Don't Forget The Story

by Natasha Lester

Sometimes, reading over my CV feels like reading that of another far more successful author – phrases like New York Times bestseller and author of five historical novels aren’t words I expected would ever be used to describe me, especially when I think back to how I started in historical fiction.

I’d had two works of contemporary fiction published that were well-received but produced modest sales. My third manuscript was much in the same vein – a sad and serious contemporary story that I knew wasn’t working.

With a heavy heart, I threw 80,000 words in the bin and decided to write the kind of book I loved to read – a story that would sweep me away to another time and place. I’d become fascinated by the first women who attended university, the idea that something so commonplace today used to be so scandalous, and I wanted to write about the first woman to become a qualified obstetrician - fictional as there’s no actual record of who the first one was (and isn’t that telling!).

The first draft poured out of me in about four months. Then I redrafted. I re-wrote. I did massive amounts of research and ignored the little voice that kept telling me this was too much of a gamble.

I’m glad I ignored that voice. A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald was the book that landed me a deal with a top five publisher and was the springboard for taking my career to where it is today, with books published all over the world, a New York Times bestseller under my belt and living my dream of being a full-time writer.

I’ve learned a lot over that time and I can’t wait to share with you what I know with in a livestream course on Saturday, 20 February. It’s called Historical Fiction: Don’t Forget the Story because, too often, writers allow the research to overtake what really matters to readers – a great story, told well.

In the Livestream, we’ll begin by talking about our story concept, which we’ll spend time refining - there’s no point polishing a plot if the story concept itself is weak. We’ll also work on different ways to ensure our characters are of their era, rather than anachronisms, and discuss some of the key plotting issues that pertain to historical novels. And I have a wonderful exercise to help you create evocative settings in your scenes.

I’ll also share with you my slightly unconventional research process and the best resources for delving into the past, plus how to record and document all of that information so that it’s easily accessible. There’ll be a demonstration of how I use my favourite research/writing tools such as Aeon timeline and Scrivener, programs that allow you to keep track of key dates in your story – particularly helpful when it comes to writing dual timeline narratives.

Together we’ll dissect some of the recent historical bestsellers and why they’ve worked so well. I’ll discuss the state of the market and what’s hot right now, but also the importance of finding and executing a story you love. Because, as my experience with A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald taught me – it’s this that will sustain you through the challenging times. In writing, passion and persistence is everything.