William Styron (author of The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie’s Choice) said, “I don’t think an historical novelist should be restricted to the facts; he should take liberties. The historical novelist works best when fed on short rations.” Yes! Give us a crumb, we can create an entire loaf. Give us a loaf, the best we can do is slice it and add sandwich filling. When I write, I freely mix fact and fiction. The best reward is when I finish a manuscript and can’t remember what’s fact and what’s my own invention. For more of my thoughts on writing, see REFLECTIONS.
