How Do You Use Popular Fiction In Historical Research?
Historical fiction can make history come alive by providing contextual clues to the life of people in the past. By reading books in the historical fiction genre, you can learn how people spoke, dressed and conducted their daily lives. Historical events seem real, and you become engaged in the characters’ lives and care what happens to them in the context of a historical period. When writing a research paper on a historical period, you must keep in mind that historical fiction is fiction, not fact. The novel can pique your interest, but it is up to you to verify the facts through research to check the actual historical record. Select some interesting historical novels by authors who write in an authentic manner consistent with historical facts. If, for example, you are writing about women’s clothing in the Elizabethan era, read novels that take place at that time and pay attention to the dress of the female characters. Take notes about the corset, the farthingale, the bum roll and the r
