I like studying history because you find stories too outrageous to write as fiction. I also like the small stories of big characters because there is the insight as to who they were.

A great example is Teddy Roosevelt. He was born into wealth, but that was not the biggest influence on his character. I’m not going into detail because a friend of mine has already done that work. I’ve known JT Fusco for a few years now and he’s starting a new direction with podcasts. He began with a 10 episode series on Teddy and he did a great job letting you get to know the man. It’s worth looking into, believe me.

It is also the way I like to write historical fiction. It’s all about the story of individuals going through a big moment in history. Though in my fiction, the characters usually have no idea they are living in such a moment. In Teddy’s case, he created the moment. A different point of view, and that’s about as good as it gets, right? Expansion of perspective is a good thing in my experience.

Good job, JT. Keep ‘em coming.