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Creative Writing Lesson 1 Features of Gothic and Horror Writing

The document provides an introduction to the gothic and horror genres, highlighting their key features and similarities. It includes tasks for identifying gothic elements in literary extracts, creating mind maps related to characterisation, setting, and plot, and rewriting a paragraph to enhance its gothic/horror qualities. The aim is to help learners recognize and utilize the distinct characteristics of these genres in their writing.

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10 views3 pages

Creative Writing Lesson 1 Features of Gothic and Horror Writing

The document provides an introduction to the gothic and horror genres, highlighting their key features and similarities. It includes tasks for identifying gothic elements in literary extracts, creating mind maps related to characterisation, setting, and plot, and rewriting a paragraph to enhance its gothic/horror qualities. The aim is to help learners recognize and utilize the distinct characteristics of these genres in their writing.

Uploaded by

waywardxpages
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Creative Writing

Gothic and Horror

Introduction to Gothic and Horror


Genres
Learning Intention:

• To recognise, understand and use the basic


features of the gothic and horror genres.

What is a genre?

Genre noun a style or category of art, music, or


literature.

• The horror genre is intended to frighten,


scare, or disgust.
• The gothic genre places strong emphasis on intense emotion, mixing terror
with pleasure, death with romance.

As you can see these two genres are closely linked and overlap.

Task 1: Find the Gothic Features

• Read the extracts below and highlight/underline anything in them that seems
related to the gothic or horror genres in your opinion based on what we know
about the genre.
• Think of the writer’s use of description, word choices, the setting, atmosphere,
etc.
• Find at least 3 features in each extract.
• The first one is done as an example.

Horace Walpole
From The Castle of Otranto (1764)
The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters; and it was
not easy for one under so much anxiety to find the door that opened into the
cavern. An awful silence reigned throughout those underground regions, except
now and then some blasts of wind that shook the doors she had passed, and which
grating on the rusty hinges were re-echoed through that long labyrinth of darkness.
Every murmur struck her with new terror; - yet more she dreaded to hear the wrathful
voice of Manfred urging his servants to pursue her. She trod as softly as impatience
would give her leave, - yet frequently stopped and listened to hear if she was
followed.
Matthew Lewis
From The Monk (1796)
The night was now fast advancing. The lamps were not yet lighted. The faint beams
of the rising Moon scarcely could pierce through the black obscurity of the Church.
Lorenzo found himself unable to quit the spot he stood. The void left in his bosom by
Antonia’s absence and his Sister’s sacrifice which Don Chrislovel had just recalled to
his imagination, created that melancholy of mind, which fitted too well with the
religious gloom surrounding him.

Mary Shelley
From Frankenstein (1818)
I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth
chattered, and every limb became convulsed: when, by the dim and yellow light of
the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch – the
miserable monster whom I had created.

Jane Austen
From Northanger Abbey (1818)
The night was stormy; the wind had been rising at intervals the whole afternoon; and
by the time the party broke up, it blew and rained violently. Catherine, as she
crossed the hall, listened to the tempest with sensations of awe; and, when she
heard it rage round a corner of the ancient building and close with sudden fury a
distant door, felt for the first time that she was really in an Abbey. – Yes, these were
characteristic sounds; they brought to her recollection a countless variety of
dreadful situations and horrid scenes, which such buildings had witnessed, and such
storms ushered in; and most heartily did she rejoice in the happier circumstances
attending her entrance within walls so solemn! – She thought she had nothing to
dread from midnight assassins or drunken gallants.

Bram Stoker
From Dracula (1897)
I was not alone. The room was the same, unchanged in any way since I came into it;
I could see along the floor, in the brilliant moonlight, my own footsteps marked
where I had disturbed the long accumulation of dust. In the moonlight opposite me
were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner.

Task 2: Mind Maps

Make a mind map for each of the three headings below (characterisation, setting
and plot).
Each mind map should include:

• What someone would expect to find in a gothic or horror story or film related
to the heading.
• Use the questions below, the extracts from task 1 and your own knowledge to
help you.
• Have at least 7 points for each mind map.
Mind map 1: Mind map 2: Setting Mind map 3: Plot
Characterisation when and where a story, the main events of a
the representation of novel, film, etc. take story, novel, film, etc.
people in story, novel, place. created and presented
film, etc. by the writer as a related
sequence.
• What types of • Where? • What events are
characters? • And when? common?
• What jobs do they • What common • What are normal
have? places? stories/narratives.
• What do they do? • And objects? • Is it always
• How do they • Light? beginning to end?
behave? • Weather? • Are they
• What do they look • Sights, sounds… predictable?
like? smells? • How do they
• What are they? usually end?
• How do they start?

Task 3: rewrite the paragraph below so it has more gothic/horror features

Follow this basic structure but add:

• Better word choice


• Thoughts and feelings
• Descriptions of the surroundings
• 3 more sentences that continue the story.

Use the previous exercises to help.

I was walking down the road. I thought I heard someone walking behind me. I
turned around and no one was there. I kept walking. As I walked, I still had the
feeling someone way behind me. I got home and closed the door behind me and
saw…

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