Edward Rutherfurd
Edward Rutherfurd
Edward Rutherfurd is a pen name for Francis Edward Wintle. He is best known as a writer of epic historical novels which span long periods of history but are set in particular places. His debut novel Sarum set the pattern for his work with a ten-thousand year storyline...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionWriter
atmosphere begin belief characters created evident extensive fraction goes hopes mind mood reader research scene writer
I do extensive research before I begin writing, but only a fraction of the research goes into the novels. The writer does not need to tell the reader everything. But one hopes that the writer's belief in his characters is evident in the telling, just as the mood created in the writer's mind comes through in the atmosphere of the scene described.
accurate challenge characters creating fair fictional good historical history novels record telling time weaving
Writing historical novels can be dangerous. We need to be as accurate and as fair about the historical record as we can be, at the same time as creating our fictional characters and, hopefully, telling a good story. The challenge is weaving the fiction into the history.