Having written approximately 30 pages of my next novel in the past two weeks, the issue of continuity and historical accuracy reared its ugly head once again. I discovered — on page 225 — that my portrayal of something in the first two chapters was completely out of alignment. Without giving away a spoiler, it involved a certain type of weapon that was central to the story line. It took several hours of editing and re-working to bring everything back into congruence.
Frustrating? Yes. Worth the time and energy to correct? Most definitely.
As any author of Historical Fiction will tell you, thematic accuracy is paramount throughout the work. I could not in good conscience publish something that was inaccurate for the historical setting. Authors can take significant literary license with the thoughts and emotions of their characters — but not with the “hardware” that plays a supporting role in the story.
A little self-promotion is in order here: my “Lineage Series” of historical fiction novels is thoroughly researched to overlay my characters (usually fictional representations of relatives in my family tree) on events in history and how they felt, thought, and contributed to those events. I’ve covered things like the construction of Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, the effects of the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse on its participants, ethnic German emigration from Volhynia (now part of Ukraine), electrification of urban and rural America, and even the murder of my great-great grandfather by persons unknown.
In contrast, I recently read a novel where the best-selling author missed several important points in continuity and factual accuracy. The errors went far beyond literary license and detracted from my overall enjoyment of what would have been an outstanding novel.
Happy Reading!