Writing Historical Mysteries

 

by Sybil Johnson 

My comment on Thomas’ post on Monday was a suggestion to have a workshop on writing historical mysteries. That came to my mind for two reasons: (1) I’m working on trying to write one myself and (2) I attended a talk on Sunday given by Naomi Hirahara on the subject. 

I’ve known Naomi for over ten years. She’s a lovely person, great writer and has been a help to me a number of times. She’s also an Edgar-winning author of multiple traditional mystery series. She ventured into the historical mystery area with Clark and Division, which follows a Japanese American family’s move to Chicago in 1944 after being released from a California wartime detention center.

I cannot say enough good things about Clark and Division. It has all of the things I look for in a historical mystery. It has an interesting plot and I learned a lot of things I knew nothing about. So I was very interested in hearing what she had to say.

The talk was fairly short, about 30 minutes or so, but full of interesting information. Here’s my summary:

- Write about a period/situation, etc. that really interests you. Something you’re passionate about. Build your expertise on the subject. Visuals are helpful when you can find them. You can’t find photos of a period before photography existed, but you might be able to find drawings. Also old maps of the area you’re interested in can be helpful. Find experts that you can consult with specific questions. Be sure to thank and advocate for the experts that help you. 

- Know your limitations. 

 - Narrow your focus. Pick a particular time period and geographic area to concentrate on. You can’t include everything. 

 - Periods before and after a big event could be a good place to start a story. 

- Tell the story from a perspective never told before.

 - Write from your strengths. If you’re good at describing, lean on that. Are you good at writing in 1st person? Write in 1st person. Same goes for 3rd person. If you know a lot about the history of a place, consider setting your book there. 

 - Be aware of your emotional/cultural blocks.

 - You will not please everyone. That’s okay. Write the best book you can write.

- The way to do twists in stories is to subvert expectations. Figure out what the reader thinks about a person or situation and twist it so that it’s something different.

We talked a little about process. Some writers do all of their research first, then write. Some do it concurrently or do just enough research, then start writing. I remember hearing that Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander novels, uses this approach. For Naomi, her approach depended on the book.

There’s a lot more that could be said on this topic. Here are two books I found that could prove useful: How To Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson

Once Upon a Time It Was Now: The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction by James Alexander Thom

For those of you who’ve written historical mysteries, any advice for those of us just starting out?