Is it just me, Reader, or does this time of year put you in the mood to write something spooky?

Maybe it’s the music I have running in the background while I work. 🎶

Or the fact that I just binge-watched like 5 episodes of Agatha All Along. 🧙‍♀️

Or the fact that I’m attending a wedding on Halloween and the invite says dress in your costumed best. (I’m going as Persephone goddess of the Greek underworld and my husband is going as a stylish plague doctor.)

But whatever the reason, I’m in the mood for a bit of Gothic Fiction. What about you?

But maybe you’re wondering…

What Exactly is Gothic Fiction?

Well, Gothic Fiction tends to play on both the thrill and fear of the unknown and places great importance on atmosphere. Essentially the atmosphere—the environment—almost becomes a character itself.

The second—but arguably most important thing—is loss. The Legendary Character (the POV character) has been/or must be dramatically cut off from their past, their lover, their family, or life itself during the story.

Got it? Maybe? 😬

Let’s break down the 5 elements you need to write your own Gothic Fiction story into simple pieces.

The Transgression

The Legendary Character needs to commit a transgression by crossing a dangerous or taboo boundary in order to reclaim what they’ve lost. Often with horrific or violent consequences to themselves, others, or their surroundings.

The Family

Gothic Fiction is about family in some way. Whether it’s about the Legendary Character’s tragic past or tragic present, family secrets, blood lineage, or the person they’re destined to marry.

The Tragic Backstory

No one in Gothic Fiction has a happy backstory. Every Legendary Character in a Gothic story already starts out in a state of wanting to return to a time in the past when things were better for them personally.

Secret Oaths and Forbidden Knowledge

Your Legendary Character needs to already have or obtain some (usually occult) forbidden knowledge during the course of the story. This is usually the transgression they commit or at least leads to it.

The Supernatural

Everything from ghosts to Cthulhu is fair game. The occult, prophesies, curses, vampires etc. pretty much anything that isn’t from the natural world as we know it is up for grabs.

And there you have it, Reader. The 5 elements you need to write your own Gothic Fiction story. If this seems like your pumpkin pie, then I hope you’ll give Gothic Fiction a try.

A few last things to consider before you get to writing. Though Gothic Fiction is about the transgression of boundaries and the sometimes horrific consequences of crossing them, they’re NOT meant to be morality sermons. In fact, the Gothic stories of the past were considered extremely progressive for their times.

So it would be accurate to say, that Gothic Fiction shows us the lines that our societies have drawn and then points out that they’re not as clear-cut as they may seem.

And knowing that, it might not surprise you that Gothic Fiction surges in narrative media during times of sociopolitical crises and anxiety. Particularly highlighting our fears about unchecked scientific experimentation & urbanization, the growth of the poor and working classes, and the erosion of tradition, gender roles & religion/faith.

Here are 7 more movies & TV shows to watch to get you in the mood to create some Gothic Fiction

1. Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak
2. The Fall of the House of Usher (TV Show)
3. The Woman in Black
4. Penny Dreadful (TV Show)
5. The Pale Blue Eye
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. Carnival Row (TV Show)

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Well until next time, Reader, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a hauntingly creative week.

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Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

🐱

PS 👉 Though it’s not Gothic Fiction, my Halloween-themed short story Trick or Treat featuring my characters October and Kole will be included in my story collection Walk Me Home coming later this fall.

PPS👉 As promised I’ve got a new subscriber freebie for you, Reader!

From now on, Storyteller’s Saga subscribers will get a new set of Story Writing Prompts at the beginning of each month to inspire their creativity. October’s are Haunting Prompts.

Your Legendary Character’s car (or carriage) breaks down at the threshold of a small village at the edge of a dark forest. As they enter the village on foot, strange music drifts toward them on a chilly autumn breeze.

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Sue Brown-Moore Professional storysmith & fiction book coach The heart of your story is in the hero's growth as a person. Learn how to start plotting the RIGHT story from your very first draft by digging deep into WHAT is holding your protagonist back and WHY they choose to become their best self. Sue's techniques break down storytelling in simple, intuitive ways that traditional writing methods often muddy. Stop wasting time spinning your creative wheels and start writing stories readers will remember... WITHOUT having to rewrite the story a million times. Subscribe​

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