Non-fiction vs. Novel

Non-fiction vs. Novel

I’ve noticed that there never seems to be a shortage of new Civil War books coming out. After all, it is the most written about subject, having the most books published about it. New perspectives seem to pop up all the time. The thing I find interesting is that there are very few novels being written about the subject. When I attended the Civil War Antique Show in Southaven, Mississippi a couple of months ago, I was approached by several people who seemed intrigued that I had written a novel. Another author at the event put it this way: in his opinion, it is easier to write non-fiction (which is exactly what he was selling) than it is to write a novel. I assume the same amount of research goes into both, but a novel has to go a cut above. Non-fiction books merely tell the events that took place. A novel lives it. While I was writing, I found myself imagining what it must have been like to be in battle while on horseback. I put so much imagination into my story that I even dreamt I was being shot at! Because I have written both fiction and non-fiction, I agree with what that other author told me. Both have an important place, but to go a step beyond just telling the story by incorporating believable characters and events is a challenge this writer gladly accepts.