Historical Research for Writers

Whether your setting is historical, secondary, or even contemporary or far future, the past can enrich your story.

Writing in historical settings can be enormous fun, a journey to another time and place for the writer as well as the reader. But the research can also be daunting. How much is enough? How much is too much? In this course, historical fantasy and time-travel writer Kate Heartfield will discuss how to find and use reliable research, how to incorporate it into your storytelling, and how to deal with the assumptions readers bring.


Your Instructor


Kate Heartfield
Kate Heartfield

Kate Heartfield is the author of two interactive novels for Choice of Games, The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop, both of which were shortlisted for the Nebula award in the game writing category. Her debut novel Armed in Her Fashion won the Aurora Award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the Locus First Novel, Crawford and Sunburst awards. Her two Alice Payne time travel novellas were shortlisted for the Nebula and Aurora awards. A former newspaper journalist, Kate lives in Ottawa, Canada. When she isn't working on her current novel in progress, she edits, writes for video games, and teaches. Her next novel, a historical fantasy called The Embroidered Book, will be published in spring 2022.


Course Curriculum


  Part Two: Why We Research
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  Part Three: How to Research
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  Part Four: Finding Sources and Organizing Information
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  Part Five: Getting Creative
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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