Writing Historical Fiction That Keeps Readers Turning Pages, with Terry Kirk

Send us a text! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the show. Strong historical fiction does more than recreate the past. It pulls readers into another time, helps them understand what was at stake, and keeps them turning the pages. In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I’m joined by lawyer, finance and fintech innovator, and historical fiction author Terry Kirk.  Terry is the author of Pitfall and Plunder, two financial thrillers that bring major moments in history to life through memorable characters, high stakes, and plenty of suspense. Terry came to writing later in life after spending several decades practising law. She shares how her professional experience inspired her to write fast-moving stories that make the world of finance interesting and accessible, particularly for readers who might otherwise find it intimidating. Her latest novel, Plunder, takes place in London in 1940, as World War II intensifies and America considers entering the war. Terry’s protagonist, Frank Cork, has been given an enormous task: find the money needed to help finance the war. We talk about the research required to write historical fiction convincingly, from studying fashion and magazines to understanding how people communicated before email, text messages, and instant access to information.  Terry explains why the smallest historical details can make the biggest difference, and how she immerses herself in an era before she begins writing. We also dig into the craft of writing suspense. Terry shares how she keeps a story moving even when the historical realities involve delays, letters, and slow communication.  Her approach includes strong chapter openings and endings, changing points of view, and resisting the urge to rely on words like “suddenly” to create tension. As a committed plotter, Terry uses Excel to track her chapters, characters, word count, and story development. She sees the spreadsheet and the blank Word document as two different creative spaces, one for structure and one for imagination. Our conversation also explores writing characters whose lives are very different from our own, the challenges of cultural appropriation, her surprisingly quick path to publication, and the discomfort many writers feel when they have to move from quiet creative work to marketing their books. Terry’s story is a lovely reminder that it is never too late to begin writing. After decades in another career, she found that becoming a writer felt like coming home. Listen to learn: How to research historical fiction without overwhelming the story Ways to create suspense and maintain narrative pace Why chapter endings and multiple points of view keep readers engaged How plotting tools can support the creative process What Terry learned from beginning her writing career later in life Why writers need courage during both publishing and promotion Listen now for an honest and encouraging conversation about historical fiction, plotting, publishing, and finding the writing life that feels like home.