There is an odd sense of responsibility attached to appearing in a drama about a real piece of history. A work of fiction is fun.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
As a writer of historical fiction, I believe you don't want to fictionalize gratuitously; you want the fictional aspects to prod and pressure the history into new and exciting reactions.
Obviously, I love to do both contemporary and historical fiction. When a hint of a story grabs me, I try to go with it to see where it will take me whatever the setting.
It is the creator of fiction's point of view; it is the character who interests him. Sometimes he wants to convince the reader that the story he is telling is as interesting as universal history.
I've never believed it's a fiction writer's job to create an exact replica of the past, a diorama the reader can step right into. But it is my responsibility to learn everything of the world I'm writing about, to become an expert in the politics and history that formed my characters' identities.
There's a problem with narratives. Most that spring to mind are fictional.
Fiction is sort of a way to set the record straight, and let people at least believe that justice can be achieved and the right outcomes can occur.
What's most explosive about historical fiction is to use the fictional elements to pressure the history to new insights.
Enjoying fiction requires a shift in selfhood. You give up your own identity and try on the identities of other people, adopting their perspectives so as to share their experiences. This allows us to enjoy fictional events that would shock and sadden us in real life.
I just want fiction to remain a vital force for entertainment and not just for contemplation. Both things can exist.
The fact is fiction is always a representation of life, sometimes the lives of famous people.