====== Useful Essays On Writing Alternate History ======

This page is a collection of links to various essays and articles dealing with the possible pitfalls an author of alternate history might experience while working on his scenario/timeline.


==== Essays from the AH.com Directory and AH.com board====


  * **[[http://alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=180065|Colonizing America is Hard]]** - Discussion on plausibility problems with earlier or more easily succesful colonisation efforts in the Americas.
  * **[[Principles of Geopolitical Forecasting]]**, courtesy of [[offtopic:Jasen777]], [[offtopic:LordMoogi]] and others
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=340674|Guide to Logistics]]**, courtesy of [[offtopic: Saphroneth]] et al 
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=349125|How Dark were the Dark Ages?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=380002|Official "Did the Confederacy Have a Chance to Win the American Civil War?" Thread]]**

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==== Essays from external alternate history websites ====

  * **[[http://www.anthonymayer.net/ah/writingGuide.html|So, You Want To Write A Timeline?]]** at [[http://www.anthonymayer.net/index.html|Antony Mayer's site]]
  * **[[http://web.archive.org/web/20090327131125/http://www.fortunecity.com/business/lauder/1644/altyhist.html|Problematic Aspects of Alternate History - Some Often Overlooked Considerations]]** by [[offtopic:Grey Wolf]] (under the name "Wolverine"), published at the [[http://web.archive.org/web/20090327131125/http://www.fortunecity.com/business/lauder/1644/altyhist.html|Infinity Wanderers site]] (archived via archive.org, an additional link to an AH.com backup is available [[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/1/post-6283668|here]])
  * **[[http://www.clockworksky.net/fractions_of_ahs/fractions_of_ahs.html|The Fractions of Perceptibly Different Alternate Timelines]]** at [[http://www.clockworksky.net/scifi_top.html|Tony Jones' sci-fi site]] (Some sciency thoughts on how many alternate timelines will be the same, from a human perspective.)

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==== Essays from published sources ====

  * **[[https://www.dropbox.com/s/iww87mc8v22onkf/Toynbee%20-%201969%20-%20Three%20Lives.pdf|Toynbee, A. J. (1969). Three Lives. Some Problems of Greek History (pp. 418–487). Oxford: Oxford University Press]]** - Famous British historian Arnold Toynbee's articles //**If Ochus and Philip had Lived On**// and //**If Alexander the Great had Lived On**//, from a book of essays entitled //**Some Problems in Greek History**//. Recommended by [[offtopic:Leo Caesius]]: "//To me, these two essays remain the best models for historical counterfactuals, examined and explained concisely and well...//"

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==== Related AH.com discussions ====

**[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=103623|How extensive is the butterfly effect? Speculation...]]**

**[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=195616|What are the moral responsibilites of alternate history?]]**

**[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/is-there-a-philosophy-of-history-for-alternative-history.406405/|Is there a philosophy of history for alternative history?]]**

**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/the-butterfly-effect-and-human-culture.251160/|The butterfly effect and human culture]]**

**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-like-to-view-timelines.317668/|How do you like to view timelines?]]**

**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/alternate-histories-written-like-a-nonfiction-textbook.319879/|Alternate Histories written like a non-fiction textbook]]**

**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/otl-as-default-tl-in-multiverses.262053/|OTL as "default TL" in multiverses?]]**

**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/the-otl.81089/|The OTL]]**

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==== See Also ====

**[[Alternate History Clichés]]**

**[[how_to_write_a_timeline|HELP: How To Write A Timeline]]**

**[[The Sliding Scale of Alternate History Plausibility]]**

**[[resources:Discussions on Writing|Useful Discussions on Writing]]**

**[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=255179|AH.com Specialists 1]]** & **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=205077|AH.com Specialists 2]]** - Lists of board members who might be able to help you with various historical questions while you're writing your timeline. 

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==== Navigation ====

**[[alternate history:alternate history|Alternate History Topics Section Main Directory]]**