Historical Fiction Category?

[blackorchid]

@foxnflames
How you gonna drop one of my favorite time periods and not a link? LOL

[domisotto]

I am so tried of reading 'medieval fantasy', and I say that as someone who LOVES Medieval things. Hell, I was reading carols and fableaux in Middle English and in various dialects at a point in my life. I was absorbed in everything about it. I'm just ready for a change.

The trouble is also that most of it is Victorian idea of Medieval... but fantasy being fantasy, it’s all good.

I did Tang-Dynasty inspired, Hindu-Hellenistic-inspired, Russian late medieval and Germanic Early Medieval fantasy, and love them all. But I always go fantasy as the genre, because it is clearly fantasy.

except now that I am doing Regency...

[blackorchid]

I mean most things are also widely shaped by Victorian ideas. But that's a rant for another day. LOL.

I do genuinely love fantasy, and I love Medieval things. But, I'm also of the mind where I would like some underused time periods, too.

Like, I can get down with some 'steam-punk', but I also love the idea of shifting the timeline on that. Get some Whale-Punk, Atomic-Punk, etc.

Anyway, yes -- time period diversity would be rad. I'm here for it. Maybe we just gotta start tagging.

[R.n.P]

I wish they had the same too, my comic is basically that but since there's no option for it i have to state that the world of the comic is technically the same as us and follows historical events but in fictional way

[Filosofieke]

Especially then, you'd really love Historical as a main genre!

[KhanSpring]

I feel the reason we are tired of Medievel things is because it is the English Medieval. I love fantasy inspired by Irish, English, Welsh and Scotish, because they all have such rich mythology, but I feel like only a small chunk of it is explored when it comes to it, thus you feel like it is becoming the same thing over and over again. Europe's Medievel's history period is so rich, but we feel we've seen everything already because the genre mainly focuses on a portion of it.

[domisotto]

But, on the other hand, it is very hard to get a buy-in for unfamiliar settings. My fantasy that was early medieval in nature with foreshadowing of the Germanic recreation of the Holy Rome Empire is the hardest book to get readers out of my 8 or 9. I get comments that Elvira, Ferrante, Sigvart, Lukrezia sound like too hard names to people...

And when I started my Russian mystery, I was pulling hair.

“Did you mean a Baron?”

“Nope, I meant Boyarin, the title is different in that it is not hereditary and there will be a bit of exposition a little later—“

Basically, people hate unfamiliar words on the Internet, and pretty much in my every book, I had to replace endlessly. Start with Jigit, end with raider. Start with Ecritora, end with Scribe. Start with volkhv, end with Druid, etc....

[KhanSpring]

My novel is Slavic mythology and folklore inspire, I get you on that . However, I still try to use as much of my own language terms as I can and give an explanation on them.
Maybe because it's my own culture, I don't find it as hard to write it. Which is the vital part of why we have such little diversity in the mainstream fantasy. As you said, people have a comfort zone and rarely desire to go beyond it. That and the fact how big of an influence Western media has.

[domisotto]

Precisely, there are very few settings that people are familiar with, and they complain that they are tired of them, while turning away from anything unfamiliar simultaneously.

And every book is a few months investment of work, so yeah...hard choices to make for a small account.

[KhanSpring]

Knowing that people get to know a fraction of my culture is part of the motivation. It's why I started posting on Tapas.

[Filosofieke]

Same with the Celts, really, and I personally love stories in the Roman Empire that are not connected to the nobility or the war, but more to everyday life. (Which is why I have set my story at peace time). It's also set very close to where I actually live.

I don't need a Western setting in my stories at all, but I do think I would struggle to write historical fiction set in for example Japan (which I have visited and love). Or modern fiction, for that matter. I'd rather support other authors writing about their own heritage!

[Filosofieke]

I just finished one in 6 months, but my historical ones were over a year worth of work, all three of them. Of course, I also have two young kids and a full-time job so I only have limited time to write each night. Still glad I got it written, if only just for me, because it was a childhood dream.

[domisotto]

I know the struggle same here with the family and full time job... my dream is to write The Book, something that people would read, so I keep writing obsessively 🤧

[domisotto]

I love mixing and matching, because I feel that people are more likely to take chance at something more original from someone they already trust as a writer

[foxnflames]

Oop, which one? Haha (and sorry for the late reply)

[blackorchid]

all. just. all.

[foxnflames]

This is my first series, light fantasy and Stone Age setting (because I wanted an older setting that wasn’t medieval or European based)

Rise in the East | Tapas

This is my latest one, it starts Tuesday! Set in New Orleans in the early 1920s

Give In to Me | Tapas

[RorroEstay]

Let's pray to all the gods for admins to add "historical" as a new category. If it must already be difficult for historical fantasy to stand out, imagine how I feel publishing a historical comic (no last name, no fantasy, no "fiction") and set in a country at the end of the world.

This is my comic BTW, is someone is interested: https://tapas.io/series/TheRenegade/info

[braincell4rent]

Can you pass me the link? :´)

I love historical fiction, no matter the century or place the story is settled in. I also write that kind of novels. Lately, I´ve been writing a victorian era LGBT romance with lots of comedy.

How to survive the worst novel ever written | Tapas

[Filosofieke]

Hey, I've seen your novel pass by! (How to survive the worst novel ever written). Fun title! (I don't believe it though​)

I guess I write a mix between serious and humour. And I love (LGBT) romance! 'Phyllis' is the first book of a series of three, each book is named after a different MC. I'd say the first book focuses more on friendship (I love writing friendship arcs), but the love life complications will definitely pile up.

Phyllis | Tapas