930s. It’s your first day on the job. Without having the proper training, you accidentally set fire to the plant. Write a mock report of how the fire started and how your character escaped fault.

4. The Traveling Circus Clown

5. The French Ruler

Write a chapter in the point of view of an English spy who attempts murder during Louis XIV’s coronation in 17th century France. How does your tyrant plan to execute their mission and are they successful?

6. Swan Lake

A group of close friends meet for the last time before going in separate ways in 1940s England. Write a scene about their last moment together.  Do they make a pact to see each other again in 10 years or do they reminisce back in time to the day they first met?

7. Sailing Away

In 1950s Charleston, South Carolina, two teenagers escape the troubles of boyhood to go on an adventure of a lifetime. What conflict do they have with each other as they go on their voyage and where do they go?

8. The Dinner Bell

See what’s cooking in this 1940s California kitchen. Imagine you are a food columnist for the local newspaper. Write a mock interview and include a secret family recipe that accidentally gets leaked.

10. Aerial View Beach

As an airplane pilot you are much more aware of what’s happening in the sky rather than the ground. Write a scene where the pilot flies over a beach and spots a crowd of beach-goers flocking to the surf. Do a 15 minute freewrite of what you see in the water.

11. Turquoise Waters 

You are an inhabitant on a tropical Mediterranean island. One day you go out for a stroll along the cliffs when you notice a strange ship across the waters coming toward your home. Write one chapter where you describe who’s on board the ship and what they want. Are they friends or enemies?

12. Kooky Cribs

Write a story about an orphaned child in the 1970s that meets a strange family who resides in an even stranger house on the California coast.

13. He’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

Write a scene about a family man traveling through a mountain pass in 19th century Oregon, unaware of what’s coming fast around the corner. Write a paragraph of how he connects fate with destiny.

14. Block Party

Extra! Extra! Write a scene about a group gathering in the streets of Chicago, Illnois in the 19th century. Are employees going on strike? Are women fighting for equal rights against men? Or are people cheering for the one person that could lead a hopeless village to a brighter future?

15. The Butler Did It

Write one chapter about a female housekeeper who explores her master’s study in 19th century France. What all does she discover and is it something that she rather not have wished to find?

16. The Long Journey Home

Write a story about a boy who ran from home after revealing a scandalous family secret that should have been kept jan drugs canada under lock and key. Now a man, fifteen years later, he’s returned home only to discover that there is still unrest after his plaguing mishap.

17. On Top of God’s Mountains

Write one chapter from the point of view of a 1970s mountain climber in Colorado, who discovers a brick hut on top of a mountain. Is it inhabited or is there a certain relic which transcends him to a different era?

18. The Road to Nowhere

19. Buffalo Dreams

Write a journal entry in the point of view of a female pioneer of her abduction by the Sioux Indian tribe in the early 19th century.

20. Oriental Ornaments

Write a story in which an ornament on a Christmas tree tells the story of a different era in time.

21. Handle with Care

Write an outline about the adventures of four men, who meet as young postmen during WWII. What are their backstories? Give them features, disagreements, and opposing traits.

22. The Lion Tamer

Write a character profile of a wealthy 19th century English banker, who was once a lion tamer in a past life.

23. Beauty Mark

Write a robbery scene that takes place in a popular jewelry boutique in 1960s New York. Is the jewel thief a stealthy shoplifter or a glass-shattering maniac? Does the crime take place at night when the store is closed or during business hours? And how does the robber know the jewelry store owner?

24. War Hero

Write a scene where an undercover WWII American sneaks into a German radio room to send a message that could prove fatal to the enemy — if he isn’t caught.

25. Hotel of Haunts

Write a flash fiction story from the point of view of an owner of a hotel that is famous for being haunted by characters from the Roaring Twenties.

26. Let’s Shake On It

Write a story about a man who purchases a 1920 Ford Model T and discovers that the car has a life of its own.

27. Baskets, Anyone?

Write a story about a 1980s New Yorker looking for adventure, who purchases a basket from an eccentric city merchant and discovers an item inside that takes the character back in time to 15th century Scotland.

28. Poker Face

There’s no rules in this card game. Describe the high stakes for this card game in 1800s England. Does the winner wind up wishing he had lost?

29. The Diner

Write a story about a drifter passing through only to stop at a lone 1940s diner to get some lunch, but unintentionally ends up staying much longer than expected.

30. A Man’s Best Friend

Write a story about a boy and a stray dog and their many adventures as a famous motor racer in 1920s America.

31. Dear . . .

Write a letter from the point of view of a solider writing to his family during the Vietnam War.

32. Once Upon a Time

Write a story about a contemporary novelist who physically appears into his Victorian England drama and falls for his female protagonist.

33. The Kiss

Write a love story about a female WWII veteran who saves a fireman from a burning movie theater in 1940s New York.

34. Cabin Fever

Write a story of a pioneer family from the city starting their new life on the Oregon Trail in the 1800s.

35. Under the Weather

Write a story about an underrated scientist that turns out to have better ideas than most of his colleagues in 19th century Germany.

36. Summer Dreams

Write a story about five teenagers who first meet at a summer camp, and how their lives continue to intertwine throughout the years in 1950s Florida.

38. Fort Knox

Write a diary entry of an infantry solider in the Revolutionary War who is on guard at his post when there is a sudden attack on his fort.

39. The Rogue

Write a character profile of a wayward Englishmen who treats the rules of proper Victorian England society like it’s a game.

40. The Highwayman

Write a scene in which the passengers of this motor car are stopped by a mysterious rider in the 1920s English countryside.

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How to Write a History Book Review

Writing a book review is one of the fundamental skills that every historian must learn. An undergraduate student’s book review should accomplish two main goals:

• Lay out an author’s argument, and
• Most importantly, critique the historical argument.

It is important to remember that a book review is not a book report. You need to do more than simply lay out the contents or plot-line of a book. You may briefly summarize the historical narrative or contents but must focus your review on the historical argument being made and how effectively the author has supported this argument with historical evidence. If you can, you may also fit that argument into the wider historiography about the subject.

The 'How to ... ' of Historical Book Reviews Writing a book review may seem very difficult, but in fact there are some simple rules you can follow to make the process much easier.

Before you read, find out about the author’s prior work What academic discipline was the author trained in? What other books, articles, or conference papers has s/he written? How does this book relate to or follow from the previous work of the author? Has the author or this book won any awards? This information helps you understand the author’s argument and critique the book.

As you read, write notes for each of the following topics.

• Write a few sentences about the author’s approach or genre of history. Is the focus on gender? Class? Race? Politics? Culture? Labor? Law? Something else? A combination? If you can identify the type of history the historian has written, it will be easier to determine the historical argument the author is making.
• Summarize the author’s subject and argument. In a few sentences, describe the time period, major events, geographical scope and group or groups of people who are being investigated in the book. Why has the author chosen the starting and ending dates of the book’s narrative? Next, discover the major thesis or theses of the book, the argument(s) that the author makes and attempts to support with evidence. These are usually, but not always, presented in a book’s introduction. It might help to look for the major question that the author is attempting to answer and then try to write his or her answer to that question in a sentence or two. Sometimes there is a broad argument supported by a series of supporting arguments. It is not always easy to discern the main argument but this is the most important part of your book review.
• What is the structure of the book? Are the chapters organized chronologically, thematically, by group of historical actors, from general to specific, or in some other way? How does the structure of the work enhance or detract from the argument?
• Look closely at the kinds of evidence the author has used to prove the argument. Is the argument based on data, narrative, or both? Are narrative anecdotes the basis of the argument or do they supplement other evidence? Are there other kinds of evidence that the author should have included? Is the evidence convincing? If so, find a particularly supportive example and explain how it supports the author’s thesis. If not, give an example and explain what part of the argument is not supported by evidence. You may find that some evidence works, while some does not. Explain both sides, give examples, and let your readers know what you think overall.
• Closely related to the kinds of evidence are the kinds of sources the author uses. What different kinds of primary sources are used? What type of source is most important in the argument? Do these sources allow the author to adequately explore the subject? Are there important issues that the author cannot address based on these sources? How about the secondary sources? Are there one or more secondary books that the author seems to lean heavily on in support of the argument? Are there works that the author disagrees with in the text? This will tell the reader how the work fits into the historiography of the subject and whether it is presenting a major new interpretation.
• Is the argument convincing as a whole? Is there a particular place where it breaks down? Why? Is there a particular element that works best? Why? Would you recommend this book to others, and if so, for whom is it appropriate? General readers? Undergraduates? Graduates and specialists in this historical subject? Why? Would you put any qualifications on that recommendation?

After having written up your analyses of each of these topics, you are ready to compose your review. There is no one way to format a book review but here is a common format that can be varied according to what you think needs to be highlighted and what length is required.

• Introduce the author, the historical period and topic of the book. Tell the reader what genre of history this work belongs to or what approach the author has used. Set out the main argument.
• Summarize the book’s organization and give a little more detail about the author’s sub-arguments. Here you would also work in your assessment of the evidence and sources used.
• Strengths and weaknesses or flaws in the book are usually discussed next. It is up to you to decide in what order these should come, but if you assess the book positively overall, do not spend inordinate space on the book’s faults and vice versa.
• In the conclusion, you may state your recommendations for readership unless that has been covered in your discussion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. You might review how convincing the argument was, say something about the importance or uniqueness of the argument and topic, or describe how the author adds to our understanding of a particular historical question.

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BEST HISTORICAL FICTION WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 42 prompts reset

Write a time-travel story where a character from the present finds themselves in the 80s or 90s., write an epistolary story set during a major historical event. the event may be the subject of the letters directly, or be referenced in the background., write about a character who is living through a major historical event — whether they know it or not., set your story in eighteenth century london, including a casual reference to something that changes the course of history..

• Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

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• Write a historical fiction story about someone working at a company that helped revolutionize early computers.

Write about an elderly character who was part of a historic movement years ago.

Write a story that starts by establishing its setting in a different time period — without explicitly stating what that period is., write a story about a musician struggling to find work during wartime., write a story about a family dinner that takes place in any time period other than the present., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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You are a composer and your fiercest rival is Ludwig van Beethoven.

Historical Fiction

• You are a gossip columnist — in 1905.

A day in the life of an apothecary in the 1600s.

It is halloween and the jack o' lantern on your porch has just come alive., describe london from the eyes of a pauper in 1810..

• Write a story in which the outcome of a historical war went differently.

You are Dracula. Write a story in which you get a happy ending.

Your lover has just confessed to you that he's from the fourteenth-century. (which certainly explains some of his grooming habits.), as you’re eating a box of sweethearts, you realize the words are a message., germs have just been discovered, but they’re still a pretty radical concept. you’re trying to get people on board with the idea of “hygiene.”, win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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The best historical fiction writing prompts

One of the joys of writing historical fiction is the opportunity to look to the past and ask: what if? What if an English woman suddenly found herself transported through time from mid 20th-century Scotland to mid 18th-century Scotland? What if you could meet the woman behind Johannes Vermeer’s famous oil painting? What if you could talk to one of Henry VIII’s most trusted advisors? All of these stories already exist, of course — Outlander, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Wolf Hall — but there are many more to tell. And hopefully these historical writing prompts will help you do just that!

The possibilities for historical fiction are practically endless — you’ve got an entire world, and the course of millenia to choose your setting from! What really matters is making sure that you are able to include the kind of textual details and references to real-world events that will immerse your readers entirely. That requires research, preparation, and a whole lot of planning. While other genres may give you a little (or a lot!) more leeway for invention, historical fiction readers expect a certain level of rigor from their novels, so bear this in mind in your story development and editing process.

Here are our top ten historical fiction writing prompts:

• A bard falls in love with the monarch who employs them.
• You’re Shakespeare’s apprentice, and he’s always taking credit for your ideas.
• You worked at one of the first printing presses during the Printing Revolution of the 15th century.
• Write about a specific time in history through love letters.
• The revolution is here — and you’re going to play a crucial role in leading it. (Choose any revolution you like, from any era.)
• A family sit around their brand new radio for the first time after dinner.

Here are some additional resources to help you write historical fiction:

• How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course) — Fiction which relies heavily on its setting will require a lot of exposition, but how can you do this well? You want to avoid info-dump. (“Oh Mary! I do so love returning home to our quiet town on the coast of Victorian England, having been injured from my time as a soldier in the Crimean War, 1853-1856!”) Instead, you should be employing the golden rule of show, don’t tell — and our course explains exactly how to do that.
• The Ultimate Worldbuilding Guide (free resource) — While our guide is also used by fantasy authors to cook up entirely new worlds from scratch, this resource provides helpful prompt questions which you can use to shape your research.

Want more help learning how to write a short historical fiction? Check out How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s week l y short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

Have a story you’re ready to start submitting? Check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines .

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The Historical Novel, and Other Essays Hardcover – July 18, 2023

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A collection of essays on the historical novel and its place in literature, by noted critic and scholar Brander Matthews. Along with an analysis of the genre's history and conventions, Matthews offers insightful readings of works by popular authors of the day. A valuable resource for students and fans of the historical novel alike.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

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• Print length 328 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Legare Street Press
• Publication date July 18, 2023
• Dimensions 6.14 x 0.75 x 9.21 inches
• ISBN-10 1019857439
• ISBN-13 978-1019857434
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Legare Street Press (July 18, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1019857439
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1019857434
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 0.75 x 9.21 inches

About the author

Brander matthews.

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Historical Fiction

Grab a Lemonade and Turn Back the Clock With These Stories of Yore

The days are long, but this summer’s bounty of historical fiction will remind you that the years are short.

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By Alida Becker

Alida Becker was an editor at the Book Review for 30 years. She was the first winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for excellence in reviewing.

There are times and places when reality becomes utterly surreal. Consider, for example, the trenches of World War I, which Katherine Arden invests with a brilliantly spooky aura in THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS (Del Rey, 324 pp., $28.99). Her heroine is a Canadian nurse, furloughed after being wounded, who has returned to the Belgian battlefields in search of her brother, missing in action and presumed dead. But there are others haunting this “forbidden zone,” and at least one of them is intent on some very devilish manipulation.

The spectral voice in Katya Apekina’s tragicomic MOTHER DOLL (Overlook, 320 pp., $28) is Irina, the great-grandmother of Zhenia, a feckless would-be actress stuck in Los Angeles during the early stages of a pregnancy her husband would rather ignore. When a psychic contacts her out of the blue, Zhenia embarks on a long-distance visit to the Russian Revolution via her domineering ancestor’s tales. Irina, it turns out, is seeking forgiveness for past actions and abandonments that have warped mother-daughter relations for three generations. Will these revelations arrive in time to spare a fourth?

Apekina’s novel illuminates a crucial historical event from the perspective of a few minor players. This is also the tactic Cristina Henríquez employs in THE GREAT DIVIDE (Ecco, 336 pp., $30), set in early-20th-century Panama during the vast canal-building project. Her focus is not on the outsiders intent on reshaping the isthmus but on the local people whose lives — and livelihoods — will be reshaped in the process. Chief among these are Omar, a young workman on an excavation crew whose fisherman father dreads the changes he sees coming, and Ada, a teenager from Barbados who has smuggled herself into the country, desperate to earn money to pay for her sister’s medical care.

In Flora Carr’s THE TOWER (Doubleday, 272 pp., $28), the action is focused on smuggling out. The tower in question is part of a windswept castle on an island in 16th-century Scotland and the person in need of clandestine removal is Mary, Queen of Scots, held prisoner by her enemies, who have forced her to abdicate, leaving them to rule on behalf of her infant son. By restricting the novel to the 11 months Mary spends confined with two lowly servants and a single noble companion, Carr manages to provide fresh insight into a historical figure whose story would appear to have already been thoroughly mined.

Is there a character in English literature more easily pigeonholed — and vilified — than Lady Macbeth? In ALL OUR YESTERDAYS (Putnam, 368 pp., $28), Joel H. Morris revisits the medieval woman who inspired Shakespeare and gives her a sympathetic back story. Married in her teens to an abusive older man, this daughter of the aristocracy finds herself caught in a never-ending cycle of violence and vengeance. She and Macbeth have no children, but the son she bore to her murdered first husband figures into a curse she will try, without success, to escape.

The effort it took for the poet Elizabeth Barrett to escape her overprotective family is at the heart of Laura McNeal’s THE SWAN’S NEST (Algonquin, 320 pp., $29). An invalid confined for years to her bedroom, Barrett falls in love with the writing of Robert Browning, whose letters to her trigger an impassioned epistolary romance. Their eventual meeting and elopement are depicted from the perspectives of both the Barretts and the Brownings, yielding a delicately shaded portrait of a marriage only Elizabeth and Robert could perhaps have envisioned.

The young women in Helen Simonson’s latest novel might be affronted by such a protracted, interference-filled courtship. Set in the immediate aftermath of World War I, THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB (Dial Press, 420 pp., $29) has a whole pack of them reveling in the freedoms they attained while the men were off fighting — and bristling when those freedoms evaporate in peacetime. With the same sort of affectionate wit she deployed in “ Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand ,” Simonson directs an unconventional cast through an intrigue-filled summer at an English seaside resort, yielding the closest the historical novel may come to what mystery readers call a “cozy.”

World War II was the formative experience for the Williamson sisters, nonagenarian British veterans being shepherded through various present-day commemorative ceremonies by their indulgent great-nephew in CJ Wray’s THE EXCITEMENTS (Morrow, 304 pp., paperback, $19.99). In a wild adventure that belongs on the shelf with “ Travels With My Aunt ,” discreet and dapper Archie discovers that their joint visit to Paris will reveal more of the secret — occasionally larcenous — past experiences of these doddering but hardly dotty ladies.

10 noteworthy books for June

A witty essay collection and thrilling historical fiction await you.

Great new reads for June include a lavish thriller set in the international art world, historical fiction in Renaissance Italy and a medical mystery memoir from a young mother.

‘I’ve Tried Being Nice: Essays,’ by Ann Leary

Leary had an epiphany while dealing with a neighbor whose off-leash dogs were wreaking havoc. As she delivered a stern warning — “Look, I’ve tried being nice …” — the inveterate people-pleaser suddenly understood one of the benefits of getting older: the power of indifference. In funny and unpretentious essays on topics that include selling a beloved house, interacting with fans of her famous husband, Denis, becoming an empty nester and recovering from alcoholism, Leary shares stories from a lifetime of wanting to be liked. (Marysue Rucci, June 4)

‘Malas,’ by Marcela Fuentes

Set in a border town on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, Fuentes’s lively novel explores the intergenerational connection between two strong women. Lulu Muñoz is trying to keep her punk rock band a secret from her substance-abusing father while avoiding thoughts of her garish upcoming quinceañera celebration. When the enigmatic Pilar makes a surprise appearance at a funeral, she and Lulu form a friendship that leads to unexpected discoveries. (Viking, June 4)

‘Hell Gate Bridge: A Memoir of Motherhood, Madness, and Hope,’ by Barrie Miskin

Miskin’s searing memoir about her experience with a mysterious mental illness during and after her pregnancy provides a haunting window into the state of health care in the United States. Having weaned herself from antidepressants as a precaution before pregnancy, Miskin began an alarming descent into delusions and suicidal ideation which continued after her baby was born. A proper diagnosis of a rare and incurable disorder began her journey away from darkness, allowing her to fully experience being a wife, teacher and mother. (Woodhall Press, June 4)

‘Service,’ by Sarah Gilmartin

When Daniel, one of Dublin’s top chefs, faces accusations of sexual assault, Hannah’s mind returns to the summer she spent waitressing at his high-end restaurant — the excitement of the glamorous dining room, the pressures of the kitchen and the wild parties after hours, where something sinister happened that changed her life. Meanwhile, Daniel’s wife, Julie, is hiding from the paparazzi and trying to understand the allegations against the man she loves. In alternating chapters, Gilmartin gives voice to Daniel, Hannah and Julie, perceptively delving into issues of silence, complicity and the aftermath of violence. (Pushkin Press, June 4)

‘The Throne,’ by Franco Bernini, translated by Oonagh Stransky

The first in a planned trilogy, Bernini’s engrossing historical novel follows Machiavelli’s trajectory through the corridors of power in 16th-century Italy. Sent by the Florentine Republic to spy on the plotting Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli shrewdly accepts a proposal to chronicle Borgia’s life story. As the relationship between the biographer and his subject evolves, each man relies on the other to achieve his political ambitions, yet only one will succeed. (Europa, June 11)

‘The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby,’ by Ellery Lloyd

Lloyd’s engaging historical mystery moves swiftly between pre-World War II Parisian art studios, the elite academic corridors of early 1990s Cambridge University and present-day Dubai, where a controversial masterpiece by British heiress and surrealist artist Juliette Willoughby appears on display after it was presumed lost in the fire that claimed her life. Art history scholars had been suspicious about the truth behind the painting’s loss, and the continuing investigation — with possible ties to a murder — uncovers scandalous secrets that someone might go to great lengths to keep quiet. (Harper, June 11)

‘Moonbound,’ by Robin Sloan

The author of “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” returns with a far-flung sci-fi adventure that begins 11,000 years in the future, when animals can talk and genetic manipulators called wizards rule. After 12-year-old Ariel fails to comply with a wizard’s directive to remove a sword from a stone, he is forced to flee the only place he has ever known in the company of a sentient ancient artifact whose purpose is to contain all the knowledge of human history. Ariel and his companion set out on a quest to save his home from the vindictive wizard, encountering danger and finding new friendships along the way. (MCD, June 11)

‘God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer,’ by Joseph Earl Thomas

Joseph Thomas — not the author but the novel’s similarly-named protagonist — is many things: an Iraq Army veteran; a single father; an emergency room technician at a North Philadelphia hospital; an Ivy-league student of medicine; and a Black man trying to find his place in a country that often judges him unfairly. Struggling to maintain balance between the incessant obligations of work, school and fatherhood, his everyday encounters are a continuous reminder of the difficulties he has faced while trying to build a life for himself. Joseph’s travails, told in a forceful stream of consciousness, expose the daily rhythms, obstacles and joys of one man’s life. (Grand Central, June 18)

‘Hombrecito,’ by Santiago Jose Sanchez

Sanchez’s powerful first novel follows a young boy from Colombia to the United States and back again as he struggles with abandonment issues, acclimating to a new homeland and grappling with his own queer sexual awakening. With a “father-shaped hole” in his heart, he pushes away from his single mother in a raucous attempt to define his own life. But accompanying her back to Colombia as an adult allows him to reconsider the childhood images he had of his parents — and perhaps find grace and acceptance. (Riverhead, June 25)

‘Husbands and Lovers,’ by Beatriz Williams

Single mother Mallory Dunne has just sent her 10-year-old son, Sam, off to summer camp when she gets an alarming call — her son has consumed a poisonous death cap mushroom. With Sam needing a new kidney that she can’t provide, Mallory’s only options are to contact Sam’s father, whom she hasn’t seen in more than a decade, or to locate her mother’s recently discovered birth family. In another timeline, Hannah Ainsworth, a traumatized World War II survivor married to a British diplomat in 1950s Egypt, finds comfort in the arms of the manager of one of the grandest hotels in Cairo, reawakening a part of her she thought was lost. The experiences of these women as mothers in two different times and places link them together in surprising ways. (Ballantine, June 25)

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Denis Leary’s first name. The article has been corrected.

Donald Trump found guilty in historic New York hush money case

A New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.

The jury reached its verdict in the historic case after 9½ hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday. 

He'll be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it's expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, not consecutively.

Follow live updates here.

"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump fumed to reporters afterward.

The verdict was read in the Manhattan courtroom where Trump has been on trial since April 15. He had pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump looked down with his eyes narrowed as the jury foreperson read the word "guilty" to each count.

The judge thanked the jurors for their service in the weekslong trial. “You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that,” Judge Juan Merchan told them. Trump appeared to be scowling at the jurors as they walked by him on their way out of the courtroom.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche made a motion for acquittal after the jury left the room, which the judge denied.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would not comment on what type of sentence he might seek, saying his office would do its talking in court papers.

"While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and ultimately today at this verdict in the same manner as every other case that comes to the courtroom doors — by following the facts and the law in doing so, without fear or favor," Bragg said. Asked for his reaction to the verdict, Bragg, who was inundated with threats from Trump supporters during the probe, said, "I did my job. We did our job."

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, immediately set out fundraising off the news, posting on his website that he's "a political prisoner" and urging his followers to give money.

Legal experts have told NBC News that even if Trump is sentenced to time behind bars, he'd most likely be allowed to remain out of jail while he appeals the verdict, a process that could take months or more. That means the sentence would most likely not interfere with his ability to accept the Republican nomination for president at the July convention.

And it likely wouldn't impact his ability to be elected. "There are no other qualifications other than those in the Constitution,” Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and NBC News & MSNBC Legal Analyst said following Thursday’s verdict.

President Joe Biden's campaign praised the verdict in a statement but stressed that Trump needs to be defeated in November.

“In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law," said the campaign's communications director, Michael Tyler, but the "verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box."

In his closing argument this week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury that “the law is the law, and it applies to everyone equally. There is no special standard for this defendant.”

“You, the jury, have the ability to hold the defendant accountable,” Steinglass said.

Trump had maintained that the DA’s office had no case and that there had been no crime. “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes,” Blanche said in his closing statement, arguing the payments to Cohen were legitimate.

Prosecutors said the disguised payment to Cohen was part of a “planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures, to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior, using doctored corporate records and bank forms to conceal those payments along the way.”

“It was election fraud. Pure and simple,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said in his opening statement.

While Trump wasn’t charged with conspiracy, prosecutors argued he caused the records to be falsified because he was trying to cover up a violation of state election law — and falsifying business records with the intent to cover another crime raises the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. 

Trump was convicted after a sensational weekslong trial that included combative testimony from Cohen, Trump’s self-described former fixer, and Daniels, who testified that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 after she met him at a celebrity golf tournament. Trump has denied her claim, and his attorney had suggested that Cohen acted on his own because he thought it would make “the boss” happy.

Other witnesses included former White House staffers, among them adviser Hope Hicks, former Trump Organization executives and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.  

Trump didn’t take the witness stand to offer his own account of what happened, even though he proclaimed before the trial began that he would “absolutely” testify. The defense’s main witness was Robert Costello, a lawyer whom Cohen considered retaining in 2018. Costello, who testified that Cohen had told him Trump had nothing to do with the Daniels’ payment, enraged Merchan by making disrespectful comments and faces on the stand. At one point, the judge cleared the courtroom during Costello’s testimony and threatened to hold him in contempt. 

Cohen testified that he lied to Costello because he didn’t trust him and that he’d lied to others about Trump’s involvement at the time because he wanted to protect his former boss.

Cohen was the lone witness to testify to Trump’s direct involvement in the $130,000 payment and the subsequent reimbursement plan. Blanche spent days challenging his credibility, getting Cohen to acknowledge he has a history of lying, including under oath.

Cohen said he was paid the Daniels cash in a series of payments from Trump throughout 2017 that the Trump Organization characterized as payments pursuant to a retainer agreement “for legal services rendered.”

Prosecutors said there was no such agreement, and Cohen’s version of events was supported by documentary evidence and witness testimony. 

Blanche contended that the series of checks then-President Trump paid Cohen in 2017 “was not a payback to Mr. Cohen for the money that he gave to Ms. Daniels” and that he was being paid for his legal work as Trump’s personal lawyer.

Testimony from Jeff McConney, a former senior vice president at Trump’s company, challenged that position. McConney said the company’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, told him that Cohen was being reimbursed for a $130,000 payment, and prosecutors entered Weisselberg’s handwritten notes about the payment formula as evidence. Cohen said Trump agreed to the arrangement in a meeting with him and Weisselberg just days before he was inaugurated as the 45th president.

Weisselberg didn't testify. He’s in jail on a perjury charge related to his testimony in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud case against Trump and his company. Cohen, McConney and other witnesses said Weisselberg, who spent decades working for Trump, always sought his approval for large expenditures. 

In all, the prosecution called 20 witnesses, while the defense called two.

Trump had frequently claimed, falsely, that the charges against him were a political concoction orchestrated by Biden to keep him off the campaign trail. But Trump eventually managed to bring the campaign to the courtroom, hosting top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Rick Scott of Florida, as his guests in court. Trump also used court breaks to tout political messages to his supporters, while his surrogates sidestepped Merchan’s gag order by attacking witnesses, individual prosecutors and Merchan’s daughter.

Merchan fined Trump $10,000 during the trial for violating his order, including attacks on Cohen and Daniels, and warned he could have him locked up if he continued violating the order.

Cohen celebrated the verdict in a post on X. "Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters," Cohen wrote.

Trump was indicted in March of last year after a yearslong investigation by Bragg and his predecessor, Cyrus Vance. The charges were the first ever brought against a former president, although Trump has since been charged and pleaded not guilty in three other cases. None of the three — a federal election interference case in Washington, D.C., a state election interference case in Georgia and a federal case alleging he mishandled classified documents and national security information — appear likely to go to trial before the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Gary Grumbach produces and reports for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Jillian Frankel is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.