History isn’t just for historical fiction. Even contemporary novels can benefit from a little inspiration from the past, whether it’s a long-forgotten mystery, a fascinating real-life character, or an unusual detail that makes a setting feel more authentic. But there’s a fine line between enriching your story with historical details and overwhelming readers with information they’d rather have skipped. After all, readers pick up a novel to enjoy a good story, not to sit through a history lesson.

In today’s guest post, author Karen Dustman shares how she weaves history into everything from time-travel romances to contemporary mysteries, along with practical advice for writers looking to do the same. From choosing details that enhance your plot to finding the human drama behind historical events, Karen explains how to make the past an engaging part of your fiction without slowing down the story.  Whether you’re writing a period piece or a modern-day thriller, you may discover that history has more to offer your next novel than you think.

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Quick: name three Civil War generals and the dates of their biggest campaigns.

If your pulse hiked up just a notch, you’re not alone. There’s a certain PTSD about history for those of us in the pop-quiz generation. Because memorization was the key. Names, dates, and battles were essential test-taking fodder. And most of the details – let’s face it – often weren’t all that interesting.

Yet today, history has weaseled its way into almost everything I write. Three time-travel romances set during the silver-boom – well, duh. Couldn’t write those without a few fun historical bits thrown in, like silver, of course. But also homicidal roosters, avaricious timber barons, and the occasional exploding woodstove. Because not everything about history is dull.

History keeps poking its way into my contemporary mystery series, too. My van-living woman sleuth may be a thoroughly modern gal, but she’s battled bad guys hunting a buried Civil War treasure (small pause for an 1865 ambush in the first chapter). And her next adventure will turn up long-forgotten bones from Alabama’s coastal smuggling days.  

And that’s just the fiction side. Because I keep stumbling over real-life stories that are just too cool to keep to myself, I also write a history blog. True stories like the real-life Edwardian who flipped a coin to choose her first husband, became a cabaret dancer, then ditched wealthy Husband #2 to marry a Turkish prince? Such fun. And no pop quiz at the end.

So if you’re considering weaving in history as a fun part of your next novel, here are a few tips:

Let the Details Do the Telling

Historical writing deserves it own reminder to “show, not tell.” Sure, you’ve spent days researching every detail and nuance. Which building sat where. The origin of that particular printing press, or the exact composition of an early 20th century bridal trousseau. Please avoid the tendency to drop it all on the reader in one fell swoop.

One book I recently began (and which promptly wound up in my DNF pile) had two relatives conversing for pages about the history of an old building. Except. . . it wasn’t really a conversation. And it wasn’t even simply about the building. It was the writer’s attempt to download extensive historical background with quotation marks thrown in for cover. There’s nothing dryer.

If you want to give backstory, find the dramatic part, and show it in a flashback. If you absolutely must recite more historical background for context, add it in the beginning as a “Note to Reader.” Or simply let the characters discover the most telling details in a natural way, one at a time.

You can love the details and still leave some of them out. Trust the reader to do more research if they want to learn more.

Emphasize the “Story” Part of History

History’s dramatic settings have conflict built right in. Wars are certainly dramatic. So are hurricanes. Crop failures. Sailing off across the plains in a prairie schooner to some great unknown beyond the Rockies. The overarching historical setting is, in many ways, the easy part to add.

But there’s also individual conflict and drama set against a particular historical backdrop to be explored. What emotional support might a woman have found in the 1860s after her marriage went bad? What did it feel like to be placed in a Victorian insane asylum – and how might someone manage to get out? What positive (and negative) attitudes and coping skills did people develop during the Great Depression? 

So don’t limit your story to simply the most obvious struggles. Historical setting offers internal as well as the external story-telling opportunities.

Accuracy Matters

Do your best to get the historical details right. And that includes language. It’s jarring for your reader when an 18^th Century heroine starts using modern slang.

One historical novel I read recently served up a different kind of disconnect: the rubbing-shoulders kind. The novelist was eager to show the reader that this famous writer lived at the moment her heroine inhabited. So in that fictitious world, the heroine conveniently bumped into the writer in a coffee shop, and they became acquainted. That might work story-wise if Famous Writer actually became an integral part of the story instead of an afterthought. There are fun “alternative realities” in which such stories can grow. But this too-convenient happenstance was the literary equivalent of shoes on a bicycle: it didn’t advance the story, and it wasn’t logical that it would have actually happened. Even “willing suspension of disbelief” only goes so far.

AI, of course, can be incredibly helpful for double-checking period details. When I needed to identify a rifle type that might have been used in an 1865 ambush, or find a typical name for a Civil War-era mule, ChatGPT was awesome. But AI can also get things wrong.

If a period detail is essential to your story, don’t rely on AI alone to vet your manuscript. Reach out to a period expert. Historians are generally an incredibly giving and helpful bunch. They’ll be glad you double-checked. When that inevitable reader questions it, you’ll be glad you checked, too.

Share, Share, Share

Writing can be a lonely endeavor, but history can be a wonderful way to connect. Perhaps, like me, you’ll find real-life stories and details you’re eager to share. And a blog and social media may be only the start.

I wound up sharing my collection of images and books about San Francisco’s Earthquake of 1906 with a local Chautauquan who performs a real-life character from that historical event.

I donated a rare photo from my research about one of the Victorian era’s greatest con men (he swiped jewels all across Europe) to a cemetery historian for the spot where he’s buried.

Consider adding contact information in the back of your book for historical societies or museums that helped with research. 

And don’t be afraid to reach out to other writers who find history fascinating — I’d love to share tales!

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