I'm one to believe that ANY time that there's dialogue, written literature, narratives, etc...about the historic content of our ancestry and historic legacy it should be there to be digested for seminal value. There's too much that wasn't told during the annals of time where much have been left out. True, a lot wasn't recorded but enough is there to keep us in remembrance of what was endured. Georgia, like other states that practiced institutional slavery cannot be let off the hook relative to the ills that it wrought. Writing a book extoling the truths that was inherent cannot be avoided, and YES, you definitely can write a slave novel using realistic characters and facts thereof. It's all about how you shape the novel for content and context. You make it flow by creating a prologue to introduce the gist of the story, and weave the storyline around the who, what, when and where. Also, you would want to take in the POV (point of view) aspect...this is allowing you to embellish who is telling the story. There are many novels of this magnitude where they are written from a true situation but names are changed as they are depicted in a fictional vein. What makes a story flow? A good compelling story, with intrigue making good use of contrast where the backstory is just as interesting as you weave your characters into the mainstream. Your first attempt at writing a novel like this will most certainly have you doing quite a bit of research for authenticity! Know that there's much more to writing than words...just let your ink flow and write like hell. Whomever you hire as an editor will want to do the job that he's trained for! Good luck!

It can be done, and you can do it.  I would love to read your book once you're done with it.  I'm an aspiring writer, and I am working on something at the moment.  It's difficult and challenging.  This is the first screenplay I have ever written.  I am hoping to write a novel one of these days.  I love literature.  I love words, whether they are spoken or written.  Good luck! If it is possible, inform me where I can find your completed work.