Where should I have my story set in?

Hey. Let me begin first by saying that I'm very excited that this is here. I doubt I'll ever leave ZU now. XD

Now, to buisness:

I'm thinking of writing a historical fiction mystery series, but I'm not sure where to put it. I've narrowed it down to Colonial America circa 1770s just when the American Revolution was about to begin, or the 1800s.

Thing is, they're so full of pros and cons that I'm not sure which is the best one to choose from:

Thing is, if I set it in Colonial America, I have the patriot/loyalist angle, I like the culture of the times but honestly, there isn't a whole lot about this period outside the American Revolution. Most of the books about it is all about the Founding Fathers and how we valiantly overthrew King George III. I set it just around the American Revolution because the main characters are loyalists and we can explore the whole thing from their POV.

If I move it over to the 1800s, I loose that angle and just how many mystery books are out there that are set in the 1800s? Plus, there's that jarring event called the Civil War in 1861 so I hesitate to set it in the 1850s.

I was even thinking of setting it in another time period entirely (Like 1950s, present day, or perhaps thousands of years into the past). I once discussed soemthing like this on the ZU Chat and someone said I should have it set in the Ottoman Empire circa 1700s, so I'll include a poll.

On an unrelated note, historical fiction means that even though it's set in the past, it's not 100% true, right? So if I had my main character ally with...say...John Adams or another famous historical figure, no one would pitch a fit because it's just a fictional story set in the past, right? Just as long as I kept the facts straight.

Thanks.

Historical fiction is just that- fiction. Even if you had a character spend time with, say, John Adams or George Washington, it wouldn't really kick a fuss with anyone simply because it's fiction. As far as what time period to set it in goes, I'd probably say pick the timeframe that has the most material about it. Perhaps it would be best to research the times more as well, just to see if you can find more material about them.

What you could do is write a historical fiction centering around some of the more obscure wars (1812, Korean War, ect). :3

Ah! Interesting that you say that.

I had considered setting my book in the 1850s, just after the Mexican-American War. The idea was that the main character was a Mexican orphan rescued by an American soldier just before the war ended and the pair returns home to Alabama. The story is set two years after the fact.

Originally Posted by Link the Zora

Ah! Interesting that you say that.

I had considered setting my book in the 1850s, just after the Mexican-American War. The idea was that the main character was a Mexican orphan rescued by an American soldier just before the war ended and the pair returns home to Alabama. The story is set two years after the fact.

That's actually a very interesting angle to approach it from. If you really wanted to, you could even attempt to connect that to the Civil War. Perhaps you could even throw in references to the construction of the Continental Railroad as well. :3

That's why I like it, plus, my main character can be Mexican, not American. AND I can make subtle references for what's to come in eleven years.

I was thinking of doing the prolouge first, so the reader can fully understand how the main character came to be rescued by the American soldier. Only problem is that once again my OCD, rigid need for everything to be exactly historic and realistic as possible comes in. Want me to put down my idea of the proluge (I'll include how my rigidness is getting in the way) so you can better understand it?