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| INCEPTIO: a novel of Roma Nova |
Writing history
“alternately”
Stepping into a book’s world is always the start of an
exciting adventure, especially going back to the past to hear the clash and
smash of Agincourt, admire the frocks and pelisses of Jane Austen’s Bath or even
smell the stench of Victorian slums.
But what if that past is an “alternate”
one where history developed differently?
What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or George
Washington had failed to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776? Or that
firm favourite, if Hitler had won the Second World War?
More intriguing is when
something that seems obscure at the time turns out to have a massive impact,
e.g. the thought not occurring to Tim Berners-Lee to link up hypertext and the embryonic
Internet to ease CERN scientists’ daily working lives or if hadn’t rained the
night before Agincourt.
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| Alison Morton, author of INCEPTIO |
So
what defines alternate history?
A story can take place can take place in the past, present or future, but the point of divergence (POD) from the standard timeline must be in the past. The diverted timeline can’t be changed back by some clever plot development, time machine or technical gizmo (or waking up and finding it’s all been a dream, or possibly a nightmare!). And lastly, the narrative should show some of the consequences of the change and describe how the alternate world works.
A story can take place can take place in the past, present or future, but the point of divergence (POD) from the standard timeline must be in the past. The diverted timeline can’t be changed back by some clever plot development, time machine or technical gizmo (or waking up and finding it’s all been a dream, or possibly a nightmare!). And lastly, the narrative should show some of the consequences of the change and describe how the alternate world works.
In my Roma Nova thrillers, the trigger in the past
was the final brutal suppression of paganism by Roman emperor Theodosius in 395
AD which sent four hundred non-Christian Romans north to find a safe place to
live.
Over the
following sixteen centuries, the late fourth century colony battled its way through
history to become Roma Nova, a high tech, financial mini-state which retained
and developed Roman values, but with a twist. And Roma Nova’s very existence
has altered the world’s history.
Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles,
depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords.
But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward
into the 21st century where thriller story of INCEPTIO takes place...
What
is the most difficult thing about writing stories set in an alternate history
timeline?
Reaching into the past means getting inside the heads of the
characters, imagining what they see in their everyday world, what they smell,
eat and touch. For stories set in a different country, writers can visit the
places the characters would live in, smell the sea, touch the plants, walk
under the hot blue sky, or freeze in a biting wind.
But if a writer invents
that country, then the task is doubled; no sources and no research visits.
Not only history, but geography and social, economic and
political development must be worked out carefully; this sounds dry, but every
living person is a product of their local conditions. And to keep the story
plausible, it must develop in a historically logical way.
I firmly believe you must know your history before you attempt “alternating” it!
As with all history-based fiction, research should be worn
lightly and not dumped on the reader. One way to stay plausible and keep the
reader engaged is to infuse, but not flood, the story with detail which
reinforces the original setting the writer has introduced.
Even though INCEPTIO is mostly set in the
21st century, the Roman characters still say things like 'I wouldn't be in your sandals (not
shoes) when he finds out.'
And there are honey-coated biscuits, not chocolate digestives, in the police
squad room.
Above all, when writing in an unfamiliar setting the
characters should display normal emotions and behaviour. Human beings of all
ages and cultures have similar needs, hurts and joys, often expressed in
alienating or (to us) peculiar ways. But
the emotions of a romantic relationship are the same whether set in ancient
Rome, the reign of Henry VIII or the 21st century.
Ultimately, alternate history allows your imagination to explore outside
the confines of the set timeline and to introduce conflict and challenges to history
in your own terms.
And that’s a lot of fun!
INCEPTIO
is available on Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptio-Roma-Nova-Alison-Morton/dp/1781320624
You can read more about Alison,
Romans, alternate history and writing here on her blog at www.alison-morton.com
or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor
and Twitter: @alison_morton








