Going Down in History: Writing Historical Fiction
Jesse Blackadder
Saturday 22 September 2018, 10am-4pm
Full Price: $195
Member: $135
Conc Member: $120
SOLD OUT – Join the waitlist
Spanning the dawn of human history to recent memory, historical fiction is a rich and popular genre, encompassing human experience across vast geographies, cultures and eras. And history is one place where you can plunder true stories, rework them as you like, and be safe from the repercussions. Or can you?
This writing workshop will explore how to write dramatic and powerful historical fiction. Through hands-on exercises you will learn to bring the past to life and your ideas into written form. Jesse will outline the main methods for researching historical fiction. You’ll explore drawing on history as a rich source of stories; the perils and rewards of using real characters, events and settings; how ‘truth’ and fiction can mingle and enrich each other, and how language can be used to create a sense of time and place.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Participants will improve their writing styles through repeatable exercises.
- Participants will understand how to analyse the use of language in historical fiction.
- Participants will have the skills to research historical fiction.
Participant Requirements
Pen and paper.
Students with a work in progress may bring a one paragraph summary.
