Do historical events inspire your plots?

[Jabrosky]

I often say that history inspires a lot of my world-building, but this time I'm talking not about Counterpart Cultures but about the influence of historical or otherwise real-world events on your plot lines. Do you "rip off" or draw on real happenings in order to build up your plots?

One story I've recently outlined, The Lightbringers, has its inspirational roots in the ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict. It's not meant to accurately retell the real conflict obviously, but I have incorporated some components of that history (or certain narratives about it) into my storyline. For instance, one side of the conflict poses as innocent and civilized people subjected to terrorism when in fact they are the story's real invaders and villains, which could describe either side of the real conflict depending on whose propaganda you believe.

 

[Ireth]

Considering that one of my novels is a historical fantasy set in medieval Scotland, then yes. ^^ The arrival of a certain clan, the MacRaes, to Eilean Donan castle in 1362 is a major turning point for the book, making things very complicated for the protagonist who lives there.

 

[MadMadys]

On my plots? None at all. Even as a fan of history, I don't think I've ever tried to mirror an event or conflict in anyway in my stories. Never factors into my thinking at all.

Now I will say I have mirrored certain characters after historical ones in some facets of their personality. One character, referenced purely in histories recounted in the book and his link to the plot is loose at best, was a copy of Alexander of Macedon in description and general upbringing. I have another character whose name is similar to Sejanus and his actions, though I did not actively think of this until after the fact, are equally deceptive and cruel though they work towards a completely different goal.

I dabble some other names and place names with historical ones but they are at best simply because I like the name rather than having any actual meaning in the story.

 

[Alexandra]

Do you "rip off" or draw on real happenings in order to build up your plots?

The protagonist in my current project is somewhat influenced by the historical Boudicca, both the person and the events surrounding her. George R.R. Martin was influenced by the War of the Roses but I don't consider him to have ripped off his plots from history nor do I plan to rip off Boudicca's history to create my own novel.

 

[Shockley]

Being a 'historian' (It's still strange using that term, despite where I am at this point), a lot of historical aspects do make it into what I'm writing.

At the same time, my studies are in areas where we don't know a lot about specific events, so the reflection I provide is in societal customs, viewpoints, etc. Proto-Germanic society thrust into the Middle Ages, more or less.

 

[Wanara009]

Like you would not believe .

As I said before (I think in my introduction thread), I started out as an Alternate History writer. After I start creating my world, I still incorporates a lot of parallel to historical events (e.g.: Gajah Mada of Majapahit unification of the Indonesia Archipelago) and personage (e.g.: Theodore Roosevelt, Nikola Tesla, Zaddock Dederick, Al-Jazzari, etc).

 

[Rullenzar]

This is just something that is unavoidable. Everything we as humans experience in our lifetimes influence our creative thinking which includes historical events that we learn, or discover. The more relevant question that should be asked instead ----

Do you make an effort to mimic real life historical information and mold it into a fantasy setting?

One recent example I can think of is the movie 'Avatar'. There was a controversy over this movie for a while because it was believed that the concept of the movie was a representation of what was going on in the middle east when Bush was still in office and after oil.

For those who haven't seen the movie. The basis of it is that Humans discover a new planet with a tribal like blue species who live there. The humans came here looking for a natural resource and it just so happened that the species they encounter lives on top of this resource. The humans decide to try and manipulate the natives to live elsewhere so they can grab the resource but the natives refuse and a war breaks out.

Sound familiar?

 

[Grimbold]

No.

Well. Not knowing it.

I read alot of history but i could never tell you any dates and i know for a fact at least one of my plot lines is a vague fantastystyle idea of the precurser to WW1/

Actually thinking about it the big plot line is based around the start of WW1.

 

[Typhon]

I often say that history inspires a lot of my world-building, but this time I'm talking not about Counterpart Cultures but about the influence of historical or otherwise real-world events on your plot lines. Do you "rip off" or draw on real happenings in order to build up your plots?

One story I've recently outlined, The Lightbringers, has its inspirational roots in the ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict. It's not meant to accurately retell the real conflict obviously, but I have incorporated some components of that history (or certain narratives about it) into my storyline. For instance, one side of the conflict poses as innocent and civilized people subjected to terrorism when in fact they are the story's real invaders and villains, which could describe either side of the real conflict depending on whose propaganda you believe.

Hmmmm, interesting and at times i find myself in the same boat but no matter the direction and world, I think if you have real world and fantasy, sci-fi somehow intersecting you could use historical perspectives in a very real way that would give that of the reader an appreciation. You don’t need to necessarily give a real representation or retelling the story.

Example, someone wrote a good novel on bring all the Stargates series together into a final twist per se and they introduced all the enemies, alliances and all the shows into one large plot while also giving a perspective on the real world setting while giving that twist of the science fiction of the setting.

 

[Anders Ämting]

Of course I draw inspiration from history. Why shouldn't I?

 

[Caged Maiden]

I draw from history all the time. One of my novels, a stand-alone romantic fantasy with a heavy element of spy games, was directly influenced by the English Peasant Revolt and the Reformation, over a century later. Of course, no one would ever suspect it, reading the book, but I think the fact that I based it off historical events made it come together easier than if I'd just concocted a wholly unique story.

 

[Addison]

There was one time in high school when we were learning about Louis and Clark (for the third time) and as we read bout their journey down a river swarming with giant, angry grizzly bears I was struck by an idea. An adventure party takes a detour to avoid a land slide (or some treacherous place) and finds themselves going through a canyon inhabited by angry dragons.

While dates and names aren't that great as inspiration, for me at least, the context is huge. So if writers can stay awake through history 10A they can get one heck of an idea surge.

 

[graverobber]

I honestly wouldn't be able to write if I couldn't take ideas from history. I think I use it more for the history of my world than in the main plots, because I like the main plots to be about more personal, small scale stuff that wouldn't be recorded in history books. However, in the idea I'm trying to work on at the moment there's a land that's suffered the consequences of losing a war to two of the most powerful nations (mainly paying huge reparations for the war damage) and gets so desperate that the people turn to a radical minority group to try and pull them out of the poverty and depression, leading to everything going to hell once again. It's hugely based on what happened in Germany between WWI and WWII, which is fab, but I get so paranoid that that's all people will be able to think of when they read it! Hopefully I'm wrong, but we'll see.

 

[Addison]

If you do draw from history as a foundation, as Graverobber just described, don't use it too thickly. Just use the context of what you're drawing from (war-ravaged nation is desperate, turns to radical group, land goes to hell again) and/or the basis of whatever historic figures (if any) and leave it at that. If yo do it too thick someone will notice and could add an alternate history tag on your story. That's fine if that's your story, if not then don't lay it on too thick.

 

[TheDarkFrontier]

I've drawn quite a lot from events that led up to the Second World War in my trilogy, specifically the false flag operations that the Nazi government undertook to further implicate the Jews and the Poles as a threat to their nation. The cultures of the nations were drawn from Old English, Old Norse and Norman customs. I think its very common now to draw on historical events to inspire writers. Tolkien himself based some aspects of Lord of the Rings on his experiences in the trenches in the First World War, for example.

 

[SeverinR]

I think one should draw inspiration from all sources and genres.

The world is my canvas, history has painted but one possible work of art.
World myth and legends fit perfectly into the world of Fantasy, but real world events shifted into fantasy could work too.

Custer's last stand done with elves and orcs?

 

[Addison]

There was a time when a writing workshop was an envision. It's where we took a historic event, person or even a fairy tale and gave it a twist. Mine was envisioning the tale of Snow White as a swashbuckling tale. It's was fun!

 

[Arhenvir]

I definitely think about doing this a lot, especially when it comes to one nation annexing and 'saving' another country that is suffering due to countless violations of human rights. Or, rather, other-than-humans' rights.

Also, since I was in high school I've always been fascinated by the hermit kingdom of North Korea. I've seen almost every documentary about it and I make attempts to keep up with any news articles that pop up. Writing about a completely isolated country, all alone while the entire world is changing around it, is something I want to tackle in the future.

Further, I have dozens of scribbles in my notebooks about a cataclysmic event that sounds very much like the Great Flood story in Mesopotamian and Greek mythology as well as the Bible. It's just that mine isn't literally a flood, but the element of divine retribution is definitely there.

 

[The Writer's Realms]

I haven't so far, or at least that I know of. I do want to do something that parallels the likes feudal Japan when the Portuguese landed. Clans and introductions to the western world, etc.

 

[RedAndy]

Also, since I was in high school I've always been fascinated by the hermit kingdom of North Korea. I've seen almost every documentary about it and I make attempts to keep up with any news articles that pop up. Writing about a completely isolated country, all alone while the entire world is changing around it, is something I want to tackle in the future.

I once went to the Korean War Museum in Dandong, a Chinese city on the Tumen River, opposite North Korea. Their version of events is that the South attacked first and North Korea/China were merely defending their territory against the US-backed aggressors. This is the version of events that is taught in North Korea. Of course, it was actually North Korea who started the war by launching a surprise attack on the South. Those who have defected from North Korea have often found this fact hardest to grasp - a fundamental fact of history being turned completely on its head.

I have often thought that there would be a good story in that; someone from an isolated, totalitarian society suddenly escaping to the outside world and discovering the truth about how his regime, which he has been indoctrinated to believe in since birth, is perceived outside its borders.