The original story was half as long in order to qualify for the FaithWriters weekly challenge. This version is extended in order to give the reader a bit more information, but not too much. I believe the brevity of this story enhances the mystery of the circumstances that surround it.

I hope you continue to enjoy my Civil War short stories and there are eight more in the pipeline waiting to be published. As soon as they are all formatted and available as individual stories, I will then publish the entire collection in one volume.

It is upon that last point that drives my passion for writing historical fiction. Those of us who do write in this particular genre tend to believe that a better understanding of history is very important to our future. There are clear patterns that repeat themselves across time. Perhaps one of the greatest factors in this circle of unending events is the fact that we as a people are not learning from our mistakes (or our successes).

This is where many historical fiction authors attempt to step in and wave a red flag in an attempt to either warn people not to go back there again or to highlight how a similar circumstance was aptly solved in the past. There are other writers who simply enjoy the periods of time within which they write, but even so, the characters in those stories are living out lives and resolving conflicts.

It is within the context of history that such characters come to life and must navigate particular circumstances to some resolution. Isn’t that what contemporary life is still about? Readers of any given genre are not interested in characters that simply exist. They want vibrant and real emotions, reactions, and experiences.

The fun part of a historical setting, for me, is that through the research and writing, I realize that much of what human kind experiences today is really not that much different from the actions of our ancestors. A high school or college history class may not be able to relay such a reality because within that context, the focus is on the places, dates and names. The conflicts themselves are most often glossed over which makes contemplating their actions much more difficult.

Readers are interested in the human story, the life-blood of any good piece of writing. It may seem illogical to think that a story from the past can be as relevant to modern society as a piece of contemporary fiction, but we historical writers beg to differ. The human story, as played out across the centuries, has really not changed all that much. Our characters may not communicate with cell phones or across electrical networks, but in the end, communication is established and problems (hopefully) are resolved.

If you have not ever read a historical fiction novel, I would encourage you to at least give one a try. You may be surprised to find that regardless of the places, dates and times, the characters are alive with hope and promise for a better tomorrow, your tomorrow. I know that as I write, if I can entice my reader to a better understanding of our past, the chances for a better future will increase.

Defined by dictionary.com: a novel set among actual events or a specific period of history; also called historical novel

Defined by Wikipedia.org: Historical fiction is a sub-genre of fiction that often portrays fictional accounts or dramatization of historical figures or events. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, nominally attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity.

I believe most writers who set their stories in historical past would agree on these definitions. However, some writers I speak with prefer to interject some of their own interpretation of “dramatization”  and even prefer to lean more heavily upon the fiction than the historical.

Whichever the case may be, it is usually up to the target audience to determine what is and what is not historical fiction. I tend to write to a targeted group of people who have spent much time reading and researching the time periods my books are set in. I know that not only do I owe them historical truths, but they hold me accountable to those facts.

I think it is credible to be creative with historical fiction, but at the same time, remain honest and honor the reputations and realities of people we portray or come across in our writing.

I have read some great historical fiction writers and all of those that I respect and desire to read maintain consistency in their histories. Those that bring modern concepts, mannerisms and vocabulary into historical settings usually get set on the “sell at garage sale” shelf.

To my knowledge, there is no final authority on what is and what is not historical fiction, but however you set out to write, maintain consistency throughout your work. A far-stretching, near fantasy that in later chapters becomes a stick-to-the-ribs historical will lose the original audience and never obtain the respect of the more factual reader.