British regency

This past week I have done a lot of thinking and reading to figure out what period of time I am more interested in. From the start, I knew that I wanted to write about the British society, mainly because I am more knowledgeable about their habits and social standing. I also decided that I would enjoy writing about a period when some war was in process...I feel it would create a great deal to write about. the Napoleon Wars seem to be a very good start..most of Europe was engaged in the war and the British felt they were liberating Europe and relieving it of a tyrant. So I have limited myself to the early 1800s which is the Regency era. I like the fact that it was a state of transition, a short period of time when so many things were uncertain. During this week, I will do some extensive research on this period and report my findings. I would like to know what the main characteristic of this period is and what caused people to behave the way they did. One other thing I have decided is that I would not particularly like to write in the style of the writers of the period. I will have to do more research on that though.

First Thoughts

I realize that historical fiction is too wide a range and I need to choose an era that will limit my research. I decided that this too will be a part of my process, and I am hoping that writing about it will help me decide. When i think of historical novels, I always think of contemporary authors writing about the past. An example would "Girl in the Pear Earring" by Tracey Chevalier. However, I see now that I can also narrow my research to an actual era, the Victorian for example, and its novelists. I've already read many of Charles Dickens' works, the Bronte sisters, Wilkie Collins and Oscar Wilde...all authors who belong to that period. So maybe it will be a good choice. However, I'm also very interested in a few centuries back, in the Renaissance, Queen Elizabeth's period in England and the French Revolution. In order to make a choice I need to know a little more about what I actually like more.....is it the time when art was flourishing...or when literature was finally blooming....or when the world was at a very important and interesting political whirlwind? I will try to learn a little more about the different periods and decide soon I hope.