No story – historical or contemporary happens in isolation. The shadow of the times impact literature and vice versa. Even in fantasy worlds, both major and minor characters are impacted by the world events – even if the entire world is fictional. How a character reacts to a real-time world event (or a fantasy one) and how it changes their near story world makes your story a witness to history.
Imagine your character living through a historical incident. It could be
- a landmark election or
- a political upheaval like Brexit
- It could be a natural disaster that impacts millions or
- it could be man-made like war
- It could be a cultural phenomenon
- It could be a terrorist incident
- It could be the death of a beloved cultural icon
Imagine a scene where your character hears or reads about the event. What are they feeling? Who are they interacting with? How does this impact their story choices?