When you are developing characters for fiction, and particularly historical fiction, what kinds of resources do you find most helpful in establishing a distinctive voice?
Two suggestions I've heard have been:
- looking for personal correspondence and diaries of real people who are substantially similar to your character (date, age, gender, place of origin, social status)
- reading books, particularly fiction, published in the time period you wish to write about
What types of resources and primary sources are helpful for getting into historical character, and why?
I am particularly looking for sources to facilitate making characters' voices (in their direct speech, as well as their writing and thoughts) both distinctive and authentic to their historical context.
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