Does anyone have any tips for writing a gothic story?

dr gonzo

Ive always wanted to write a story, not a novel or anything so lofty but just a short story and ive become quite adamant about it lately. For some reason i want to write an old fashioned gothic, terror story but its hard to hammer out a story without it being really cliche and predictable, a little bit too much horror instead of Henry James type terror.

Has anyone ever tried their hand at this type of story, any advice appreciated?

Dorcha

First of all, Gothic is only a label, and it’s a label that covers a lot of things, including architecture, painting and sculpture. It’s now taken as accepted that Gothic stories must be set in the Middle Ages, but that has never been true. I think Gothic literature is essentially a moody, sombre, dark, claustrophobic kind of writing, and I’ve read plenty of stories that follow that description, but nobody considers them gothic! Those stories can be set in any era, which is good news for those of us who don’t like doing research!


Once you’ve established the atmosphere you want, then you can start to work out your locations and plot. For locations, old run-down flats or houses, abandoned warehouses, or lonely landscapes will do fine.


It is still true that the best stories are properly structured, with a beginning, middle and end. I’ve never been happy reading atmospheric fragments. The main thing should always be the story and the elements of location and characters should help the effect of the story, but not overpower it.


The beginning of a story generally happens with a deviation from the normal, something that leads the main character on to the next stage of wondering about the deviation and beginning to actively investigate it. Possible reasons may begin to reveal themselves or the plot may simply get “thicker”, before the possibilities of a solution begin to emerge. This is the middle of the story. The main character will now try to take steps to resolve the problem, and cause and effect begin to happen, moving the story on towards its climax. The end of the story comes when an explanation is unearthed for the previous happenings. The end does not need to be satisfactory for the character, but it must be satisfactory for the reader.


How many different “plots” are there under the sun? Not too many basic ones, but endless varieties.


The “Will” plot can have several variants. It can be a straight-forward hunt for a missing will, with obstacles, natural as well of human ingenuity, standing in the way. It can be a set of obligations conferred by a will and the various difficulties encountered in carrying them out. There’s plenty of scope for human nastiness is “will stories”, because nothing stirs up the baser passions as much as money.


The “Murder” plot: In this kind of story the big questions are why and how. If it is to guard a terrible secret, then the murders may go on until the secret is “outed”. Is the murderer a cold-blooded killer, without any human emotions, or a raving/cunning lunatic, who may pass for normal in normal circumstances? You, as a writer, answer the questions.


The “Supernatural” plot: Demons, ghosts, or malevolent beings from another dimension, are all legal tender here. There may also be humans who have evolved powers above the norm and are a threat, or seen as a threat to other people.


The best way to avoid using clichés is to try to write simply, and keep the descriptions brief and in their proper places. Too much elaboration may dilute the power of a story and may bore the reader.


I have had some stories, including a couple of horror/ghost stories published. I hope this has been of some use to you.

dr gonzo

Excellent reply, was not expecting anything like that depth. As im only getting started this will be a great help to me. Thanks a million.

dawvee

Dorcha wrote: »

First of all, Gothic is only a label, and it’s a label that covers a lot of things, including architecture, painting and sculpture. It’s now taken as accepted that Gothic stories must be set in the Middle Ages, but that has never been true. I think Gothic literature is essentially a moody, sombre, dark, claustrophobic kind of writing, and I’ve read plenty of stories that follow that description, but nobody considers them gothic! Those stories can be set in any era, which is good news for those of us who don’t like doing research!

While the Gothic label is used in many disciplines, just because they use the same label doesn't mean they're actually related, or that the different definitions invalidate the label for any specific discipline.

Gothic literature refers very specifically to a genre originating in the 18th century. The subjects at the time were generally contemporary, not set in the middle ages. It's only because genre is now historical that modern writers borrowing a Gothic style have reverted to historical settings - and the further we get from the original period, the more interchangeable different historical eras seem to modern readers.

Gothic novels generally tend to have a few common features. One of the main features is an undercurrent of class anxiety. The villains are often aristocrats living secluded lives in their large manors or castles overshadowing the lives of the common people around them. Dracula is probably the best-known example, but other Gothic stories tend to follow the same pattern to greater or lesser degrees. The sense is generally of a figure, generally male, set apart from humanity in some way, and the protagonist then generally finds him/herself intruding in this unfamiliar and archaic domain.

Mental illness also features prominently, but not in the modern sense - it's not modern, diagnosable mental illness, but more generally 'madness' in the sense that it was traditionally understood. Madness in that sense is highly mystical or spiritual, allowing a character to directly experience the supernatural and see the world in a 'truer' way, while at the same time cutting off access to the prosaic world of everyday life.

Female imprisonment is a common theme too - the lady in the tower kind of thing. Unlike fairy tales though, there's generally no hope of rescue. It's just a tragic lot to be observed by the reader.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts off the top of my head. The main thing in trying to write a modern 'Gothic' story is really just to play off the same moods and themes. Trying to mimic the literal settings or prose will just result in cliche, like you said.