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I've abandoned work on an earlier timeline, and am keeping much of the detail on Russia's revolution intact (which still happens ATL) in a much longer timeline dealing with a Confederate victory in the American Civil War.

I was inspired by my love of history and by this post from the Alternate History Weekly Update:

This brings me to my last major point about American Civil War alternate histories: do your research. It is possible to create a timeline that gives the reader a realistic portrayal of an independent Confederacy, especially in the Information Age where you have access to virtually infinite amounts of content on the war, along with the opinions of scholars with varying viewpoints

...In conclusion, American Civil War alternate histories are very difficult to write. The most common PODs tend to be implausible and should be avoided. Do not allow your personal bias to replace good research and be ready to deal with intense criticism from every side. I do not mean to discourage would be alternate historians who wish to tackle this significant period of history, just be warned that to do it right is a lot harder then it looks.

In doing research for my timeline, I'm curious as to whether or not it would be possible in the long run to avoid cliches and other pitfalls in a period of alternate history which has been dealt with a lot both online and offline.

I think that its possible to provide new insights and to offer up a believable and non-cliche original timeline.

What do you all think? Comments and advice would be greatly welcomed.
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