Need recommendations for books about writing fiction [View All]

I'm a published writer of nonfiction who has never tried fiction. I'm primarily a historian and that's what I've written in the past. Since Coup2K, I've been too involved with politics and activism to do the research I need to do for my previously intended project. Now, facing another 4 years of *, I know I won't be able to do it for another 4 years. But I miss writing.

And that has taken me back to a long-considered project. I've researched the 1970 Kent State shootings since the early 1970s. I've developed my own theory about what transpired and, in my head, I've crafted a way to tell the story through fiction -- woven around the known facts & my theories presented as facts about Kent State.

I'm relatively fearless when it comes to taking on seemingly impossible writing projects. My first book is a dual biography of a 19th century fur trader and his Kainah (Blackfeet) wife. When I started, I knew virtually nothing about the fur trade or the Blackfeet. Ten years later, Frontier Diplomats: Alexander Culbertson and Natoyist-siksina' Among the Blackfeet was published by University of Oklahoma Press and has received excellent reviews from some very stuffy academic historians. :-) So I know I can write, I know I can learn and, since my first book was narrative history, this project seems very do-able.

But since I don't even read fiction -- tending exclusively to politics & western history -- I don't even know what I don't know (thank you, Donald Rumsfeld). Considering the above, does anyone have suggestions for fiction writing books that I should read? I'm going to look into Iowa Writers' Workshops this summer but don't want to wait until then to begin. Are there exercises I should play with? Are there special considerations I should know about for writing (controversial) historical fiction?

Or.... Should I just start writing it?

I'd love to hear any suggestions, advice, commentary from any of you. Thanks!