Sparkling Settings and Convincing Costumes
This session draws on what working as a set and costume designer for the stage and TV has taught me about the craft of writing a historical novel.
• Every setting must help a character fulfil a purpose
• Entrances and exits – making the most of them
• Suggestion – the use of the setting as a symbol
• Historical detail – stage props and techniques for specificity
• How to make settings move, change and grow with the character
• Avoiding clichéd costuming
• How to let the clothes determine how a character moves
• How to let small details of clothing illuminate a character
• It’s not just about how they look – but about sound, weight, smell, texture
• Wear and tear – clothes have a life-story too.
In this session I will outline tips and tricks to increase the reader’s enjoyment by paying more attention to setting and costume, without overwhelming the reader with too much detail.
Deborah Swift was a set and costume designer for stage and BBC TV and is the author of 18 historical novels, one of which has been optioned for TV. She has been published by Harper Collins, Headline and Pan Macmillan and has published a series of books independently. Her most recent novels are the Aqua Tofana series set in Renaissance Italy, and The Silk Code and The Shadow Network set in WW2. Deborah has an MA in Creative Writing and teaches classes and courses in writing from her home in the Lake District.
The Historical Novel Society UK 2024 conference 