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Historical novel 1918- criticism

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  • 16-10-2014 5:35am
    #1
    femur61
    Registered Users Posts: 1,588 ✭✭✭


    Hi, I am looking for advice. I found some documents belonging to my aunt who was involved in the political activities in Dublin, 1917-1932. It is an amazing story. I would love to fictionalize part of her story as she never married or had children.

    I can glean a lot of information and get a feeling for this period from the internet, or do people think I am leaving myself open to a lot of criticism from the experts in Irish history if I get any facts or descriptions wrong?


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    #2
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    femur61 wrote: »
    Hi, I am looking for advice. I found some documents belonging to my aunt who was involved in the political activities in Dublin, 1917-1932. It is an amazing story. I would love to fictionalize part of her story as she never married or had children.

    I can glean a lot of information and get a feeling for this period from the internet, or do people think I am leaving myself open to a lot of criticism from the experts in Irish history if I get any facts or descriptions wrong?

    Will you? Perhaps.

    Should you care? Maybe a little.

    Should you let it stop you? No flipping way.

    Write it. You can research and perhaps employ a historian if you want to get it fact checked. Get your first draft written and go from there.


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    #3
    femur61
    Registered Users Posts: 1,588 ✭✭✭femur61


    Das Kitty wrote: »
    Will you? Perhaps.

    Should you care? Maybe a little.

    Should you let it stop you? No flipping way.

    Write it. You can research and perhaps employ a historian if you want to get it fact checked. Get your first draft written and go from there.
    #

    Thanks, that is the conclusion I came to this morning. True it is very easy to put mental obstacles in the way.


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    #4
    echo beach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭echo beach


    femur61 wrote: »
    Hi, I am looking for advice. I found some documents belonging to my aunt who was involved in the political activities in Dublin, 1917-1932. It is an amazing story. I would love to fictionalize part of her story as she never married or had children.

    I can glean a lot of information and get a feeling for this period from the internet, or do people think I am leaving myself open to a lot of criticism from the experts in Irish history if I get any facts or descriptions wrong?

    If you write a work of fiction based on your aunt's life, then it is a work of fiction. To have any credibility you need the basic facts right - dates and places and so on - but after that it is a work of imagination.
    Most books and films set in that era are far from accurate but that doesn't stop them from getting published or broadcast.
    A bigger problem may arise if you have no experience of writing. That is the area where you may need help. Great stories don't always turn into great books. I've lost track of how many books I've read that started with a great story line but managed to ruin it. I'm not trying to discourage you just offering a word of warning.


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