Author Archives: Hana Samek Norton

About Hana Samek Norton

I am a historian who writes 'history with a story' in off-duty hours.

“But I am a Writer!” The Pestilence of Praise

Posted on September 15, 2019

Hot Takes (noun) Definition: “A quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction (as in response to current news)” Merriam-Webster (1st use 2012) Nurturing, supportive, positive, respectful, encouraging, non-judgmental… Has anyone noticed how often these … Continue reading →

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The One Thing Historical Fiction Writers Ought to Know

Posted on March 12, 2017

The Gender-Genre Wars In a recent issue of Writer’s Digest, literary agent Irene Goodman offered her advice on “16 Things All Historical Fiction Writers Need to Know.” Among them was the caution (?) that “This kind of fiction requires high … Continue reading →

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Advice on How to Write Historical Fiction–Not

Posted on July 13, 2016

By the way, did anyone notice that there has been much ‘how-to’ and ‘advice’ offered lately on writing historical fiction ? A perusal of the ‘literature’—and I confess to have done my share—finds that some are more ‘creative’ than others Continue reading →

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The Lusignans of Poitou

Posted on March 27, 2016

The recent developments in the Middle East revived academic and public interest in the West’s previous encounters with that part of the world. These events created something of a cottage industry of  histories and novels recounting the crusades, particularly the … Continue reading →

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