Recorded Conference Sessions
See the titles and descriptions of the sessions recorded at the 2026 History Through Fiction Conference
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Panel: Rethinking Individual Promotion of Your Work with Vanitha Sankaran, and Linda Ulleseit
Description: You’ve written a book—now what? How do you find readers? For many authors, the thought of marketing can feel overwhelming. Questions like “What platform should I use?” or “Who should I follow?” can leave you stuck. And for those who prefer the solitude of writing, the idea of self-promotion can be especially daunting. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to do it alone.
Paper Lantern Writers was created to address these challenges. By forming a collective, we’ve discovered the power of community. Together, we’ve built a supportive network where we share strengths, amplify our reach, and thrive in the historical fiction space. It’s not about competing for sales—it’s about growing together.
Session Goals:
Demonstrate how a collective can drive growth.
Teach authors how to build their own supportive community.
Highlight the benefits of collaboration and leveraging individual strengths.
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Workshop: The Heroine's Journey: A Narrative Structure for Creating Compelling Character Arcs with N.J. Mastro
Description: Writers often rely on the hero’s journey to shape their stories—a path where protagonists venture outward to achieve great things for others. But what if your character’s greatest challenge is not an external quest, but an internal reckoning? When a protagonist must confront past wounds and face their deepest fears, the heroine’s journey offers a powerful alternative. Despite its transformative potential, this narrative structure remains unfamiliar to many writers.
In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the heroine’s journey alongside the hero’s journey, using examples from well-known novels to highlight their differences and strengths. Participants will have the chance to analyze their own story structures, discovering which journey they’ve followed—or which might better serve their characters’ growth.
Session Goals:
Illuminate the key differences between the hero’s and heroine’s journeys.
Guide writers in identifying these structures within their own works.
Empower participants to revise or plot stories for deeper, more meaningful character arcs.
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Presentation: Getting the Little Things Right, so the Big Ones Can Shine with Grace E. Turton
Description: Every memorable historical novel rests on a foundation of careful research—not just the grand events that define an era, but the subtle, authentic details that make a world feel real. The historian’s commitment to capturing the nuances of daily life, the language spoken, the customs observed, and even the food enjoyed, forms the bedrock for powerful storytelling. In this presentation, we’ll explore how uncovering these often-overlooked specifics can prevent anachronisms and infuse your narrative with a vivid sense of time and place.
Through practical examples and research strategies, you’ll learn how attention to the ‘little things’—from ingredients in a meal to the etiquette at the table—can elevate your story. By getting these details right, you empower the larger historical moments and allow your characters’ journeys to truly resonate, transforming a good story into an immersive historical experience.
Session Goals:
Highlight the importance of authentic details in historical fiction.
Share methods for researching and uncovering everyday specifics.
Demonstrate how small details enhance character arcs and major events.
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Presentation: From Family to Fiction with Lindsay Marie Morris
Description: Family stories are more than memories—they’re the seeds of powerful fiction. In this engaging and interactive lecture, historical novelist Lindsay Marie Morris draws from her Sicilian-American heritage and World War II-era fiction to demonstrate how personal history, cultural traditions, and significant events can be transformed into rich, authentic narratives. Participants will discover practical research techniques, creative tools, and story-building strategies to begin crafting their own historical fiction rooted in family experience.
Through real-life examples and hands-on guidance, you’ll learn how to uncover meaningful family history, connect personal stories to broader historical themes, and shape these elements into compelling fiction that resonates with readers.
Session Goals:
Teach participants how to research and uncover meaningful family history.
Show how to connect personal stories to broader historical events and themes.
Help writers begin shaping that material into compelling historical fiction.
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Workshop: The Art of Description with Eric Z. Weintraub
Description: Description is the bridge that transports readers into the heart of a historical setting, allowing them to experience the world you’ve meticulously researched. In this workshop, Eric Z. Weintraub will begin with a focused presentation on how to use historical research to inform and enrich the worlds we create on the page. Following this, participants will dive into a hands-on writing session, crafting scenes that rely solely on descriptive language to bring history to life.
By isolating and exploring one literary device at a time, this workshop will reveal the surprising creative choices that can elevate your approach to writing historical fiction and deepen your storytelling.
Session Goals:
Demonstrate how historical research can inform vivid description.
Guide participants in writing scenes using only descriptive language.
Uncover creative strategies for enhancing historical fiction through focused literary techniques.
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Title: The Mechanics of Misbelief: How to Hide Big Truths in Plain Sight with Lara Lehman
Description: Through a guided exploration of consciousness and representation, this session introduces writers of historical fiction to the concept of misbelief and mechanical errors as portals into a character’s psyche. Every habitual choice a character makes—diction, syntax, or conventional behaviors—carries clues to what they misunderstand about their world. These “blind spots” both stall progress and drive plot, offering a rich opportunity for narrative tension.
This session shows how to embed misbeliefs within mechanical mistakes—a “burnt tongue” of repeated errors that simultaneously conceals and reveals information to the reader. Participants will explore artistic and anecdotal connections among thinkers on the subject, paired with examples from the presenter’s own writing and mentor texts that illuminate this technique in action.
Session Goals:
Understand the concept of a character’s misbelief and how it shapes their narrative arc.
Learn how habitual language choices can signal internal conflict or misunderstanding.
Explore techniques for hiding information in mechanical mistakes to create subtle, compelling storytelling.
Engage with examples and readings that demonstrate these concepts in practice and inspire participants’ own work.
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Presentation: The Enigma of Cultural Appropriation with Elizabeth McLean
Description: Cultural appropriation is a complex and evolving topic—especially for writers of historical fiction. In this thought-provoking session, we’ll define cultural appropriation, explore its many forms, and examine why it remains such a fluid and debated issue. Through real-world case studies—including Lionel Shriver’s controversial speech in Brisbane, the debates around Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt, and Susan Swan’s encounter with descendants of The Biggest Woman in the World—we’ll illuminate the challenges and responsibilities that come with writing across cultures.
We’ll discuss the importance of thorough research, approaching subjects with curiosity and humility, consulting with cultural insiders, and the value of sensitivity readers, author’s notes, and bibliographies. We’ll also consider the limits of our own knowledge and the ethical questions that arise when fiction draws from cultures beyond our own. If all fiction involves some degree of cultural appropriation, what redeeming qualities can historical fiction offer?
Session Goals:
Understand the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, and learn how to responsibly navigate the line between them.
Learn strategies for incorporating historical characters and cultures into fiction without falling into controversy or exploitation.
Gain tools to defend the integrity and historical accuracy of your work.
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Speech: Opening Remarks from Sarah Penner
Description: Join us as New York Times bestselling author Sarah Penner opens the conference with reflections drawn from her remarkable creative journey—from growing up in a log cabin in the Kansas woods to becoming an internationally acclaimed novelist whose work has reached readers in more than forty languages. Sarah will share insights shaped by her leap from corporate finance to full-time writing, her love of travel and history, and the sparks of inspiration that have guided her since first discovering the “big magic” of storytelling. Warm, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in the joys of the creative life, Sarah’s remarks set the tone for a weekend dedicated to craft, curiosity, and the transformative power of fiction.
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Panel: How Do I Know When My Novel is Ready with Eric Z. Weintraub, Colin Mustful, Jillian Forsberg, and Alina Adams
Description: Every historical fiction writer eventually reaches that pivotal moment of doubt: Have I revised enough? Do I need another beta reader? Is my manuscript truly ready for submission? In this candid and practical conversation, HTF authors share their firsthand experiences navigating these questions and the often–uncertain path to manuscript readiness.
Panelists will explore tangible benchmarks for assessing your draft, how to interpret and implement feedback from beta readers, and ways to push past perfectionism, fear, and over-editing.
Session Goals:
Attendees will walk away with a clearer understanding of what “ready” can look like—and a realistic, actionable roadmap for preparing a manuscript for agents, editors, or publication.
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Workshop: Poetry & Art as Portals to the Ever-Present Past: A Revolutionary Approach to Process with Lara Lehman
Description: This interactive workshop explores how poetry, visual art, and other creative forms can spark imagination and enhance both writing and historical research. We’ll begin with an interpretive performance of Mary Oliver’s “The Journey”, demonstrating how language can be a springboard for creative thinking. After a brief discussion of the research rationale, participants will engage in choice-driven warm-ups—such as magnet poetry, Zen doodles, and blackout texting—that organically generate material for exploration.
The session will then introduce two practical methods: layered annotation and captioning, with demonstrations of how these practices inform the facilitator’s own writing. Participants will apply the methods to self-selected texts and share their work in a community gallery walk and reflection, experiencing firsthand how accessible, low-stakes creative exercises can expand both imagination and historical insight.
Session Goals:
Explore how poetry, painting, and other everyday art forms can inform and inspire both writing and research.
Experiment with practical techniques—layered annotation and captioning—in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Leave with tools and a mindset for independent implementation, enabling participants to connect creatively with historical material and enrich their writing process.
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Workshop: Writing Full Time – Making the Leap with Madeline Martin
Description: Deciding to become a full-time author is a major life choice—and one that requires strategy, planning, and courage. In this candid session, Madeline Martin shares her personal journey from balancing a full-time career as a Business Analyst, writing up to eight books per year, and navigating single parenthood, to finally making the leap to full-time writing after a layoff.
Through her story, she will explore the practical considerations involved, including identifying opportunities, managing financial and lifestyle changes, building a sustainable writing routine, and leveraging past experiences for success. Participants will gain real-world insight into the challenges and rewards of committing fully to a writing career.
Session Goals:
Understand the practical steps and life adjustments involved in transitioning to full-time writing.
Learn strategies for maximizing productivity, managing multiple projects, and creating sustainable income streams.
Gain inspiration and actionable guidance for making informed decisions about a career in writing.
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Group Presentation: Revitalizing Your Novel with Linda Ulleseit and Vanitha Sankaran
Description: Whether you’re just beginning your journey into historical fiction or are a multi-book author, this session offers tips, techniques, and resources to elevate your writing. We’ll introduce key concepts from Crafting Stories From the Past, exploring approaches to research, novel structure, writing strategies, and curated resources for historical fiction authors.
Our in-depth focus will highlight three chapters that provide practical guidance for bringing stories to life: Using non-Western story structures to create unique narratives; Bringing horses and other historical details vividly to life; Fictionalizing your own family experiences for richer storytelling; From big-picture structure to small, nuanced details, this session provides strategies for both retooling an existing manuscript and guiding your writing process from start to finish.
Session Goals:
Learn innovative plot structures to revitalize your historical fiction stories.
Gain practical strategies for handling specific historical topics and challenges.
Explore a curated selection of resources tailored for historical fiction writers.
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Virtual Presentation: Potions, Pills and Poppies: How to ease your character’s pain or put them out of their misery with Georgie Blalock
Description: Pain management has a long and fascinating history, from ancient remedies to the revolutionary developments of 19th- and early 20th-century pharmacology. In this virtual presentation, Georgie Blalock will explore the evolution of anesthetics and pain relief up to the 1940s, using firsthand accounts from medical practitioners and patients to provide vivid insight into how people of the past endured and treated pain.
Writers of historical fiction will gain practical knowledge for crafting authentic, era-appropriate treatments for their characters—balancing historical accuracy with reader expectations. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how pain was perceived, treated, and experienced across time, enabling them to create richer, more believable narratives.
Session Goals:
Learn the history of pain relief and anesthesia from ancient times through the 1940s.
Gain strategies for depicting realistic treatments and patient experiences in historical fiction.
Explore ways to balance historical accuracy with compelling storytelling.
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Virtual Presentation: Making Past Present – Authentic, Immersive Research with Marthese Fenech
Description: Bringing history to life requires more than books—it requires immersive, hands-on experience. In this virtual presentation, Marthese Fenech shares insights from her Siege of Malta Trilogy and its prequel, demonstrating how sensory-rich research—exploring ruins, libraries, and cultural practices—can deepen characters, conflict, and setting.
From international travels to Malta, Greece, Türkiye, and France, to engaging with local communities, festivals, and hands-on workshops closer to home, Marthese shows how writers can capture sights, sounds, scents, and atmospheres that archival research alone cannot provide. Participants will learn how to conduct immersive, authentic research safely and creatively, enriching their historical fiction with vivid, lived-in detail.
Session Goals:
Explore immersive research techniques that bring historical settings and characters to life.
Learn strategies for capturing sensory details and experiences from both local and distant sources.
Gain practical tips for conducting safe, creative, and authentic historical research.
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Speaker: Addison Armstrong - The More the Merrier: Writing Multiple Timelines, Characters, and Points of View
Description: Writing historical fiction with multiple timelines, characters, or narrators can create rich, layered stories—but it also presents unique challenges. In this session, Addison Armstrong, author of two published dual-timeline novels, will explore the advantages and potential pitfalls of this complex narrative structure.
Participants will learn strategies for planning, writing, and editing multi-timeline and multi-narrator stories, as well as practical tips to keep timelines, characters, and points of view clear and engaging. Whether you’re experimenting with dual timelines or managing a cast of dozens, this session provides actionable guidance to craft cohesive, compelling historical fiction.
Session Goals:
Understand the pros and cons of writing with multiple timelines and narrators.
Learn planning, writing, and editing strategies to manage complex narratives.
Gain practical tips for avoiding common pitfalls and keeping stories clear and engaging.
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Panel: #authorssupportingauthors – Banding Together to Lift All Boats with Janis Robinson-Daly
Description: While writing a novel is often a solitary pursuit, successful book promotion thrives on collaboration. In this session, Janis Robinson-Daly will share how authors can build meaningful relationships to support pre-publication efforts, secure critique readers, gather blurbs, and coordinate review swaps. Using real-world examples—including her multi-author marketing initiative, #31titleswomeninhistory—participants will explore strategies for cooperative campaigns that amplify visibility, foster community, and celebrate literary achievements.
Attendees will also brainstorm actionable strategies to implement immediately, gaining practical experience in networking, cross-promotion, and literary citizenship that strengthens both their audience and author connections.
Session Goals:
Learn how to network effectively and build presence within the author community.
Develop at least one actionable collaborative strategy to implement immediately.
Leave with at least one new author contact for beta reading, promotion, review swaps, or blurbs.
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Speaker: Writer, Editor, Marketer, Me? An Author's Guide to Compartmentalization with Finola Austin
Description: In this keynote, historical novelist and digital marketing professional Finola Austin explores the many “modes” authors must navigate in the twenty-first-century publishing landscape. From writing and editing to marketing and audience engagement, Finola will offer practical strategies for compartmentalizing these roles, staying focused, and managing the demands of a multifaceted career. Attendees will gain insights and actionable advice to streamline their workflow, balance competing priorities, and thrive as modern authors.
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Workshop: The High-Concept Hook: How to Make Your Story Stand Out with Jessica Berg
Description: A strong premise can get attention—but a high-concept hook can make your story unforgettable. In this workshop, Jessica Berg will break down what “high concept” really means in a publishing landscape driven by quick pitches and crowded markets. Participants will learn how to identify the core idea that sets their story apart, evaluate its market appeal, and shape it into a compelling one-sentence pitch that captures interest instantly. Through examples, guided exercises, and group discussion, writers will explore what qualifies as high concept (and what doesn’t) and discover how a clear hook can elevate both submissions and marketing efforts.
Attendees will also practice refining their own story concepts in real time, gaining feedback, clarity, and a repeatable framework they can apply to future projects.
Session Goals:
Understand the defining qualities of a high-concept premise—and common misconceptions.
Evaluate and strengthen the core hook of your own story.
Craft a polished, compelling one-sentence pitch using a practical, repeatable framework.
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Workshop: Reimagining Setting as Character with Brynn Barineau
Description: Historical fiction demands more than accurate dates and locations—it requires fully realized worlds that feel lived in. In this workshop, writers will discover how to transform setting from a static backdrop into an active, character-like presence on the page. Participants will explore how values (the culture of a place), personality (tone, atmosphere, and linguistic choices), and physical description (sensory detail beyond sight) work together to shape immersive historical environments. Through guided exercises, authors will reimagine one of their own settings using smell, sound, and touch to reveal deeper layers of meaning, emotion, and thematic resonance.
Attendees will learn how purposeful word choice and selective detail can make their settings reinforce tone, echo theme, and influence character experience. By the end of the session, writers will have begun transforming their historical setting into a dynamic “character” that enriches every scene.
Session Goals:
Understand how values, personality, and sensory detail combine to create vivid, character-like settings.
Practice describing setting using the less common senses—sound, smell, and touch—to deepen immersion.
Apply strategic word choice and detail selection to strengthen tone, atmosphere, and theme.
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Workshop: Social Strategy for Authors: Platforms & Online Presence with Sarah Penner
Description: In today’s publishing landscape, a strong online presence is one of an author’s most powerful assets. In this interactive workshop, bestselling author Sarah Penner—dubbed a “social media whiz” by the HarperCollins Sales & Marketing team—will demystify digital strategy for writers at every stage of their career. Participants will explore branding essentials, platform expectations, and website must-haves, along with key principles of the social media content lifecycle. Sarah will also introduce efficiency tools to streamline your workflow and demonstrate practical tips for using Canva, one of the most versatile and accessible marketing tools available to authors.
Attendees will leave with a robust list of 100+ social media content ideas, actionable strategies they can start using immediately, and a clearer sense of how to build an effective, sustainable online presence. Bring your questions—this session is designed to be hands-on, practical, and highly customizable.
Session Goals:
Understand foundational author-brand and platform requirements across major online spaces.
Learn efficiency tools and content-planning strategies to streamline social media workflows.
Gain practical Canva techniques and leave with 100+ content ideas to implement immediately.
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Virtual Presentation: Weaving Faith Into Your Fiction with Edwina Kiernan
Description: For many writers, incorporating faith into storytelling can feel both deeply meaningful and unexpectedly challenging. How much is too much? Will it limit your audience—or your publishing options? And how do you ensure that spiritual elements feel authentic rather than forced?
In this workshop, award-winning Christian historical fiction author Edwina Kiernan will guide you through the nuances of weaving faith into your narrative with confidence and purpose. You’ll explore various approaches to faith content, learn how to navigate common industry questions, and discover strategies for creating stories that resonate on both an emotional and spiritual level. Writing with faith doesn’t have to feel complicated—it can be a powerful way to enrich your fiction and offer readers lasting hope.
Session Goals:
Explore different approaches and levels of faith integration in fiction.
Equip authors to navigate audience and publisher expectations around faith content.
Encourage writers to incorporate faith authentically and confidently within their storytelling.
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Presentation: The Archetypes of Animals with Jillian Forsberg
Description: Animals in fiction can symbolize, reflect, and deepen our stories—but how do we move beyond metaphor to make them fully realized, meaningful characters? In this workshop, Jillian Forsberg will guide participants through creating animal characters that are accurate, compelling, and integral to a manuscript. Writers will learn how to research and depict animals authentically while exploring ways animal characters can enhance human characters through metaphor, subtext, and narrative function.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies for integrating animals thoughtfully into their stories, adding depth, resonance, and richness to both setting and character development.
Session Goals:
Identify reliable resources to accurately portray animals in fiction.
Explore how animal characters can enhance human characters through metaphor and subtext.
Apply techniques to make animal characters meaningful contributors to story and theme.
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Panel: Historical Fiction and “Presentism”: A Modern Take on Writing Historical Fiction for Today’s Readers with Jody Hadlock, Shelley Blanton-Stroud, Joan Fernandez, Terri Lewis
Description: Historical fiction allows us to illuminate the past, but how does our modern perspective shape the stories we tell? This panel explores the concept of “presentism”—the tendency to project contemporary values, beliefs, and assumptions onto past eras—and the tightrope authors walk in balancing historical accuracy with relevance for today’s readers. Four experienced historical fiction writers will share insights, strategies, and real-world examples for navigating this terrain, offering practical guidance for crafting stories that honor the past while resonating with contemporary audiences.
Attendees will engage in discussion and analysis of how presentism can influence character development, language, ethical choices, and narrative perspective. By the end of the session, writers will understand how to approach presentism thoughtfully, using it as a tool to make historical fiction more accessible, meaningful, and compelling.
Session Goals:
Understand the advantages and pitfalls of presentism in historical fiction.
Apply strategies for balancing historical accuracy with modern relevance in character, dialogue, and ethical dilemmas.
Explore how presentism can enhance accessibility and relevance for contemporary readers, linking the past to today’s society.
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Group Presentation: Telling the Untold Tale: Finding and Writing (and Selling) the Historical Fiction Nobody Else Is with Alina Adams and Kyra Davis Lurie
Description: Standing out in the crowded historical fiction market often means exploring stories others overlook. In this session, NYT best-selling authors Alina Adams and Kyra Davis Lurie will share strategies for uncovering unusual and underrepresented settings, conflicts, and characters. Participants will learn how to leverage family legends, local lore, and little-known historical events to craft original, compelling narratives.
The session also demonstrates how highlighting the non-fiction elements of your story can broaden your audience, create media opportunities, and boost sales. By connecting the educational aspects of history to your fiction, authors can approach trade publications, give talks, and reach readers who might not otherwise discover their work. Through concrete examples and guided discussion, attendees will explore both the creative and promotional benefits of digging deeper into history’s hidden corners.
Session Goals:
Identify underexplored time periods, locations, and events to create original historical fiction.
Learn strategies for transforming small historical tidbits into fully realized narratives.
Understand how to promote the non-fiction elements of your story to reach broader audiences and media outlets.
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Workshop: A Dickensian Masterclass in Writing Historical Fiction with Finola Austin
Description: Charles Dickens is a master of story, character, and setting—but what can today’s historical fiction writers learn from him? In this workshop, Finola Austin will lead a close reading of passages from Dickens alongside contemporary historical novels to explore the craft of writing historical fiction. Participants will examine techniques for creating compelling openings, developing character epiphanies, honing first-person narrative voice, and using repetition and other literary devices for dramatic effect.
Attendees will gain practical insights into how classic storytelling strategies can enhance their own historical fiction, with guidance on applying these techniques to modern narratives while maintaining authenticity and reader engagement.
Session Goals:
Analyze examples from Dickens and modern historical fiction to uncover effective storytelling techniques.
Learn strategies for crafting compelling openings, character epiphanies, and narrative voice.
Apply literary devices, such as repetition, to heighten drama and reader engagement.
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Panel: Digging Up the Past: Research Like a Novelist, Think Like a Historian with Eric Z. Weintraub, Karla Cruise, and Nancy Burkhalter
Description: Accurate research is the foundation of compelling historical fiction, but navigating sources, medical history, and common pitfalls can be challenging. In this panel, four experienced historical fiction writers will share their approaches to researching the past, including strategies for finding reliable sources, conducting medical research from multiple perspectives, and avoiding common research mistakes. Through discussion and real-world examples, attendees will gain practical guidance for grounding their fiction in historical reality while maintaining narrative flow.
Session Goals:
Learn effective strategies for locating and evaluating historical sources.
Understand approaches to researching medical and specialized historical topics.
Identify and avoid common pitfalls in historical research that can undermine storytelling.
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Speech: Closing Remarks with Madeline Martin
Description: Join fellow attendees for the 2026 History Through Fiction Conference’s celebratory final dinner. This special evening will include recognition of the conference’s manuscript contest winner and a speech from our premium sponsor. The festivities will conclude with closing remarks from internationally bestselling author Madeline Martin, whose work has been published by Hanover Square Press under HarperCollins and translated into over twenty-five languages.
Madeline will share insights from her twenty-plus years as a writer of historical fiction and historical romance, offering inspiration, reflections on the craft, and encouragement for attendees as they continue their own writing journeys. This dinner is a perfect opportunity to connect with fellow writers, celebrate achievements, and toast to the stories and storytellers that bring history to life.
Want to pick and choose your sessions? Purchase individual recordings for $12 each, or any three for $24. Simply email editor@historythroughfiction.com with the session titles you’d like, and we’ll send you direct access links along with an invoice.