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HomeCalendarWeaving History Into the Historical Novel with Instructor Kathy Otten

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Weaving History Into the Historical Novel with Instructor Kathy Otten

When:
Sunday, September 08, 2024, 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC-05:00)
...
More Dates
Additional Info:
Event Contact(s):
Erin M Krol
Online Activities Coordinator
 
D. J. Stevenson
Online Classes Coordinator
Category:
Online Classes
Registration is required
Payment In Full In Advance Only
Capacity:
99
Available Slots:
96
$100.00
$75.00

Kathy Otten

All Pennwriters Courses are conducted in a “live” presentation format utilizing the Zoom platform. If a conflict arises based on the required meeting times, please contact the instructor and Online Courses Coordinator to find a possible solution. ALL sessions will be recorded.



Readers of historical fiction want to be transported to another time and place. They want to experience your world along with your characters. So, how do you weave all your research into your novel without creating long paragraphs of historical text? How do you describe settings and details without telling? In this workshop, we’ll talk about ways to create realistic characters of the time, while balancing those characters with the socially accepted norms of the modern reader. We’ll examine dialogue, again harmonizing historical language with modern. We’ll look at research, what to search for and where to find it, and ultimately what to do when you make a mistake.

Syllabus:

1. Week One:
  • Welcome
  • Why Write Historical Fiction
  • Levels of Research
  • Where to Hunt and Dig
2. Week Two:
  • Weave historical Facts Without Info Dumps
  • Action and Active Descriptions
3. Week Three:
  • Keep Your Characters Historical
  • Balancing the Past with the Present
  • Dialogue
4. Week Four:
  • Action Beats Show Historical Detail
  • Organization
  • What if it’s Wrong?
About the Instructor:

Kathy Otten is the author of several historical romance novels and short stories. Her works are set in the United States and cover periods in history from the Civil War through World War I.


Her novel, A Place in Your Heart was a Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star winner and her novel Lost Hearts, a Utah/Salt Lake RWA Hearts of the West finalist. Her new novel The Solace of Denim, a YA paranormal mystery, was released in June from Dragonfly Publishing.


Kathy presents workshops on writing craft, both in person and through online venues. She is also an Author Accelerator certified book coach helping new writers create the novel of their dreams.


Email & Links:
Email: kathy@kathyotten.com
Website: https://www.kathyottenauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathyottenauthor.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kathyotten
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Kathy+Otten&i=digital- text&crid=37WD5R3VL60TC&sprefix=kathy