Writing the Past: The Truth of Historical Fiction

This is a class co-sponsored by MI and San Francisco Writers Conference/San Francisco Writers Foundation.

William Faulkner famously said that "the past is never dead." Effective historical fiction confirms that statement by revealing eternal truths about the human condition. The settings may be in the past, but the stories resonate in the present. In this workshop, we'll examine the basics--from research to voice to pacing--in creating such works. We'll discuss how to write credibly without getting lost in the rabbit hole of detail. And more generally, we'll explore the narrative relationship between the real and the imaginary. So hop on my time machine and begin your narrative journey!

Ona Russell, an author and credentialed mediator, holds an M.A. in English from Clark University and a Ph.D. in literature from the University of California, San Diego. As an instructor at various colleges and universities, she developed courses that combined her interdisciplinary interests, including Poetry and the Workplace, Truth of Historical Fiction, and Literature and the Law, a topic on which she also writes and speaks extensively. She has spoken at numerous libraries and literary venues throughout California, and will appear at the 2019 San Miguel de Allende Literary Conference, where she was recently accepted as faculty. A regular contributor to Orange County Lawyer Magazine, she also has been published in newspapers, scholarly journals, and anthologies. She is the author of an award-winning series of historical mysteries, including O'Brien's Desk, The Natural Selection, a 2009 California Commonwealth Club Book Award Finalist, and Rule of Capture, which all feature Ohio court officer and civic trailblazer, Sarah Kaufman. Russell was born in Los Angeles and now resides with her husband in Solana Beach, California.

For each class, we reserve the right to cancel at any time and issue a full refund. If you are unable to attend your class, please email [email protected] at least ten days prior to receive a refund. All fees must be paid at the time of registration.