Can I please get some background help???

Question

I'm currently writting a book that takes place on the British regency period... And I was wondering is there any details that I can throw in that I can inform the reader what era and where the book is taking place?? Any opinions??

Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

Throw in??? My dear you MUST do research on the period!! You will never get past an agent or publisher faking it! Most authors who write historical fiction spend a great deal of time doing their research before they even begin to write a word. Clothing, names, places, all those details should be accurate. An agent or publisher who represents historical fiction will bust you in a minute if you fake it. Start surfing the net and learning about the period. You should also get a book called a Descriptionary. It gives you specific words from different periods - names of clothing, transportation, foods, etc.

And when you do your research, you use acceptable and accurate non-fiction - not historical romance novels. Part of one of my books takes place in a different century and it took me months to research it - right down to the correct names of streets in a certain city at that time. Writing historical is backbreaking, time consuming work. But it is cheating your readers not to get it right. And throwing in a couple details will not make it with an agent or a publisher. They want historical accuracy.

Good luck ... Pax - C

Answer 2

Uhhhh. Did you read the question you asked? You can place a story in the British Regency Period by details on dress, food, architecture, or, you know. . .the year. You are going to need to do a lot of reading and research. Find good sources, take notes, cite your sources, because if you take facts from another book you'll need to let people know that. Try reading some other books that take place in that time period, too.

I'll be honest, I'm kind of frightened you had to ask. Good luck, though.

Best Wishes,
Megan

Answer 3

Try researching the era that you want to place your book in. But don't go overboard into detail. Just give the reader enough to sink themselves into--and let them decide if its good enough or needs more salt. :0)