Kids Blog

Whether you are writing historical fiction, mystery, horror or even romance, the best place to start is with things that interest you. When J.K. Rowling was asked for advice for young writers, she said: Write what you know — your interests, your feelings, your family and pets. I wholeheartedly agree with that.

My own words became publishable when I began to write stories based on my love of ancient history. I’ve written about samurai kids in 17th century feudal Japan – a place of cherry blossoms and misty mountains, a time of action, swordplay and Zen puzzles. I’ve written about an Inuit brother and sister on Baffin Island (Canada) in the 14th century – a place of ice and darkness, a time of Vikings, polar bears and extreme hardship. My next book is set in Aztec Mexico – with sacrifices to the Sun God, a Spanish invasion and the mighty Eagle and Jaguar warriors.

History is fun. It is a ready made backdrop of action and adventure. Exciting things are already happening before I put my characters into their historical setting.

I start with a real place and time that interest me. I specifically avoid the lives of famous people. Too much is known about them and I would rather have more room to imagine what happened to ordinary people whose lives are not documented. However, their lives are affected by actual events of the time and while that doesn’t tell the story, it has a critical impact. In Jaguar Warrior I am not telling a story about the Spanish invasion, but this event is the catalyst for what happens to Atl, a twelve-year-old boy waiting to be sacrificed.

When writing history, or anything else, you can start anywhere. But the best story will come from what you know and love.

[Sandy Fussell is the author of the Samurai Kids series about a group of children in 17th century Japan training to become samurai warriors.]