I'd like to share a few do's and don'ts of writing historical fiction, things I wish I'd known when I began, and mistakes to avoid. First of all, if I did it, it's very likely you can too. You would not believe the absolute, pathetic mess my first drafts were. It requires a lot of time and effort, but it's fun! 

Do's

1. Be obsessed with your story. Otherwise, you'll run out of steam. I was enamored with the subject of indentured servitude, and quite consumed with the early 18th century. I was often sincerely angered at the fact that I couldn't travel back in time. 
2. Devour books on how to write, and books in the genre you want to write in. 
3. Sign up for reputable Creative Writing workshops. I highly recommend UCLA's Extension program. I signed up for other workshops, but they can be inconsistent. Apply for scholarships. I won a whole year of free courses at UCLA. 
4. Use the word-processing program Scrivener. Among other things, it makes moving chapters around extremely easy. I knew that my characters' timelines would be parallel until they met. I began writing Blair's story independently of Mallie's, thinking it would be a piece of cake to intersperse their respective scenes. Big mistake! It was a nightmare to properly arrange their plot lines so that the dates matched. It would've been much more complicated had I been working with a Word doc. 
5. I know it's not easy to take the leap and spend the money, but if at all possible travel to the locations where your story takes place. I read this advice in The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction (James Alexander Thom). I remember staring at the screen on my laptop, looking at flights for Belfast, wondering if I was being a responsible, committed author, or if I was just looking for an excuse to go on a trip. I'm so glad I decided to go. I learned things I never would have otherwise. For example, a tour guide for an historical bar-hopping tour uttered a delightful saying that I included in the first chapter. I walked into a bookstore in Belfast and found a book describing what the city looked like in the 18th century. Seeing black candles in Colonial Williamsburg gave me an idea that is very important to the plot. Travel alone; you're on a mission. Have fun and enjoy yourself. 
6. Research, research, research. Historical societies are wonderful. Google books is a wealth of obscure material. That's where I found The English Remedy, Or, Talbor's Wonderful Secret for Cureing of Agues and Feavers..., which was first published in 1682. I must confess that I found a lot of books through Amazon. Today, I would go first to an independent bookstore. 
7. DO work with professional editors. Don't even think about skipping this. My first UCLA teacher became my first editor. Then I hired someone through NY Book Editors, and then a third editor through Kirkus. Finally, I hired a copy editor. Yes, this has been an extremely expensive hobby. I don't even know if I'll break even. But I couldn't ask for a better Kirkus and BlueInk review. 
8. Do hire a copywriter to write your book blurb and bio. 
9. Do pay for a Kirkus review, but only once your manuscript has been thoroughly polished. I requested mine after three rounds of professional edits and two rounds with my copy editor. Do pay for a BlueInk review. I'm currently waiting for my Publisher's Weekly review. Publisher's Weekly doesn't charge, but they don't review every manuscript they get. Given that I have a great Kirkus review, I'm optimistic this will improve the chances that PW will consider my manuscript. 
10. Create an Instagram account. I regret not doing this years ago. I would have shared hundreds of pictures of all the gorgeous historical places I went to. Imagine the followers you'll potentially have by the time you publish your novel.  
11. Use social media. Trust me, I know all about the dark side of Facebook, but it was a great way to keep my friends and family updated on my project. There were times when I regretted telling them about Freedom Dues so far ahead in time (it took me seven years to publish) but in the end it was a good thing. They were excited to see me reach my goal. 

Don'ts

1. Don't take off full run without an outline. When I began writing I estimated the number of words in the novel Gates of Fire (Steven Pressfield), and that became my goal. That's one very long novel! Somehow, through almost the entirety of my writing process I was oblivious to the fact that agents and publishers demand that a first-time author's manuscript be no longer than 100,000 words. I ended up with 170,000 words. It took me hours of work to make a U-turn and cut back, on top of all the hours researching and writing that went down the tubes. Even though I ended up self-publishing, I think it's still a good idea to keep the manuscript close to 100,000 words. Freedom Dues is 103, 119. 
2. If you have two characters whose stories are parallel for quite some time before they meet, don't write one character's story too far ahead in time before you catch up with the second character's scenes.
3. Don't be afraid to reach out to experts. I wrote to specialists in 18th century music, blacksmiths, a non-fiction author, the director of the Scots Language Centre in Scotland, and the Delaware tribe, just to name a few. Remember them in your Acknowledgments Page. 
4. Don't be afraid to be afraid. When I finished reading From Sea to Shining Sea (James Alexander Thom) I put the book down and burst into tears thinking "how can I ever expect to write something as wonderful as this?" When I was flying back after two heavenly weeks in Northern Ireland I had a minor panic attack thinking "why did I ever get myself into this mess? This is too difficult for me to pull off; I don't have what it takes." When I finally reached THE END, I was bursting with joy. Five minutes later I was crying thinking about all the rewriting that lay ahead. 

You know when was the last time I burst into tears over my book? When I read my Kirkus review. I was so relieved and happy, I collapsed into my boyfriend's arms and sobbed. I so very much want the same for you! I hope something that I say or write helps a little to get you there.