Choosing an Era

WriterFantasyNights · Jun 22, 2015

Tocotin said:
Ahh, so Shogun 2 is a game! Should have known I've answered your question in the other forum, and wondered about it.

Nah, it's not Greece – it's Poland. Hey, it looks like you're writing exactly about the same guy Muhteşem Yüzyıl is about, Suleiman the Magnificent aka the Lawgiver! You definitely must watch it, hehe. His wife Hürrem Sultan is said to have been from Poland (now it's Ukraine) and she engaged in correspondence with our king.

Ah Poland, respect for the Great Polish Hussars~!

Yep, its a game DEF worth buying. I can link some trailers if you wish. Sure, thank you.

Yep, the very man

I will certainly give it a watch, yes I believe she was Sulieman's greatest love. I'm gathering detail on his early childhood, do you know of any sources relating to Sulieman himself?

Tocotin · Jun 22, 2015

Aww, thank you! I'll check out Shogun 2 (although my fav game so far is WoW, I just got back after 5-year hiatus).

Sadly, no, I don't have anything on Suleiman. I have time to research this stuff yet, right now I'm up to my ears in Meiji and Edo period Japan. BUT I have one book on my to-read list that may interest you: "Lords of the Horizons" by Jason Goodwin. It's a history of the Ottoman Empire, and it's got generally good reviews.

autumnleaf · Jun 22, 2015

Ooh, somebody else doing the Ottoman Empire! Part of my novel is set in Algiers during the 1680s, so I've been reading a lot about the Ottomans, although obviously in a different country and a later era. Have you Stanley Lane-Poole's The Barbary Corsairs (available free on Project Gutenberg)?

French ambassador Jean Chesneau was in Constantinople in the Sulieman era, and wrote an account of his experiences, but I'm not sure if it was ever translated into English.

The Islamic Date Converter (http://www.islamicfinder.org/dateConversion.php) is very useful.

WriterFantasyNights · Jun 22, 2015

Tocotin said:
Aww, thank you! I'll check out Shogun 2 (although my fav game so far is WoW, I just got back after 5-year hiatus).

Sadly, no, I don't have anything on Suleiman. I have time to research this stuff yet, right now I'm up to my ears in Meiji and Edo period Japan. BUT I have one book on my to-read list that may interest you: "Lords of the Horizons" by Jason Goodwin. It's a history of the Ottoman Empire, and it's got generally good reviews.

That's an interesting read, I'll have a look on this online, and thank you very much! Meiji and Edo Japan? Man, they are my fav periods, I like the Boshin War period a lot.

But as promised here are the trailers:

autumnleaf said:
Ooh, somebody else doing the Ottoman Empire! Part of my novel is set in Algiers during the 1680s, so I've been reading a lot about the Ottomans, although obviously in a different country and a later era. Have you Stanley Lane-Poole's The Barbary Corsairs (available free on Project Gutenberg)?

French ambassador Jean Chesneau was in Constantinople in the Sulieman era, and wrote an account of his experiences, but I'm not sure if it was ever translated into English.

The Islamic Date Converter (http://www.islamicfinder.org/dateConversion.php) is very useful.

Ah I haven't read it but I am certain the Barbary Cosairs were pirates raiding the merchant fleets during Europe during the 1700s-1800s.

Do you have any links to it? Thank you for opening something I didn't know! There's a lot to do with this guy. Sulieman was a complete ruler.

What is that date converter for? I am not sure what it means?

autumnleaf · Jun 22, 2015

WriterFantasyNights said:
Ah I haven't read it but I am certain the Barbary Cosairs were pirates raiding the merchant fleets during Europe during the 1700s-1800s.

Yep, although they were actually on the go from the 1500s to the early 1800s. Mostly based in North Africa, which at that time was part of the Ottoman Empire. Weirdly enough, several of them were renegade Europeans. Fascinating bunch, although not people you wanted to meet at sea.

Do you have any links to it? Thank you for opening something I didn't know! There's a lot to do with this guy. Sulieman was a complete ruler.

Here's the Project Gutenberg link to the Stanley Lane-Poole book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22169

Project Gutenberg is a great source of free out-of-copyright books.

What is that date converter for? I am not sure what it means?

The Islamic calendar is different to the one we are familiar with, which would be the Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory). For example, today's date is 22nd June 2015 AD in the Gregorian calendar, but 5 Ramadan 1436 A.H. in the Islamic world.

Here's a thread I opened on the issue:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?306464-Calculating-Islamic-holidays
As you can see, it gets complicated!

WriterFantasyNights · Jun 22, 2015

autumnleaf said:
Yep, although they were actually on the go from the 1500s to the early 1800s. Mostly based in North Africa, which at that time was part of the Ottoman Empire. Weirdly enough, several of them were renegade Europeans. Fascinating bunch, although not people you wanted to meet at sea.

Here's the Project Gutenberg link to the Stanley Lane-Poole book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22169

Project Gutenberg is a great source of free out-of-copyright books.

The Islamic calendar is different to the one we are familiar with, which would be the Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory). For example, today's date is 22nd June 2015 AD in the Gregorian calendar, but 5 Ramadan 1436 A.H. in the Islamic world.

Here's a thread I opened on the issue:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?306464-Calculating-Islamic-holidays
As you can see, it gets complicated!

Wow, that date is confusing!

In times of the time period that I want to use - from Sulieman's early childhood?(prologue maybe who knows?), from his ascension in 1520 till his death.

So what would the calender help me for this?

I like the link, Project GlutenBurg, certainly not.

Say, have you read anything about the Ottomans? Your time period is covering the 1600s, but I presume the Ottomans were still powerful until around the 17th century when they began to decline in power. By the Napoleonic era they were gone, and by WW1, not the best that they should have been.

Sunflowerrei · Jun 22, 2015

Tocotin said:
Really? That's great to hear! I'm writing about Japan right now, and I've always thought that Japan is TOO popular and too explored. A lot of historical books have been set there, and a lot of people are learning about the country and culture as well.

Oh, I would definitely say not very popular at all, at least here in the U.S. Beyond geishas and World War Two? Not much on Japan at all. I'm half Japanese and I'd love to read a couple of historicals about Japan.

Tocotin · Jun 23, 2015

Sunflowerrei said:
Oh, I would definitely say not very popular at all, at least here in the U.S. Beyond geishas and World War Two? Not much on Japan at all. I'm half Japanese and I'd love to read a couple of historicals about Japan.

Wow, thank you! You give me hope. Maybe it's that I actively seek out historical books about Japan to see how others handle it.

snafu1056 · Jun 23, 2015

WriterFantasyNights said:
Funnily enough those two periods don't interest me as much.

I think China and Japan are unexplored areas in which if you have a solid understanding of the history and the complex cultures, including watching their historical TV series and movies, you can write a very good story out of it.

I'd actually advise against that. You'd be surprised how wildly inaccurate a lot of those historical dramas can be. We assume that other countries are experts in their own history, but they often play as fast and loose with their history as Hollywood does with American history. There are plenty of scholarly books about China and Japan and every facet of their cultures (costumes, architecture, art, etc). I'd use those for research a lot sooner than TV dramas.

ishtar'sgate · Jun 23, 2015

Venus9568 said:
Hello

Ancient Egypt or Medieval England - which do you prefer? I'm currently thinking of writing a new historical fiction, but I'm having difficulty choosing between the two eras...

Thanks

I get how you could be torn between the two. Fortunately, some early nonfiction reading that came to my attention quite by accident got me interested in the medieval period and I wrote a novel set in that period. The period came first, the characters evolved out of the period. Around the time the archaeological site of ancient Babylon was taken over by military forces I got interested in reading about the Babylonian Empire. Every time something new came to my attention I'd read it and eventually it got me started on my current novel set in that ancient city. Period first. Characters afterward. Try what Lillith suggested. Get some research material on both periods and see which one grabs you and keeps you interested.

Venus9568 · Jun 23, 2015

ishtar'sgate said:
I get how you could be torn between the two. Fortunately, some early nonfiction reading that came to my attention quite by accident got me interested in the medieval period and I wrote a novel set in that period. The period came first, the characters evolved out of the period. Around the time the archaeological site of ancient Babylon was taken over by military forces I got interested in reading about the Babylonian Empire. Every time something new came to my attention I'd read it and eventually it got me started on my current novel set in that ancient city. Period first. Characters afterward. Try what Lillith suggested. Get some research material on both periods and see which one grabs you and keeps you interested.

Thanks for the advice

I already did some research, and still couldn't decide, hence the question...

angeliz2k · Jun 24, 2015

Venus, consider the fact that it doesn't have to be either-or. It can be now versus later. If you really can't choose, either figure out which one is *currently* more developed in your mind (do you have ideas for characters or plots for either setting?), or just flip a coin. Start writing, and if you just aren't "feeling it", then try the other time period. Or, maybe you start writing and make it through to the end. Great! After you've revised that ms to a sparkling brilliance, you can jump into a ms set in the other time period.

Venus9568 · Jun 24, 2015

angeliz2k said:
Venus, consider the fact that it doesn't have to be either-or. It can be now versus later. If you really can't choose, either figure out which one is *currently* more developed in your mind (do you have ideas for characters or plots for either setting?), or just flip a coin. Start writing, and if you just aren't "feeling it", then try the other time period. Or, maybe you start writing and make it through to the end. Great! After you've revised that ms to a sparkling brilliance, you can jump into a ms set in the other time period.

Thanks, I think I'll try that

Lillith1991 · Jun 24, 2015

Venus, how comprehensive where the books you used to research each period? I only ask because one of the books I'm reading to research the American Revolution is 402 pages long in terms of actual pages of information. That's not even counting the extremely extensive bibliography, notes, and index. It covers the 20 year period from 1763-1783. I also own a book which is purely reference that is 502 pages, which isn't in any way related to my Rev War project. Way I see it, unless it is aimed at young readers, a comprehensive history of a period should be similar in length to either book I've described or longer. It's hard to fit a truly comprehensive general history of a 20 year period into less than 300 pages, let alone 1000 or 3000 years.

Venus9568 · Jun 24, 2015

Lillith1991 said:
Venus, how comprehensive where the books you used to research each period? I only ask because one of the books I'm reading to research the American Revolution is 402 pages long in terms of actual pages of information. That's not even counting the extremely extensive bibliography, notes, and index. It covers the 20 year period from 1763-1783. I also own a book which is purely reference that is 502 pages, which isn't in any way related to my Rev War project. Way I see it, unless it is aimed at young readers, a comprehensive history of a period should be similar in length to either book I've described or longer. It's hard to fit a truly comprehensive general history of a 20 year period into less than 300 pages, let alone 1000 or 3000 years.

That's a good point I'll keep in mind for the future

I did less reading on the history of the two eras - though I did do a little reading on the times of the two eras that interested me most e.g. Amarna period - than on the way people lived e.g. their beliefs, the different social classes, culture etc. Though it may be silly, I don't want to get too specific/in-depth until I decide on what I'm doing

Lillith1991 · Jun 24, 2015

Venus9568 said:
That's a good point I'll keep in mind for the future I did less reading on the history of the two eras - though I did do a little reading on the times of the two eras that interested me most e.g. Amarna period - than on the way people lived e.g. their beliefs, the different social classes, culture etc. Though it may be silly, I don't want to get too specific/in-depth until I decide on what I'm doing

This would be why a good comprehensive book is a must! Because it allows you to get enough information to get started on a topic like Amarna, which you probably know is New Kingdom, while not diving too indepth. A good comprehensive history gives you an understanding of an event or time, and both before and after in the case of something like Ancient Egypt or Medieval England.

For curiosity sake, what exactly is the period you find most interesting in Medieval English history?

Venus9568 · Jun 24, 2015

Lillith1991 said:
This would be why a good comprehensive book is a must! Because it allows you to get enough information to get started on a topic like Amarna, which you probably know is New Kingdom, while not diving too indepth. A good comprehensive history gives you an understanding of an event or time, and both before and after in the case of something like Ancient Egypt or Medieval England.

For curiosity sake, what exactly is the period you find most interesting in Medieval English history?

Around the time of Henry II...Just before his reign, and the rest of the Plantagenet line is quite interesting as well. At the moment, I'm just trying to settle on a general era...Specific time will be easy enough for me to decide on after that

Sunflowerrei · Jun 24, 2015

Venus9568 said:
Around the time of Henry II...Just before his reign, and the rest of the Plantagenet line is quite interesting as well. At the moment, I'm just trying to settle on a general era...Specific time will be easy enough for me to decide on after that

I'm reading a novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine at the moment. Elizabeth Chadwick (the author) has written about the early Plantagenets and the Anarchy.

Venus9568 · Jun 24, 2015

Sunflowerrei said:
I'm reading a novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine at the moment. Elizabeth Chadwick (the author) has written about the early Plantagenets and the Anarchy.

Hmmm, I've read some of her books. 'Lady of the English' made me quite interested in Henry II's mother

Sunflowerrei · Jun 24, 2015

Yeah, Matilda is pretty interesting. Imagine if the White Ship hadn't gone down or Stephen hadn't taken over.

Choosing an Era

WriterFantasyNights

Tocotin

deceives

autumnleaf

practical experience, FTW

WriterFantasyNights

autumnleaf

practical experience, FTW

WriterFantasyNights

Sunflowerrei

Tocotin

deceives

snafu1056

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

Venus9568

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

Venus9568

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid

Venus9568

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid

Venus9568

Sunflowerrei

Venus9568

Sunflowerrei