Nov. 14: History in Fiction

In today's reading Fred White discusses how writers can made history come alive. The writer can take a historical event and bring it alive by the reader by allowing the to be am imagery fly on the wall at significant events. Now the really is not really there but if the writer it skilled in his art he tells of the event in such a way to make the scene come alive for the reader. I know that for me this was one of the things that I first really enjoyed about reading. From the time I learned to read something beyond the basic readers I liked historically base first. In fact I still remember an early juvenile series that captured my imagination. It was called the "We Were There" series and told of historical events from the perspective of someone who would have actually taken part in the event. I still occassionally enjoy readings a good historically based fictional novel.
For Further Reflection:
In this segment Mr. White suggests that to make history more personal and papiable history teacher might ask their students to read novels set in the time they are studying. My most recent study of history was when I returned to college and had to attend three semesters of American History and our professor did something along those lines. She would show movies that were set in the time of history we were studying. Again movies are simply books brought to life by actors and scenery.
For today's Try This assignment White tells us to:
Invent a character who becomes an eyewitness to a historical even, such as the assassination of Julius Caesar or the attempt to those two obsure bicycle mechanics at Kitty Hawk to get a machine to fly, and write a page describing that event in as much minute detail as you can to give readers the impression taqt they have entered that world.
Again another assignment that gets consigned to the composition book. I need to write more on my NoNaNoWriMo novel, also need to get a couple of articles for examiner and hubpages. I also need to do two more chapters in my two book blogs. However, if I ever run out of things to write about I certain have a going list of choices to work on.