Of all the Genres in the World—Why Historical Fiction?

History has always fascinated me, even when I was a child. I remember when my third-grade class visited the library in our school; I would go directly to the biography section. It was near the bottom of the shelf, and I would sit on the carpet and get lost reading about people like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and the presidents of the United States. These were simple books, but were enough to whet my appetite for reading. Soon, I immersed myself in stories by Louisa May Alcott, Johanna Spyri, James Herriot, and A. A. Milne. Each harkened back to a time before my birth, piquing my imagination.

I was one of those kids who asked how life was in the “olden days”. My grandmother was all too happy to pull out the family photos and share memories of those who had gone before us. In my mind, I tried to imagine a daily life with horses for transportation and living close to the land. The photographic evidence left for me to ponder documented the times as they changed. A picture of a Model T Ford. My grandmother and her five sisters in the 1920s. My mother in the 1940s and 50s as she grew into womanhood.

As I grew up and endured the loss of family members as they aged, I realized how much treasure went with them. How much knowledge and insight we lose. I became increasingly interested in family history. My great aunt was an inspiration when she traveled to England and traced one of our family lines to Lincolnshire. She accomplished this epic task with the help of my cousins who accompanied her. This was before the internet, Ancestry.com, and other family history resources. I remain amazed at her accomplishment.

Family Detective Work

So, when Ancestry.com became available, I joined and started my family tree with little knowledge about the dos and don’ts of research. Even though I learned some things the hard way, like citing sources and not blindly adding someone else’s information to my tree, I kept coming back in ebbs and flows. I always found treasure, and this fed my need to dig for more.

When COVID hit, like many others, the lockdown changed my life. I came to understand that this was a sentinel moment and a turning point. Like many of us, I experienced loss, but through prayer, I also learned that this was an opportunity to slow down and evaluate what I should do with the rest of my life. I had entered my 60s marking a new phase. So, I examined every hobby and interest I had. When I came to genealogy, the question of questions made me panic. Having spent over 20 years researching and constructing the family tree, how do I share our family history in a way that is both engaging and significant? Few would think of visiting the family tree online. Life is too busy. What would I do with the boxes and shelves full of documents, books, and photos?

 

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The Lord’s Direction

So, I prayed. And the Lord answered. About this time, a friend of mine started a writing group called Word Weavers at our church. She invited me to observe, and I joined after one visit. I didn’t have the full vision God had, but I knew I wanted to write stories that were better than the report-like narratives I put inside all those Christmas cards I sent each year. Over time, my writing improved, and it didn’t take long for me to wonder which one of my ancestors I should write about first.

My four^th great-grandmother was the one who brought my father’s family over from England. She was an enigma to me because she was a widow with five children, had journeyed across the ocean from Cornwall, and ended up in Pennsylvania. How could a middle-aged widow with five children manage a journey like that on her own, and why did she come to a little town in Pennsylvania way back in 1843?

I had to know. I knew this was the story I had to write but when I studied the records I had found, there were many more questions to be answered. While writing a submission every month, I did more research. I was more serious about doing research than I was about writing at this point.

From Detective to Writer

Another writing friend told me I should take writing more seriously. His remark got my attention, so I applied myself, read craft books, and listened to podcasts. I could see my progress and cringed at some of my earlier submissions so much so that imposter syndrome infected my psyche.

While listening to a podcast, the expert suggested that new writers should write short stories. I prayed about it. Hard. I had signed up for the Florida Christian Writers Conference and decided I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. I needed to know if I was wasting my time. But to know, I needed the courage to put myself out there to people who didn’t know me. Through prayer, I wrote the story; my Word Weaver friend helped edit the finished piece.

Award night came, and there we sat, watching the winners walk up to the stage to accept their awards. Who in the world was I to enter a contest with all these talented people? The last category was short stories. I knew I would not place, but I listened as they announced the third-place winner. Maybe, just maybe, I’d get third place. No. Oh, well. I’d go home and chalk all this up to a learning experience. An expensive learning experience. So, when they announced second place, I already knew I hadn’t won. And I didn’t. I was hardly listening when the girl announced first place, but then I heard the title of my story. My friend grabbed my arm at the same time I turned to her in total shock, breathless. I could hardly see my way to the stage because of the happy tears. I’m sure it seemed to many in attendance that I over-reacted, but to me, it was the moment I realized God was offering me a partnership.

The Joy of Looking Back

I love bringing the past to life through stories. To get under the skin of those who lived before us. Striving to understand the context of their lives, their joys and struggles. To explore the hows and whys. The love, the pain, the sacrifices. There is an invisible connection to our ancestors. They literally live within us. Real people. They belong to us and we belong to them. In studying our history, we discover ourselves. What do we owe our family? How do we survive change? When do we stay, leave, forgive, or begin again?

It makes for a great read.

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Meet Jane…

Jane Bayly Vaughan’s love for God and family permeates her life, including her passion to share stories rooted in genealogy and history. Using her 20+ years of experience as a family historian, Jane has written articles and short stories. Her historical fiction short story Becoming Grace won first place at the 2024 Florida Christian Writers Conference. The Ties That Bind, her debut novel, will release May 2nd of 2026 and is the first in the A Story of Grace Series.

Learn more at Jane’s website or visit her BRRC Author Profile Page