By chris
Historical fiction refers to stories or novels that are set in a specific period of the past where the time period is represented as accurately as possible to provide authenticity; this is achieved by portraying social norms, speech, customs, traditions, and economic circumstances of the period as closely as possible.
The characters in this type of fiction can be imaginary or, as is often the case, based on representations of actual historical figures where their words and actions must adhere to what is known about their actions and the period in which they lived. Many writers seek to represent the dialogue of a historical period as accurately as possible since language and grammatical structure are important identifiers of how people spoke and thought at a particular time. There is always a tension in the plot of this type of fiction where the writer must adhere to the historical record while also having the freedom to invent dialogue and events as they see fit.
