Writing Research - Victorian Era
In historical fiction it is important to be accurate and the only way to do so is to research the era. What is highly recommended by many writers is to write your story first. While writing your story, mark the parts that you’re not sure are correct and then do the research after you are done. This is to prevent you from from doing unnecessary research that may not be relevant to your work. You want to spend your time wisely!
To begin, the Victorian period formally begins in 1837 (the year Victoria became Queen) and ends in 1901 (the year of her death).
Names
- 1000 Most Popular Victorian Names
- Victorian Era Names, A Writer’s Guide
- Victorian Darlings - British Baby Names
Society & Life
- Victorian Society
- The Victorians: Life and Death
- The Victorian Working Life
- A Woman’s Place in 19th Century Victorian History
- Victorian Occupations: Life and Labor in the Victorian Period
- Flirting and Courting Rituals of The Victorian Era
- Victorian Working Women
- Victorian Life
- Glimpses of Victorian Life
- Victorian Rituals & Traditions
- Victorian Etiquette
- Etiquette, Manners and Morals
- Victorian Britain - Children at Work
- Children in the Victorian Age
- Daily Life in the Victorian Era
- How the Mid-Victorians Worked, Ate and Died
- The House of Mourning - Victorian Mourning & Funeral Customs in the 1890s
- Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain
- Etiquette of a Victorian Lady
- Going to School in Victorian Times
- History of Working Class Mothers in Victorian England
- Life of the Victorian Woman
- The Working Class and The Poor
- VictorianWomen’s Work
- Needlework, Knitting and Crohet
- Victorian Etiquette - Births and Christenings
- Victorian Ballroom Dancing Etiquette
- Ballroom Manners and Etiquette
- Sex & Sexuality in the 19th Century
- Victorian Homes and Gardens
- The Shops and Shopkeepers
- Victorian Christmas
- The History of British Winters
- Top Ten Pet Peeves, or Horse-Related Mistakes to Avoid in your Story
- Marriage in the Victorian Era
- Victorian Wedding Guide
- Victorian Technology
- History - Victorian Technology
Commerce
- British Money
- Wages and Cost of Living in the Victorian Era
- Pricing and Money
- Victorian Money
- Cost of Living in Victorian England
- How Much Is That - Calculating Prices Throughout the Years
Entertainment & Food
- Victorian Menu - Cooking and Recipes
- A Time Traveler’s Guide to Victorian Era Tea Etiquette (PDF)
- The Victorian Pantry
- Victorian Era Food Recipes
- Victorians Food Facts - Cookbook
- Food, Recipes and Tea
- Victorian Tea Time Recipes - Sandwich and Cheese Straws
- Victorian Era Recipes
- Victorian Food, Party & Recipes
- Victorian Dinner Parties
- 19th Century Food and Drink
- What the Poor Ate
- The Arts in Victorian Britain
- Victorian Art, Literature and Music
- Music, Theater, and Popular Entertainment in Victorian Britain
- Victorian Entertainments - We Are Amused
- 19th Century Hobbies and Daily Activities
- Victorian Pastimes and Sports
- Victorian Fun and Games & Other Pastimes
- 19th Century British and Irish Authors
Hygiene, Health & Medicine
- Health and Hygiene in the Nineteenth Century
- Victorian Diseases and Medicine
- Health & Medicine in the 19th Century
- 19th Century Diseases
- Victorian Health
- Five Horrible Diseases You Might Have Caught in Victorian England
- Alcohol and Alcoholism in Victorian England
- A Look Back at Old-Time Medicines
- Victorian London’s Drug Culture
- Victorian - Medical Breakthroughs
- Victorian Hospitals
- Victorian - Baths and Washhouses
- Medicine and Health in Victorian Times
- The Victorian Revolution in Surgery
- Victorian Science and Medicine
- Victorian Health and Medicine
- Women’s Health
- Victorian View on Menstruation
- Reusable Menstrual Products
- Childbirth and Birth Control in the 19th Century
- British Maternal Mortality in the 19th and early 20th Centuries
- The Historical Horror of Childbirth
- Contraception: Past, Present and Future Factsheet
- History of Contraception in America, 19th Century Artifacts
Fashion
- Dressing the Victorian Woman
- Victorian Hats
- Victorian Jewelry
- Victorian Hairstyles & Headdresses
- Hair of the Nineteenth Century
- How to Dress for Travel in 1852
- Victorian Men’s Clothing
- How to Dress Like a Victorian Man from the 1860s
- How to Dress Victorian
- Victorian Era Fashion
- Royal Fashion
- Victorian Fashion
- Boy’s 1860s Fashions
- Dressing the Victorian Girl of the 1890s
- Victoria’s Real Secret — The Victorians Knew Underwear
- How to Undress a Victorian Lady in Your Next Historical Romance
- Early Victorian Undergarments; Part 1, luxurious silk hose, colorful stockings, & socks
- Early Victorian Undergarments; Part 2, Chemises and camisoles
- Early Victorian Undergarments; Part 3, Pantalettes, pantalets, drawers, and bloomers
- Victorian Ladies Shoes & Boots
- Victorian Swimwear
- Victorian Men and Woman Swim Wear
Dialogue
- Victorian Language
- The Language of Flowers
- Victorian London - Words and Expressions
- A Dictionary of Victorian Slang (1909)
- Victorian Slang
- 19th Century Swears
- Victorian Slang - Lower Class and Underworld
- Cliches and Saying of the Victorian Era
- The Dictionary of Victorian London
Justice & Crimes
- How Safe Was Victorian London?
- Crime and the Victorian Household
- Danger inside the Train: Crime on Victorian Railways
- Railway Mania
- How Widespread Were Concerns About Prostitution?
- Fallen Women
- The Great Social Evil: Victorian Prostitution
- Sexual Violence in Nineteenth Century England
- Victorian Poisoners
- Crime and the Victorians
- Victorian Crime
- Victorian Crime & Punishment
- Victorian Women Criminals’ Records Show Harsh Justice of 19th Century
- Sentences and Punishments
- Types of Punishments - Hanging
- Types of Punishments - Imprisonment
- Victorian Children in Trouble with the Law
- Child Prisoners in Victorian Times
- Victorian Crime
- Victorian-era Serial Killers
- The Development of a Police Force
- The Metropolitan Police
- A Work-Life History of Policemen in Victorian and Edwardian England (PDF)
- How The Victorians Cracked Crime
- Tracking a 19th-Century Serial Killer
Yay!
(via sigmabunny)
I write stories for YOU
That’s right! I’ll write anything at all. All you have to do is pop a prompt into this part of my forum, which welcomes Anons, and put in any old thing you like.
If I am not familiar with the thing, I will make something up.
If I am familiar with the thing, you can expect some quality shit.
But more often than not, I will turn it into a thing in my pet universe.
Do not let my prompt well go dry. I need YOUR help to keep creative.
So give me a prompt! Free of charge!
How to praise writers and influence fics
I’ve seen a lot of posts recently reminding readers to leave feedback on fics, which is great!! Writers deserve all the love they can get. Likes, reblogs, comments, messages, these are the lifeblood of writers. They are proof that people are reading, that they’re enjoying, and that they want more.
But maybe readers don’t know what to say. Maybe you’re new to Tumblr, new to reading fan fiction, shy, or just not sure how to say what you want to say.
Let me start by saying, no matter how popular the blog or how cool you think they are, everyone loves a compliment. If you’re worried about sounding silly or bothering people, let me assure you- a message will make your writer do a happy dance (depending on the writer, they may actually get up and dance. I have.)
Here’s the basic ways of communicating with writers on Tumblr:
Likes and kudos- these are great, they’re the high-fives in this world. They’re the “hey, nice” nod.
Reblogs- even better, because they mean exposure. More people see the story and that makes us really happy. A reblog with a comment is amazing, especially one that entices others to read. These make a writer’s day.
Comments and messages- these are the thing that keeps us going. Most of us have anon turned on- and if we don’t, just let us know you want a private reply. (And, if your writer has anon off, it probably means they’ve been getting hate and deserve extra love.)
Recommendations- recs are like coming in to work to find someone baked your favorite cake and left it on your desk. Recommendations make your writer feel so loved and valued!So, that’s all good, but what do you actually SAY to writers? It doesn’t have to be much or take a lot of time.
A simple “This is great/funny/hot!” is wonderful. "Best fic I’ve read this week!“ "Funny as hell and cute too.” "You have to read this, it’s awesome!“ "I can’t wait for more of this.” "I hope you keep going!“ These are great in reblogs and in messages.
Even better is specific feedback. We love specific feedback, because it tells us what readers liked and what they didn’t. Want to influence our next fic? Tell us what you liked about this one and I bet you it will keep showing up! Specific feedback is just telling the writer what you liked. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, either. (But if you write a lot, we will love you so much.)
Was there a character you liked? Talk about them: "I love how you wrote X” “Y was so funny!” "OMG I wanted to STRANGLE Q!“ "You can really feel X’s frustration.” "Y has so much depth, they’re a really well-rounded character.“ "R says so much with so few words, it’s amazing.”
What about a part or line you enjoyed? "That bit in the park- LOVE IT.“ "I have never read a better description of a cup of tea.” "The way you wrote about his fear, that was heartbreaking.“
Was there a part that made you feel something? Happy, sad, angry? "That last sentence killed me, he’s so broken.” "I wanted to jump around when they finally kissed!“ "This chapter was so tense, my heart was pounding by the end.”
Did the characters or plot or setting remind you of your life? "I live in Brussels, that’s just how that street looks.“ "When Y talked about R, I knew exactly how he felt.” "You captured that lost, aimless feeling perfectly; I’ve so been there.“
Are there unanswered questions? Mention how much you want the answers. "I can’t wait to find out what’s in the basket!” "That was a cliffhanger ending, wow.“ "How is she going to explain THAT?” (some writers are touchy about predicting, though, so stay away from “I bet he’ll throw that letter out.” or “X is clearly coming back.”)
A few closing notes: be enthusiastic if that’s your style, go crazy with exclamation marks, smileys, caps! Tell a writer if you’re rereading their work- very little makes us happier than knowing our writing has the staying power for a second, third, sixth, tenth read. Did a reread give you a new insight or feeling about the fic? Tell us! We will be so excited to hear. And remember, recommendations are wonderful- putting up a random post tagging your favorite writers or fics you’re enjoying will show the writers that they’re writing is more than a flash in the opan and they’ll get some new readers too!
We can’t do this writing thing without you guys. So thank you so much! Without readers, we’re just talking to ourselves. We love and appreciate you for reading- but we need to know you’re doing it. We need feedback like we need air. Don’t let your favorite writers suffocate! :)
One thing to add - if recs are like cake left on your desk, fanart/sketches of your work are like a metric ton of hot fudge sundae plus a thousand dollars.
Important!
(via seaofdreams-moved)
Writer’s Mood Ring Colors, by M. Kirin.
Want more writerly content? Follow maxkirin.tumblr.com!
(via seaofdreams-moved)
CALLING ALL FANS OF MY STUFF
I know you’re out there. I can see you following me.
What I’m trying to do is get my books out in every format, starting with the most recent, Kung Fu Zombies.
What I can’t find to save my soul is an audiobook publisher who is NOT affiliated with Audible.com.
Audible demands that everything published through them is also published through Amazon. You know them. They’re the arseholes that own your book’s rights if you publish via them.
I’d rather keep my rights to my books, thankyouverymuch.
So.
If no such audio publisher exists… I am on the look-out for podcasters who are willing to do readings/serialisations of my books, starting with Kung Fu Zombies. I will give the audiobook away FOR FREE rather than give my rights away to Amazon.
If you, personally, cannot help, please reblog. Maybe someone who follows you can help.
art takes hours to produce and seconds to consume so dont act suprised when artists get upset when their posts only get likes and no reblogs
similarly a piece of writing that takes a few minutes to read could have weeks of work behind it… dont take creativity for granted when ur getting it for free
AT LONG LAST
SOMEONE SAID IT
(Source: princeloki-isdead, via mahanawhonahan)
YO WRITERS
Stop what you’re doing right now and go write 3 sentences of your story.
Every time you see this, write 3 lines.
Reblog so other writers will do the same, let’s finish these damn stories.
(Source: metradell-vyorei, via kinshisetsunai)
How to be a Writer
Step 1: Hate everything you ever write ever.
Step 2: Keep writing.
(via lettheleavesfall)
Some questions for writers!
Reblog with your answers! I want to get more communication going in the writing community here. Answer one, answer some! Answer whatever you want to!
1. What was the first character you ever created? No matter how embarrassing.
2. Is there a specific thing that made you want to start writing more?
3. Favorite character you’ve ever created?
4. Do your stories tend to have only a few characters or a lot?
5. Do you sit down and plan out your worlds or just let them build themselves as you write?
6. Do you ever meet people and want to write about them?
7. What kind of environment do you do most of your writing in? Music or no music? Loud or quiet? In private or wherever?
8. Do the people in your life ever read what you write, or do you tend to not show them?
9. What inspires you?
10. What’s the weirdest character you’ve ever created?
11. What’s the most boring character you’ve ever created?
12. Do you name your background characters? Do you even have them?
13. Are you one of the writers who writes in symbolism and specifically thinks about things like the color of a hat or that kind of thing? Or do you just pick those things at random?
14. Are there any authors you feel have influenced your style? Published authors, fanfic authors, ect.
15. Were you a story teller before you could write?
16. How many characters have you created?
17. Do your stories tend to take place in the real world or in a fantasy world? Both? Neither?
18. Do you tend to set your stories in the present or the past or the future? Do you think about when it’s set or does that not factor into the story?
19. What kind of things do you like to write? Poetry? Short stories? Novels? Fanfiction? Children’s Books? Nonfiction? Something else entirely?
20. Do you like to do events like NaNoWriMo or the Three Day Novel, or do you prefer to do things at your own pace?
I’m distracted enough by this to answer them all, so for your entertainment…
1) My first character was Shayde, but she didn’t have a name and a past for a few years after I first doodled her.
2) It was a combination of things. First - Paramount decided to stop making DS9, and second - people kept telling me I should write books for a living. It still took me years of procrastination before I wrote my first novel.
3) Don’t make me choose from my babies.
4) I generally start out with simple ideas, but before I know it there’s 50 characters and it’s all got out of hand.
5) I mess with scenarios when I’m doing other things. By the time I sit to write, it just… flows.
6) Haha no, that would get me sued. What I do is nick aspects and build new people out of that. Frankenstein style.
7) I like to have background noise, usually music, but I can write and have written whilst binge-watching television.
8) I make my nearest and dearest Beta-read for me BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Beloved _used_ to read my fanfic, but those days are long over.
9) All sorts of different things. The media I take in, the odd shitpost on Tumblr, and of course, some things that piss me off.
10) That would have to be Shayde. Magical girl taken by “gods” and transformed into a Shadow Elemental before she was catapulted through loads of dimensions to fix things for the “gods”. Then she’s betrayed and returned to the right location (technically) but the wrong time.
11) If they were boring, I wouldn’t write them.
12) I have background characters, but they have a knack of becoming foreground characters soon after that. And that’s when they get names.
13) I don’t think about symbolism unless it’s fucking blatant.
14) Sir Terry Pratchett (GNU), Lois McMaster Bujold, Douglas Adams, and the Goons.
15) Oh yes. I would babble strange tales to myself as a kid. All goddamn day.
16) I have honestly lost count. Shit-tons.
17) I’m definitely fantasy. Reality is both too dull and too abundant to write about.
18) I am all over the fucking map. I generally choose my genre and setting before I start writing, though.
19) I love to write stories of all lengths, but I try to stick to novels. Science fiction and fantasy for the most part. What I write next is up to whichever good idea is the shiniest.
20) NaNoWriMo is a good idea in theory, but the practice is a little beyond me. I can manage 3K words a week without suffering (loose ligaments plus rheumatism is a pain in the anatomy. Literally) and that’s what I stick to. And I can spend a little time on side-projects for my own entertainment.