Ah, this historicity question - I tried to write a response but got too long-winded for squeezing it in during the day job. Short answer for me: it's fiction. Tell a great story. (Wouldn't it be sad to not have Gladiator to watch even though we know it's all made up?) The Author's Note is your friend. But if you're going to really divert from "known facts" (a whole 'nuther tangent), and those facts are consequential, consider calling it speculative.
However, sometimes, as I think you have discovered, digging further for accuracy opens up some even more interesting options.
I've spent 12 years researching and during that time, some of the research has changed. We should never be lazy about it, but we should have the freedom to tell the story and hit "publish" at some point. My author's note is going to be a 100K dissertation about what's known, what isn't known, choices made, and why. Also, readers have different tolerances, so we each have to find our little patch of ground and dodge the slings and arrows as they come. Let's not hamstring the storytellers.
That's precisely what my conscious mind has been saying. It's fiction; let the storytellers tell their stories. But my reaction was so visceral that I had to explore that... and still am. It's in part an issue of establishing reader expectations and another part of the author doing what feels right.
Fiction needs certain elements in the story to make it believable. For me, if the dates don't line up, and I know it, this creates a lack of relatability and authenticity. Matching events and time lines makes the story more interesting, creates an element of curiosity, and better satisfaction with the story and the characters. -just me...
As a reader, that's how I feel as well. Perhaps because reading fiction is one way I learn to navigate the real world and I long for certainty. Still exploring my feelings about this as both reader and writer. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
I have been enjoying your story. Your descriptions of the characters, and the time period are so vivid. I can see the curtains blowing, smell things cooking, visualize the girls giggling about their favorite movie star. My thoughts would be to stick to the facts. Some movie buff might catch the inaccurate reference and you could loose the reader. I had a harder time time thinking these young girls would soon over Sean Connery. I thought he might be too old for them. Can't wait for the next installment.
Thanks for reading, Sue. In my story, Gwen is 28 (her friend Cheryl would be close in age). That isn't explicit in the story. I figured the reader would make some assumptions based on her daughter Libby's age, which is 9 when the novel begins. You made me curious about Sean Connery. In '68, he was 37, this was his 3rd Bond movie, and he was a rising star. So does it feel implausible that the women would find him "hot"? Is there too much uncertainty about the women's ages to make this believable (i.e., do they seem younger in the scene than I've revealed here)? Thanks for pointing this out as these are the kinds of things that can be caught when "drafting in public"!
Ah, this historicity question - I tried to write a response but got too long-winded for squeezing it in during the day job. Short answer for me: it's fiction. Tell a great story. (Wouldn't it be sad to not have Gladiator to watch even though we know it's all made up?) The Author's Note is your friend. But if you're going to really divert from "known facts" (a whole 'nuther tangent), and those facts are consequential, consider calling it speculative.
However, sometimes, as I think you have discovered, digging further for accuracy opens up some even more interesting options.
I've spent 12 years researching and during that time, some of the research has changed. We should never be lazy about it, but we should have the freedom to tell the story and hit "publish" at some point. My author's note is going to be a 100K dissertation about what's known, what isn't known, choices made, and why. Also, readers have different tolerances, so we each have to find our little patch of ground and dodge the slings and arrows as they come. Let's not hamstring the storytellers.
There you have my rambling thoughts on it.
That's precisely what my conscious mind has been saying. It's fiction; let the storytellers tell their stories. But my reaction was so visceral that I had to explore that... and still am. It's in part an issue of establishing reader expectations and another part of the author doing what feels right.
For certain! The trick is finding our place on the continuum. Then finding the readers that line up. Easy-peasy. Hah!
Ha! Ha! Ha!!!!!
🤪😵💫🤣
Fiction needs certain elements in the story to make it believable. For me, if the dates don't line up, and I know it, this creates a lack of relatability and authenticity. Matching events and time lines makes the story more interesting, creates an element of curiosity, and better satisfaction with the story and the characters. -just me...
As a reader, that's how I feel as well. Perhaps because reading fiction is one way I learn to navigate the real world and I long for certainty. Still exploring my feelings about this as both reader and writer. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
I have been enjoying your story. Your descriptions of the characters, and the time period are so vivid. I can see the curtains blowing, smell things cooking, visualize the girls giggling about their favorite movie star. My thoughts would be to stick to the facts. Some movie buff might catch the inaccurate reference and you could loose the reader. I had a harder time time thinking these young girls would soon over Sean Connery. I thought he might be too old for them. Can't wait for the next installment.
Thanks for reading, Sue. In my story, Gwen is 28 (her friend Cheryl would be close in age). That isn't explicit in the story. I figured the reader would make some assumptions based on her daughter Libby's age, which is 9 when the novel begins. You made me curious about Sean Connery. In '68, he was 37, this was his 3rd Bond movie, and he was a rising star. So does it feel implausible that the women would find him "hot"? Is there too much uncertainty about the women's ages to make this believable (i.e., do they seem younger in the scene than I've revealed here)? Thanks for pointing this out as these are the kinds of things that can be caught when "drafting in public"!