Welcome to the next stop in the historical novel blog tour — this time it is Rome in the 1st century B.C. Sincere thanks to Tiffani Burnett-Velez, author of A Berlin Story, for organizing this tour. Each week the blog tour travels to a different era and is a great way of meeting historical fiction authors and learning about their work.
Who you are, where you’re from, your writing credits?
My interest in historical fiction began as a boarding school student in the Indian Himalayas while reading The Three Musketeers and Julius Caesar. For many years thereafter, historical novels and movies kept me enthralled. However, as a medical student, my literary activities took a back seat, although the seed for my fascination with historical fiction was already implanted. Years later, while training to become a neurosurgeon, that seed started to sprout. I was moved to write a scene about a plebeian travelling to Rome on the brink of war. There was no turning back thereafter. From that scene grew a thread of a tale, and that into a full-fledged story, which will be my debut novel based on Ancient Rome in the 1st century B.C.
My adorable dog, named Puppy, shows his solidarity by sitting and sleeping close to me when I write this novel. I had adopted him 16 years ago when he was a stray puppy. Puppy is my greatest victory.
What is your latest historical fiction piece?
This alternate history novel, with thriller and humorous elements, is based on the movers and shakers in Rome at the dusk of the Republican era. It depicts the intrigue, betrayals, untamed ambition, adventure and wars that changed the history of Rome.
Why did you choose to write it?
Even though Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar portrayed events which took place in the aftermath of Caesar’s death, it made me wonder what the real man, when alive, might have been like. That led to a journey of researching the life of Caesar. I was amazed by his unparalleled valour, leadership and resourcefulness, and also appalled by his ruthlessness and cruelty, though the bad qualities are rarely brought to light in fiction. Yet, Julius Caesar’s exemplary life taught me many a lesson which held me in good stead while working as a neurosurgeon.
What about that era appeals to you?
The late republican era was a time of upheavals. There lived several men of colossal stature and achievements. This was the time of Pompey, of Cicero and Cato, amongst others. Not only did they co-exist in the same era, but their lives intertwined within the same city — Rome. Even though Julius Caesar eclipsed these giants, in my novel I hope to do justice to those others whom history has relegated into the shadow of Caesar.
Are your characters real or fictional? If they’re real, how did you fictionalize them?
Writing in the sub-genre of alternate history gives me leeway to fictionalize aspects of real characters and to create events which would further the conflicts and raise the stakes. On the whole, the real historical characters form the meat of my story, whereas the fictional ones are gravy. As for fictionalizing the real characters, some of it comes from research, but their emotions and motivations come from my life experiences. In historical fiction, even the fictional characters must be consistent with their time and place. So they are drawn heavily from research about life in ancient Rome. I supply their motivations and back stories, depending on the roles they play. Every character in my novel, major or minor, real or fictional, contains elements of my psyche, which I believe every well-written story ought to possess.
What kind of research is involved in writing your novel?
While researching for my novel, I have explored academic websites and books on different aspects of life in ancient Rome, which has now grown into an impressive collection. Before finalizing my novel, I hope to spend some time in Rome, gaining inspiration from the buildings that still declare their proud past, and walk along the paths that my characters walked. Tidbits from this research (social, political and military life in ancient Rome) find their way into this blog. They will be of interest to those who find that time and place fascinating.
The main resources that I found beneficial are listed here.
How do you organize the fictional aspects of your writing vs. the historical facts?
In my experience I have found that fictional aspects are so tightly interwoven with historical facts that to dissect the two will require a blog post of its own. However, historical facts are always at the back of my mind at both macro and micro levels. The former consists of maintaining a timeline in my plot that is in tune with the historical timeline. For the latter, I keep instilling the flavor of the times consistently throughout the scenes, making sure there are no anachronisms.
How does the historical timeline move your plot along or influence the actions of your characters?
I use the important events in the historical timeline as pillars within the story. From each pillar, I work backwards and write how the main characters (while interacting with other characters within the social milieu) reached that historical event.
How do you feel about writers taking creative license with historical facts? Or, does it bother you when facts are changed to fit the story in a movie or a book?
As historical fiction writers, it is our responsibility to transport readers to another era using historical elements as backdrops for our stories. Yet, the operative word in historical fiction is ‘fiction’. An engaging story demands emotional truth, not necessarily a factual one. If we allow every minute historical detail to hijack the story, we risk encroaching into the territory of historians. The story — where our characters live and breathe while spinning exciting plots — is the primary determinant of the extent of historical accuracy to be maintained. Essentially, I believe in stretching the truth for the sake of the story, but not defile history at the same time. Maintaining this delicate balance, while making the story come alive, is a testament to the creativity of the writer. The bottomline is - ‘Story trumps everything’.
What’s next for you after this work?
As I write this novel, the characters keep prodding me with their antics, and potential future plots are taking root within my head. I hope to write subsequent books in this series if all goes well.
Next on the historical novel blog tour:
Claudia H Long is the author of The Duel for Consuelo (Booktrope 2014), The Harlot's Pen (Devine Destinies 2014) and Josefina's Sin (Atria/Simon & Schuster 2011.) Her interest in historical fiction, especially the history of Mexico, the Secret Jews of Latin America, and her obsession with the poetry of the late 1600s and early 1700s, probably come from her childhood in Mexico City. She is a mediator-lawyer by day, and lives in Northern California with her husband, their many dogs, and the cat, and near to her grown children. Her next novel, possibly called Marcela Unchained, takes the Castillo family story one step further, into the mines of Zacatecas.
Thank you very much for joining me today and to author Tiffani Burnett-Velez for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
~ A David Singh
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