What If? Moments in History

Before I get into the topic for today, I wanted to share some great news.

I sold my first historical fiction novel to Barbour Publishing. It releases in January 2008 and is the first of 3 possible for their "state" sets. It's a Delaware Colonial, chronicling one family and the lives intertwined throughout the years, using the family home as the setting. You can look for information on my personal web site and blog (www.ambermiller.com).

Now this means more research as I embark on the editing process and more probing to find answers to questions that arise through the stories in my books--which brings me to the topic of today's post.

What If?

As a reader, I often find myself pondering the idea of an "alternate" ending or option to what is portrayed in the book. If not that, I wonder about the actual characters themselves. What if they had chosen a different course of action, or what if their convictions had been swayed?

After chatting with my cohost this week, Kaye Dacus, a more ironic scenario came to the forefront. She pointed out that my books are from an American perspective during the conflict leading up to the Revolutionary War and that she's currently writing from a British perspective about the Royal Navy including its involvement in the War of 1812. Had our characters known each other, they would've been enemies and possibly even fought against each other.

When you think of it in that light, it brings up a whole other list of "what if" questions.

What if characters on opposing sides felt animosity toward each other because of their convictions? What if those convictions led them to actions they wouldn't normally consider? What if you, as an author, turned the tables on them and presented their convictions from the other side of the battle line, so to speak, portraying both sides in a sympathetic light?

As an author, I am duty-bound to present all sides when fleshing out my characters and bringing them to life. If I am going to succeed at creating characters my readers will come to love, I need to delve deep into all facets of their nature and behaviors. So, another question to ask is can I set aside my own patriotism or personal bias and find the good in my characters' enemies? How does writing historical fiction from another cultural viewpoint change my view of a country both then and now?

Kaye and I will flip back and forth this week presenting answers to those questions and how each side viewed the conflicts during these times. We'll also share a little about researching cultural viewpoints to provide greater depth to our stories.

We hope you'll join us and share your thoughts, or pose some questions of your own.