PLOTTING HISTORICAL FICTION WORKSHOP

Name: PLOTTING HISTORICAL FICTION WORKSHOP
Start: 2024-10-30T13:00:00+12:00
End: 2024-10-30T15:00:00+12:00
Location: ELMA TURNER LIBRARY

Cristina Sanders

Writers + Kōrero

Cristina Sanders, author of Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant (shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize in 2023) and her latest book Okiwi Brown, leads this workshop on how to outline a historical fiction story and make a start on writing it.

In this 2-hour workshop, Cristina Sanders will guide you through outlining a story and making a start on writing it. The session is for people with an idea of a story who need a nudge to help frame it, or beginners interested in the genre structure.

The first part is an open discussion around:

Choosing the time, place and characters
Genre and purpose
Research and the reliability of primary source data
How to blend fact and fiction in history
Using invented and/or real characters
Building a time frame and finding a plot

The second part is where the structure is put into practice to build a sample story. Together participants choose a time and place (e.g. Nelson around 1900), and go online to do some flash research to find three interesting incidents each that occurred in this period. These are combined into one timeline, and then participants have twenty minutes to plot the outline of their own story that might incorporate some of these events.

Time permitting, some of the plotted stories can be shared and developed.

Participants should bring a laptop or pen and paper for writing and a phone for the research.

Cristina Sanders (she/her)

Cristina Sanders is an historical novelist, book reviewer and trail runner who grew up in Wellington and now lives in Hawke’s Bay. She is a volunteer crew member for the Spirit of Adventure Trust, and a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors.