Young Writers Society

Friends and writers, I need some help!

So, I need to write an eight-to-fifteen-page short story for my creative writing class at my university. The first polished draft is due February 14 and it will eventually be edited and submitted as my final fiction project in the class. The piece needs to reflect my best writing skills, should center on emotion and character, and must really resonate with the other students.

My top idea at the moment is to write a narrative of the martyrdom of St. Princess Catherine of Alexandria. My ambition is that it will be raw, graphic, and startling, but luminous and emotional. However, I'd like some opinions on historical fiction. Do you find it dry and cumbersome to read? Would a story like this intrigue and stay with you?

Also, I'm open to suggestions and other ideas!

Well, frankly. I adore historical fiction, they are amongst my favorite genres to read. If well written, it can be just as good as any other genre. See Phillipa Greogory's books, they are truly astonishing. I think that's a pretty good idea you've got there, especially with St. Catherine since she's very influtenial saint in history. however, I would suggest you do research on the topic but I'm sure you already know that. Go with it if you like the idea and if you ever need any help, just post it on YWS!

The only time historical fiction gets cumbersome is when people overload the prose with facts and little details about the world just to show how smart they are.

Dish out worldbuilding details like you would in fantasy: slowly and with purpose. Don't infodump what something is or what it means. Show what it is and what it means by having it used and people reacting to it (if a reaction is required).

No need to explain every little thing.

I'm in total agreement with, SubtleSanity! Phillipa Gregory is one of my favourite authors along with Conn Iggulden who has written historical novels on Julius Caesar & Genghis Khan.
I would suggest reading a few chapters of both for a few pointers, if you have time?

I think they do historical fiction so well, because you're more interested in the actual characters, than the huge moment in history thats staring you right in the face! That just kind of melts into the background and you start wondering..."Wow, did that really happen?"

I think a fabulous mix of the facts and your own interpretation of what could have happened in their life will go perfectly.

Good luck!
Olive <3

Hmm...

The difficult thing about creative writing classes is that you can't really grade art. Making a piece of work fit for academic deconstruction is a whole other ball game than making something that appeals to readers.

Also, raw, graphic, starling, luminous and emotional is a lot of criteria to fit into eight to fifteen pages. That's about 2400 to 5000 words, and it's hard to get much momentum in that space of time. Not that you can't do it, but it's going to be a challenge.

I suggest you approach it as simply as possible.

Like Rosey said, worldbuild with purpose. Less detail with more significance will be better than more detail for the sake of fact. Some of my favourite novels are historical novels because they bring a lost world to life, but then some of my worst novels are also historical because they've tried to be so detailed and accurate.

I don't know much about St. Princess Catherine of Alexandria, but the fact that she was a martyr tells me that she had a cause to fight for and I think as far as emotion and character goes I think that's where your hook is going to be.

Most stories sell on character - human behaviours intrigue us more than anything, so I'd use that as your driving home point. Ensure you have strong dialogue and plausible actions.

Other than that it's what Rosie says. Declutter.