Welcome back to another episode of great writing advice on the CRAFT OF WRITING blog. This year we’re focusing on Genres. We’ll be looking at approaches to writing thrillers, mysteries, romances, and more. Each month I’ll interview an accomplished author who writes in a particular genre, so get ready to learn from the experts!

Today’s guest is Carol Baldwin, whose debut historical fiction novel Half-Truths is released today! Click the image to go to the Amazon page.

 

Carol shares details of the book as well as her writing journey, so get ready to travel back in time with Half-Truths!

The Craft of Writing Historical Fiction with Carol Baldwin Share on X

* * *

Many thanks to my good friend and master craftsman Dr. Steve Hooley who has provided me with another unique and fabulous “Wilbur and Orville 1903” propeller pen. Hand crafted by Steve, the pen is made from Ash, one of the woods the Wright brothers used to build their first aircraft. The market value of this beautiful creation is around $80.00.

The name of each person who enters a comment will be put into the drawing for the pen. So join the conversation and earn a chance to win. I’ll post the name of the winner after 9 PM Central Time tonight. (Previous 2025 winners are not eligible to win.)

* * *

Welcome, Carol, and thank you for being on the Craft of Writing blog!

Thank you for having me!

What is your definition of historical fiction?

A story that takes place 50 years before the date of publication. I think critic Sarah Johnson’s definition says it well. Historical fiction refers to “novels in which the author is writing from research rather than personal experience.”

How are historical fiction books different from other forms of fiction?

Historical fiction incorporates real events, places, people, or all three. It brings together fiction and history.

What’s the most important aspect of a historical fiction book?

In one word: authenticity. In HALF-TRUTHS I researched deeply and widely to ensure that the story I was creating could have happened.

Why did you decide to write in the historical fiction genre?

I didn’t like history as a teenager—learning facts and dates was boring! Once I started reading historical fiction I loved the genre. People relate to stories more than they do to dry facts and it’s an engaging way to learn about other time periods. I also wanted to give teens a picture of what life was like in this part of the South before Civil Rights. To me, there is no better way than doing that than through fiction which shows “how the way things were.” That’s a phrase that both my Black and White experts repeated.

Your debut novel, Half-Truths, is being released today! Can you give us a brief outline of the process—from concept to completion—that you used to write your book?

First, I researched. I read about Charlotte, about the 1950s, about the conflict in Korea (at one point that was going to be a bigger part of the story); about the Black experience, fashion, people, and the news. You name it, I wanted to know it! In the early stages, I read articles from The Charlotte Observer on microfilm. More recently, I’ve read stories archived online which is much easier!

 

Second, I interviewed close to 100 people who lived in Charlotte during the period or had heard stories from family members. Bits and pieces of their stories got woven into mine. Sometimes it was hard to figure out what not to include!

Third, I visited places. In the End Notes of Half-Truths, I talk about visiting a former Rosenwald School in Charlotte. The personal stories of the two men I met and a picture on the school’s wall were pivotal in creating my plot. I visited the remains of an African American cemetery less than a half mile away from an upscale mall and restaurants. That cemetery was part of the inspiration for the cemetery scene in my book. I visited the Second Ward Alumni House and met alumni Vermelle Ely and Price Davis. Throughout many conversations, they showed me how important their Black high school was to the community and gave me a picture of what life was like for Black teenagers in the 50s in Charlotte.

Carol with Price Davis and Vermelle Ely at the Second Ward Alumni House in 2010

At the same time that I was researching, I created the backstory, composed outlines, and wrote many drafts. Since the story involves family secrets, it was very important to get the genealogy correct. I wish I had used Ancestry.com to create the family tree from the beginning! I often referred to the backstory which included significant events as well as birth, marriage, and death dates, while I wrote.

Since this is my first novel and the family backstory is complicated, it was hard figuring out what and how the family secrets would be revealed.  Outlines helped guide this process. In addition, although I had a vision of a White girl and a Black girl forming an unlikely friendship, and I even knew “the point of no return” which would test their friendship, I rewrote the “muddy middle” many times.

By the way, I wrote the beginning a lot.  It took me a long time to figure out where the story began. When I finally came up with the beginning I knew it was the perfect place to start my protagonist’s journey.

What advice would you give an author who decides to write a historical fiction novel?

Create an organizational system and stick to it. This will help you keep track of the information, pictures, interviews, and maps, which you will accumulate. Create an account on Mybib.com and create a bibliography as you write. Some publishers will want to see that bibliography with your query. Watch YouTube videos or movies from the period if that is available. Listen to popular music. Create a Pinterest board with images that help you imagine the people and places. Here is one of mine for accessories. Follow me to view several more!

Besides your own novel, what historical fiction books would you recommend?

My mentor, Joyce Moyer Hostetter, has a series in Hickory, North Carolina that spans 20 years. I learned about digging deep for emotional resonance by reading her books. I also love Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Ruta Sepetys. They are both masterful storytellers who incorporate historical events into their stories.

Are you working on a book now?

Out of the Flame is a middle-grade book with two timelines (My BFF says I always make things hard for myself! J. Here’s the pitch: At the turn of the 20th century, a young factory worker is surrounded by deafening noise, blisteringly hot glass, and mind-numbing exhaustion. There is no end in sight until he finds mysterious notes from a boy who lived this life 150 years earlier.

Where can we find out more about you and your writing?

All of my links are here: https://linktr.ee/carolbaldwin

If you’re curious about my path to publication, including reviews of some of the books I read, I’ve blogged about it here.

Thanks, Carol, for being with us today.

It’s been my pleasure to answer your unique questions!

 

Here’s the book trailer for Carol’s novel:

 

The Craft of Writing Historical Fiction with Carol Baldwin Share on X

***

Meet Carol Baldwin

 

Frequent library trips, Saturday mornings reading in bed, word games around the kitchen table, and letters to pen-pals—these are the photographs from my childhood. My mother told me, “You have a way with words.” I believed her and grew into that blessing.

I started by publishing nonfiction because I felt comfortable translating my observations and experiences into words. Gradually, I left the safety of my own experiences and worked into writing fiction. I didn’t leave nonfiction behind though. Every story I plan to write will be rooted in real events and real places. Every writer has their favorite genre. I admire books that show tapestries of relationships and the interior life of a character’s emotions and choices. I hope that my books will capture that same experience for my readers.

 

***

COMING SOON!

The Other Side of Sunshine
A Middle Grade Mystery

When spunky ten-year-old Reen learns of a hidden treasure in her quiet university town, she enlists the help of her shy nine-year-old cousin Joanie to help her find the loot. They form the R&J Detective Agency and follow clues through dictionaries, microfiche machines, and all around the campus. But Reen’s arch-nemesis Alicia is looking for the treasure too, and she’s not playing by the rules.