How to Write Accurate Historical Dialogue for Your Novel: Part 1 | Explained by a UK Book Editor

Professional book editor in the UK advises on how to write accurate dialogue in your historical novel, always making your historical characters sound authentic.

Languages evolve every year; new words emerge, and old words are forgotten.

Literature dates itself by the vocabulary it uses. When reading books set in a different era, we’re transported to that time through the conversations spoken and the words used.

Modern historical fiction and non-fiction books can cheapen their value by using current lingo and phrases, but you want your reader to feel as if they’re time travelling to the era of your story.

One simple way to do that is to ensure that your dialogue is consistent and accurate historically, so a base knowledge of the period in which your book is set, and attentiveness to detail as you write will instantly upgrade the credibility of your dialogue.