[Sca-cooks] OT: How to destroy a book
Laura C. Minnick
lcm at jeffnet.org
Sat Aug 21 14:16:36 PDT 2010
On 8/21/2010 1:46 PM, emilio szabo wrote:
> Adapting and even "manipulating" historical subjects to one's own literary
> purposes has a long history. Genre names like "historical novel" indicate that
> there are licences and no footnotes ...
>
For some. :-) Ok, I don't go for footnotes in fiction, even if it is
historical fiction. However, it is a long walk between simply having
actual historical personages in a story, and manipulating them and
history to suit your plot. Those around you could tell you how I've
turned the world upside-down trying to find out where Henry Plantagenet
was during August and September of 1154. It has been YEARS I've been
doing this. He was not yet king of England and his movements were not
yet in the royal chronicles/annals or in the exchequer's accounts. I've
also gone back and forth through the chronicles and calendars trying to
track Eleanor's movements, particularly pregnancy timelines. Henry and
Eleanor are not the central characters in the tale, but a fair portion
of Our Hero's life and actions hinge on what Henry in particular is
doing. It may be just because I'm a historian, but I feel that the story
must conform to established historical fact. Not the other may around.
Just my two livres,
Liutgard
--
"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Albus Dumbledore
~~~Follow my Queenly perambulations at: http://slugcrossings.blogspot.com/
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