Carolynn Carey, Guest Blogger :: Historical Accuracy: How Important Is It?

People who write historicals are generally people who enjoy reading historicals. My own interest in historical romances, specifically Regencies, developed several years before I tried writing one. I was in college when I first ran across a book by Georgette Heyer, and over the years I continued to read her books. I found myself growing increasingly fascinated by the manners and customs of the Regency period as described by Ms. Heyer.

As a twentieth-century American, I had a great deal to learn about the early 1800s in England. Not only was I puzzled by the names of carriages (curricle versus phaeton versus coach, etc.) and items related to fashion (words such as pelisse and reticule), but I was also unfamiliar with the correct way to address the aristocracy (such as My Lord versus Your Grace). I tried to learn from context but quickly realized that this method was unreliable.

Keep in mind that this was in the days prior to the Internet and the many resources available there, so my ability to research the period was limited. I eventually found and purchased some books and subscribed to a Regency newsletter, all of which helped but still left many questions unanswered.

Some years later, after I joined the Romance Writers of America and then the Beau Monde chapter of RWA, I was able to reap the benefits of the research done by the wonderful ladies who study and write about the Regency period and who are so willing to share their knowledge.

One of the things I quickly learned is that there is not universal agreement about how things were done during the Regency because not every activity or custom was documented. I also learned that many of the Regency customs we as readers take for granted might not have actually been practiced during that time.

Take, for example, dance cards. I’ve read many Regencies in which the heroine fills in the names of her admirers as they request dances at a ball. In fact, I’ve even written scenes with dance cards. But some researchers say dance cards didn’t come into vogue until after the Regency period.

All in all, this is a relatively minor point to my way of thinking, and I certainly don’t object if a Regency writer has her heroine using a dance card. But I do object if the hero consults HIS dance card, and this occurred in a book I read recently. Although it’s possible that the author had researched dance cards and discovered that they were sometimes provided to gentlemen, I as a reader didn’t enjoy visualizing the hero carrying a dance card and I was yanked right out of the story. As I read the remainder of the book, I found similar situations that one doesn’t expect to find in a Regency, so I’ll probably not buy that author’s books in the future.

Basically, then, I have found that the historical writer must not only attempt to be accurate regarding details of the period but must also be aware of readers’ expectations. What about you? What are your expectations in regard to historicals? Do you want to read about certain customs that you’ve come to associate with the period? Should the language include particular words or phrases that help you immerse yourself in the time period in which the book is set?

Or do you tend to lose yourself in the story and pay little attention to details? I’d enjoy reading comments about your reactions to the situations in historicals that you’ve come to expect and that you either love or hate. As for me, when I write Regency scenes in the future, I’ll strive for accuracy but keep in mind that reader expectations may be more important than the author’s absolute adherence to the facts as we know them.

Tagged as: Carolynn Carey, historical romance, Regency Romance