Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction
Teach Yourself
Emma Darwin
A practical Teach Yourself handbook on research, voice, plot and the particular demands of writing the past — from the author of The Mathematics of Love.
The reading desk
Writing guides for historical fiction
Six handbooks chosen for novelists who need more than general “how to write a novel” advice — research, voice, short-form practice, and the ancient world.
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How to Write a Historical Fiction Short Story — Workbook
Plan and publish period stories fast
Hackney and Jones
Templates, plotting tools and exercises for writers who want to practise the genre in short form before committing to a novel.
Writing Historical Fiction: A Writers’ & Artists’ Companion
Reflections, readings and resources
Celia Brayfield & Duncan Sprott
The essential companion: a short history of the genre, guest essays from Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Tracy Chevalier and others, plus practical exercises.
How to Write Ancient Historical Fiction
The Ultimate Guide
Jason Hamilton
A focused guide for writers reconstructing the ancient world — fragmentary sources, material culture, and how to make antiquity feel lived-in.
How To Write A Historical Fiction Novel
A beginner’s guide from idea to outline
Hackney And Jones
A step-by-step outline method: concept, research, character, and plot — designed to take a first historical novel from spark to structured draft.
How to Write Your Own Historical Fiction
From research to plot
Lauren Elizabeth Hensley
How to blend archival fact with invented lives so the story feels historically real without reading like a textbook.