In this craft-focused talk, Mar (Marthese) Fenech, author of the Siege of Malta trilogy, shows how immersive, sensory research can turn historical facts into lived-in, emotionally resonant storytelling. Drawing on her own hands-on experiences and attention to detail, Mar demonstrates how to make historical settings feel authentic and alive.

You’ll learn how to:

• Bring history to life through sensory details: sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes

• Use hands-on research—from food, music, and local conversations to historic sites—to enrich your scenes

• Translate remote or archival research into atmospheric storytelling

• Create a sense of place that feels lived-in, grounded, and emotionally engaging

• Make your historical fiction—or any setting-rich story—more immersive, authentic, and memorable

Ideal for historical fiction writers and anyone crafting stories with richly detailed settings, this session provides practical techniques for turning research into captivating narrative texture.