About Sophie Irwin: Sophie has spent years immersed in the study of historical fiction, from a dissertation on why Georgette Heyer helped win World War Two, to time spent in dusty stacks and old tomes doing detailed period research when writing this book. Her love and passion for historical fiction bring a breath of fresh air and a contemporary energy to the genre. Her debut novel is A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting and joining me today to talk about that, and so much more, is author Sophie Irwin. In this episode, Mike and Sophie discuss: Why her writing starts with consuming stories across multiple genres and media platforms. The draw of historical fiction (and how it is similar to fantasy). Building an immersive world without overwhelming your readers. Embracing and feeding your inner selves - past, present, and future. Finding a community within the solitary process of writing. Key Takeaways: Historical fiction has a texture that is rich and gorgeous in a way that is different from modern reality. Turn the trope on its head and consider giving your protagonist a reason that isn’t altruistic and is honest about their drive. For your character to break the rules, you have to establish what they are. In historical fiction, there’s different rules depending on the time and location of your setting. Tell the story you want to tell and the rest will work itself out. Your first draft is going to be bad and you’re going to hate it (and maybe hate yourself). Push through that. The second draft is for making the writing better. "You have to try and retain some of that childlike ability to try and fail and carry on anyway." – Sophie Irwin Buy A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AI8aWW Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9780593491348 Connect with Sophie Irwin: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie.irwin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieHIrwin Connect with Mike Carlon: Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.