Voices from the Past: How to Write Dialogue in Historical Fiction
Dialogue brings our characters to life but writing it can be one of the hardest skills for the historical fiction writer to master. This session explores how to write dialogue that is convincing for the historical period but still easy for readers to understand. We will look at tips and techniques from screenwriting to help find our characters’ voices and get them talking. The session will be practical and interactive so bring a notebook and expect to write!
Alex Weston is an experienced creative writing tutor. She currently teaches for RNA Learning (the learning arm of the Romantic Novelists Association) and the University of York. She has run workshops exploring the interpretation of historical objects through creative writing for a diverse range of organisations, including York Archaeological Trust and Grimsby Fishing Heritage Museum. Alex delivers practical, fun and interactive sessions designed to engage writers of all levels and experience. She runs Green Man Words, which provides mentoring and editing to early-stage writers. Alex writes contemporary fantasy and steampunk as Alys West. She is working on her first historical novel set in the glamorous world of 1930s Hollywood.
The Historical Novel Society UK 2024 conference 