The Historical Novel Society North America 2025 in Quotes: Part One

Yesterday I returned home from my third in-person Historical Novel Society North America (HNSNA) conference and my sixth HNS conference overall. This time the conference took place in Las Vegas! As I’ve done at the last few conferences, I’m sharing some of the favorite quotes I heard from fellow authors and a handful of publishing professionals over the last few days. A Part Two post will follow when I’ve had a chance to listen to the recordings of the sessions that I did not attend IRL.

Reporting from #HNS2025!

As usual, research continued to be a hot topic among the historical fiction community, with many writers sharing their go-to resources.  Jennifer S. Brown: “When I’m stuck, I dive into historical newspapers and magazines and see what was going on in the world.” Amanda Skenandore: “Old travel guides can be a treasure trove.” Judith Starkston: “Travel is the best kind of research.”

But Special Guest Silvia Moreno-Garcia urged us to consider oral history in addition to classic archival and library research: “Oral history paired with research can be a valuable foundation for your book.” She also shared that, “An erroneous memory can be more interesting than a real one. We must understand the lie and the truth inside it.” Spotlight Author Jeffrey Blount had a similar perspective: “The best writing advice I’ve ever received is, ‘listen.’”

Special Guest Fiona Davis also had helpful advice about some of the pitfalls of researching, suggesting we, “Keep meticulous records of the materials that helped shape your novel.” She also talked about how we can get lost in our research: “I can pack in too much research and have to strip it out.” Meanwhile, A.M. Stuart had a helpful reminder that we’re writing about historical fiction rather than history: “I’m not writing non-fiction. I make things up.”

Drafting was also a hot topic, with Kelsey James telling us, “It’s important to have momentum when drafting,” and Spotlight Author Sarah Penner keeping her advice straightforward: “Finish the book.” Hazel Gaynor touched on the software we’re using to draft: “I’ve heard that if you go towards the light of Scrivener, you never go back.” And when it comes to knowing if your draft is final, Jeffrey Blount noted, “A novel is never really finished. It’s abandoned.”

The perennial debate between plotting (i.e., outlining) and pantsing (i.e., flying by the seat of your pants) continued. Natasha Lester: “I have no idea what I’m doing when I sit down to write a book. That’s part of the fun. It keeps me entertained.” Jonathan F. Putnam: “I wish I knew from the beginning who did it.” Fiona Davis: “I know the twist and the ending.” Hazel Gaynor: “I write my book in the order the reader reads the book.” Amanda Geard told us, “I use guidelines vs. an outline,” while Hazel Gaynor had a great anecdote: “My cat moved a scene when a post-it note got stuck to her tail.”

Characters were also a big discussion. Rita Woods: “We’re not telling history. We’re telling the story of a person within history.” Natasha Lester advised, “When choosing POV, I consider ‘who is the best person to tell this story?’” Elizabeth Blackwell reminded us, “Your character doesn’t know how history is going to go.” And Louise Fein suggested, “Give your protagonist helpful skills and interests.” Janyre Tromp: “Think of one metaphor for your main character. Figure out how that relates to what they’re hiding.”

On the topic of characters, authors were asking agents and editors about the ethics and marketability of writing from perspectives other than your own. Editor Melissa Richter: “Mostly we are looking for people who are writing from their own experiences.” Agent Amanda Jain: “A sensitivity read is not a magic wand.”

Other craft topics talks covered included setting (Kelsey James: “Setting is often the first inspiration for me.” Amanda Geard: “I really love writing place as a tie between timelines.” Hope C. Tarr: “A historical saga makes you feel like you’ve been somewhere on vacation.”), tapping into the five senses (Kelsey James: “When people think of taste, they always think of food, but there are other things you can taste, like blood in your mouth.”), subtext (Janyre Tromp: “There are 40 things going on in my head but only one of them comes out of my mouth.”) and flashbacks (Hope C. Tarr: “If you’re relying too much on flashbacks you might not have started your novel in the right place.”).

When it comes to these finer details of honing your craft, Amanda Skenandore reminded us, “Adding nuance is often done best at the revision stage.” And, of course, no 2025 writing craft conversation would be complete without references to Artificial Intelligence. Jeffrey Blount: “I would not like to read a book written by AI.” Agent Ariele Friedman: “Please don’t use ChatGPT to write your book.”

Moving from craft to the state of publishing, speakers on all sides of the business weren’t shy in sharing their opinions. Sarah Penner: “The world of traditional publishing is a complete mess…Publishing is risk averse. They don’t care about quality. They care about making money.” Agent Ariele Friedman: “There are more books to publish and few people [working in publishing] to publish them.” Agent Amanda Jain: “I’m not going to say that traditional publishing is nimble, but it’s a little faster than it used to be.” The impact of #BookTok was also a hot topic. Agent Ariele Friedman: “Self-publishing is for powerhouses right now. If you’re crushing it on TikTok, go for it.”

As usual, there was plenty of chatter about the time periods and subgenres that are currently hot or not. Gill Paul had two pieces of advice when considering the salability of your novel: “You can choose a ‘less fashionable’ time period, if you pair it with a modern timeline [in a dual timeline],” and, “I like linking books to a centenary or other anniversary. It helps with press.” Hope C. Tarr also reminded us, “A tough sell does not mean an impossible sell,” when sharing the story of her novel’s path to publication.

One of the main themes we kept hearing about was genre blending. Agent Ariele Friedman: “Historical plus [another genre] gives you an advantage.” Many speakers focused on historical fantasy or historical fiction with elements of magical realism. Zenobia Neil explained her attraction to this subgenre: “I exist in the non-magical world every day and it’s really a drag,” with Rita Woods expressing a similar sentiment: “There isn’t enough magic in the world.” Vanessa Riley: “You can blend genres to make a bigger story that engulfs you.” Silvia Moreno-Garcia: “The real becomes more real with the inclusion of the fantastic” and, “There need not be an explanation for the fantastic.” For those for whom mixing genres is new, Pat Murphy had some advice: “Dip into historical fantasy by writing a short story—there is a robust market for sci-fi and fantasy stories.”

We also heard about what writers were reading (and not reading!). Janyre Tromp advised that we should, “Read scripts if [we] struggle with dialogue.” Rita Woods noted, “If I read while writing I start channeling the other writer.” And Silvia Moreno-Garcia also cautioned against modelling your style on canonical works: “When you imitate too closely, it has no life.”

There was also discussion around how published authors can best deal with our readers’ responses to our work. Sarah Penner: “Some people will love it, some people will hate it, most people will like it…Grieve in private and don’t burn bridges.” Heather Webb: “You can’t control the expectations readers bring to the page…It gets easier with readers over time.”

Writers also shared about the emotions that come with the ups and downs of a writing career. Sarah Penner: “I deal with imposter syndrome every day. And I didn’t when I worked in finance.” Kris Waldherr: “There are physical and psychological reasons for writer’s block.” The conference was a supportive forum for voicing these feelings. After all, Fiona Davis reminded us that this is not a zero-sum game, and that we shouldn’t be viewing fellow writers as our competition: “We should have, not a scarcity mindset, but an unlimited buffet mindset” (now that’s a Vegas-approved metaphor!).

I’ll wrap up Part One of this roundup, with a quote from Hope C. Tarr: “We’re not here because it’s easy. We’re here because we love it.” As we all fly back to our different cities and countries, I hope we remember this love of writing that unites us. I’m looking forward to listening to the other panels and talks and continuing to enjoy HNS from home. Stay tuned for Part Two!

Want to get or stay in touch post-HNS? Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, or by tweeting @SVictorianist. And sign up for my monthly email newsletter here. 

Introducing Finola & Friends: An Instagram Live “Tour” for the Bronte’s Mistress Paperback Release

It’s June 2021, which means it’s release month for the paperback edition of my novel, Bronte’s Mistress. If you love historical fiction and/or the Brontes, and are in search of a great beach read for this summer, pre-order your copy now!

In honour of the occasion, I’m doing something a little bit different—an Instagram Live “tour” talking to author friends I’ve made over the last year and a half. It’s my way of thanking them for their kindness and support, and it means I get to tell you about lots of other great books you should read, while celebrating my own release.

The tour kicks off on June 16th. Make sure you follow me on Instagram to be notified when I go live!

Here are the authors I’ll be speaking to, in order of the events:

Lindsey Rogers Cook, author of two books about Southern families, How to Bury Your Brother and Learning to Speak Southern.

Molly Greeley, the writer behind two novels inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I reviewed her first novel, The Clergyman’s Wife, on this blog, and blurbed her latest book, The Heiress.

Julie Carrick Dalton, author of Waiting for the Night Song, a novel about friendship and secrets.

Molly Gartland, whose novel, The Girl from the Hermitage, takes us from the siege of Leningrad in 1941 to 21st-century Saint Petersburg.

Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye, a novel about a mother’s love vs. a doctor’s oath.

Greer Macallister, bestselling historical novelist. Her latest book, The Artic Fury, is about 13 women who join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition, and the sensational murder trial that unfolds when some of them don’t come back.

A.H. Kim, author of A Good Family, a novel that fans of Orange is the New Black should check out.

Carrie Callaghan, author of two historical novels—A Light of Her Own, inspired by Dutch Golden Age painter Judith Leyster, and Salt the Snow, the story of an American journalist in 1930s Moscow.

Cate Simon, author of historical romance novel Courting Anna, about a woman lawyer in 1880s Montana Territory and an outlaw who crosses her path.

Lyn Liao Butler, author of The Tiger Mom’s Tale, a novel about a woman returning to Taiwan to confront the scars of her past.

Sarah Archer, romance novelist. Her novel, The Plus One, tells the story of a robotics engineer who builds a boyfriend to have a date to her sister’s wedding.

Rowan Coleman, aka Bella Ellis, author of the Bronte Sisters Mysteries series. Check out my review of The Vanished Bride, her first novel starring the Bronte sisters as sleuths, here.

Martha Waters, writer behind Regency romantic comedy novels To Have and To Hoax and To Love and To Loathe. 

Alison Hammer, writer of upmarket women’s fiction. Her novels You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me both focus on family relationships.

Natalie Jenner, author of international bestseller The Jane Austen Society. Read my write up of the novel here.

Michael Stewart, another Bronte-inspired novelist. I reviewed his novel, Ill Will, about Heathcliff’s “lost years” in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights here.

Susanne Dunlap, author of 10 historical novels. Her latest, The Paris Affair, is a tale of music, mystery, love, and murder in pre-revolutionary France.

Ellen Birkett Morris, author of Lost Girls, a short story collection exploring the experiences of women and girls as they grieve, find love, face uncertainty, take a stand, find their future and say goodbye to the past.

Sarah McCraw Crow, author of The Wrong Kind of Woman, which transports us back to the 1970s and explores what a woman can be when what she should be is no longer an option.

Lainey Cameron, award-winning author of Amazon bestseller The Exit Strategy, a novel about sexism and the power of female friendship in Silicon Valley.

Linda Rosen, writer behind The Disharmony of Silence and Sisters of the Vine, both great book club picks about women reinventing themselves despite the obstacles in their way.

Elizabeth Blackwell, bestselling writer of four novels. Her latest, Red Mistress, tells the story of a woman who breaks with her past to become a Soviet spy in the wake of the Russian Revolution.

Janie Chang, bestselling writer of historical fiction with a personal connection. Her latest novel, The Library of Legends, explores China’s recent past and is an evocative tale of love, sacrifice, and the extraordinary power of storytelling.

Nicole Mabry and Steph Mullin, a writing duo whose thriller The Family Tree, will be published later in 2021.

Kris Waldherr, author of 19th-century set Gothic historical The Lost History of Dreams, which I reviewed here.

Amanda Brainerd, author of The Age of Consent, literary fiction set in 1980s New York City, where David Bowie reigns supreme. 

Eddy Boudel Tan, award-winning author of the novels After Elias and The Rebellious Tide.

Thank you so much to all the writers who’ve agreed to be part of this, and to everyone who orders a copy of the Bronte's Mistress paperback. It means so much. Stay in touch—via Instagram or Facebook, or by tweeting @SVictorianist. And make sure you sign up to my monthly email newsletter below.

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Highlights from the Historical Novel Society North American Conference (HNSNA) 2019, Oxon Hill, Maryland

I’ve been blogging about historical fiction for the last six years, and, in 2020, my own debut historical novel, Brontë’s Mistress, will be published by Atria Books (more on this here). So this June I was delighted to attend the biannual North American conference run by the Historical Novel Society (HNS) and to connect with other lovers and writers of historical fiction there.

This year (the first year I’ve attended) the conference was held in the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, just outside Washington DC. We enjoyed keynotes from Dolen Perkins-Valdez and Jeff Shaara, period-specific panels and talks on everything from the roaring 20s to the Romanovs to French revolutionaries, and insights from agents and editors with a focus on #HistFic. In true historical fashion, attendees also donned their best period costumes for drinks, a banquet and a ball, while some tested their skills in swordsmanship.

In this post I wanted to share some of my personal highlights from the conference (if I can decipher the handwriting in my notebook!).

“Extraordinary women in extraordinary times"

This is how Rachel Kahan, Executive Editor at William Morrow, summed up the current landscape in historical fiction in the opening State of the State of the HF Industry roundtable. This phrase struck me and set the stage for many of the talks I enjoyed over the weekend. As a writer who focuses on real women who have been overlooked in the historical record, I love this descriptor!

“People are interested in how art is made”

Carrie Callaghan and Laura Morelli led a coffee discussion about historical fiction based on the lives of artists and the challenges of ekphrastic writing (i.e. describing a piece of visual art through words). Two ideas stayed with me from this session. First, writers and artists both experience an absorption in their work while creating. Writing about this feeling and process can be fascinating. Second, it can be difficult for a writer to balance featuring their artist character doing menial work with the tensions that come from interpersonal conflict. Any time you can combine the two will serve you well.

“Where the archive is silent"

Writer and keynote speaker Dolen Perkins-Valdez was the most eloquent speaker of the conference. Almost everything she said was tweetable/quotable. I loved how she described the work of the historical novelist as speaking “where the archive is silent”, as it mirrors my own writing experience, where I strive to be true to the historical record but get most excited where there’s a mystery I can speculate on. I also thought the writing exercise she suggested was genius. She urged us to write the same scene set in 1750, 1850 and 1950 without conducting any new research to demonstrate how much we already know and feel about different periods without being weighed down by the burden of history.

“The paranormal circumvents societal propriety”

Gaslamps, Ghosts & Tropes, a discussion between Nicole Evelina, Clarissa Harwood, Leanna Renee Hieber and Kris Waldherr, on Gothic novels, was my favourite panel of the conference. Hieber’s argument that paranormal activity (whether ‘real’ or imagined) allows characters in historical periods with stricter social etiquettes to step outside their normal boundaries was particularly resonant.

“You need to feel that anyone could win”

The second keynote speaker, Jeff Shaara, specialises, like his late father, the Pulitzer Prize winning Michael Shaara, in depicting famous conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to the American Civil War to the World Wars, from multiple character perspectives. I loved his advice that for a novel like this to be successful the reader has to feel that the outcome of the battle is anything but certain, even if they know the winner in reality.

“There are practical reasons to write dual time periods”

Another great panel was led by Kate Quinn and Beatriz Williams on the topic of historical novels that alternate between at least two periods (one of which may be contemporary). I’ve reviewed novels in the past (e.g. Meredith Jaeger’s The Dressmaker’s Dowry) which have struggled to pull off this structure but I’m fascinated by its current popularity. Quinn and Williams mentioned some practical reasons why writers might want to consider this structure: novels like this can be shelved in several areas of the bookstore and/or appear in multiple sections of Amazon, a dual narrative can help you sell a novel featuring a ‘less popular’ period of history and the inclusion of a modern perspective can make historical fiction less intimidating for infrequent readers of the genre. Fascinating stuff!

Meeting all the people

The biggest highlight of the conference was meeting fellow writers with a passion for depicting the past. I spoke to so many people! It was most exciting to spend time with Elizabeth Blackwell, as we share the same literary agent, and ‘Twitter friends’ who I was finally able to meet in person.

Buying all the books

Warning: there’s a side effect of going to a conference like this. I now have SO MANY new novels on my #TBR (to be read) list. Here’s a peek into what titles have made it onto my bedside table already:

On a Cold Dark Sea, Elizabeth Blackwell

A Light of Her Own, Carrie Callaghan

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, Hazel Gaynor

A Lady of Good Family, Jeanne Mackin

Wench, Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Lost History of Dreams, Kris Waldherr

Were you at the HNS conference? What did you think? Or do you have any questions about attending a writing conference in the future? Let me know—here, on Facebook or by tweeting @SVictorianist.

P.S. Want an inside peek at my writing and non-writing life? You can now follow finola_austin on Instagram!