Writing Challenge: Anne Boleyn’s Trial and the Limits of the Evidence

The challenge

What if an accusation or document in the case against Anne Boleyn were questioned before her trial concluded?

Choose one small divergence and trace its consequences. Your story need not rescue Anne or reverse the verdict: it might change who is believed, who takes a risk or what gets recorded.

This is an evergreen writing exercise, not a prize competition; it sets no submission deadline.

Historical starting point

Anne Boleyn was arrested on 2 May 1536 and taken to the Tower of London. She was beheaded on 19 May 1536. See Historic Royal Palaces’ account of Anne Boleyn.

Her trial began on 15 May 1536, and she was found guilty. The accusations included adultery, incest and plotting the King’s death. These are accusations to examine, not acts to assume she committed. The National Archives’ resource on her trial, particularly pages 3–6, explains the records and charges.

The surviving file KB 8/9 includes indictments and procedural records. It records stages of the proceedings, not a complete transcript of everything said. That distinction provides a useful starting point: a record can document a charge or verdict without giving us every exchange behind it. See the same National Archives resource, pages 3–6.

Private thoughts require particular caution. Historic Royal Palaces’ curators emphasise how little of Anne’s own voice survives and how difficult it is to reconstruct her feelings and motives.

For this exercise, do not turn an evidential gap into a claim that a particular missing letter or testimony once existed. If you invent one, identify it as fiction.

Keep three layers separate

Before writing, make a short source note:

• Documented fact: Identify the event or record from which you begin, with a source and page reference where possible.
• Interpretation: Explain what you infer from it and what remains uncertain. Do not assume that your chosen character has access to everything you have read.
• Counterfactual fiction: State exactly where the story departs from the documented account. Label invented documents, witnesses and dialogue clearly.

Choose a date for the turning point. If it precedes 15 May, explain how the objection might reach someone involved in preparing the case. If it falls during the trial, avoid inventing an exchange and then describing it as recorded testimony.

Possible directions — all fictional

These are prompts, not claims about events that actually happened.

1. An accusation is pressed for detail. An imagined question exposes an inconsistency—or fails to persuade anyone. Show why different characters respond differently.
2. A paper takes another route. An invented memorandum reaches an unexpected reader. What can that reader check, and what remains hearsay?
3. An objection changes little. An imagined adviser requests further scrutiny, but the verdict remains unchanged. Explore a narrower consequence rather than forcing a dramatic reversal.
4. A different record survives. Your fictional account preserves an exchange that later readers dispute. Explain what would make historians trust or doubt it.

For each option, ask: who receives the information, why might they believe it, and what could they realistically do next? Do not assume that discovering a contradiction automatically produces an acquittal.

How to take part

Write a standalone scene or short scenario. You can also visit Nexus Historia’s creation page.

Begin with your source note, then follow the consequences of one turning point. Keep the scope manageable: a changed conversation, decision or surviving account may be more convincing than an immediately transformed England.

Use this self-review checklist:

• Is the documented starting point accurate and sourced?
• Can the reader distinguish evidence, interpretation and invention?
• Have you explained how each character obtains their information?
• Do consequences follow from the divergence rather than from hindsight?
• Have you left room for uncertainty or failure?

Related reading

For a broader prompt, see Writing Challenge: Power and Evidence at Anne Boleyn’s Trial. For further discussion of counterfactual boundaries, read Anne Boleyn: Power, Accusation and the Limits of a Counterfactual.

FAQ

What can the records tell me about the case?

The surviving legal file documents charges and stages of the proceedings, but it is not a complete transcript. Use it to establish a starting point, not to supply unrecorded dialogue. See The National Archives’ explanation, pages 3–6.

What should my character know?

Specify their role, the date and how they obtain each important piece of information. If you cannot document their access, label it as an assumption within your fiction rather than a historical fact.

Can I invent a witness or document?

Yes, for this exercise—but label the invention clearly. Do not present it as authentic testimony, a newly discovered source or evidence that the historical verdict would necessarily have changed.

Is there a prize or deadline?

This writing exercise offers no prize and sets no submission deadline.

Sources

• Historic Royal Palaces: Anne Boleyn — arrest, execution and cautions about reconstructing Anne’s private experience.
• The National Archives: King’s Bench records — Anne Boleyn’s trial, 1536 (PDF) — trial chronology, accusations and an explanation of the surviving legal records.

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