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Question about genre

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    Posted: 15 May 2021 at 6:14am
Hi, all! This is my first time participating in a writing challenge and I'm quite worried. My assigned genre is historical fiction (just had to be the genre I have no experience in whatsoever - reading or writing, aaaaa). Do I need to include an *actual* documented historical figure or are historical events and settings enough? Similarly, can I write about situations that weren't as common but still probably occurred or do I need to focus on situations that have a lot of evidence/proof? For example, female characters doing tasks one generally links to men, is that a step too far and grounds for being disqualified? 

Thanks in advance! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote NMiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 7:32am



Historical Fiction

A story that takes place in a setting drawn from history. Historical fiction is usually presented from the perspective of the historical characters, whose behavior is consistent with the manners and social norms of the time. Scenes and dialogue are well researched and imaginatively reconstructed to be as authentic as possible.  Common elements: believability, historically-accurate detail, authentic dialogue, historical settings and persons.  While there are no rules on how far in the past a story must be set to qualify it as a historical fiction piece, many are in agreement that the story must be set at least 25 years or more in the past.  Historical fiction books include Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Historical fiction films include Schindler’s List (1993) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006).



I generally check the archives in micro 100 to see how other people tackled the genre. Hope this helps.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote outoftheashes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 7:49am
@NMiller: ya, I checked both of those already but still feel rather iffy about it. It states on the genre page that the definitions aren't explicit instructions, hence my hesitation. Appreciate the reply, though. 

Edited by outoftheashes - 15 May 2021 at 7:50am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote NYC Midnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 3:58pm
We would recommend that your story include some actual historical characters and situations, though they don’t necessarily need to be well-known. If women from your historical setting actually performed the tasks generally linked to men, even if it was rare, it should be okay.  However, passing off a historical situation as normal or accepted when it was actually not normal and/or extremely rare could possibly be flagged by some judges for disqualification. We recommend using your best judgment, but please let us know if you have any other questions or need anything else. Good luck!
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Next up is the 100-word Microfiction Challenge 2024 kicking off April 19th
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote outoftheashes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 9:02pm
Originally posted by NYC Midnight NYC Midnight wrote:

We would recommend that your story include some actual historical characters and situations, though they don’t necessarily need to be well-known. If women from your historical setting actually performed the tasks generally linked to men, even if it was rare, it should be okay.  However, passing off a historical situation as normal or accepted when it was actually not normal and/or extremely rare could possibly be flagged by some judges for disqualification. We recommend using your best judgment, but please let us know if you have any other questions or need anything else. Good luck!

I appreciate the reply! I ended up ditching my idea surrounding women and went with the first microfic I'd written, adding in a historical figure along with the historical situation I chose. I do worry I could still be disqualified but I tried my best. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Rita Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 9:50pm

Quote

I appreciate the reply! I ended up ditching my idea surrounding women and went with the first microfic I'd written, adding in a historical figure along with the historical situation I chose. I do worry I could still be disqualified but I tried my best. 

Your best is the only thing you can expect from yourself. Do your best and hold your head high. 


Edited by Rita - 15 May 2021 at 9:51pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote outoftheashes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 10:36pm
Originally posted by Rita Rita wrote:


Quote

I appreciate the reply! I ended up ditching my idea surrounding women and went with the first microfic I'd written, adding in a historical figure along with the historical situation I chose. I do worry I could still be disqualified but I tried my best. 

Your best is the only thing you can expect from yourself. Do your best and hold your head high. 

You know what, you're right. It's all any of us can do. Regardless of what happens, I'm not regretting participating! All of you guys are great and I can't wait to see what people submitted. 
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