Learn how to draw on true history to create compelling fiction.

Stories that draw upon history can both connect us to the past and illuminate our present. They imagine what has been censored, forgotten or left unsaid in history textbooks, but they also present unique challenges and dilemmas. In this full-day workshop, you will discover how to bring history to vivid life in fiction. Learn what lovers of historical fiction want from their stories and how to balance actual history with your fictive story. Discuss the ethics of writing about real times and real people, and get some tips on how not to get lost down rabbit holes of research.

Learning Outcomes

As part of this workshop, you will learn:

What readers want in a historical novel
Where, when and how to research
Ways of organising and collating what you discover
How to weave historical fact into a compelling and deeply immersive narrative
When recorded history can be altered, bent, modified or subverted (and when it shouldn't be)

Format

This is an in-person workshop with a focus on writing craft; it will be held at Queensland Writers Centre. This workshop is suitable for writers of historical fiction (and genre-bending historical writers) of all levels and backgrounds.

About Kate

Dr Kate Forsyth is an award-winning author whose work has been published in 20 languages. Historical novels for adults include Psykhe, a retelling of the ancient Greek myth which reached Number 3 on the Australian Fiction Bestsellers list; The Crimson Thread, set in Crete during World War II which The Washington Review called ‘a riveting tale of courage, love, and betrayal’; and Bitter Greens, a reimagining of ‘Rapunzel’ which won the American Library Award for Best Historical Fiction. Kate has a Doctorate of Creative Arts, and runs writing and cultural retreats in Greece and the UK.

For more information about Queensland Writers Centre’s Program of Events and answers to FAQs, please visit: www.queenslandwriters.org.au/program-info

Contact the host of Writing Stories in a Real or Imagined Past with Kate Forsyth