Review of Crafting Stories from the Past: A How-To Guide for Writing Historical Fiction by the Paper Lantern Writers
As a lover of craft books, I can’t say enough good things about Crafting Stories from the Past from the Paper Lantern Writers. A how-to guide specifically for historical fiction? Yes, please! This book is a gem—offering twenty-three insightful craft essays from twelve seasoned authors, each bringing their unique expertise to the table.
The essays are clear, concise, and brimming with useful takeaways. Take Anne M. Beggs's essay, How to Bring Horses to Life in Historical Fiction, for example. Anne, self-described as a “horse-crazy person,” owns an equine boarding ranch and offers practical advice on writing horses accurately and compellingly. She reminds us that “human history was forged on horseback,” and rightly notes that horses appear in many historical novels—sometimes without the depth and realism they deserve. As someone who has included horses in all my novels, I found myself thinking, Wow, I wish I’d read this sooner!
Another standout is How to Fictionalize Your Family History by Linda Ulleseit, Kathryn Pritchett, and Marie Anne Christie. These three authors dive into the tricky terrain of transforming personal stories into compelling fiction. They offer thoughtful guidance on using family interviews and anecdotes as inspiration—not gospel—and discuss how to add historical context, craft elements, and disclaimers to protect both story integrity and familial harmony.
And that’s just a taste. Each essay in this book delivers practical, experience-based wisdom from writers who have walked the path and want to help others do the same. Rather than summarizing every chapter, I’ll share the table of contents so you can get a sense of the range and richness this book offers. While I recommend reading it cover to cover, it’s also easy to dip into the chapters most relevant to your current project.
If you write historical fiction—or are thinking about it—Crafting Stories from the Past is a must-have. It’s one of those rare craft books you’ll find yourself returning to again and again throughout your writing journey. And at just $4.99, it’s an absolute steal.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Down the Rabbit Hole
How To Know When and What to Research – Vanitha Sankaran
How to Research with Limited Source Material – C.V. Lee
How to Include Real People in Historical Fiction – Ana Brazil
How to Describe Places You Can't Visit – Ana Brazil
How to Bring Horses to Life in Historical Fiction – Anne M. Beggs
How to Use Newspapers in Your Novel – Marie Anne Christie & Jillianne Hamilton
How to Organize Extensive Research – Edie Cay
Part 2: Dig for the Details
How to Enrich Your Novel with Cultural Details – Jillianne Hamilton
How to Craft Strong Female Characters – Alina Rubin
How to Use Non-Western Story Structures – Vanitha Sankaran
How to Embrace Diversity in Historical Fiction – Edie Cay & Vanitha Sankaran
Part 3: Stop Researching and Dive In
How to Create Historical Fiction from Fact – Jonathan Posner
How to Tackle Historical Dialogue, Voice, Lexicon, and Lingo – Marie Anne Christie
How to Weave Multiple Events in One Story – Jillianne Hamilton
How to Make Authenticity Feel Accurate – Jonathan Posner
How to Tame the Messy Middle – Mari Anne Christie
How to Write a Historical Sex Scene – Edie Cay
How to Organize a Dual Timeline Novel – Rebecca D’Harlingue
How to Write Epistolary Historical Fiction – Marie Anne Christie
How to Manage Time Travel Anomalies – Jonathan Posner
How to Bring Fantasy into Historical Fiction – Linda Ulleseit
How to Fictionalize Your Family History – Ulleseit, Pritchett, & Christie
How to Build a Historical World – Kathryn Pritchett
Part 4: Resource Recommendations
