A Historical Character versus a Fictional Character

One of the things I enjoy most about writing historical thrillers is bringing real historical figures into the same world as fictional characters.

But there is a big difference between writing the two.

In Shadow War Ledger (Old Title: Chaos Above the Sand), Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is a real historical figure. When I write Rommel, I have boundaries. His military career, family, injuries, involvement in the events surrounding the July 20 plot against Hitler, and his death are part of the historical record. I can create conversations, but I can’t simply change history to make the story work.

A fictional character such as Gustav Hasselhoff gives me much more freedom. He can travel where I need him, meet people history never recorded, and carry the fictional story through actual historical events.

I use the same approach in American Insurgent: Ukraine. That story combines my fictional Special Projects Unit team with historical events and mysteries reaching back to the American Revolution. Real history gives the story its foundation, while fictional characters allow me to explore what might have happened in the spaces history left unanswered.

That’s where historical fiction becomes fun.

The historical character provides authenticity. The fictional character provides freedom.

My goal is to blend the two so smoothly that the reader occasionally stops and wonders: Did that really happen?

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes it’s no.

And sometimes I’ve simply found a small opening in history and asked my favorite question:

What if?