Choose a culture or time period that genuinely interests you. Considering the amount of research you will need to do and the amount of time you will need to invest in your book, choose a subject that can truly hold your interest for a long and painstaking period of time.
Research extensively before you begin writing. Study the time period, know the politics, the clothing, the customs and the conflicts that plagued the citizenry. Read first-person accounts and historical documents until you truly feel you can write authoritatively about your subject matter and paint a vivid and accurate picture for readers.
Develop a plot outline using the constraints, struggles and historically significant events of your chosen time period. For example, if you want to write about American women during the mid-to-late 18th century, you can use the American Revolution as a backdrop for your story and build a plot around the struggle for independence as seen through the eyes of a female protagonist.
Begin writing your novel. Start with an important action to grip your readers and set the pace for your story, including plenty of descriptions that will serve as an introduction to your historical setting. These can include descriptions of clothing appropriate to the time, ancient background imagery and any archaic language or terminology.
Develop a writing routine and stick to it. Now that you have begun your novel, create habits to ensure that you see it through to the end. Keep in mind your goals and limitations and set aside time each day for your writing. By choosing a specific time for writing each day, such as 3-5 p.m., you will develop a routine and find the process easier to maintain.
Find a balance between historical background and entertainment. If you focus too much on the history, you will bore your readers. On the other hand, if you focus entirely on the characters and dialogue, you will undermine your efforts at creating a piece of historical fiction. Try to engage both the intellect and the emotions of your readers by educating while always keeping the story moving forward.
Include only scenes that advance your story or heighten the suspense. Leave out any scenarios that ultimately lead nowhere.
Continue to research your subject throughout the writing process. Along the way, you will learn new things and improve your ability to write an accurate reflection of the time, in addition to developing new ideas for background information and plot twists.
Focus on the writing, and save your proofreading and fact checking until the end. Once you have a completed draft, you can edit your work as needed.
Put your finished book aside for a few weeks and then begin your editing and redrafting. By stepping away from the project, you can re-read it with a fresh perspective and pick up on things you might have missed before. Don't be afraid to change or eliminate entire sections of your book if they just do not work.