Ferdinand Columbus

Someday I will write a book about Ferdinand Columbus. I have started it many times, but I keep on hitting the same roadblock: voice. I know I should just buck up and write the first draft, and fine tune the voice later, but I hate thinking of writing something only to completely rewrite it. I also struggle wanting to make the story historically accurate without having to do years of research.

Luckily, some of the work has already been done for me: Ferdinand wrote a biography about his father, Christopher Columbus, and much of the information I need comes from there.

The trick is how to portray Ferdinand's story in a way that children can relate to. Should I do a picture book? Or a young chapter book? I definitely don't want it to turn into a series, which kind of rules out explaining things through a modern kid's eyes through time travel. Which leaves me with a more historically accurate option, but nonetheless difficult. Should I write in the way they spoke back then, or try to put things in more modern terms? How many characters should I make up and how many should I use that actually existed? Do I completely gloss over the fact that Indians were treated horribly? So many choices...

Rhetorically,
Rebekah