On the other hand, the historian has no alternative and does not escape the true-false rule. His discourse is refutable. If he does not tell the truth, or at least the version the documents attest, he will be attacked on the ground of the true-false rule.
The historical novel must reconcile the reality and the fiction.
The first writing rule is that the background of the historical novel has to pertain to History -the one that is taught in textbooks. The little story takes place within the great History. But is there anything more ordinary for a novel than taking place at a given time? Does this criterion allow to store Chase's No Orchids for Miss Blandish or Ellison's Invisible Man on the historical novel shelf? It is doubtful, even if many details in the narration enable the reader to date them.
The present reader who would ignore when Conan Doyle wrote his novels could think that he reads historical novels: the stories take place in the past (the past for him, the reader) and mention real characters. The truth is that almost any novel is bound to become an historical one, just because time passes.
When it comes to the characters, dictionaries give two definitions of the historical novel. The first one wants that the novel tells us the psychology, the destiny, the adventures, and often the love stories of people who appear in the History books, and how these elements explain the historical events.
The second definition applies the same criteria to fictional characters who are supposed to live in the intimacy of real characters.
Those who write dictionaries are not the same as those who read historical novels.
In most historical novels, neither the historical events nor the historical characters take place. Often, they are not even mentionned, except in the case they influence the main fictional character's adventures.
The challenge, despite the scholars, is quite easy to overcome.
A famous name, some details of clothing, housing and equipment, a living exhibition of what has become a tradition, a choice of evocative words are the threads you need to weave when you write a historical novel.