I want to write a historical fiction series about various figures and their lives. I'm thinking of using Abigail Adams as the subject for the first one. Any other ideas or tips? Thanks.
Historical fiction is one of the single most research intensive genres out there, so you need something to sustain yourself. If you don't have an active desire to learn everything it takes to craft a realistic world— from meals to language to clothing to etiquette— then you'll burn out and get frustrated.
Find the compulsion to tell the story. Find the thing you want to explore above all else. Harness it and run with it. Fall in love with the period and the historical figure again and again, to withstand the times you can't stand looking at another thing about the period.
Know when to take breaks. Because sometimes you'll need one.
Good luck!
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo
Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
I agree--write about the historical figures you find most interesting, and the periods you're most passionate about. Writing "about" them means you still need a story, so think about what's the story you want to tell? What's going to be happening, what will they be doing? Use that as a jumping off point.
