Sarah-Jane Stratford | Revision and History

I have abandoned more than one novel because the historical research terrified me.

When we got the the topic of historical research and revision, I knew I needed an expert to bring on. Luckily for us, historian Sarah-Jane Stratford has a new novel out, Red Letter Days, about the impact of the Black List on women writers. Her previous novel, Radio Girls, was about the early days of the BBC Radio and the lives of women working there, so she was the perfect guest.

In this episode, we talk about balancing historical fact with a good story, when to create new characters who are more flexible to write, and how to include historical figures without crippling the plot of your story. If you've ever abandoned a novel, as I have, because the research felt like too much, this episode will help you find your way through to a fantastic historical novel at the end. Happy listening!

Full show notes with links: https://secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/sarah-jane-stratford-s2-ep4

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