Kate Foster: 'Historical characters start to come to life when you imagine them as real people'
BY Maya Fernandes
22nd Jul 2025
Kate Foster studied on our six-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2020 – she is now represented by Curtis Brown literary agent Viola Hayden. Kate's novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, The King’s Witches and The Mourning Necklace.
We're delighted that Kate is the tutor of our brand-new Writing Historical Fiction – Advanced course! We spoke to Kate about her advice for balancing fact with fiction and her favourite historical novels.
When did you first discover your love for the historical fiction genre?
When I read novels like The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins, The Mermaid by Imogen Hermes Gowar and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, I loved the way these authors brought the past to vivid life. They retold the past in a way that felt very present.
As an alumna of our online Writing Your Novel – Six Months course, do you have any thoughts on the best way for writers to get the most out of a creative writing course?
I did the course in 2020 when we went into the first Covid lockdown which meant I probably had fewer life distractions such as going out and socialising. I took the course seriously and saw it as an investment in my writing which at the time was a hobby and now is my career. I listened to what the tutors had to say because their feedback is important.
Your novels reimagine extraordinary real-life cases from 17th and 18th century Scotland. How do you balance fact with fiction when writing about real-life cases and start to make historical figures your own?
It’s important to pin down the historical facts, but equally important to put your imagination into the story. You shouldn’t put every detail into your story. The only detail that matters is what matters to your characters. Historical characters start to come to life when you imagine them as real people, not as distant people from the past.
What’s your approach to writing dialogue that reflects the language of the past while still serving character and story in a way that your readers can connect with?
I don’t use any phrases or words that were not in use at the time. But in terms of dialogue, I tend to let the conversations and narrative flow in a natural way.
Which writers do you admire and what are some of your favourite historical novels?
The novels I have already mentioned, as well as The Housekeepers by Alex Hay (also a former CBC student) and authors like Stacey Halls and AK Blakemore. My all-time favourite novel is Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.
We’re so excited to have you on board as the tutor of our brand-new Writing Historical Fiction – Advanced course. What do you find most rewarding about working with budding writers?
It’s exciting to see an intriguing premise and work with a writer to get the best out of it. There is so much writing talent out there, it’s really inspiring.
Finally, could you share your advice for aspiring authors who want to write historical fiction?
Find your story – the story you really want to tell. Write a first draft, it doesn’t have to be perfect and then get some feedback!
Learn more from Kate and write a captivating historical novel that makes the past come alive on our Writing Historical Fiction – Advanced course!
Applications are open for the inaugural course. Deadline 28 Sept.
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