KN Magazine: Articles
Making History Relevant to Story without Slowing the Pace
In this craft article, Tori Eldridge explores how writers can seamlessly integrate historical and cultural detail into fiction without slowing the pace. Through practical techniques like embedding history in character genealogy and revealing information at impactful moments, she demonstrates how to enrich storytelling while maintaining momentum and reader engagement.
(Includes an Excerpt from Hawai‘i Rage)
I write and enjoy reading page-turning fiction. So I cannot afford to slow down the pace, no matter how much character development, cultural information, or history I include. The key for me is to choose the right moment to share relevant facts that will stick with the readers. The tricky part is how.
I’m one of those authors who begins every new project with a place and sometimes a topic or community I want to explore. I dive into research, regardless of how familiar the location or topic is to me. It is during this process that I discover my characters, and a hint of a story appears. Although I’ve been writing contemporary fiction, my last four novels have also entwined historical timelines and facts. But since I don’t want to give a history lesson, I pick and choose what I share.
I rely on two techniques to weave in pertinent information that won’t put my readers to sleep.
The first is to create a family genealogy that is interwoven with the historical background I want to share.
I did this in The Ninja’s Oath by tying the ancestry of Lily Wong’s “uncle” Lee Chang—whose grand-niece she would help rescue—to the history of Shanghai. This connection to place became so significant that it inspired the thriller plot of the book.
I created an even more intricate genealogy for Ranger Makalani Pahukula’s family in Kaua‘i Storm, beginning with Makalani’s great-grandmother Punahele and her ten children. The story’s drama and mystery emerged from the cultural differences of intermarrying and depleting fractions of Native Hawaiian blood each generation had.
In Hawai‘i Rage—a contemporary Hawaiian western and family drama mystery—the ancestry of Hiapo Ranch began with the son of an early Mexican vaqueros King Kamehameha III bought over from Alta California to teach his people how to ride. I was able to include a lot of this fascinating Hawaiian cowboy history because it was woven into Hiapo ancestry and pertained to my plot. In this way, the history moved the story forward and added character depth.
My second technique is to drop relevant information at a moment in my story when it will stick in the reader’s mind.
With a book as richly entwined with history and culture as Hawai‘i Rage, it was especially important not to dump exposition or overload my readers with facts. My primary goal, after all, is to entertain. That said, my protagonist just took a new position as an interpretive ranger at Pu‘u Koholā Heiau National Historic site that King Kamehameha I was instructed to build to help him unite the Hawaiian Kingdom. Readers are going to be interested in learning a bit about that history. Not all. And only the parts that are relevant to my story, especially if the information I share helps my protagonist solve the mystery in my book.
The following excerpt exemplifies what I mean. In this scene, Makalani is plagued by a conversation she overheard while trying to study the historical materials her supervisory ranger has assigned her to read. Makalani is surprised to find clues to her mystery in the heiau’s treacherous past.
Why else I do what I do?
Makalani had stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
What did you mean, Malu? What did you mean?
His words refused to wash away even as the evening rainstorm pounded her roof. And when she rolled out of bed in the morning, she found them stuck in her sleep-deprived mind like sticks in the mud.
Why did you say that? What did you mean?
The conundrum followed her to work. In Pidgin English, locals frequently used the present tense even when they referred to something in past. When Malu had said, “Why else I do what I do?” was he reminding Louie of something he was doing now or something he had done before?
Like kill Larry Hiapo so Kupunakāne could put Louie in charge.
The treachery was echoed in the story she was reading, about how Kamehameha’s trusted military adviser and uncle murdered Kamehameha’s rival cousin in Kawaihae Bay—the same bay where Hiapo’s stepfather was killed swimming a steer to a boat. Makalani dropped her head into her palms as past and present muddled into a convoluted mess.
“Need a break from reading?” Ranger Akaka asked from the doorway.
“Yes!”
He laughed. “Come on. We can talk while we walk.”
She glanced down the hall for her supervisor. “Won’t Ranger Machado mind?”
Ranger Akaka smiled. “He’s on Maui today.”
The warmth of the midday sun eased the tension from Makalani’s shoulders as they walked along the visitors’ path. The stone heiau stood on the mauka side of the flat, barren land, muddy now because of the previous night’s rain. The lava platform was huge, over two hundred feet wide and twenty feet high. She had never seen one this large or with multiple tiers.
“How did they actually use it?”
“Good question.” Ranger Akaka said. “The kahuna or ali‘i—King Kamehameha I was both—would perform religious ceremonies or hold political meetings on this space. The attendees would sit on the lower two levels according to their standing in the community. Structures were sometimes built on the top level to offer shade for chiefs and advisers. Pu‘ukoholā’s size reflects its importance.”
He gestured toward the ocean. “When the visiting chiefs and their entourages would sail their outriggers into this bay, one of Kamehameha’s top warriors would throw a spear at the chief. If he caught the spear it meant he had enough mana—divine power and authority—to proceed.”
Makalani thought about the treacherous bit of history she had been reading that morning. “Was that how Kamehameha’s uncle killed his rival cousin?”
“No. Instead of throwing the spear, Keʻeaumoku opened his arms for a hug. Although the rival cousin knew Kamehameha would kill him as a sacrifice for the heiau, he had come to save his people from war.”
“Then why murder him?”
“Kamehameha wanted to talk with his cousin first. Keʻeaumoku feared the rival would deter the king from his destiny, so he and his men slaughtered all but one. But the treachery happened on both sides. Although the cousin had come willingly, he had mutilated his body to taint the sacrifice. One version of this story says the rival chief had even decided to live and planned to assassinate Kamehameha when they met.”
“So Keʻeaumoku acted without Kamehameha’s knowledge?”
“There are many versions of this story, but the one I believe makes Keʻeaumoku seem like the General Patton of the Pacific and a mafia hitman rolled into one.”
Makalani stared down at the beach, envisioning the multilayered treachery at play. In many ways, it reminded her of the Hiapo family today.
Tori Eldridge is the author of Kaua‘i Storm, the Lily Wong ninja thrillers, and Dance Among the Flames. Born in Honolulu—of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Norwegian descent—Tori graduated from Punahou School with classmate Barack Obama before performing as an actress, singer, and dancer on Broadway, television, and film, and earning a fifth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do ninja martial arts. Her literary works have garnered Anthony, Lefty, and Macavity Award nominations and the 2021 Crimson Scribe for Best Book of the Year. Tori lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, near her precious mo‘opuna (grandchildren), where she narrated the audiobooks for Hawai‘i Rage and other Ranger Makalani Pahukula mysteries. For more information about Tori, her book club extras, and her reading ‘ohana, visit www.torieldridge.com.
Between Pen and Paper: Flaneuring Through a Writer’s Mind – Why the Inescapable Laws of Nature Matter to Storytellers
A reflective and science-grounded craft essay exploring why the immutable laws of nature—from gravity and thermodynamics to planetary tilt and chemistry—matter deeply to storytellers. Blending cosmology, science fiction, philosophy, and creative practice, Andi Kopek invites writers to see the universe itself as a co-author in building believable, resonant worlds.
By Andi Kopek
This month, we’ll experience the shortest day of the year—a cosmic reminder that no matter how aggressively we caffeinate our mornings, how many apps we invent, or how many wars we start or can’t end, Earth continues tilting its stubborn 23.5 degrees and throwing snow in our faces.
We may adapt the environment to our needs—insulate it, refrigerate it, pave it, terraform it (fictionally, for now)—but as a species we remain lashed, quite firmly, to the cosmos and its unamused laws of physics.
It’s a humbling thought: even our wildest science-fiction flights depend on what the universe permits. You can bend physics only so far, stretch it only so thin—try to wink at it, and it raises an eyebrow (or the reader lowers their lips in disappointment). Even the fictional worlds we create must ultimately rest on the four fundamental laws of nature:
General Relativity
The Standard Model of Particle Physics
Quantum Mechanics
The Laws of Thermodynamics
These aren’t optional. They are the pillars holding up our worlds, real or imaginary—four immense supports of a suspension bridge stretching into the unknown on both ends. We stand upon it, preoccupied with our current state of affairs, trying to unravel the past or imagine futures, while quarks and entropy play on the cables like Einstein bowing a violin.
Creatives who like to play in a sandbox built by these laws are called sci-fi writers. I became a devoted fan of the genre growing up in Poland in the ’70s, when it offered a rare loophole—a way to smuggle big, dangerous, philosophical ideas past the watchful gaze of the Big Communist Brother. Perhaps some of you, concerned with our own modern flavors of censorship, will take the hint. Maybe your next detective story or mystery will unfold not in Nashville as we know it, but on a distant world; maybe the serial killer you’re chasing isn’t hiding in East Nashville but on PSR B1620−26b (the ancient Methuselah Planet) located in the southern arm of the Milky Way, y’all.
The best sci-fi stories I’ve read use scientific principles not as shackles but as springboards for imagination. Here are a few worth keeping in mind:
Gravity. Gravity determines body size, structure, mobility, and evolution; it influences circulation, muscle mass, bone density, and even how tall a creature dares to grow. A world with twice Earth’s gravity won’t give you graceful gazelles—it’ll give you grumpy, compact, low-slung creatures muttering at an early age about knee pain.
Atmospheric Composition. Life requires a medium for energy exchange. For us, that medium is oxygen, but other molecules could take its place: nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, even sulfur compounds. Change the atmosphere, and you change the biochemistry—and the smell of everything.
Radiation. Cosmic rays (which are mostly high-speed protons) and various types of electromagnetic radiation—infrared, ultraviolet, and microwave—constantly pepper planets. This radiation might nurture life, mutate it (which could mean more diseases but also faster evolution), or erase it.
Temperature. Most Earth life functions within a narrow temperature window (from about –20°C to +70°C), the range ideal for our enzymes and our chemistry. Below 0°C, life largely halts; by – 20°C, most biochemical reactions have effectively stopped. In the opposite direction, proteins denature above +50°C, and DNA strands come apart above +70°C. That’s the limit of our chemistry.
The Universal Solvent. These temperature limits mostly reflect our reliance on water as a solvent. Water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. Swap water for something else—say, methane, which freezes at –183°C—and life would look radically different. Imagine fish made of wax moving through liquid natural gas.
Magnetic Field. Charged cosmic particles—again, mostly high-energy protons—are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field, which acts as a planetary shield. Without that shield, life on Earth’s surface would be devastated… though not entirely erased. Some extremophiles would endure: certain bacteria (including the famous Conan the Bacterium), fungi (including even more famous Black Mold of Chernobyl), their spores, lichens (a fungus–cyanobacterium partnership), and the legendary indestructible animals—the water bears.
Planet’s Orbit & Tilt. Our planet’s tilt gives us the four seasons; an eccentric orbit would deliver wilder temperature swings. Too much tilt and you get seasonal mayhem; too little, and every day feels like Nashville in March.
Type of Planet’s Star. A star sets a planet’s energy budget as well as day–night rhythm. Remember: the amount of energy a planet receives from its star is inversely proportional to the square of its distance. Double the distance, and the light drops to a quarter. This simple math already creates a universe of possibilities for a writer.
Plate Tectonics / Geologic Activity. This feature is important for creating continents, mountains, mineral deposits, as well as tsunamis and nice views. It also maintains an atmosphere and recycles carbon.
Chemistry & Availability of Essential Elements. Life (as we know it) requires six main elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. But don’t forget the trace metals: iron, magnesium, molybdenum, copper, and nickel. Without them, enzymes don’t work, cells don’t breathe, and metabolism collapses.
So as you sit through this shortest of days, muttering at the early sunset and your cold coffee, remember: the universe with its laws is not your enemy. The cosmos is your co-author. As writers, we should honor the laws that shape our worlds, knowing that imagination deepens—not shrinks—when it leans on truth. If sci-fi authors could sneak philosophy past censors in 1970s Poland, you can certainly sneak a detective onto a distant exoplanet. The shortest day of the year is a great opportunity to recall that we’re temporary passengers on a tilted, spinning, pale blue dot rushing through mostly empty space at 1,300,000 mph*. We are nobody. Let’s respect the laws of nature and enjoy the ride and creativity.
Andi
*1,300,000 mph is the speed of the Earth moving through the cosmos as a part of the Milky Way galaxy’s journey relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Andi Kopek is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nashville, TN. With a background in medicine, molecular neuroscience, and behavioral change, he has recently devoted himself entirely to the creative arts. His debut poetry collection, Shmehara, has garnered accolades in both literary and independent film circles for its innovative storytelling.
When you’re in Nashville, you can join Andi at his monthly poetry workshop, participate in the Libri Prohibiti book club (both held monthly at the Spine bookstore, Smyrna, TN), or catch one of his live performances. When not engaging with the community, he's hard at work on his next creative project or preparing for his monthly art-focused podcast, The Samovar(t) Lounge: Steeping Conversations with Creative Minds, where in a relaxed space, invited artists share tea and the never-told intricacies of their creative journeys.
website: andikopekart.ink
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093119557533
IG: https://www.instagram.com/andi.kopek/
X: https://twitter.com/andikopekart
TT: www.tiktok.com/@andi.kopek
Between Pen and Paper: Flaneuring Through a Writer’s Mind – Time Travel Through Memory’s Imaginary Paths, or How the Brain Edits Your Past
A reflection on how memory constantly rewrites itself and how this natural editing of the past can become a powerful tool for writers of fiction, memoir, and thrillers.
By Andi Kopek
Have you ever caught yourself remembering something that never happened?
I currently, while writing my debut novel, am also working on my second one—meaning I’m collecting information, doing research, scouting locations, and interviewing family members. The novel will be loosely based on my family history and will span over 300 years, starting (if arranged chronologically) in 1821 and ending in 2160. One might call it historical science fiction.
While gathering family stories, I recalled events from my early childhood—or, to be precise, discovered that my recollections did not match the memories of my family’s elders. Without needing to go into the details of the events at this time, that realization prompted me to reflect on what we actually remember.
Our brains, those tireless editors, can’t resist revising the past. Each time we recall an event, we open the file, tweak a line, shift the tone, and hit save again—sometimes without realizing the edits we’ve made. Neuroscientists call this reconsolidation: memory not as a photograph but as a living document, rewritten every time we look. We don’t remember the original event; we remember the last time we remembered it.
Writers, of course, do it professionally. We time-travel through memory like reckless tourists—freely changing dialogue, repainting the sky, swapping characters. We think we’re preserving the past, but really, we’re composing it. The story of our lives is less a memoir than a series of ongoing drafts—each one a little truer to how we feel, and a little farther from what actually happened.
We like to think of memory as an archive—a room full of drawers neatly labeled childhood, college, that one heartbreak we swear we’re over. But the mind doesn’t keep good filing cabinets. Recalling the past is more like being half archaeology, half alchemy. While a restless archaeologist meticulously brushes the dust from fossilized fragments, an alchemist whispers spells over them, turning stone into gold—or gold back into stone.
Some of you, particularly readers of Killer Nashville Magazine and attendees of our annual conference, may have experienced this firsthand in court. When witnesses are called to testify, they believe they’re replaying an exact recording of what happened. But decades of research—especially by cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Loftus—show otherwise. A witness doesn’t press play; they reconstruct the scene, influenced by the questions asked, the room’s tension, even the faces watching them. Every courtroom becomes a theater of memory—actors, in good faith, improvise a scene while being convinced that the scene has been already written. The result isn’t false. It’s just… rewritten. Imagine a writer as a witness—the two-sided power of good storytelling.
Memory’s gaps, forgetting’s loopholes, and the brain’s determination to improvise its own facts are irresistible tools for any thriller or detective writer. Imagine the plot twists, red herrings, and narrative whiplash this flawed instrument of the mind can offer.
So, what’s real? What’s real in the past? Perhaps that’s why the epigraph of my next novel will include a quiet confession: based on the reality of my imagination. Because really, what else could memory be? Every time we recall, we revise. Every time we revise, we fold the past into the present tense. We don’t travel back in time—we reassemble it from the pieces still within reach. In other words, our memories are the latest translation of the remembered past.
One might even say, particularly a therapist, that our imperfect memories are a blessing—a kind of survival kit. If memory were permanent, perfectly accurate, there’d be no forgiveness, no growth, no moving on—only haunted houses. The edits save us, whether we like it or not. The new drafts keep us alive. Forgetting, sometimes, is better than remembering. And our minds, generous cartographers, fill in the blank spaces when the map tears in two.
So the next time you find yourself remembering something that never happened, don’t get upset. Step inside it. Wander through its corridors. You’re not lying to yourself—you’re time-traveling through the only past that still breathes: the one your imagination keeps seeing and revising.
Andi
Andi Kopek is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nashville, TN. With a background in medicine, molecular neuroscience, and behavioral change, he has recently devoted himself entirely to the creative arts. His debut poetry collection, Shmehara, has garnered accolades in both literary and independent film circles for its innovative storytelling.
When you’re in Nashville, you can join Andi at his monthly poetry workshop, participate in the Libri Prohibiti book club (both held monthly at the Spine bookstore, Smyrna, TN), or catch one of his live performances. When not engaging with the community, he's hard at work on his next creative project or preparing for his monthly art-focused podcast, The Samovar(t) Lounge: Steeping Conversations with Creative Minds, where in a relaxed space, invited artists share tea and the never-told intricacies of their creative journeys.
website: andikopekart.ink
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093119557533
IG: https://www.instagram.com/andi.kopek/
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