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?
Instructor Bio:
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:
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