Why it matters that we tell our stories!

Lately, I have been rethinking why I insist on writing, especially historical fiction. Am I just attempting to contribute to a weird branch of the entertainment industry, or do I have justified deeper reasons for doing this? Can there even be these deeper reasons, or is there always this odd question mark above those that create and leave something behind? Is someone singing by the window just for the attention, or is it actually a girl in distress, probably lacking the needed amount of hair? Artists are weird. They scared me out of writing when I was younger.

It was a conversation with a friend that caused thoughts in me which I felt the need to keep to myself right there, so I have been playing them around in my head for a few weeks now, causing this little post.

The conversation mentioned happened with a friend I know from work, so she is a museum person as well as me. A real historian! I always say that with just the childish admiration this sentence might have caused as your eye met the exclamation mark. Yes, a real historian. One with an interest in witchy things as well. We always have a lot to discuss! I always know when which math problem was established, or which weird treatment for an illness made things worse, and she excels at all the political circumstances connected.

We also talk a lot about the difficulties of getting to work for museums, the prospects of doing research in our fields, and all the challenges we face from day to day. She got rightfully upset over a rejection lately, and we poured out our hearts to each other. As she said that she had written the perfect fitting thesis and felt like it was in vain, I told her that I liked to use everything I study for my creative projects, to not feel as if I just run from errand to errand. “I write blog posts out of essays”, I remember saying. “And all the rest is somewhat relevant for the novel.” She listened patiently and thought about it for a moment, before saying: “I don’t think I could do that. Producing such a thing, after analyzing the narrative scientifically.”
I honestely still try to figure out how this was meant. I know that she has a high opinion of me, and we obviously get along very well, so I don’t think it was meant as negatively as it may have sounded. It still got me thinking about how and why I think I can do both. Can I even do both, or am I actually bad at one of those things and am just on the journey to realize which one it is?
I remember that I told her then about a lot of authors having an academic background but writing great novels. I mentioned Tracey Chevalier, who provided me with a life long inspiration with her work.
I also stated that not all of those writers promote problematic narratives, and that has me thinking again.

Can there be something like unproblematic narratives?

Telling a story has a lot to do with causing an effect, causing emotions. It can be a thrilling adventure, a heartbreaking tragedy, or so many more things. As a writer (or a painter, a singer etc.), we choose a perspective to write from. We decide how to describe things, how to connect moments. We try to understand how a character felt, how a certain incident was perceived, and of course we cannot never be certain about this. We might get things wrong. Or, underestimate the one thing over the other. A lifetime is so messy, looking back at once from 500 years ago does not make it easier.
Does this mean that writing historical fiction is just a way of entertaining stereotypes and wrong ideas about the past? Will it always be about dramatizing love stories that never happened, misunderstanding cultural clues?

Don’t worry, I think there is more to it.

I think that this personal perspective matters a lot. I think that bridging time through emotions is something wonderful. Understanding the fears, the worries, the dreams, and the choices (because yes! There always were choices to make) are a complex thing to understand, but are so precious. Stories can make us feel close to someone who night have lived 600 years ago. A look into old archives can bring to us the story of a woman escaping a marriage by selling spells and playing hide and seek with the local inquisitor for the next 50 years of her life. I really wish I could have had a drink with her.

Of course, this narrative view can cause problems. I have read a lot of historical novels that were frustrating me. Some were badly researched, and promoted an image of passive women and abusive men, and I wondered why anyone wanted to feed into these stereotypes. As I complained about them, I noticed that it was still not in vain to have read them: They made me put my own beliefs into words like never before. They made me look up proof for mothers never being accepting of their daughters being raped, no matter how feudal the system. One of those bad novels even made me research someone’s record of their mortal remains, since I assumed that the author did not know the slightest thing about human gender dimorphism (they way in which the sexes may or may not differ in their (bony) look). But at least we can talk about this! As long a it is out there, it can be perceived, discussed, criticized!

I sometimes write my witching reviews, but have always sworn to myself to never write bad ones. Maybe, though, I might collect a few of these narratives that made me shake my head, and publish my own research on the issue.

At least we can talk about it!

This, to me, is not just a function of those problematic books. I value the way in which the good ones can surprise us and shake up our understanding of the world. I also appreciate these cases that are a phenomenon of their own, and can invite the mind to wander. I am thinking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or Grim’s fairytale collections. They are not historically accurate, but have a fascinating background to uncover.
So, yes. This blog post was just a collection of my thoughts on why I write, especially historical fiction, while I still take the scientific view on these topics very seriously. I think these things can work together well, if there is awareness for the difference between the neutral, researching, and understanding view, and the playful, emotional, and exploring view.
“The witch hunts happened mostly because of the little ice age, and the grain north of the alps being more sensitive to these climate fluctuations”, I recall my friend state to the topic of my novel.
And while she was reminding me of this sober fact, I was thinking about all the biographies, emotions, adventures, and tragedies involved in this. I think it matters to shed light on them, even if we’re sometimes only able to imagine them. It matters to imagine these stories, and to tell those we can grasp. Singing by the window is never wrong.