WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.230 --> 00:00:15.310 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Perfect. And just as I said, there are loads of people already filtering in. So this is great. Let me open the chat so I can see when people start messaging us. 2 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:27.410 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: My cat has just decided to join us. So he might on something in the background. He did this last year. Okay? 3 00:00:27.700 --> 00:00:49.839 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So okay, hey, everybody. So let's get started. I'm Sarah from providing aid and thank you for joining us today. If you can see and hear me. Please drop your name and location in the chat. We've already got a lot of people with us so far, I think. Yeah, over a hundred people so far, this is amazing. 4 00:00:50.140 --> 00:01:13.399 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I'm just reading. So we've got Lorraine from Colorado. I can see Alicia from Texas. We've got Sue Susanna. I think that was from Newcastle. Ontario. We've got a sloth from Massachusetts. We've got Heidi from Nashville. 5 00:01:13.470 --> 00:01:30.929 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: We've got some10, Sylvia from Frankfurt and Germany. That's awesome. We've got Amy from Ottawa in Canada. So many people. Just keep doing that. And in the meantime I have some slides to go through some housekeeping notes. 6 00:01:31.060 --> 00:01:43.359 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: So let's get started on those. So first of all, how to access your replays. So if you want to rewatch this session, or if you want to watch 7 00:01:43.360 --> 00:02:08.270 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: a session from the rest of the week, and you want to be able to start stuff and take notes and do all of that. You can find them on our hub page. We usually add them on the next day. Usually because it takes a while for zoom to process everything. So it's if if my caveat is that, look the next day, and if you don't see them, maybe leave it a little bit longer, because we have different time zones. So 8 00:02:08.410 --> 00:02:28.210 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: so yeah, you can find them on there. The replays are available to everyone for a week after the event. So for now this is March first after this date, then the replays are available for premium and premium pro users only, and that will be on our community page, which I'll mention again in a moment. 9 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:57.709 So in terms of the content that you're gonna get we've got Monday to Thursday. Sessions are free for everyone to attend and then those like, I say, you'll still get the access to those for a week afterwards. And the Friday sessions this week are limited to premium premium pro users. So you've got until Friday morning. To upgrade, and then you'll get sent a link in an email on Friday morning for your access to the Webinars. On that day. 10 00:02:57.830 --> 00:03:20.659 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: If you do decide to upgrade from your free account, we're currently offering 25% off yearly premium or premium pro, we constantly keep adding like features to this, and it's just a great thing to be a part of. I mean, I'm biased. But I'm helping make some of the features so like I'm really excited about these things. 11 00:03:20.660 --> 00:03:31.810 So at the moment you've got, you can access advanced suggestions, author comparisons. We fully integrate with most of the writing apps that you'll be interested in using. 12 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:56.729 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: If we don't, then obviously let us know. We've got a feature request space on our community that you can request compat compatibility with an app that you really like writing in that we currently don't work in. And then we can. We can maybe have a have a look at making that happen. We also have AI features such as rephrase AI sparks and critique, which if that's for you. Then, obviously, you can use that. If not, then it's you don't even need to think about it. 13 00:03:56.750 --> 00:04:05.279 And this offer of the 25% off. The yearly premium or premium pro ends on March first as well. 14 00:04:06.350 --> 00:04:29.800 Okay. So where I was talking about the community earlier, and I've mentioned it a couple of times. This is something that we're really excited for you to be a part of. We're just trying to create a really nice positive community for writers, not just romance writers, writers of all genres, and everything to come and talk about writing, talk about writing, a talk about 15 00:04:30.060 --> 00:04:56.519 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: all sorts, stories in general. Everything in the above, and just, you know, hang out so you can keep talking about romance writing. We have a live chat. Channel. So obviously you can mention things on there that maybe you've watched, and you know you can. Obviously, if somebody maybe understands something from a webinar that you don't necessarily understand. You can ask questions there and keep chatting and and learning from each other, which I think is really awesome. 16 00:04:56.610 --> 00:05:19.679 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Okay? And then just remind us for this session. So we've got a QA. Box which our guest is gonna go through towards the end. So if you've got questions for our speaker, then please put them in there. Because the chat goes pretty fast. So obviously, if you ask a question that we might miss it. Put it in the QA. Box. I can see one in there already, so somebody knows whether where they're doing 17 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:32.970 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: what they're doing, even and then, if you want to chat with other viewers and I'll be in the chat as well. Do feel free to do that, and obviously comment on anything that that we've mentioned during the presentations. 18 00:05:32.970 --> 00:05:39.400 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: And then I'm going to add some links. Well, let me, alt tab. 19 00:05:39.610 --> 00:05:49.039 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Let me just add some links to all of the details that you need. I'll pop those in the chat now, but if I put it to them right 20 00:05:49.400 --> 00:06:09.439 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: thing so that everyone can see them. There you go. So there's some links in there now. I will post them again towards the end as well, and maybe throughout as well, just so that you can keep hold of them. And but most things you can find on our hub page. Yeah, remember to select everyone. Yeah, exactly. So 21 00:06:09.580 --> 00:06:25.819 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: I think that's pretty much everything I have to get through on my slides. So let me stop sharing those, and then I can introduce our guest. I'm very excited for this this session. It's gonna be amazing. 22 00:06:25.820 --> 00:06:53.850 So today we are joined by Suzanne Dunlap. So Suzanne is an author, accelerator, certified book coach specializing in coaching historical and multi-timeline fiction, including romance and mystery. Suzanne works with writers of all experience and skill levels at any point in their writing journey, helping them conceive draft, and revise a manuscript they can be proud of. However, they plan to get into readers hands. 23 00:06:53.900 --> 00:07:17.730 In addition to her work as a book coach, Suzanne is the award winning author of more than a dozen historical novels for adults and teens, which is just very impressive, and Suzanne earned her BA. And Ma. In musicology from Smith College and her Ph. D. From Yale University, which was in music, history, and lives and writes in Bideford, ME. Was at Maine. 24 00:07:17.880 --> 00:07:28.259 Susanne Dunlap: Thank you, Jackie. So with all of that out of the way, I will hand over to Suzanne, and I will leave it there, and I'll be back at the end. 25 00:07:29.520 --> 00:07:44.140 Susanne Dunlap: Hi, everyone first of all. Thank you so much for having me. I am going to share a presentation with you, and we have a lot to get through. But first of all, I'd love to know in the chat which of you are actually 26 00:07:44.430 --> 00:07:51.990 Susanne Dunlap: writing, or have written a historical romance manuscript already. I'm just curious 27 00:07:53.250 --> 00:07:56.070 Susanne Dunlap: and bear with me while I 28 00:07:59.850 --> 00:08:05.629 Susanne Dunlap: get my. I had this just a second ago. There we go. That's why. Okay. 29 00:08:05.870 --> 00:08:20.959 Susanne Dunlap: I am really sorry. I just tried this out with Sarah, and some for some reason it just went away when I tried to share it. Here we go. Here we go. 30 00:08:21.110 --> 00:08:23.250 Susanne Dunlap: Okay. So 31 00:08:29.390 --> 00:08:34.149 Susanne Dunlap: first of all, can everybody see this? Just you know, I want to make sure. 32 00:08:36.210 --> 00:08:39.000 Susanne Dunlap: Okay, good. Thank you. 33 00:08:41.250 --> 00:08:45.370 Susanne Dunlap: Just looking in the chat. Alright. So this is where you are. 34 00:08:45.510 --> 00:08:50.860 Susanne Dunlap: You are at 5 pro tips for research that will bring your historical romance to life. 35 00:08:51.270 --> 00:09:01.170 Susanne Dunlap: And you already heard about me. So I'm not going to go through this. But one thing that's kind of fun is, I live in a historic converted mill in Biddeford, Maine. 36 00:09:02.830 --> 00:09:15.209 Susanne Dunlap: and also I stole this from Savannah. Gilbo, take a screenshot of my presentation during this presentation tag me and share it on Instagram, and I'll reshare, and then I'll get connected with you, which would be fun 37 00:09:17.910 --> 00:09:21.589 Susanne Dunlap: first of all, what I'm planning to cover in this with you? 38 00:09:22.850 --> 00:09:35.050 Susanne Dunlap: First and foremost, what do historical romance readers want? Really important question. how much research do you really need to do in order to give them what they want. 39 00:09:36.790 --> 00:09:42.759 Susanne Dunlap: And I am going to give you 5 different ways to focus your research on what matters for your story. 40 00:09:43.490 --> 00:09:54.989 Susanne Dunlap: And finally, I want to take you through. The various beats of of romance which still apply to historical romance, and how the research will play into that 41 00:09:56.200 --> 00:10:04.519 Susanne Dunlap: first of all, how many of you put in the chat for me are intimidated by doing the research? 42 00:10:06.050 --> 00:10:30.590 Susanne Dunlap: I think that's a common problem, people think. Oh, my God, I wanna write historical romance, but I'm afraid that I'll get something wrong. The history police will come after me, and you know that sort of thing. But anyway, alright so I guess quite a few of you interesting. So. But let's start first of all talking about. Why do readers choose historical romance rather than contemporary. 43 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:34.540 Susanne Dunlap: And again, any ideas about that you can put in the chat. 44 00:10:34.890 --> 00:10:36.690 Susanne Dunlap: I have my own ideas. 45 00:10:37.990 --> 00:10:47.320 Susanne Dunlap: Yeah, the the clothes, the manners to learn something which is a good a point. I'll I'll touch on again later. 46 00:10:47.430 --> 00:10:57.930 Susanne Dunlap: because it's a real escape to another time. The roles are well defined. It seems like a simpler era. The pace of life is different, etc., etc., etc. 47 00:11:00.260 --> 00:11:03.190 Susanne Dunlap: And so. But why should that matter 48 00:11:05.540 --> 00:11:14.130 Susanne Dunlap: to you, as the writer, fulfilling reader expectations is a fundamental requirement of of romance. 49 00:11:14.550 --> 00:11:18.379 Susanne Dunlap: People come to romance for really specific reasons. 50 00:11:20.850 --> 00:11:29.119 Susanne Dunlap: Start by thinking about what you love about historical romance, and I assume, because you're here, you're interested, you, you read historical romance. 51 00:11:31.900 --> 00:11:36.770 Susanne Dunlap: How do your favorite books make you feel about the historical world? 52 00:11:37.250 --> 00:11:47.279 Susanne Dunlap: Hopefully immersed right? And again, tell me that in the chat I'm gonna save this chat because it's gonna have all sorts of interesting things in it. I know. 53 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:49.420 Susanne Dunlap: So 54 00:11:49.990 --> 00:11:54.089 Susanne Dunlap: what is your job? As a historical romance writer? 55 00:11:55.150 --> 00:12:08.959 Susanne Dunlap: It's first and foremost to immerse your readers in a different world, because that's what they're looking for, right to give a truthful, not factual representation of that historical world. And the difference is 56 00:12:10.230 --> 00:12:17.129 Susanne Dunlap: factual, is, you know, based in little tiny bits of information. Whatever truthful is something that that is 57 00:12:17.330 --> 00:12:23.979 Susanne Dunlap: organic to the period you're writing in and and is and doesn't jolt people out of that world. 58 00:12:26.030 --> 00:12:33.589 Susanne Dunlap: and also respect your readers take care that the historical information any historical information you actually give them 59 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:49.280 Susanne Dunlap: is accurate, as accurate as it can be. and that might sound scary, but it's not as scary as it sounds. and at the same time you've got to fulfil all their expectations of romance. You know the meat cute the happily ever after all those stages 60 00:12:51.690 --> 00:12:57.810 Susanne Dunlap: creating the historical world, so that it's both accurate and believably habitable. 61 00:12:58.300 --> 00:13:07.369 Susanne Dunlap: is as important as the romance itself, I think, and that's because in large part of why people choose to read historical romance. 62 00:13:08.780 --> 00:13:19.199 Susanne Dunlap: even if you're changing the world, you know you think about Julia Quinn and Bridgeton. It's not an ex, an accurate depiction of what regency England was like, but 63 00:13:19.570 --> 00:13:22.769 Susanne Dunlap: it's true to its general premise. 64 00:13:24.700 --> 00:13:31.119 Susanne Dunlap: and also you have to strike a delicate balance between world building and storytelling. 65 00:13:32.920 --> 00:13:44.159 Susanne Dunlap: So you don't just need the right approach to research. But you have to understand what's actually relevant, meaningful, and necessary. 66 00:13:46.290 --> 00:13:48.040 Susanne Dunlap: And the trick is 67 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:57.119 Susanne Dunlap: accomplishing that without getting lost down a bottomless research rabbit hole. And, believe me, I've been down quite a few in my time, and I love research. 68 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:06.590 Susanne Dunlap: But I'm also not an expert in the periods that I write, and I am very focused about the research I do for my for my books. 69 00:14:09.130 --> 00:14:10.000 Susanne Dunlap: and 70 00:14:10.190 --> 00:14:25.309 Susanne Dunlap: partly I do that through through paying attention to these 5 simple tips which I promised you, I would give you, that, I think will be helpful to you as you plan, write, and revise your historical romance. 71 00:14:27.300 --> 00:14:28.529 The first tip 72 00:14:28.740 --> 00:14:34.309 Susanne Dunlap: use the obvious sources. The history police will not come after you. 73 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:48.599 Susanne Dunlap: You don't have to find some obscure thing in some archive if you do all power to you. But it's not necessary. So what are these obvious sources? Of course the Internet is your friend. 74 00:14:48.640 --> 00:15:00.959 Susanne Dunlap: When I started writing historical fiction, the Internet wasn't really all that helpful the things that were on it. There just weren't that many resources there now almost everything is digitized, which 75 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:03.879 Susanne Dunlap: is is a sort of blessing and a curse. 76 00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:15.509 Susanne Dunlap: Chat GPT. Don't turn your nose up at it. It can also be a great resource, but you have to double check any facts that seem suspicious because it's not 77 00:15:15.570 --> 00:15:16.950 Susanne Dunlap: a search engine. 78 00:15:17.420 --> 00:15:22.560 Susanne Dunlap: It does some stuff with its algorithm that can come up with wrong answers. 79 00:15:23.630 --> 00:15:25.170 Susanne Dunlap: And also 80 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:35.260 Susanne Dunlap: look at the art of the period that you're writing in that can be incredibly helpful just to give a feel, an emotional feel to what you're what you're writing about. 81 00:15:37.280 --> 00:15:48.400 Susanne Dunlap: And I had to give this example. I went to chat, Gpt, because we'll find out later. There's certain things about which there's tons of information on the web. So. 82 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:57.860 Susanne Dunlap: finding it all can be a little bit of a challenge. But if you ask the right question in Chat Gpt, you can get a very handy little list with 83 00:15:58.020 --> 00:16:13.430 Susanne Dunlap: descriptions. I asked it what kinds of carriages were used during the regency, and it came up with these in its correct, and it's all pretty much correct there didn't. It's not comprehensive, doesn't have everything, but it has enough to get me going. 84 00:16:14.170 --> 00:16:26.050 Susanne Dunlap: However, when I asked it for a picture of a tilbury, which is a 2 wheeled open carriage, this is what it came up with. So it's not so good for that sort of thing. But Google is good. 85 00:16:26.800 --> 00:16:30.490 Susanne Dunlap: And just so, you know, this is actually what a tilbury looks like. 86 00:16:32.980 --> 00:16:39.679 Susanne Dunlap: Another obvious source. Other historical romance author sites. There are many who are really 87 00:16:39.770 --> 00:16:51.680 Susanne Dunlap: passionate and generous about sharing their knowledge. They really. They've they've gone to a lot of trouble to get this and want to want to give their readers more information, or whatever. And 88 00:16:51.910 --> 00:17:00.479 Susanne Dunlap: I'm thinking, for Victorian Mimi Matthews has a great site. I think I have a link to it in this, in these slides. 89 00:17:01.820 --> 00:17:13.279 Susanne Dunlap: and of course read read other historical romances, not just for the information, the history in them, but for the way that history is used. 90 00:17:14.510 --> 00:17:31.339 Susanne Dunlap: And these links are all live in the slides which you'll be able we'll have access to afterwards. There's some just. These are just a few of the sites that I found useful historical. Husseis is good. And these some of these in the regency. There's again 91 00:17:31.390 --> 00:17:37.339 Susanne Dunlap: almost too much information about the regency out there. But the Jane Austen 92 00:17:37.490 --> 00:17:46.239 Susanne Dunlap: I think it's just Jane Austen, co.uk has tons of really good stuff, and and a couple of these other 93 00:17:46.900 --> 00:17:59.980 Susanne Dunlap: historical novel writers, historical romance writers and the International Hare Society is also good, and I'm going to talk a little bit more about Georgette Hayer and and her influence on this genre. 94 00:18:00.590 --> 00:18:03.899 Susanne Dunlap: And, as I, said the Victorian, Mimi Matthews. 95 00:18:04.370 --> 00:18:10.999 Susanne Dunlap: and you can probably find others if you're writing in different periods right at the moment. My head is totally in 96 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:21.390 Susanne Dunlap: regency romance for all sorts of reasons. So if I'm talking specifically to that. it doesn't. What I'm saying doesn't just apply to regency romance. 97 00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:27.969 Susanne Dunlap: Also don't turn your nose up at Wikipedia. It can be a really good place to start. 98 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:37.480 Susanne Dunlap: The good articles have bibliographies, and you can look in the bibliography or the notes, and find other sources. 99 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:42.249 Susanne Dunlap: But you might not even be half to go that deep for what you're what you're looking for 100 00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:51.169 Susanne Dunlap: again, too. If you're writing, Regis Regency, you can consider joining the Regency fiction writers. 101 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:58.669 Susanne Dunlap: which is an association that has. They have classes and resources and links and everything that can be really helpful 102 00:18:58.760 --> 00:19:01.930 Susanne Dunlap: for specific things that you're looking to find out. 103 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:06.770 Susanne Dunlap: All right. So now we're on to the second tip 104 00:19:07.080 --> 00:19:12.610 Susanne Dunlap: focus, focus, focus on what you actually need for your story. 105 00:19:13.150 --> 00:19:15.440 Susanne Dunlap: As I said, you don't have to be an expert. 106 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:20.140 Susanne Dunlap: Remember, it's romance. First 107 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:28.109 Susanne Dunlap: map out your beats, decide on your trope. and then researched to support those story elements 108 00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:39.739 Susanne Dunlap: and narrow down to your exact story present. By that, I mean, is the time that elapses in your story. Could be anything from a day to a week to a year, whatever 109 00:19:40.030 --> 00:19:48.999 Susanne Dunlap: and where it is in history, and the exact locations that are covered in your store, in your, in your romance and the important characters. 110 00:19:51.760 --> 00:20:13.210 Susanne Dunlap: If you feature any actual historical characters, how do they interact with your protagonists? I mean, in the regency, you're gonna have probably have to mention people like Nelson and Wellington, and stuff because of the wars that were going on. But it could just be dinner table conversation to have. You don't have to go into deep research about those historical figures. 111 00:20:14.730 --> 00:20:29.420 Susanne Dunlap: and you can also use a type instead of the historical personage, an admiral. I, you know whatever which will mean, you'll still have to do some research, cause you'll have to get the details right. But maybe less than you would if you used a real person. 112 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:33.980 Susanne Dunlap: and then the same thing goes for historical events. 113 00:20:34.250 --> 00:20:47.340 Susanne Dunlap: Do they affect the plot, or are they just dinner table conversations? Is your hero, for instance. Your is he army? Is he a major in the army, say? 114 00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:51.510 Susanne Dunlap: And I can think of a really good example of 115 00:20:52.260 --> 00:20:53.640 Susanne Dunlap: in 116 00:20:55.340 --> 00:21:14.620 Susanne Dunlap: a convenient marriage by Georgette Hare. Her, the Lord Linton is actually comes back from the army, and he has a lot of experience in battle, and can talk about it. So I mean, that's kind of she's amazing with her depth of knowledge, but because of the situation 117 00:21:14.770 --> 00:21:24.690 Susanne Dunlap: that has to be correct, you have to go into that. But people sitting around a table saying, Oh, did you hear about this? That that's you know. You need to know the basics. 118 00:21:25.010 --> 00:21:33.729 Susanne Dunlap: And again, if you're a female protagonist, maybe she's really interested in politics more so than was generally acceptable for a lady of her time. 119 00:21:34.280 --> 00:21:37.609 Susanne Dunlap: you need to know what she would be interested, and why. 120 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.010 Susanne Dunlap: and then 121 00:21:40.110 --> 00:21:45.120 Susanne Dunlap: a lot of the noble protagonists! Some 122 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:56.119 Susanne Dunlap: some take their place in Parliament, others don't. If you're in London, or if they in. But if they have to go there for a house sitting, you should know when and what for. 123 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:03.500 Susanne Dunlap: And now here's the here's a really big point. I'm going to come back to it again and again. 124 00:22:03.790 --> 00:22:07.789 Susanne Dunlap: Don't add details just because you've done the research. 125 00:22:09.660 --> 00:22:20.219 Susanne Dunlap: You need to choose the details, your curating the details for your reader so that it enhances their experience of your story. Not so that it shows what all the research you've done. 126 00:22:20.710 --> 00:22:24.000 Susanne Dunlap: your details should add depth and texture. 127 00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:41.440 Susanne Dunlap: For instance, say your heiress is in love with a blacksmith. then you'd better have some good knowledge about what a blacksmith did where they be all that sort of thing, how it affects them physically, mentally, how society views them, etc., etc. 128 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:51.029 Susanne Dunlap: And you should have a clear idea of what would happen if an heiress ran off with a blacksmith, how it would affect her place in society! 129 00:22:52.210 --> 00:23:02.340 Susanne Dunlap: But if the blacksmith is just sort of window dressing, or mention generalize or leave him out just because you found all this information about blacksmiths in 130 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:06.260 Susanne Dunlap: the nineteenth century doesn't mean you have to include that 131 00:23:08.040 --> 00:23:09.090 Susanne Dunlap: again. 132 00:23:09.230 --> 00:23:15.240 Susanne Dunlap: Don't add details just because you've done the research nothing worse than an info dump. 133 00:23:16.340 --> 00:23:20.540 Susanne Dunlap: And just to hammer this point, really hammer this point home. 134 00:23:20.650 --> 00:23:27.089 Susanne Dunlap: You may find it fascinating, but if you can leave it out without affecting your story, it doesn't belong there 135 00:23:30.060 --> 00:23:34.859 Susanne Dunlap: again. If it doesn't advance or deepen the story or your characters. Leave it out. 136 00:23:35.890 --> 00:23:40.809 Susanne Dunlap: Now. I've said that I'm sorry I'm really hammering that home, because it is something that can happen. 137 00:23:42.100 --> 00:23:43.370 Susanne Dunlap: The third tip 138 00:23:43.980 --> 00:23:54.539 Susanne Dunlap: is prioritize your research based on your protagonists. This is something I believe in so strongly that 139 00:23:54.790 --> 00:24:07.020 Susanne Dunlap: it's your protagonists who are the most important aspects of your novel, and everything that you that happens in it and around it has to be has to be related to them in some way. 140 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.260 Susanne Dunlap: and everything starts there. 141 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:15.460 Susanne Dunlap: If you make them real, believable, and historically true. 142 00:24:15.520 --> 00:24:20.599 Susanne Dunlap: That should be your first resource priority. Anything you need in order to 143 00:24:22.710 --> 00:24:25.590 Susanne Dunlap: make your protagonists live on the page. 144 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:30.399 Susanne Dunlap: and that includes what they want, what they fear. 145 00:24:30.550 --> 00:24:47.599 Susanne Dunlap: what they believe or misbelieve things is mistaken. Beliefs are can be really powerful ways to create tension in your novel. All of those things should be period appropriate they should be. They should have their roots in the period 146 00:24:49.390 --> 00:25:05.950 Susanne Dunlap: again. Here. If you write, if you use a beat sheet, go back to that and look and see, and you know, test them out, see if if they can be period appropriate or an inside outline. If you know this, which is something I use with my own coaching clients or any kind. However, it is that you're planning. 147 00:25:08.070 --> 00:25:18.979 Susanne Dunlap: and a good idea is to make a list of the facts and historical details that your story couldn't exist without, or that are essential to bringing your protagonists to life. 148 00:25:19.010 --> 00:25:29.569 Susanne Dunlap: And I have a little sheet that a resource sheet that you can use to organize that information for your story. 149 00:25:31.110 --> 00:25:34.609 Susanne Dunlap: You can put those facts into buckets for easier researching. 150 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:43.000 Susanne Dunlap: However. this doesn't mean you have to do all this research before you start writing. 151 00:25:43.820 --> 00:25:47.600 Susanne Dunlap: I don't. Maybe I shouldn't admit that. But 152 00:25:47.760 --> 00:25:55.370 Susanne Dunlap: you can keep adding to this list of things you need to know. And as you're writing, use TK. To come 153 00:25:55.550 --> 00:26:06.339 Susanne Dunlap: if you need to insert a description, or you don't have a fact at your fingertips, or you suddenly realize that this is a whole area you need to research, and you didn't kind of realize it when you were planning. 154 00:26:06.560 --> 00:26:21.130 Susanne Dunlap: Just put that in. And then, when you you know, when you come to revising, or you take a break to do some more research. You just have to search Tk, in your manuscript, and you'll be able to see where those where those gaps are 155 00:26:22.760 --> 00:26:29.280 Susanne Dunlap: and this is my one of my favorite things. I don't know how many of you in you can tell me in the chat. 156 00:26:30.070 --> 00:26:35.039 Susanne Dunlap: Use. Scrivener scrivener is a really good 157 00:26:35.490 --> 00:26:47.799 Susanne Dunlap: drafting tool, but not everybody likes. Do that. Some people like to handwrite. Some people use word and you can copy and paste to get into pro writing a from scrivener just as easily as you can from word. 158 00:26:48.270 --> 00:27:00.650 Susanne Dunlap: But it has something really really helpful for historical romance in that you can import your research materials directly into the place where you're writing your your novel. 159 00:27:01.730 --> 00:27:07.759 Susanne Dunlap: You can import a web page and see it right there you can import documents. And so 160 00:27:07.910 --> 00:27:21.439 Susanne Dunlap: you get to a certain thing you're writing. And you think, Oh, where is that fact? Or that that little point, or whatever that I wanted to find, and you go down and you see your your research. And you it's right there, right in front of you 161 00:27:24.090 --> 00:27:25.020 Susanne Dunlap: so 162 00:27:27.260 --> 00:27:33.130 Susanne Dunlap: tip number 4. This is a real bit real sort of 163 00:27:33.730 --> 00:27:36.499 Susanne Dunlap: obsession of mine about the language. 164 00:27:39.010 --> 00:27:50.340 Susanne Dunlap: It isn't just the manners, the clothes, and the customs that make a period feel authentic. It's how people talk. not just talk, but how the language you use. 165 00:27:50.770 --> 00:28:02.379 Susanne Dunlap: I can't tell you how many times I've read contemporary, you know, new historical romance, and bumped into words and phrases and ways of using things that just knock me right out of the period. 166 00:28:02.780 --> 00:28:07.290 Susanne Dunlap: Anachronistic words and ideas will disrupt the historical setting. 167 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:15.320 Susanne Dunlap: and you know some people will notice it look more than others, and I'm probably really bad for that. So but 168 00:28:15.500 --> 00:28:22.250 Susanne Dunlap: If you take just a little bit of care, then I think the whole thing feels more authentic. 169 00:28:23.050 --> 00:28:46.070 Susanne Dunlap: and what I mean is, you know, beware of using words and ideas related to modern technology that we use automatically and don't even think about things like rewind fast forward and a gazillion others. And then also words change in their usage, and expressions change impact as a verb. If I see that, then it's I'm immediately I'm in the 20 first century. 170 00:28:48.210 --> 00:29:02.299 Susanne Dunlap: And it's so easy to just figure out whether you're whether that's the case or not. You can just put a search in Google that says, when was XYZ. Phrase, word, whatever first used, and you will get the answer 171 00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:12.340 Susanne Dunlap: used to be when I used to have a subscription to the Oxford English dictionary online, because it wasn't so easy to do that in a web search 172 00:29:12.420 --> 00:29:13.710 Susanne Dunlap: and 173 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:18.710 Susanne Dunlap: and that was kind of laborious to do, and expensive, too. 174 00:29:20.510 --> 00:29:25.409 Susanne Dunlap: Having said that there is a flip side. You don't want to 175 00:29:25.930 --> 00:29:30.660 Susanne Dunlap: gum up your pros with obscure words, even if they're correct. 176 00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:35.829 Susanne Dunlap: unless they serve a story purpose. And I have one really funny example of that. 177 00:29:35.850 --> 00:29:54.110 Susanne Dunlap: A novel, a cotillion, a novel by Georgette Hare again. Sorry I keep going back to her. There's a scene in which the female protagonist is. There's a a principal secondary character who's a friend of her brothers who's trying to communicate to her that he is. 178 00:29:54.230 --> 00:29:57.609 Susanne Dunlap: has been totally drunk, and is 179 00:29:57.890 --> 00:30:15.280 Susanne Dunlap: running away from a place where he owes some money or something. I don't remember the exact circumstances, and in this entire scene. He never says that outright. He keeps using euphemism after euphemism for her, and the reader knows what's going on. 180 00:30:15.420 --> 00:30:25.589 Susanne Dunlap: But but the protagonist doesn't. And it's actually really funny, even if you've never heard those things before. You know exactly what's going on. And it, you know, it serves a purpose in the story. 181 00:30:27.190 --> 00:30:42.789 Susanne Dunlap: and if you're especially if you're writing regency romance and I have a I have a link for this in the resource that you can download later, you can find everything you need to know about the language of the period on the web and and the colloquialisms. What the phrases mean. 182 00:30:46.910 --> 00:30:57.370 Susanne Dunlap: Okay. My fifth tip is just to make sure you've got the basics covered, the things that that readers expect, and the things that will 183 00:30:57.620 --> 00:31:02.730 Susanne Dunlap: automatically make your your environment feel authentic. 184 00:31:04.570 --> 00:31:15.249 Susanne Dunlap: They're the things that you have to get right. If you, if you're going to provide details which you don't always have to do, generalizing or skimming over things is is an option for sure. 185 00:31:17.050 --> 00:31:24.890 Susanne Dunlap: You need to choose those details carefully. To make sure, however much detail you put in is appropriate to your story. 186 00:31:25.020 --> 00:31:30.999 Susanne Dunlap: I just read a scene, a fight scene, a dual scene with swords that was quite compelling. 187 00:31:31.430 --> 00:31:40.739 Susanne Dunlap: beautifully done. But if you're not good at writing those kinds of action scenes you don't have. You don't have to make that a big part of your 188 00:31:41.010 --> 00:31:43.340 Susanne Dunlap: of your story. 189 00:31:43.540 --> 00:31:51.940 Susanne Dunlap: You can summarize instead of really making it a scene where you have to be extremely accurate about how that would have happened. 190 00:31:53.310 --> 00:31:56.320 Susanne Dunlap: So the first basic, obvious 191 00:31:56.400 --> 00:32:06.719 Susanne Dunlap: clothing. And again, this is one of those one of the things. As I said, the gowns, etc., etc., are one of the reasons people love to read historical romance. 192 00:32:07.690 --> 00:32:21.569 Susanne Dunlap: but it's not just the type of garments. but how they fasten. how easy or difficult they are to get in and out of. This is especially useful if you are writing a steamy historical romance, and there are sex scenes. 193 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:37.839 Susanne Dunlap: There's a lot of interesting action can happen when they're trying to get in or out of, you know, a a laced up corsets and stuff, but it's and also what period did they? Were they wearing corsets, and what kinds of corsets and things. If you're gonna get that specific. 194 00:32:39.120 --> 00:32:44.050 Susanne Dunlap: And here, too, it's better to generalize about it than to get get it wrong. 195 00:32:46.350 --> 00:32:57.180 Susanne Dunlap: I don't know if you're familiar with this. Youtube has some amazingly wonderful resources for costume, and this is one just one of many where 196 00:32:57.400 --> 00:33:24.140 Susanne Dunlap: they have. They have people dressing actors for the actual period, showing the order. What the clothes are, the order they go on, how they're fastened. You know. A lot of times people were pinned or sewn into their gowns at different periods, and what? How the material they're made of, how to care for them, which things were washed, which things weren't washed. Sorry, just keeping an eye on the time. 197 00:33:24.300 --> 00:33:28.390 Susanne Dunlap: And I'm going to take a quick sip of tea, too, because my voice is getting froggy. 198 00:33:30.540 --> 00:33:40.960 Susanne Dunlap: but sorry. But you know, unfortunately, this is one of those places. You could really go down that research rabbit hole because it's so much fun to watch this stuff. 199 00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:45.660 Susanne Dunlap: Another one is transportation. 200 00:33:48.290 --> 00:33:58.460 Susanne Dunlap: The transport your characters use should be appropriate to both the distance that you're going to cover and the environment as well as the class of passengers. 201 00:34:01.060 --> 00:34:17.150 Susanne Dunlap: Again, it's better to generalize than to get something wrong. You saw my thing about a tilbury earlier. You could just as you easily use a town carriage, or something like that which is different from a coach, which is a big, heavy thing that ha! That's that. 202 00:34:17.469 --> 00:34:25.929 Susanne Dunlap: Several people can ride in, and it's usually not not used that much in a busy city street, more for long distances. 203 00:34:27.050 --> 00:34:36.860 Susanne Dunlap: And you can. You can get really detailed. In fact, I have this wonderful resource, but that's my sort of historical thing, which I 204 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:48.880 Susanne Dunlap: I will tell you later on. But it's this treatise from the early nineteenth century that goes into such detail about different kinds of not just the carriages, but their, the bodies, the 205 00:34:49.179 --> 00:35:01.080 Susanne Dunlap: the harness everything there is to know about it, but that's probably too much information, unless your protagonists are deeply involved in 206 00:35:01.540 --> 00:35:03.729 Susanne Dunlap: in carriages for some reason or other. 207 00:35:05.650 --> 00:35:27.949 Susanne Dunlap: And here it is. This is the one. It's a a treatise on carriages, comprehending coaches, chariots, Phytons, Caracals, whiskies, etc., together with their proper harness, by William Felton, and it exists in reprint, which is why I am mentioning it. It's not some obscure thing that that you can only find in the university library. It is available. It's out there. But 208 00:35:28.010 --> 00:35:37.669 Susanne Dunlap: be warned. You're gonna find way more information in it than you possibly need to use unless you have a specific story reason for it. 209 00:35:39.830 --> 00:35:42.360 Susanne Dunlap: Another basic is money. 210 00:35:42.550 --> 00:35:49.249 Susanne Dunlap: because, you know, especially in if you're writing historical romance almost always it involves 211 00:35:49.940 --> 00:35:59.839 Susanne Dunlap: upper class people, and the obsession with who's got a fortune, who doesn't have a fortune, etc. Is a big part of that world. 212 00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:07.950 Susanne Dunlap: so you don't always have to know the precise specifics you can say he had a handsome fortune 213 00:36:09.720 --> 00:36:20.420 Susanne Dunlap: unless it's relevant, but it's a good idea to know what would constitute a fortune in the time and place you're writing about, you know, is 20,000 pounds a lot. 214 00:36:21.070 --> 00:36:25.150 Susanne Dunlap: or is 80,000 pounds a lot. 215 00:36:25.340 --> 00:36:26.660 Susanne Dunlap: you know. 216 00:36:27.240 --> 00:36:36.180 Susanne Dunlap: the famous thing is in pride and Prejudice is 5,000 a year is is a really big fortune until someone comes along with 10,000 a year 217 00:36:37.650 --> 00:36:39.670 Susanne Dunlap: and also good to know. 218 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:49.900 Susanne Dunlap: Even if you don't actually use it is what are an average workman's wages? Because that gives you a really good sense of the vast gulf between this, these wealthy. 219 00:36:49.970 --> 00:37:01.920 Susanne Dunlap: wealthy 10,000 people in regency, in the town, in the regency. and all the people who support their lifestyle. Sorry another drink. 220 00:37:06.050 --> 00:37:07.400 Susanne Dunlap: But 221 00:37:09.140 --> 00:37:20.479 Susanne Dunlap: You also have to get the ranks, titles, military roles, etc. Right? If you're going, if you're going to use them at all, and the titles you almost invariably have to use. 222 00:37:20.690 --> 00:37:42.149 Susanne Dunlap: You need to know. This is the order of the British. They go from higher to lower here, and the dukes are either royal or not royal, and the royal dukes are the ones who are actual members of the royal family, obviously so. Duke, Duchess, then Marcus Martin, S. Earl, Countess by count, by count Desk, Baron Baroness. 223 00:37:45.090 --> 00:38:07.080 Susanne Dunlap: and I love the fact that in a lot of historical romance there are dukes all over the place. and that's fine. You can have whatever degree of nobility you want in your in your story, but in actuality there are only 24 non royal dukedoms in the UK. Today. 224 00:38:08.890 --> 00:38:12.970 Susanne Dunlap: Compare that to 979 earldoms 225 00:38:14.230 --> 00:38:23.440 Susanne Dunlap: by counts are can be subsidiary titles, and baronets are even more common. So you know, if you're going to have a duke. It's it is 226 00:38:23.510 --> 00:38:26.010 Susanne Dunlap: kind of unusual, really high. 227 00:38:27.650 --> 00:38:42.449 Susanne Dunlap: Fortunately De Bratt's peerage is not mine now didn't used to be. but some of the more detailed information information. You need to have a paid subscription, but the basics are up there, and and it's really worth sort of 228 00:38:42.830 --> 00:38:44.700 Susanne Dunlap: bookmarking in your 229 00:38:46.290 --> 00:38:54.720 Susanne Dunlap: in your browser because the the titles and they they're good because they get the history. So depending on what period you're writing in. Things have changed 230 00:38:54.730 --> 00:39:03.579 Susanne Dunlap: medieval earls were, had more actual executive power, for instance, than an earl does today or in the Regency. Even 231 00:39:04.930 --> 00:39:11.240 Susanne Dunlap: so, and Scottish Roman, the Scottish peers were another group altogether. 232 00:39:13.180 --> 00:39:23.519 Susanne Dunlap: Okay. Now, I've done the 5 basic tips. I have a few bonus tips here for you. One is less is more. 233 00:39:23.790 --> 00:39:30.870 Susanne Dunlap: Remember the reasons people read. Historical romance don't provide details. I'm harping, harping, harping on it. 234 00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:39.829 Susanne Dunlap: All. Your research should serve the story itself. Not just evoke the period. Also know when it's all right to generalize or be vague. 235 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:47.959 Susanne Dunlap: Keep it all in proportion to the scope of your story. And also, as II mentioned scrivener. 236 00:39:48.000 --> 00:40:00.590 Susanne Dunlap: I think it's really, really good tool for writing any kind of historical things. I can also have you keep track of your dual points of view or your multiple points of view. And this is what it sort of looks like. 237 00:40:02.540 --> 00:40:11.100 Susanne Dunlap: All right. Now, let's take a quick dive through research, and your story beats, and I've stolen 238 00:40:11.230 --> 00:40:12.020 Susanne Dunlap: quite 239 00:40:12.560 --> 00:40:22.709 Susanne Dunlap: shamelessly from Gwen Hayes's romance of the beat. If you're not familiar with it, it's a really great resource for writing romance of any kind. 240 00:40:23.330 --> 00:40:33.809 Susanne Dunlap: but because historical romance is first and foremost romance, the historical part ads dimension and atmosphere. 241 00:40:35.090 --> 00:40:44.989 Susanne Dunlap: So you need all the same story beats, and you'll use the same tropes and conventions enliven with historical twists. This is the universality. Love is 242 00:40:45.340 --> 00:40:47.620 Susanne Dunlap: is a constant throughout the ages. 243 00:40:48.990 --> 00:40:51.649 So here's her big beat. One is the setup 244 00:40:53.030 --> 00:40:59.050 Susanne Dunlap: in historical romance. You have to be careful not to overload your beginning with world building and back story 245 00:41:01.230 --> 00:41:13.729 Susanne Dunlap: that said, you also have to instantly give your reader a clear sense of when and where they are, and that means, you know, any details should be accurate. Your language should be correct, etc., 246 00:41:14.830 --> 00:41:21.170 Susanne Dunlap: and choose which details you use very carefully the ones that are going to work as hard as possible 247 00:41:21.180 --> 00:41:24.949 Susanne Dunlap: to establish that setting for you. 248 00:41:25.020 --> 00:41:31.780 Susanne Dunlap: Then go back to the basics and look at that. And within that section is your meat cute. Obviously 249 00:41:32.190 --> 00:41:47.499 Susanne Dunlap: look to your historical environment. The situation for that meat needs to be particular to the time period. Make sure, too, how they meet sets up the coming complications in a way that's going to be true to the period. 250 00:41:47.780 --> 00:41:50.390 For instance, if you want your 251 00:41:50.760 --> 00:42:10.400 Susanne Dunlap: male and female protagonists, if it's a heterosexual romance, if you want them to meet alone, the lady has to have a really period appropriate reason for being on her own, because, you know, ladies, especially of a certain of certain qualities, would never go out without a chaperone. 252 00:42:12.310 --> 00:42:24.780 Susanne Dunlap: you know. They're the usual carriage, rides, balls, and assemblies, hunts, political rallies, etc. But you can sometimes stumble on some interesting possibilities of settings for this in your research, and and again 253 00:42:24.930 --> 00:42:31.439 Susanne Dunlap: be alive to that. Be really pay attention to the possibilities you might stumble on during research. 254 00:42:33.300 --> 00:42:42.210 Susanne Dunlap: Another thing is, don't forget that in the tongue everyone knew everyone else. and you might consider something that's more like a remate cute. 255 00:42:43.150 --> 00:42:56.299 Susanne Dunlap: and or some authors can introduce previously reclusive figures, or the figures who've been somewhere else or foreigners. I'm thinking of that again, of Julia Quinn. There. 256 00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:01.290 Susanne Dunlap: Then we get to our big beat 2 falling in love 257 00:43:02.340 --> 00:43:12.080 Susanne Dunlap: again. Make sure it's realistically rooted in your historical period. It's not going to be the same as a modern romance, and be sure to set up some good complications with it. 258 00:43:13.300 --> 00:43:29.419 Susanne Dunlap: This cannot. This falling in love often is this next stage, but it isn't always there are exceptions, and you know, especially if you're doing an enemies to lovers. Kind of trope there, that that's something that evolves through the book, and and it should do it in a period appropriate way. 259 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:40.560 Susanne Dunlap: and her next big bead was retreating from love. There's so many ways this can actually happen in history, because. 260 00:43:40.660 --> 00:43:53.020 Susanne Dunlap: there. So there are lots of things that that will be geared towards splitting them apart as opposed to throwing them together. Family financial considerations, dynastic considerations. 261 00:43:53.540 --> 00:43:54.650 Susanne Dunlap: physical 262 00:43:54.710 --> 00:44:06.290 Susanne Dunlap: differences whatever, and they can come from both internal and external causes, as you would expect. and either of whichever it is, they have to be related to the period. 263 00:44:07.880 --> 00:44:13.629 Susanne Dunlap: And if you've done your research in world building, it can furnish plot inspiration, too. 264 00:44:14.860 --> 00:44:22.390 Susanne Dunlap: Think about the physical barriers. Distance was more of an issue. Travel the communications very different. 265 00:44:24.280 --> 00:44:32.299 Susanne Dunlap: Again, this is stuff that needs to be set up through your protagonist wants, needs, beliefs and misbeliefs. 266 00:44:34.720 --> 00:44:37.240 Susanne Dunlap: The fourth one fighting for love. 267 00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:56.870 Susanne Dunlap: And here's where your protagonists have to get inventive and daring, and where you can push things a little bit. Probably you know, one of the big issues with historical fiction is having fiction or romance is giving your female protagonists, or enough agency 268 00:44:56.910 --> 00:45:00.439 Susanne Dunlap: because they had a lot of restrictions, but 269 00:45:01.550 --> 00:45:06.670 Susanne Dunlap: overcoming those restrictions and doing it in a way that is believable 270 00:45:06.780 --> 00:45:09.249 Susanne Dunlap: can be a really good way to make this happen. 271 00:45:09.620 --> 00:45:22.889 Susanne Dunlap: So, for instance, a feisty heroine can find a way to break out of a guardian's stranglehold, for instance, or not be forced to marry the person she really doesn't want to marry, and some clever way to avoid that. 272 00:45:23.620 --> 00:45:30.329 Susanne Dunlap: or a noble hero. Of course it's all about, you know, keeping everything to yourself and being strong, and 273 00:45:30.620 --> 00:45:36.270 Susanne Dunlap: babies pushed love away all his life, or whatever can discover that 274 00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:42.670 Susanne Dunlap: this, this love that he has has opened something up in him, and that's believable, too. 275 00:45:44.620 --> 00:45:47.910 Susanne Dunlap: Whatever you do, however, you choose to do that 276 00:45:48.170 --> 00:46:04.610 Susanne Dunlap: the ending the reader knew had to be coming, which, of course, your reader will know by this time who's gonna end up together. It has to somehow surprise and delight. There has to be something about it that's that's not going to be totally. Oh, yeah, I knew that was coming. 277 00:46:06.460 --> 00:46:30.170 Susanne Dunlap: and how your protagonists overcome their obstacles, and what happens in the end must also be rooted in the period and in their personalities, and you're happily ever after depending on your degree of steaminess in your romance can be anything from simple kiss to a declaration of love to to something a little bit racier. 278 00:46:33.330 --> 00:46:35.900 Susanne Dunlap: And this is something I've seen happen. 279 00:46:36.120 --> 00:46:39.230 Susanne Dunlap: Don't end your book after its actual ending. 280 00:46:39.630 --> 00:46:49.910 Susanne Dunlap: Don't be afraid of having things stop. You don't have to explain it all, especially if you've done your job of setting it all up and and making it believable in the period. 281 00:46:50.600 --> 00:46:57.149 Susanne Dunlap: leave the reader hungry for more, even even if your book isn't part of a series, you know, which. 282 00:46:57.720 --> 00:47:06.720 Susanne Dunlap: However, you're going to do it. They should want to read the next one. Read what else is coming from you because it was just just left them feeling so wonderful. 283 00:47:08.670 --> 00:47:17.350 Susanne Dunlap: Huh? I'm gonna take a little quick break, and it's time for some questions. Here we do have some time here. 284 00:47:17.460 --> 00:47:27.719 Susanne Dunlap: Okay. Historical. Oh, gosh! It could be anything from 25 years back to to ancient Rome 285 00:47:28.360 --> 00:47:39.769 Susanne Dunlap: if if there's no hard and fast rule, especially in romance. It's anything you need that that you need to do. The research for this is Fliss who who asked this, please define historical. 286 00:47:41.350 --> 00:47:54.249 Susanne Dunlap: Okay, why do you think Regency is so popular as opposed to? For example, tutor times? This is such a good question. I think maybe should. I just know I'm going to stay in here. 287 00:47:54.410 --> 00:48:03.389 Susanne Dunlap: because I think Hollywood has a lot to do with that. All of these adaptations of Jane Austen. 288 00:48:03.450 --> 00:48:08.419 But also there's something about, I think there's something about how 289 00:48:10.020 --> 00:48:30.520 Susanne Dunlap: how stratified the the the Society was, but not just that the Regency was a fascinating period. Politically and socially. It was II read something that likens it to the sixties in the twentieth century people, you know, fashion was really wild, and all this stuff going on. So there's a lot of 290 00:48:30.530 --> 00:48:35.470 Susanne Dunlap: kind of fascinating stuff in in the Regency. 291 00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:37.180 Susanne Dunlap: but 292 00:48:37.690 --> 00:48:41.370 Susanne Dunlap: the other thing is, think about readers. What do they know? 293 00:48:41.590 --> 00:48:46.190 Susanne Dunlap: You're going to get more readers if you're writing about something that they have some 294 00:48:46.650 --> 00:48:57.000 Susanne Dunlap: basis for knowledge about. And a regency romance is definitely. Everybody, you know, knows pride and Prejudice and all that sort of thing 295 00:48:59.620 --> 00:49:04.080 Susanne Dunlap: the 16 hundreds in England and America. I 296 00:49:04.160 --> 00:49:18.939 Susanne Dunlap: I'm not a encyclopedia in cyclopedic in my knowledge about anything, and and that is specifically not a time period that I know much about. If you'd asked France, I would be able to give you a much better answer to this. 297 00:49:19.130 --> 00:49:40.880 Susanne Dunlap: I think again, you just have to dig in and use the resources of, you know the web and ask chat. G. Ppt, see, go and look at the footnotes, etc., etc. Figure out first of all, as I said, how much you really need to know what are the details that you need for your romance that's going to happen in that period. 298 00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:46.639 Susanne Dunlap: Sloth! 299 00:49:46.680 --> 00:49:56.309 Susanne Dunlap: You've read. Listen to the wind. Okay, so this is interesting. This is one of the books I wrote that really came out of my 300 00:49:56.850 --> 00:50:11.960 Susanne Dunlap: out of my research for my dissertation. The Phd. And that's a little scary, I know. But I went to the southwest part of France. I climbed up to all the Cathar castles I bought. 301 00:50:12.030 --> 00:50:15.390 Susanne Dunlap: I bought a dictionary, a French 302 00:50:15.570 --> 00:50:26.799 Susanne Dunlap: Occitan dictionary, because Garriga is is the galig which it's the Occitan version of the French word, and I chose to make that 303 00:50:27.200 --> 00:50:29.210 Susanne Dunlap: very accurate. 304 00:50:30.110 --> 00:50:36.909 Susanne Dunlap: But that trilogy is. It's not a romance per se. It's historical fiction which I think has a little bit more of a 305 00:50:37.230 --> 00:50:43.509 Susanne Dunlap: a requirement to be very historical, because people will often read it 306 00:50:43.590 --> 00:50:45.069 Susanne Dunlap: for the sake of learning 307 00:50:47.530 --> 00:50:49.230 Susanne Dunlap: me see, Nancy B. 308 00:50:51.530 --> 00:51:02.429 Susanne Dunlap: Ok, that's another good question. Keeping in mind. Character. POV. How can you describe what something means? A word the reader doesn't know, but the characters would have known back then. 309 00:51:03.450 --> 00:51:10.160 Susanne Dunlap: It's hard to describe how to do that without a specific example, but it's how you use it in context. 310 00:51:10.290 --> 00:51:12.100 Susanne Dunlap: I've done that. 311 00:51:12.170 --> 00:51:26.680 Susanne Dunlap: I often have foreign words, for instance, in my, in my work, and instead of just saying such and such meaning, such and such are putting the thing, it has to be clear from what's being said around it? What it means like 312 00:51:27.290 --> 00:51:36.670 Susanne Dunlap: somebody. He's been drinking all day. He's 3 sheets to the wind, you know. That might be, for instance. In other words, there's something that supports what 313 00:51:36.890 --> 00:51:55.449 Susanne Dunlap: what the the odd phrase, or whatever it means, and that's not that unusual. But see what I'm saying. It's all about the context and making it clear from the context. And if you, if you write it, and you don't know whether that's the case, ask the friend to read it say, do you know, can you tell what this means when you read this passage? 314 00:51:58.470 --> 00:52:01.040 Susanne Dunlap: Okay. Elisa? 315 00:52:03.570 --> 00:52:13.799 Susanne Dunlap: Ok. If your historical novel, written in English has its setting in a non English speaking country. How important is it to keep the English consistent with the time period! 316 00:52:13.960 --> 00:52:28.110 Susanne Dunlap: If the characters would have spoken Latin or Greek, for example, fourth century Constantinople. Should you not use English words that weren't in circulation until the twelfth century? Oh, this is another great question. God, you guys are so smart. 317 00:52:28.280 --> 00:52:44.740 Susanne Dunlap: I think you can get away with a lot in that circumstance. Honestly, I think you can decide on your on the tone you're going to take and make your readers have a willing suspension of disbelief about the language. 318 00:52:45.280 --> 00:52:51.320 Susanne Dunlap: See the people, Sarah, is not. Is that? 319 00:52:52.450 --> 00:52:59.790 Susanne Dunlap: All right? Hang on here. Somebody raised their hands. I'm not sure how to deal with that, Sarah. You're going to have to help me here. But 320 00:53:01.390 --> 00:53:03.950 Susanne Dunlap: anyway. So I think again. 321 00:53:05.310 --> 00:53:16.310 Susanne Dunlap: it is different when you have, when you're in a, you know, completely foreign place. But you obviously, things that relate to technology wouldn't necessarily use. Okay? 322 00:53:18.880 --> 00:53:23.219 Susanne Dunlap: Okay, Laura Jebbage. Let me see here. 323 00:53:24.720 --> 00:53:36.470 Susanne Dunlap: there's people raising their hands all over the place, and I'm sorry I don't know what to do about that here, in this, in this setting. Let me just finish getting through these questions. What time is it? Ok? We do have a few more minutes still. 324 00:53:36.610 --> 00:53:41.819 Susanne Dunlap: Okay, Laura is basing a series on her ancestors of the 16 hundreds. 325 00:53:41.940 --> 00:53:46.539 They know she knows some biographical information about it 326 00:53:47.380 --> 00:53:52.539 Susanne Dunlap: again. Yes, there are fewer periods, fewer books in this time period. 327 00:53:56.400 --> 00:54:01.999 Susanne Dunlap: and you can use ancestry, or we could. You can use any any resource you want you can use. 328 00:54:02.010 --> 00:54:15.020 Susanne Dunlap: but I don't know how useful ancestry is going to be in as far as world building goes, I think, in terms of getting you just you'll need more general information than just about ancestry. 329 00:54:18.600 --> 00:54:30.259 Susanne Dunlap: Open door, closed door intimacy totally a personal choice. This is J. Rooker who's saying this? You can use real names like the generals. If the novel is said in a war period. 330 00:54:30.270 --> 00:54:48.549 Susanne Dunlap: if you're actually having them, having their live being being integrated to part of your story. You're gonna have to do a lot more research about them, because there will be people who know about them, and you can't have them be somewhere, do something that was would be totally wrong. 331 00:54:48.570 --> 00:55:02.379 Susanne Dunlap: Open door, closed door. I tend to write the closed door into intimacy. It's just a personal choice. There's nothing wrong with either. But if you have the open door, think about the close there, Eric, and how that how that would all come about 332 00:55:05.730 --> 00:55:17.899 Susanne Dunlap: and I'm sorry, anonymous. I don't really have any. I don't know a lot about sixteenth century Ireland again, II research. And this is my point. Part of this is that 333 00:55:17.970 --> 00:55:21.469 Susanne Dunlap: here's my story. What do I need to know for that story? 334 00:55:23.770 --> 00:55:34.020 Susanne Dunlap: I have some yellow man. II have some specific ones that I mentioned, which are, will also be specific resources on the web that are accurate. 335 00:55:34.160 --> 00:55:43.030 Susanne Dunlap: That I will. that will I have links to in the resource that I that you can download by going to my website afterwards. 336 00:55:45.680 --> 00:55:57.069 Susanne Dunlap: Oh, my gosh! Our historical mystery romance! With a touch of fantasy. I do not know enough about writing fantasy to answer your question. I'm afraid so. I think that 337 00:55:57.380 --> 00:56:07.619 Susanne Dunlap: you have to kind of my immediate thought is you have to decide which of those wins out. Which is it a romance? Is it a romance with mystery, elements 338 00:56:07.660 --> 00:56:18.369 Susanne Dunlap: and fantasy elements? Or what? And then focus on the main genre that you're writing in. For instance, there's a difference between historical fiction with romantic elements 339 00:56:18.460 --> 00:56:20.909 Susanne Dunlap: as opposed to historical romance. 340 00:56:23.680 --> 00:56:31.639 Susanne Dunlap: Maureen Anderson. Yes, the civil rights era can be historical, and the 1,900 seventys. It's whatever you define it, as 341 00:56:31.920 --> 00:56:36.299 Susanne Dunlap: I think, in England, they say 50 years, I think here they say 25 342 00:56:36.420 --> 00:56:59.920 Susanne Dunlap: you know. Taylor Jenkins read her her famous one that I'm not thinking of, because I always forget important information. Is one, some class, some historical historical fiction award. It's most popular. I was like what I was alive then, anyway. But 343 00:57:02.820 --> 00:57:09.710 Susanne Dunlap: oh, some new poor, some isn't Ord. You're talking about sources that you can't find things in other languages 344 00:57:09.870 --> 00:57:20.450 Susanne Dunlap: again. Another thing I'm not sure about. I love Indian history, and I'm sure there must be stuff. But I can't really tell you where to look for it. 345 00:57:22.710 --> 00:57:39.309 Susanne Dunlap: Indigen being creative. What inspired you to start writing, and what is a romantic moment in your life if I'm willing to share? I could spend about an hour answering this question. So I'm going to table it for now, because we're low on time. But thank you for asking. 346 00:57:39.430 --> 00:57:51.060 Susanne Dunlap: Oh, yeah, the vocabulary and talking style, the 18 hundreds. There's a link. There's all of this. There's so much stuff on the Jane Austen website and on georgette hair. Umcom 347 00:57:52.600 --> 00:57:58.100 Susanne Dunlap: time travel. Oh, that's a whole other thing that's tricky, and I'm not sure. 348 00:57:58.140 --> 00:58:06.639 Susanne Dunlap: I think you'd have to read other time travel books to find out how they actually deal with that sort of thing. 349 00:58:08.760 --> 00:58:15.069 Susanne Dunlap: And finally, the last one we have here is, do you have to use real names? If you're writing, say civil war. 350 00:58:15.410 --> 00:58:20.079 Susanne Dunlap: you can do whatever you want as long as you can make it work. 351 00:58:20.320 --> 00:58:30.640 Susanne Dunlap: and that includes making up fictional people who to stand in the place of real historical people. It depends on the scope of your story. A lot of this is kind of like, 352 00:58:30.850 --> 00:58:47.580 Susanne Dunlap: Could be? You can, or whatever. Anyway, I'm going to. So just quickly go back to my presentation now and tell you to download your free historical romance research worksheet. And this link is live. So if you, if you 353 00:58:47.820 --> 00:58:50.599 Susanne Dunlap: get the slides, you can click through to it. 354 00:58:50.850 --> 00:59:01.169 Susanne Dunlap: And then I also have this fun event happening historical romance, virtual, intensive. and that the details of that are on my website, and 355 00:59:01.290 --> 00:59:08.349 Susanne Dunlap: it's for Saturday mornings for intensive coaching, or, you know, sharing, coaching, writing, etc. 356 00:59:09.420 --> 00:59:19.180 Susanne Dunlap: And I'm giving attendees here a $50. Discount all this information. You can get the slides, and you can go go there so. 357 00:59:20.430 --> 00:59:30.450 Susanne Dunlap: and I can be followed substack. I write a lot on sub stac. I really like it. So I'd I'd love it if you'd follow me there. Instagram, Facebook and my website. 358 00:59:31.720 --> 00:59:35.450 Susanne Dunlap: And I guess all I have to say is, thank you at this point 359 00:59:35.590 --> 00:59:38.790 Susanne Dunlap: for letting me talk about stuff that I really like to talk about. 360 00:59:41.750 --> 00:59:48.240 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Nice one awesome. Well, that's been very enlightening and very insightful. I think over. 361 00:59:48.240 --> 01:00:11.970 I've learned a lot from that because I was thinking of writing a historical romance, and now now I know how to research it, and it doesn't feel so intimidating. I don't know about everybody else. I've been watching the chat. Everyone's been talking so much about the different sources, and what's what's good to use, and what's not so good to use. And just the sharing of information and opinions has been really good, and 362 01:00:11.980 --> 01:00:22.859 Susanne Dunlap: and a lot of a lot of appreciation for everything you've been saying so. Thank you for. Thank you for joining us, Suzanne, and thank you everyone else for joining us as well. 363 01:00:22.890 --> 01:00:47.089 Susanne Dunlap: it's been. It's been a really, really helpful. Yeah, really helpful session. And we got through most of the questions. I think. Well, I think you've got through all of the questions, which is amazing. So we're just on time now, so I'm I think we'll wrap it up there. Again. Thanks everyone for joining and we've got a load more sessions coming today, including networking tonight, which I will be hosting. So that's always gonna be fun. 364 01:00:47.260 --> 01:00:59.120 Susanne Dunlap: Getting to know some people. And yeah, I enjoy the rest of romance writers week. And thank you for coming to this session. Thank you. Thank you, everybody for coming. I really appreciate it. 365 01:01:00.120 --> 01:01:01.779 Sarah @ ProWritingAid: Alright, bye, for now.