Sunday, May 5th, 2024

Live Seminar Via Zoom 12:00PM – 2:30PM Eastern

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Led by L. M. Elliott, winner of the 2024 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and a New York Times best-selling author of fourteen historical and biographical novels. She has written on a variety of eras for a variety of ages. Her works include Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves; Under a War-torn Sky; Hamilton and Peggy!, DaVinci’s Tiger; and two Cold War docudramas, WALLS and Suspect Red. Her novels have received multiple starred reviews and been named NCSS/CBC Notables; Bank Street College of Ed. Best Books; Kirkus’ 100 Best YA Novels, winners of the Grateful American Book Prize and the VLA Cardinal Cup for Historical Fiction.

Learn more about L.M. in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.

Have a historical narrative in mind? Learn how to research and write a unique, captivating, authentic, and commercially viable historical fiction from a veteran author of 14 historical/biographical novels in this one-day Zoom crash course with New York Times best-selling author, L. M. Elliott.

This seminar will be broken into four segments:

Section One will be a 45-minute general intro to finding, researching, and writing good historical and biographical fiction. During this PowerPoint presentation, L.M. will use specific examples from five of her fourteen works (published with HarperCollins, Disney, and Hachette), including Under a War-torn Sky, Hamilton, and Peggy!; DaVinci’s Tiger; WALLS; and Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves. The talk will cover:

• Where/how to find unique topics, characters, and era-appropriate dilemmas and quests.
• How/where/what to research.
• Plumbing primary documents for character, themes, revealing details, and plot twists.
• Painting an immersive, evocative, fact-filled backdrop.
• Creating authentic dialogue, true to character, plus lingo & cultural milieu of the time.
• Learning era-specific societal expectations/challenges your characters must face.
• Tucking in facts and historical context without “info dumps.”
• Finding Voice.

Session Two will be a 30 - 45 minute interactive workshop, showing primary documents—photographs, diagrams, letters, handbooks, paintings—asking participants to look for story and character. Examples are things that prompted enormous revelations for L.M., dictating much of her character arcs, plots, and world-building.

Session Three will be a 30 - 45 minute session with developmental editor Peter Malone Elliott on publishing and agent/editor queries. Peter ran Book Pipeline, a highly successful competition and author-discovery platform, before starting his own business, Fortiter et Recte Literary, offering manuscript/screenplay consults plus query and marketing guidance.

Session Four will be a 15 - 30 minute Q & A.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• How to envision/research a unique historical story.
• Finding character, themes, plot twists in primary documents.
• Creating authentic dialogue, true to the lingo and cultural milieu of an era.
• Avoiding historical cliché and “info dump.”
• Working in era-specific societal expectations/challenges your protagonist must face.
• Writing an effective query and selling yourself and your work.

• Instructors: L.M. Elliott and Peter Malone Elliott
  

• This class will meet Sunday, May 5th, 2024
  

• Live Seminar Via Zoom 12:00PM – 2:30PM Eastern

Instructor L. M. Elliott was an award-winning magazine journalist in Washington, D.C., before becoming a New York Times best-selling author of fourteen historical and biographical novels. She has written on a variety of eras for a variety of ages. Her works include: Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves; Under a War-torn Sky; Hamilton and Peggy!, DaVinci’s Tiger; and two Cold War docudramas WALLS and Suspect Red. Her novels have received multiple starred reviews and been named NCSS/CBC Notables; Bank Street College of Ed. Best Books; Kirkus’ 100 Best YA Novels, winners of the Grateful American Book Prize and the VLA Cardinal Cup for Historical Fiction; plus TXLA TAYSHAS High School Reading Recs, CDE Recommended Reading, Capitol Choices, and finalists for VA, MD, IO, PA, and SC state awards. Follow her on twitter/instagram @L_M_Elliott.

Before founding Fortiter et Recte Literary, Instructor Peter Malone Elliott was the Director of Operations for Book Pipeline, where he spearheaded the division’s rebrand and launched three much-acclaimed author discovery platforms. It was here that Peter honed his deep love of working with writers—no matter what stage in their career. In addition to reviewing thousands of manuscripts, Peter passionately coached all Pipeline contest-winning authors, providing in-depth editorial services on their works and long-term career development strategies. With his help, a dozen first-time authors secured literary representation and/or publishing deals. Put simply? Peter knows what actually works in today’s turbulent, ever-changing publishing landscape. He has the expertise and know-how to ensure that your manuscript truly stands out from the pack—and turns the heads of the folks who can make your publishing dreams a reality.