Why should you choose to write historical novels? Are they more difficult? Yes, in some ways, but they also have advantages. In writing historical you need the same skills as for any other novel, 26 . This is absolutely essential, and you need to be prepared for it and to enjoy doing it as much as you enjoy writing. There is, of course, some research needed for all novels, but usually far more for historical. This is part of the pleasure for many writers, though many admit they are often carried away and pursue avenues that have nothing to do with their current book but intrinsically fascinating. In the same way that 27 , writers like to do the same. From a practical point of view, it is easier to write a series of novels set in the past than a series set in the present. Series can be profitable for writers once they acquire a faithful readership, and the setting can move forward in time almost indefinitely. Then there is the possibility of endless variety of time and place from which the novelist can choose. 28 Some writers confine themselves to one period, others have setting from different times.