Your opinion on historical accuracy vs. creativity

Discussion in 'Research' started by seelifein69, Oct 28, 2011.

  1. salejerseys

    salejerseys Banned

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  2. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    in re dialog, just be sure not to use any modern idioms or styling such as contractions, which will give the speech a contemporary feel... do your research here, too, checking out how the best historical fiction authors have handled it...
     
  3. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    Although even that is a styling issue. Some writers of historical fiction intentionally give their characters contemporary voices, probably to convey the impression that these were just people like us, in a different time. Personally I prefer that to the other extreme, "Wardour Street" English, but your mileage may vary.
     
  4. seelifein69

    seelifein69 Active Member

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    Yeah that's a toughie, I want it to feel authentic but I don't want to whip out these long descriptive archaic paragraphs that is going to make the reader discouraged. And I do want to be modern but not so modern.

    So I'm thinking about mixing the two, throwing some old school style with basic English, and seeing how that plays out.
     
  5. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    I suspect it won't play out well, but trying it out to see always sounds like a good move. If it works then wonderful, and if it doesn't then you've learned something.
     
  6. seelifein69

    seelifein69 Active Member

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    It's tough when I think about it, there's never been an Egyptian show that I can remember, I've seen Cleopatra and stuff like that, but they all basically use a more formal English.

    So you suggest that I should really go archaic with the language?
     
  7. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    I suggest that you need to make the decision. It's part of what the "creative" in "creative writing" involves! Presumably you won't be writing in ancient Egyptian, so anything you do will be to some extent inauthentic. That's unavoidable. I suspect that a mix of archaic and modern would jar, but I might be wrong and you might be able to pull it off.
     
  8. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    I suggest that you need to make the decision. It's part of what the "creative" in "creative writing" involves! Presumably you won't be writing in ancient Egyptian, so anything you do will be to some extent inauthentic. That's unavoidable. I suspect that a mix of archaic and modern would jar, but I might be wrong and you might be able to pull it off.
     
  9. LitPaparazzi

    LitPaparazzi New Member

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    seelifein69,

    I think the approach you take will rely heavily on whetehr you are planning to create a work of fiction or nonfiction. In the case of fiction, you are at liberty to manipulate history according to your preferences and/or storyline. In the case of fiction, of course, you should rely on what is known to be factual based on your knowledge of Egyptian history and credible resesarch. Using a juxataposition may be benefital to you, i.e. writing total facts and then responding/commenting your own ideals in conjunction.

    Just some thoughts... I also have to side with #Melanie, #Enerzeal, #JGHunter below :)
     
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  10. seelifein69

    seelifein69 Active Member

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    Thanks guys,

    I'm real excited about it, just been really busy lately. Sometimes it just helps having other peoples opinions.

    Kind of like when your stuck between two flavors of ice cream at the super market, and you ask someone, "Should I get cookie dough, or caramel?" and they say "Cookie dough" and then I say, "No, I really want caramel"

    It's a good way to subliminally find out what I really want lol.
     
  11. Mxxpower

    Mxxpower New Member

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    Personally, I wouldn't set a story like yours in the actual, factual Egypt, unless the plot involves historical people or events. If you just want to work with the setting there isn't any reason you can't make a purely fictional Egypt like place of your own.

    If this is a bible code type book obviously that wouldn't work :)

    Look at fantasy for instance. Most take place in a historical dark ages time period that people can easily relate to, but 99% of the time the story doesn't take place on Earth in the 1400's.
     
  12. seelifein69

    seelifein69 Active Member

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    It does involve historical figures and a large very famous monument. I am using actual royal figures, and then a family and a few other characters that I have created.

    But the whole royal family was real, real time line, real places.
     
  13. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    i'm with dig on the dialog mix issue... not a good idea, imo... as i suggested, check out the best historical novelists and see how they handle the speaking style issue... i'm sure you'll find one way that will appeal to you...

    given the content of your book, i don't see how it could be anything but historical fiction, but if you go too far astray with made-up details, you may seriously hamper its chances of snagging a paying publisher... so i'd counsel doing the requisite research and making it as accurate as possible...
     
  14. barba thoma

    barba thoma New Member

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    I absolutely agree with Trilby. Don't botch the historical accuracy. I read (and critiqued it on another writing site) a piece involving the Byzantine world in which the author set the story in the royal court of Constantinople in the 16th century when the Komnenid dynasty ruled. Trouble was, the Turks conquered Constantinople a hundred years earlier; add to that the fact that the Komnenid dynasty ruled much earlier -- in the 11th and 12th centuries! Absolutely unacceptable. On the other hand, Sculyblast is right on such details as the unknowable number of temple priests, etc. As for orgies, that's kind of a grey area...no real evidence that I know of.
     
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  15. seelifein69

    seelifein69 Active Member

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    Checking him out right now, and I think it's going to be a huge help thanks!
     

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