I’m Sarah Boxwell, a creative writer with an interest in historical fiction and alternate history, and a budding interest in romance. Welcome to my author’s website.
I was given an autism diagnosis shortly after leaving primary school, explaining why I struggled with socialising with my peers, changes in my routine, and following complicated instructions. While I do have my challenges, I also have my special interests, which have become a crucial part of who I am. These interests have significantly influenced my writing.
One of my main interests is history, focusing on the Six Wives of Henry VIII and the RMS Titanic. These have shaped what I enjoy listening to, such as Six the Musical and Titanic the Musical, and what I want to read and write about. Most of my book reviews are of historical fiction or alternate history, two genres I enjoy greatly.
Sarah Boxwell’s Writing Journey
I started writing at a young age, publishing a poem in the book Coventry Tales when I was ten years old. Since then, I have also written fanfiction on fanfiction.net, Wattpad, and Archive of Our Own under the username CeriseHood5050. Writing fanfiction has allowed me to explore different character dynamics, create my own characters, and explore writing different scenarios for fandoms I love.
I have since moved my fanfiction activity to Archive of Our Own, where I continue exploring characters, relationships, and different scenarios. The main fanfiction I’m working on is Emma’s Six, which lets me experiment with alternate history, character relationships, and romance while bringing together several historical periods and different pieces of media that have fascinated me for years.
In 2019, I began studying creative writing with the Open College of the Arts. I am due to graduate in the summer of 2027. During my university course, I had the opportunity to write historical fiction, focusing on the Tudor period, the Suffragettes and the Six Wives of Henry VIII.
My project for year three is an alternate history novel about the reign of Queen Mary the First. The premise for my Mary the First novel is that Mary discovers that Philip II of Spain does not love her, and she tries to get an annulment. While romance elements will be included, as Mary will marry for a second time to a man she loves, I will mostly focus on courtly intrigue and civil war. This project helped me realise how much I enjoy combining historical settings and characters with alternative possibilities.
In my free time, I am also writing short stories that I hope to publish in the near future. Most of these short stories are either historical, romance, or both. As I am relatively new to the romance genre, I am also reading romance novels to develop my understanding of the genre. One short story I am working on is a Victorian-era romance between a lady’s maid and a footman.
What I Want to Write
The three genres I’m most interested in writing right now are historical fiction, alternate history, and romance.
I’ve been passionate about historical fiction since I was a teenager, particularly in the Tudor period, the Edwardian period and the Titanic. I have always loved being pulled into a historical fiction book and reading about different eras and historical figures, and I want to create that same immersion in my writing.
I became fascinated by alternate history after reading The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh. While it is set in the Tudor period and follows historical characters, it diverges into an alternate timeline that kept me hooked throughout the novel. Reading this and the rest of The Marquess House Saga inspired me to explore alternate history myself, resulting in two of my projects: my Mary I novel and my Katheryn Howard novel.
My interest in romance is a more recent development. It began while I was writing my Katheryn Howard novel, since the main premise is based on a love story, and I realised I needed to learn how to write romance to do the story justice. I have written a couple of short stories to experiment with romantic relationships and develop my understanding of emotional arcs.
While each genre is distinct, I am intrigued by where they can overlap. I enjoy using historical settings to develop a fictional story while asking how events could play out differently if something had changed.
Sarah Boxwell’s Current Projects
I am currently working on my OCA creative writing degree, which is why I am working on my Mary I alternate history novel. Besides this, I am also writing short stories for potential publication and exploring romance as a genre. I am also reading historical fiction, romance, and alternate history.
Away from the Desk
When not working on my writing, I enjoy exploring different historical places. These include Coventry, with its many historic buildings and areas to wander, Bradgate Park, and Kenilworth Castle.
I also like watching documentaries about my special interests so I can make notes on them, either to reference for my fanfiction or my original stories. Among some of my favourite documentaries are Six Wives with Lucy Worsley, Inside the Tower of London, and a number of Titanic documentaries.
If you’d like to follow my writing journey, you can explore my writing page, where I will post stories and promote novels, or my blog. I write about book reviews, history, creative writing, and the subjects that inspire my work.