Changing history

[Dan Jones]

I have a problem of quite absurd specificity in my latest WIP, and would like some opinions on how to proceed.

It's (partly) a historical piece, set at the end of the Victorian era in London and East Anglia. One of the characters, an industrialist called Dougie Urquhart (a fictional creation), wants to stand as an MP in the 1900 general election. After much shenanigans he ends up standing for the Liberal Party in the seat of Limehouse against the Conservative incumbent, Harry Samuel (the actual MP of the time). In the actual election of 1900, Samuel stood against a Liberal called William Pearce (who - trivia alert! - later in his career was unseated by Clement Attlee), another very real person and prominent politician of the time.

So my problem is... do I simply airbrush William Pearce from history in the interests of my story? Or do I invent some fantasy in which he can't stand for election? To what extent can I bend history? Or will such things send the political historians of Old London Town into paroxyms of hysteria, resulting in my ostracism from the writing community, being driven from my home, a humiliating and penniless death in a ditch somewhere on the outer fringes of Great Snoring, and ultimately my cancellation from history?

It's a real puzzler.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I have a problem of quite absurd specificity in my latest WIP, and would like some opinions on how to proceed.

It's (partly) a historical piece, set at the end of the Victorian era in London and East Anglia. One of the characters, an industrialist called Dougie Urquhart (a fictional creation), wants to stand as an MP in the 1900 general election. After much shenanigans he ends up standing for the Liberal Party in the seat of Limehouse against the Conservative incumbent, Harry Samuel (the actual MP of the time). In the actual election of 1900, Samuel stood against a Liberal called William Pearce (who - trivia alert! - later in his career was unseated by Clement Attlee), another very real person and prominent politician of the time.

So my problem is... do I simply airbrush William Pearce from history in the interests of my story? Or do I invent some fantasy in which he can't stand for election? To what extent can I bend history?

Errr....didn't you just write that it's partly a historical piece and you have fictional characters. If you were writing a biography of a real person or a history, yes, naughty boy.

Neal Stephenson's Baroque cycle is partly historical too - Isaac Newton did run the Mint for example, but I'm not sure he went undercover himself with a false nose and wig to try and root out a notorious fictional criminal gang. (At least I remember reading something along those lines, I could be wrong. Anyway there's lots of stuff in those novels that clearly is fictional, but "done" with real historical people.)

Or will such things send the political historians of Old London Town into paroxyms of hysteria, resulting in my ostracism from the writing community, being driven from my home, a humiliating and penniless death in a ditch somewhere on the outer fringes of Great Snoring, and ultimately my cancellation from history?

Do you care?

 

[The Big Peat]

Airbrush. If Cornwell could airbrush a few fellows from history to give their roles to Sharpe, you can do the same.

 

[Dan Jones]

I know, I know... I just wonder where the line has to be drawn, or whether it needs to be drawn at all.

To be honest, I feel a bit bad for poor old William Pearce; it just feels as though I'm doing him a disservice by airbrushing him. But yes, it is fiction.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I know, I know... I just wonder where the line has to be drawn, or whether it needs to be drawn at all.

It's your art, so you have to draw the line.

In other news I am onto drawing nudes of all sorts. All good clean fun.

 

[Dan Jones]

In other news I am onto drawing nudes of all sorts.

I knew it!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Don’t just airbrush him, treat him like Alderaan.

I’m repeating the above sentiments. It’s your story.

I also expect a TPP Easter egg within your finished story.

 

[The Judge]

So my problem is... do I simply airbrush William Pearce from history in the interests of my story? Or do I invent some fantasy in which he can't stand for election? To what extent can I bend history?

If this is a kind of alternative history, then I'd suggest you keep as close to the historical record as possible and invent a reason why Pearce doesn't stand that ties in with other issues/themes within the story eg because Urquhart nobbles him.

If this is more fantasy than AH, then unless you're fixated on Urquhart having to oppose Harry Samuel, why not invent a new constituency and a new opponent?

Or will such things send the political historians of Old London Town into paroxyms of hysteria, resulting in my ostracism from the writing community, being driven from my home, a humiliating and penniless death in a ditch somewhere on the outer fringes of Great Snoring, and ultimately my cancellation from history?

We can but hope.

And I think you'll find the village's proper name is actually Snoring Magna, which is, of course, the other side of the county from Snoring Parva, but in view of your descent into destitution and ignominy, I think you're more likely to find a suitable ditch some hundred miles distant from them both at Middle Snoring, which is so very common and lower class it cannot afford a Latinised name.

 

[alexvss]

I have a problem of quite absurd specificity in my latest WIP, and would like some opinions on how to proceed.

It's (partly) a historical piece, set at the end of the Victorian era in London and East Anglia. One of the characters, an industrialist called Dougie Urquhart (a fictional creation), wants to stand as an MP in the 1900 general election. After much shenanigans he ends up standing for the Liberal Party in the seat of Limehouse against the Conservative incumbent, Harry Samuel (the actual MP of the time). In the actual election of 1900, Samuel stood against a Liberal called William Pearce (who - trivia alert! - later in his career was unseated by Clement Attlee), another very real person and prominent politician of the time.

So my problem is... do I simply airbrush William Pearce from history in the interests of my story? Or do I invent some fantasy in which he can't stand for election? To what extent can I bend history? Or will such things send the political historians of Old London Town into paroxyms of hysteria, resulting in my ostracism from the writing community, being driven from my home, a humiliating and penniless death in a ditch somewhere on the outer fringes of Great Snoring, and ultimately my cancellation from history?

It's a real puzzler.

Tarantino changes history all the time in his movies. The man made Hitler (written as an overly grown, spoiled child) be murdered by a group of American Jews at a cinema owned by a Jewish French girl. Once upon a time in...Holywood (2019) seems to be an even better example because Bruce Lee loses a battle against a stuntman that never existed, and he rewrote the Manson Murders (he also wrote a book about this movie, they say that helps understand a lot of things).

There is always polemic surrounding Tarantino. Lee's daughter--and some of his friends from back then--hated the way he was written, saying that he wasn't like that at all. But we're talking about Tarantino after all: he's a world-phenomenon. If he farts, it hits the headlines. You (with all due respect) can only expect to sell some copies...if you manage to finish the book and get it published in the first place! Nowadays, it's normal to get scared about cancellation. I get it. Of course, we see it happenning all the time. But I once heard a phrase once that inspired me: "I wish I was big enough to be cancelled".

One thing you can do is change certain names. Harry Samuel could be...Harrold Sage. Or you could just downright bend the bloke into a bird: Harriet Saoirse. The Liberal Party could be the Libert Party and... I'm deviating!

I also see that happening all the time. The Saga of Tanya the Evil is a series of novels that rewrite WWI in a magical setting. They change the name of the countries and people, then say that "all characters and events are fictional" but the resemblance is so damn obvious!

Write on.

 

[Dave]

My suggestions have already been covered by the others.

Neal Stephenson's Baroque cycle is partly historical too - Isaac Newton did run the Mint for example, but I'm not sure he went undercover himself with a false nose and wig to try and root out a notorious fictional criminal gang. (At least I remember reading something along those lines, I could be wrong. Anyway there's lots of stuff in those novels that clearly is fictional, but "done" with real historical people.)

I was going to say that ^

If Cornwell could airbrush a few fellows from history to give their roles to Sharpe, you can do the same.

And that ^ too. He also does it with Uhtred of Bebbanburg. It's just that people aren't familiar with that period of history.

Tarantino changes history all the time in his movies. The man made Hitler (written as an overly grown, spoiled child) be murdered by a group of American Jews at a cinema owned by a Jewish French girl.

And although it's a film, I'd forgotten about that ^. There are a lot more film examples, and probably a heap more literary examples too.

I feel a bit bad for poor old William Pearce; it just feels as though I'm doing him a disservice by airbrushing him.

I'd say if you are going to change history, then change it really big.

He is hit by falling masonry when a meteorite strikes his house, the asteroid's orbit changed due to the contact with a comet, which had passed too close to an alien ship thousands of years ago, because the ship's captain altered course to investigate a nova.

invent a reason why Pearce doesn't stand that ties in with other issues/themes within the story

Probably a much more sensible suggestion.

 

[Dan Jones]

Nowadays, it's normal to get scared about cancellation. I get it. Of course, we see it happenning all the time. But I once heard a phrase once that inspired me: "I wish I was big enough to be cancelled".

I wasn't being entirely serious.

If this is a kind of alternative history, then I'd suggest you keep as close to the historical record as possible and invent a reason why Pearce doesn't stand that ties in with other issues/themes within the story eg because Urquhart nobbles him.

It is "a kind of" AH, in the same way that Lyra's Oxford is a kind of world. I do want to at least acknowledge Pearce's existence, so I think you're probably right.

We can but hope.

Fair enough.

I'd say if you are going to change history, then change it really big.

He is hit by falling masonry when a meteorite strikes his house, the asteroid's orbit changed due to the contact with a comet, which had passed too close to an alien ship thousands of years ago, because the ship's captain altered course to investigate a nova.

The meteorite thing is tempting, I must admit. I might save that for the story's other timeline...