Historical Fantasy, anyone?

I might be. It really depends on what plot idea I have inspires me at the time.

I'm doing one! It will probably be set in the Gothic Revival era in the late 1700s-early 1800s with influences from Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe. With plenty of insane characters and monsters...

http://www.gamalei.net/nano/

I'm doing historical fantasy :) First time I've tried too. I've mainly done straight up historicals before. Actually this one is going to be mostly historical, except for the fact my MC is a legendary Japanese ghost-monster turned human :P

Mine has a setting of 1700s rural Japan. I'm doing a lot of research but I'm also not as worried about the accuracy factor as I would be with a plain historical. Since my story is based off a well-known myth, I can stand to fudge a little historical aspects.

I think that's the great thing about historical fantasy--you don't have to be as strict with the historical aspects since fantasy is part of it too!

I've been thinking of it. My goal this year is to finish something (the Zokutou Clause is a beautiful thing), and if I don't keep going on the urban fantasy I'm writing now, I might try to revive a story with a setting that's a magic-less blend of the Dutch Republic with Enlightenment era England/America, with really alien nonhumans. I have characters and a setting I love, but no idea what the story is actually about.

DMarie84,

I admire you for your thoroughness. I think part of my decision to make this "historical fantasy" is that I'm being lazy. Which is not a good thing, but a good chunk of my story has been in my head for the past year at least, and it hasn't gone away... just lingered miserably. I found out, to my chagrin, that writing about a fictional country, even a small one, in otherwise real Europe, is not an easy thing to do! The plot halted for a few other reasons, and returns in another incarnation now. I took an old map of Europe, redrew it, noted the language I'd use to name people and things in each region, and am now picking and choosing the things out of history that I can reflect easily or to good effect in my story. I'm a cafeteria historian, it seems. Alas and alack.

Anyway, my real point, other than to note that your discipline to research far outstrips my own, was to say that your idea sounds really interesting! Japanese culture and legend is absolutely fascinating. I wouldn't worry about fudging, though. It's not like the Japanese themselves don't fudge it when they retell the stories, either, same as we do to our own tales.

I do hope I get to read it when you finish!

I might. Not sure about it though. I've done historical fiction so far, but in quite another period, so it all depends on my being able to finish my research in time for November. If I can't, I've plenty ideas for historical fiction in my usual field, so I may stick to that since there's not much research I need to do. ;)

I usually do historical fantasy, and mostly out of sheer laziness, since I'm a voracious horder of historicallly-interesting-yet-topically-irrelevant information.

This year I went completely back-to-basics, and I've got a Western European Early Renaissance story brewing up. I'm not entirely sure where I want to set it (It's a debate between Normandy and Scotland) mainly because it's AU. I'm thinking Scotland, so I can get away with English-sounding names. That's how lazy I got this year.

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
Sarah Williams

"All that's left are our own imaginings"
Kezia Spears

How about the Roman Empire?

It's got wars, slaves, lavish feasts, gladiators, and bath houses!

"Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power."

- "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell

Thank you! :)

Anyway, I think it's fine what you're doing. Historical fantasy is one of those categories that has different aspects in it. Some have little to no "magical" or supernatural element to them and others rely upon it.

Yours may also be a little like alternative history too. I think you're novel will be fine. Sure there will always be some history nut out there who picks it apart--I know I'm definitely expecting it with mine--but you'll have that with even the most thoroughly researched novel.

I sometimes wonder if I may be going a little overboard in the research area; I tend to get sidetracked and spend too much time reading about everything rather than applying pertinent facts to my own work.

Hopefully I'll finish much of the first draft during NaNo and my goal is to get the entire thing done by the end of the year. We'll see!

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I was going to do a regular historical fiction at first. I was inspired by Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books but then I realized, I'm much too lazy to do all of that research! So, historical fantasy here I come! An alternate world with enough real world stuff that I can pick and choose the historical events I want to, (French Revolution, perhaps?) and ignore what I don't (Who was even king during the French Revolution? Louis?).
I'm so excited! There's going to be time travel (I'm altogether OBSESSED with Outlander at this point...) and thus, I can bring a little magic to the table, but it's going to be more real-world than not with lots of scullduggery and adventure and intrigue...YAY!

"Many people assume mongeese are the liquor-loving type because minks are such infamous lushes." - Steve PD

Towards the end of September, I decided to try NaNo again, even though it crushed my soul last time. But I waffled for a while over which of my many incomplete story ideas to favor. Now, though, I think I will be attempting an historical fantasy story, yes.

This maybe-story would be about a family of Viking outlaws; four brothers, their father and his brother. I've had this idea for nearly a year now after being inspired by the song "Sons of Northern Darkness" (also the title I'd be using) by Immortal.

Originally, it was just going to be historical fiction. Recently, however, I've realized that I'd be missing out on the ten tons of AWESOME that is Norse mythology that I could inject into the story if I did that. So, with those things in mind now, I figure the story will begin as realistically as I can possibly make it before slipping into a world (or worlds) of giants, trolls, elves, dwarfs, gods, and so forth. Maybe they'll stumble into Hel, maybe they'll find themselves in Jotunheim, I dunno yet (that's why I'm thankful I have October between me and the story right now), but what I do know is that this small tweak should make the story considerably more epic/fun to read (and thus more likely to get finished).

Cursed double-posting. >_<

I don't know if this counts, but I'm thinking of doing something akin to a cross between a Western and a pirate story. Basically, an English pirate captain in the 1600th century Caribbean "discovers" a map containing clues that alude to the existance and location of the mythical city of Cibola. His journey takes him to Maryland, Brazil, New France, and New Spain in search of clues, and eventually to the frontier province of New Mexico in New Spain where he and his crew must scale the four sacred peaks of the Navajo. Unbeknownst to the pirate, an evil Spanish priest with powerful psychic and paranormal abilities is the one who made sure the pirate would come across the map, and has kidnapped the pirate's older sister for leverage. The priest doesn't know where Cibola is, but hopes the pirate will lead him and his coalition of Indian and Spanish warrior to it, so he can forge an alliance between the Indian tribes and the Spanish, avert the forthcoming Pueblo Revolt, and establish a new Mexico in the north that is strong enough to resist incursions by Anglo settlers from the east, thus redrawing the future geopolitical map of the future, which he has foreseen with his psychic powers.

It sounds like historical fantasy to me!
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The pleasantest of all diversions is to sit alone under the lamp, a book spread out before you, and to make friends with people of a distant past you have never known.--Yoshida Kenko, Essays in Idleness

BTW, I saw that there's a Subgenre index sticky at the top of the forum and I didn't see Historical Fantasy on there yet, so I emailed Dragonchilde to see if it can be added. That way we'll all be able to come back to this thread without having to post numerous duplicates or scroll many pages down for it :)

...mmmmmaybe.

I'm not sure at all yet what I'm going to be writing, but I tend to come back to historical fantasy a lot, specifically set between the turn of the century and the 1930s.

Mine is more of an urban fantasy in that it's the "real" world, with elements of fantasy revealed to exist. I'm looking at placing it in the mid-Victorian era in either Ireland or Scotland.

Nano 2008 - Sanctuary (Won!)
Nano 2009 - Majesty

Anglo-saxon England! But with a twist... It's a retelling (of sorts) of the Yoshitsune/Benkei story. It's a story that's tragic and real.

Saxons, Welsh, Scots, some Irish, Norse (from Denmark, to be specific) and the remnants of the Romano-brits.

After two years of failing to launch, this will be my year.

2009: The Tears of Angelcynn

<

I'm writing alternate history. Changing the end of the cold war. All hell breaks loose and much of the earth reverts to a desolate wasteland with small villages of scavengers desperately trying to survive.

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Remember your dreams, for they are the stuff of legends...or at least, of good novels.

Hi! I think I'm writing a historical fantasy set in early Mycenean Greece this year, but I haven't done much research or decided on the percentange of history to fantasy. It will be a Mary Renault style retelling of the Bellerophon myth, but I think the only actual fantastic elements in it will be the Pegasus and the Chimera. The good thing about the time period I've selected is that I don't have to do TOO much research, because there isn't too much evidence; though more is being discovered and published daily there's still a lot of guesswork. I'll worry about the "evidence" after November.

Sounds intriguing! I know a little of the Yoshitsune/Benkei story, so I'm definitely interested to see how you retell it in Anglo-Saxon England :)

My NaNo this year will be set in Italy sometime around 14th - 15th century during the Italian Renaissance, most likely in either Florence or Venice. Somewhat of an alternate history, but definitely a historical fantasy...I may include actual historical figures though I've yet to make a final decision. Basically, magic was common before the Middle Ages, but disappeared when the Church came to power. When the humanistic Italian Renaissance starts, magic begins to be rediscovered. The old pagan deities (fictional pagans) seem to be making a reappearance as well. The MC is a minstrel who ends up getting on the wrong side of a goddess (similar to a muse) and has his voice taken away. He is trying to get his voice back as singing his songs was the source of the little magic he had and income. The "villain" (using the word cautiously) is a sculptor who makes a sculpture of one of these reappearing pagan gods, which comes to life and shares with him false wisdom. Magic in this world, for humans at least, come from the arts such as music, storytelling, painting, sculpture, science, writing, philosophy and other artforms.

Wow I really want to read this!

Mine's not historical fiction, per se, but the setting will have an historical feel to it. Does that count? Let's be buddies if you think so; the more the merrier!

Does Arthurian Fantasy count? I'm trying to decide how much I can mix up the older stories and how much I can make up, without straying too far out of the time period.

Write to the death!

I think this is the place my novel fits the best (and it in't the best fit ever, let me tell you! :P )

Mine is in a fictional kingdom named Lugh (after the Celtic god Lugh, for whom the festival of Lughnasadh is named.) As far as I can tell there is no "magic", as defined by high fantasy anyway, and no mythical, fantastical creatures. Just people in a place of "ye olde times" that may or may not have existed, and a bread baking contest. :P

Not historical enough for historical fiction, not mainstream enough for mainstream fiction, not prosaic enough for literary fiction, not fantasy enough for fantasy fiction...so I think I'm plunking it down here.

Guess I need to brush up on some history with which to beef up the story...and to pick a time period.

2007: They Followed a Star (to Betelgeuse) Failed/Still Working
2008: The Revenge of Madam Garlic and the Ladies of Herb Lore Incorporated- failed
2009: The Secret of the Stillroom Book -gonna win!

A shot rang out! As shots are wont to do.

Mine involves a limited amount of time travel, so I'm going to have to learn something about late 1800s England and probably 1930s or 40s US. Also possibly Eastern Europe c. 1500s - 1600s. This is a first for me... all my other work has had a contemporary setting. I don't think I'll be able to research much while writing at top speed, so there will be a lot of details I'll have to fill in later.

--Ruth

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mine was originally a historical fiction novel set in 1st Century AD Pompeii, but now it has become a historical-fantasy set in that era. My MC descends from a line of winged, female demi-gods. She has functional wings, but will eventually have to decide between 1) cutting off the wings and becoming mortal: able have children, able to age, eventually able to die.. or 2) keeping the wings and going to live with the demi-gods like her who choose immortality: never able to bear children, but in a world of all its own fulfillment and wonder.

And it's still very much being developed... I'm hoping to get all these historical and fantasy details figured out by November so I can start writing right away!

♥Amore

Another historical fantasy over here! :)

Mine is set in an alternate Elizabethan era where the British Isles have been covered over by a fae forest and only seven cities have survived. The main character is a former assassin turned thieftaker who has the added blessing/curse of being able to steal souls (either dead or alive). When someone leaves a dead man in his bed, he not only steals the soul, he is also accused of the murder. Forced on the run, he has to find out who killed the old man to clear his own name.

Some really good ideas on here, can't wait to see where you all go with them!

my current idea is going to be set in the American West, but at the same time not the American West. I wasn't going to do a western because I enjoy fantasy so much, but I finally decided that as the writer I can do whatever I want! I got the idea of doing the American west without it actually being the west from Stephen King's Dark Tower/Gunslinger series that I read last spring.

Of course, I have NO idea where the story is actually going, but it's the journey not the destination that matters. All I know is that it involves a cynical, drunk cowboy/ ex-gunman named Sirius Cole and his horse Golddust-he calls the horse Mule or any other derogatory name he can come up with. He'll probably end up being the reluctant hero who saves a town from the evil cattleman who is paying the sheriff off.