Writing Alternate History

I get numerous invites to contribute stories to various anthologies throughout the year, each with a unique theme. I usually make it a point to write a story for every invite because, let’s face it, the market can be unpredictable, and I thrive on the challenge of a deadline. So, when I was asked to write an alternate history story for an anthology featuring all women writers, exploring how the world might have changed if pivotal moments in women’s history had gone differently, I was intrigued. Imagine a world where Hillary Clinton became president or Princess Diana survived that tragic car crash. Fascinating, right?

However, there’s a catch. I don’t typically write alternate history because, well, it’s REALLY HARD. You need to have a solid grasp of real history to convincingly reimagine it, understanding how one tiny change could ripple out to alter the entire world. It’s a daunting task, and I initially resigned myself to passing on this opportunity despite its appeal.

But then, I remembered a question that has haunted me since childhood: What if the people of the Salem witch trials had encountered a real witch? Not the “consorting with the devil” kind, but someone with true command over the natural world. It always struck me as absurd that they believed they could execute a witch who supposedly possessed such powers. If these witches could hex people or blight crops, surely they could save themselves from the gallows, right? (While researching the Salem Witch Trials, I discovered Salem didn’t burn witches, they hung them. I had the misconception that they had been burned at the stake. This is what I mean about having a good grasp on history in order to write alternate history.)

With this idea in mind, I decided to dive in and write the story. It wasn’t easy. How do you convey the impact of such a monumental change within the confines of a short story? After much contemplation, I turned to a technique I’d seen before but never tried myself—switching between two time periods and incorporating original songs and prayers as integral parts of the narrative. I titled the story “Harvest Moon.”

To my surprise and delight, I fell in love with the story. It became a deeply spiritual piece, infused with more of myself than perhaps any other story I’ve written. Even better, my editor was thrilled with it and chose it as the opening story for the anthology. Not bad for a piece that had me pulling my hair out until the very last day of the deadline. Whew!

The anthology, titled “HERitage,” will be out in August. I hope you’ll pick up a copy. It’s packed with stories about how women can change the world if only given the chance.