Sasha Butler: 'I’m always looking for a love story, or a point of connection between characters'
BY Maya Fernandes
30th Sep 2018
In this interview Sasha Butler, author of the debut historical romance The Marriage Contract, shares her advice for researching historical fiction.
'Writers approach research in different ways – there is not a right or wrong way! Figure out what works for you. For me, I start with broader research, to help with general world building and to develop a sense of the place. Then I start writing.'
We caught up with Sasha to discuss her time studying with us, the inspiration behind her debut novel and her top tips for aspiring historical fiction writers.
The Marriage Contract explores themes of love, power and female autonomy in 16th century England. What inspired you to write about this particular era and these characters?
I knew that I wanted to write a love story – I’m always looking for a love story, or a point of connection between characters – and forbidden love stories are ones I often find most intriguing. I also knew I wanted to write an historical novel; I’ve often read to escape contemporary life and the constant news cycle, and writing in a particular era felt like a step further – it gave me an opportunity to research and really get under the skin of another time. The Elizabethan era provided a perfect context for two characters to be in love and yet not allowed to be together due to class differences.
Yet I didn’t want to write a story focused solely on a romance, nor of a woman completely dependent on a man. In an era that was fiercely patriarchal, I wanted to create a character who fought against this. For Eliza, my protagonist, she is passionate about art and painting, and it’s an outlet and act of rebellion against the brutality of her father.
Ordinary women, who were creative and creators, have often been omitted from the historical record (which often favours men, especially courtly, aristocratic men) but through research I found they existed. Of course these women existed! And fiction is a perfect way to fill in the gaps in the historical record. It made me think of all the paintings that are attributed to ‘artist unknown’ – what if these artists were women? Writing The Marriage Contract allowed me to explore what life for an ordinary woman might have looked like, and how she could find ways and circumstances to make her own choices, in a society that was designed to restrict her.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors trying to write within the historical fiction genre?
Firstly, read widely around the genre. Find the writers and stories you like, and understand what it is that you like about them.
Secondly, I’d recommend writing about something you’re truly interested in: pick the period you like, or the question that you can’t get out of your head. Write the story you would like to read. If you’re going to spend potentially years of your life on a project, and journey down endless research wormholes (what underwear did they have in 16th Century?) you owe it to yourself to pick something that ignites you.
Thirdly, writers approach research in different ways – there is not a right or wrong way! Figure out what works for you. For me, I start with broader research, to help with general world building and to develop a sense of the place. Then I start writing. Once I understand more of what I need, and have raised specific questions in my draft, I go back and do more in-depth, focused research. Otherwise, I fear I could research forever and never start the writing. The two, I’ve found, can be done in tandem.
Are there any historical fiction books on your ‘to be read’ pile that you’re really excited about?
Always! I have an ever-growing ‘tbr’ pile, but currently I’m very keen to read Cuddy by Benjamin Myers, A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike, The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis and forthcoming Land by Maggie O’Farrell.
You’ve studied on all three courses in our How to Write Your Novel series. How did your time with us shape your approach to writing?
When I first joined the Starting to Write Your Novel course, I was extremely tentative; I had no idea whether I could write a novel, and my writing was instinctive. By which I mean, I had no game plan, no overt knowledge of structure, nor any idea of whether what I was writing was any good.
The course series helped me firstly establish a plan on how to move forward, and it held my hand through a lot of self-doubt. It gave me permission to write a terrible first draft and celebrate this achievement, then guided me through the first edit. The latter in particular was game-changing: I went from having no experience of editing creative work, to critiquing other people’s work on the course and receiving feedback – an essential part of being a writer. I learnt how to be critical of my work, identify what wasn’t working and how to address this. It’s still daunting, tackling a much in-need-of-a-rewrite draft, but knowing the tools to use makes it easier.
The series also helped me think more strategically about what I wanted. I’d dreamt of getting an agent, of being published, but the courses’ emphases on finding the hook and pitching the novel enabled me to find a focus and understand what my book was truly about. It helped me understand what I’d never interrogated: that publishing is, of course, a business, and if you want to be traditionally published, you’ll likely need to pitch and sell your work.
As a writer, there are a lot of things that are out of your control, but you can control the story you tell and how you present it. There’s a power in that.
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
After the publication of The Marriage Contract, I’ll be back to working on my second novel. It’s historical again but set in the twentieth century, so a completely different era with different themes – but it does still feature a love story and explores female autonomy (some things you just can’t shake!).
Get your hands on a copy of The Marriage Contract, out now from Salt Publishing.
Sasha studied on all three courses in our How to Write Your Novel series; Starting to Write Your Novel, Write to the End of Your Novel and Edit & Pitch Your Novel from 2020-2021.
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