Lessons on Epistolary Writing

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Hey, Night Writers. I've been wanting to write an epistolary style novel for a while now. This is a style of writing where the story is written out as a series of documents or in various forms of communication. Finally, the right story has come along for me to apply this and I thought I'd share some of the key lessons I've learned.

1. Choose Forms of Communication. Once you know what story you want to tell, start to consider the different forms of communication that will best convey it. Think about the time period your story is set in. You don't need to limit yourself to letters and diaries. There are newspapers, telegrams, invitations, emails, texts, shipping logs and manifests, police and doctor reports, and the list goes on. If it is set in the future, imagine of all the ways we could communicate then. The possibilities are endless. However, each entry has to have a purpose and move the story forward. Too many types and the reader may become confused unless clearly connected.

2. Create a Timeline. Once you decide what types of documents you want to add, you needed a timeline for them to be compiled in. Letters, for example, need time to be received, read, and responded to. Having a timeline will help with pacing and tension, as well, showing you what details need to be revealed and when.
Tip: If you are including any true historical events/dates, start there and work your way back and/or forward along the timeline.

3. Write Distinct Character Voices. Consider who the narrator is. Is one person writing? Two people communicating back and forth? Or a compilation of many forms of documents. In each case, the character's voice should be distinctive. Even if there is only one narrator, their voice should be appropriate for the form of document you are writing and for their intended audience. What one writes in their diary is very different from what they might write in a letter to their mother or text to their lover.

4. Tell not Show.  This form of writing gives a feeling of realism because it is conversational. And we don't normally speak like a novel, we eliminate things like body language and mood setting when we are telling another or writing down an event. The challenge here is to not give details that a character wouldn't naturally give. To do so pulls back the curtain and reveals the author, breaking the illusion of reality.

5. Read. Here are a few examples of epistolary style novels. You can find many more at 100 Must-Read Epistolary Novels. The best lesson is to read as much as you can.

• Classic - Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Contemporary - Carrie by Stephen King
• Futuristic - Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Have you written an epistolary style story? Do you have any other tips for writing in this style? Have you read epistolary style novel? What did you like or not like about them? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Stay beautifully haunted, Night Writers,

🖤 Shadow.

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Action Verbs for Gothic Hero Characterization

Trying to weave character conflicts in an intricate dance that will move the story forward has had me tied in knots on several occasions. I did a lot of research in hopes of refining this part of my process and came up with a ton of questionnaires, character arc outlining tips, etc. but nothing has really helped to really get to the heart of my characters or not quickly, anyway.

Then recently, I came across a great technique of choosing an overarching action verb for characters. And, Eureka! Read Author Damon Suede's verb technique of constructing characters here. This isn't just for writing Romance, Night Writers, this is a phenomenal technique for all storytellers.

I first came across the notion of applying verbs to characters' goals, while in the performing arts. Actioning is a technique of the Stanislavski's acting method. So, this idea of choosing action verbs for my characters really clicked for me. I think it will for you, too.

Since using action verbs to build my characters has been a game changer for me, I thought I would list out some possible verbs for the three types of Gothic Heroes. Yes, there are three types, the Byronic Hero, the Satanic Hero and the Promethean Hero. A great description of the three types can be found on Author Kristin Miller's blog post about Writing the Gothic Hero.

The action verbs I've listed may be applicable all types of Gothic Hero as there are obviously some similarities and sometimes a character can be a blend of one or more of these.

Gothic Hero Action Verbs

Adore Adulate Advocate Allure Amend Analyze Annoy Appraise Appropriate Assess Attack Attract Authorize

Balance Beat Beguile Better Belittle Blackmail Blame Blast Browbeat Bury

Calm Captivate Capture Castigate Censure Challenge Champion Charm Cheat Chide Circumscribe Coerce Command Compel Con Condemn Confront Conquer Constrain Control Convict Convince Correct Cover Covet Criticize Crush Curb Curse Cuss

Damn Deceive Decry Defeat Defend Defraud Defy Degrade Deify Delegate Delude Demolish Denounce Derail Derange Desire Despise Destabilize Destroy Dignify Disarm Disobey Drive Drown Dupe

Ease Elude Empower Empty Enable Enamor Encase Enchant Encompass Endorse Enforce Engulf Ennoble Enshrine Entrance Entrap Envelope Envy Escort Extort

Fascinate Focus Fool Force

Gag Glorify Govern Gull

Harbor Harass Hector Hoax House Humor Hush

Idolize Impel Instruct

Knock

Level License Lull Lure

Mesmerize Moderate Mock Motivate Muddle Muffle Mute Muzzle Mystify

Obligate Oblige Outlaw Overmaster Overpower

Permit Perplex Persuade Plunge Press Protect Provoke Punish Puzzle

Qualify Quell Quieten

Rebuff Reform Reject Repress Reprimand Reprove Revile Revere Rule

Safeguard Sanction Scold Scorn Screen Secure Shelter Shield Sink Strengthen Submerge Subsume

Thwart Tranquillize Treasure Tyrannize

Unsettle Urge

Veil Venerate

Warrant Worry Worship Wrap

This is definitely not a complete list of the possible action verbs, so if one here doesn't fit your Gothic Hero, I encourage you to search for one that does.

A great resource for finding action verbs is the book ACTIONS The Actor's Thesaurus.


















Have you ever used this verbing technique? If you have, is it getting you to the heart of your characters? If you haven't do you think it is something you'd give a try? Leave me a comment letting me know.

Stay Beautifully Haunted, Night Writers!

♥ Shadow.

Update: Damon Suede has a book out on Action Verbing titled Verbalize. I highly recommend you add it to your writing resource arsenal.

A Quick Tip: Writing End to Beginning.

With the New Year started I thought I would write about story beginnings.

I always struggle with writing the beginnings of my stories. Even during the plotting stages, I find it difficult to know where the story starts.

A character analysis technique I would use, whilst in the performing arts, was to go straight to the end of the script and figure out what my character got or didn't get. This told me what the character wanted and some insight into their motivation, making the rest of analysis relatively easier. So, I started looking at the ends of my stories first.

Once I know what I want the ending to look like and where I want my characters to be, I then create the mirror image of that scene to put at the beginning. Like bookends, I've started to structure. At the very least, I now have an idea of how to start the story and a good idea of my character's goals.

Even Pantsers who have trouble with beginnings should give this a try. There are still a lot of opportunities to discover things along the way and some which may change the outcome, but I would still start with the idea of how the story ends and then flip it to start. Nothing is ever written in stone, the point is to just get started.

How about you, do you have any tips on starting a story? I'd love to hear them. Let me know in the comments if you've tried starting at the end and if it works for you.

As always, Night Writers, stay beautifully haunted,

♥ Shadow.

3 Tips for Writing Creepy Sounds + A Haunting Playlist

     

Writing Gothic fiction has so much to do with setting the atmosphere. While using all of the senses are important to creating this, sounds are a powerful emotional vehicle.  Not only do they evoke emotion they also can symbolize a character's internal environment.

I'm always challenging myself to find different ways to describe sounds that will bring that sense of foreboding or create a dark atmosphere. While there are certain words that incite an immediate eerie sense, sometimes it can feel clique, overused and readers may be desensitized to them. And meh, is never the reaction I want when writing dreadful things. Now, I'm by no means suggesting to never use these, but if every door creaks and there is a crash after every lightning flash, it might be time to switch it up a bit.

So, here are 3 tips for writing creepy sounds.

1. Add a sound description that one doesn't normally associate with the thing making the sound. For example, the birds barked from the treeline to warn us of what lay beyond. Or, the fire cackled mocking my attempts to concoct the perfect brew. You get the gist. Providing a sound that isn't expected naturally puts one at unease, consciously or unconsciously.

2. Use onomatopeia, by writing the sound itself. An example would be writing tick, tock as the sound of a clock. It places the reader deep within a character's experience. It is also a nice way to zoom in tight on a sound, silencing everything else. This a cinematic approach but can be just as powerful in the written form.

3. Use metaphors and similes. For example, the storm growled where it crouched on the ridge ready to pounce, and the floorboards moaned like an old woman beneath his feet. Sometimes attaching a creepy image to a sound can enhance its spookiness.

How do you approach writing eerie sounds? Let me know in the comments.


My Haunting Playlist for Writing.

Not all writers write to music. I am one that does. Music and sounds are both powerful in conveying emotions and immediately put me in the place I need to be to write a specific scene.  So, I thought I'd share the link to Shadow's Haunting Playlist on Spotify, my playlist of haunting tunes for writing. Enjoy and let me know if you have other tunes to add. I love to discover new haunting music.

As always, stay beautifully haunted,

♥ Shadow.

5 Podcasts for Gothic Writers

I find podcasts to be really useful in voids of time, like commutes and shuttling my spawn around. From informative to entertaining, they can turn empty moments into more productive ones, and they certainly beat staring aimlessly at brake lights.

So, in no specific order, I've compiled 5 useful podcasts for Gothic writers.

1. Helping Writers Become Authors

This podcast, by award-winning author, K.M. Weiland, gives a lot of great information on the craft of writing in general and all the episodes are worth checking out. But, here are a few episodes that are particularly helpful for writing Gothic fiction.

• Characters: Likability Is Overrated: Learn why readers connect with imperfection in characters, more than perfection.
• Eliciting Emotion: Discover what drives emotion in fiction and how to elicit it in readers.
• Is Your Story Mysterious Enough?: The art of the mysterious is at the heart of every type of story, not just mysteries and suspense.
• 7 Reasons Weather Is a Writer’s Friend: Ever since Edward Bulwer-Lytton slapped readers with his infamous “dark and stormy night” line, writers everywhere have been leery of misusing weather in their stories.
• Why Your Hero Absolutely Must Pet a Dog: A little trick authors can use to make even their darkest anti-heroes sympathetic.

2. Writing Excuses

This is an award winning podcast for writers, and there are a lot of fantastic episodes as they are in season twelve. Before you break out into a sweat over the volume of episodes, these podcasts are short, about fifteen to twenty-five minutes. And here a few places to start.

• Season 11 - Elemental Genres. This was a really great season with a lot of information on genres and there are podcasts dedicated to Horror, Mystery and Thrillers, with information that can be applied to Gothic Fiction, but there is a bonus podcast in this season that is a real gem called, Horrifying the Children with Darren Shan.
• Mystery Plotting: Discusses plotting principles for any discovery and revelation plot and is not just for the Mystery genre.
• Horror: Discusses what makes a story scary and tools for writing tension.
• Lovecraftian Horror: More great writing tools for Dark Fiction.

3. This is Horror

This is a podcast dedicated to Horror fiction, writers and readers. While I don't define Gothic Fiction as being synonymous with Horror, there are a lot of tools within this genre that are applicable to Gothic Fiction. A great episode to start with is TIH 123: Writers’ Craft Talk: Writing Suspenseful Scenes with 16 Writers 


4. In Our Time

BBC Radio runs this podcast hosted by Melvyn Bragg and it has a wealth of information from Gothic Literature to Victorian Culture. A great source for research and insights into the Gothic classics. I would start with this episode, In Our Time: Gothic


5. Lore

If you haven't heard about this award winning, critically acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories, you shouldn't waste another minute missing out. I can't say enough about how much I love this podcast. It isn't a podcast on writing but will definitely give you all kinds of story ideas and inspiration.
The storytelling is beautifully done by writer, host and producer, Aaron Mahnke, who is also the author of many supernatural thrillers. A lot of the music is composed by Chad Lawson whose haunting music is often on my writing playlists.
Episodes to start with is ALL OF THEM. Hurry, go now, don't walk, run.

Bonus podcast: A Gothic Story : A podcast by the British Library to accompany an exhibition they held called Terror and Wonder: the Gothic Imagination. It wonderfully chronicles the birth of Gothic Fiction and all of its monsters.

How about you, Night Writers, do you listen to podcasts for inspiration and techniques? If you do, definitely share which ones, I'd love to add them to my list.

As always, stay haunted!

♥ Shadow.

Rose Symbolism

"But he who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose." - Anne Brontë

The rose is the queen amongst flowers and her influence on our psyche is ever enduring.  From the ancient to contemporary, she has represented everything from the sacred to the sensual. It is no wonder that one symbolic meaning of the rose is immortality, for she truly is.

This is by far a favorite flower of mine and I love to receive them (wink wink, nudge nudge, to my husband, "Gomez"). Their imagery and symbolic meanings are also amongst my favorite and a source of inspiration for my current work in progress, working title Fresh Cut Roses. The dark red rose echoes the color of blood and the thorns, invoke dark feels. Inspiring beauty and pain, really, what's not to love?

Different color roses have different meanings. More meanings can be found in my Language of Flowers post.

Red - Sensual/Passionate, Immortality, Undying Love, Courage, Health
Pink- Beauty and Innocence, Gentility, Sympathy
Lavender/Purple - Majestic, Mystery and Unattainable, Enchantment and Magic
Turquoise(Green) - Prosperity and Rejuvenation
White - Purity, Spirituality, and Mysticism, Virginal/Youthful
Yellow - Happiness, Friendship, Maturity, Good Luck, but could also mean Infidelity.
Orange - Congratulations, Pride, and New Beginnings
Black - Yes, there is such a thing. Most black roses are really dark indigo/purple or maroon, but a true black rose variety does grow in Tibet. They can mean tragic romance, black magic and hatred, death, mourning, and farewell, but also can be used to mean rebellion and mutiny.


Here are some other Gothic associations and references regarding the rose.

Sacred/Spiritual

• Rosary
• Rose windows in Gothic cathedrals
• Christ's blood and some say the blood of the stigmata smells like roses
• The Virgin Mary "a rose without thorns"
• Crown of thorns - Sacrifice
• White roses at weddings "I am worthy of you"

Rose Window

Mystery/Secrecy

• The rose on the Tarot card represents balance. Namely, the Magician, Strength, Death and Fool cards of the major arcana.
• Secrecy - Roses suspended over tables in Roman times meant secrecy, and that what was said there was kept there. Roses were also painted on Roman ceilings to represent this secrecy and are where the meaning of "sub rosa" came from. This practice was mimicked in medieval times and placed on confessionals, even the Tudor Rose of King Henry VII is painted in his personal chambers where decisions made there were to remain secret.
• Alchemy where the unfolding rose petals represent the unfolding of wisdom.  The rose cross is a symbol of the Philosopher's Stone of immortality, the ultimate goal of alchemy.
• Harkens to Secret Societies like The Rose Cross and Freemasonry.

The Rose and The Cross

Love/Passion

• The bud or flower denotes the feminine and the thorn the masculine
• Aphrodite's sacred flower. Running to her mortally wounded love Adonis, she cut her feet on thorns and the blood formed roses on the thorns or she bled on white roses turning them red. In the Roman version, it was Venus and it was her tears over Adonis' death that created the rose. A rose bush is said to have grown from the pool of blood where Adonis died. Aphrodite also gave her son, Eros a rose to give to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep her sexual indiscretions secret, so the rose became the symbol of love and desire, as well as, of silence and secrecy.
• Love poetry and prose mentioning the Rose too numerous to mention.
• I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys; As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. - the Song of Solomon.
• A rose by any other name will smell as sweet. - Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
• St. Valentine - Valentine's Day is a day of love and roses have become its official flower. This is mostly due to the language of flowers created during the Victorian times. It isn't the holiday that is gothic, but the tragic story of St. Valentine that urges me to include it here. In short, the Emperor decreed that young men couldn't marry, as they made better soldiers if they remained unmarried. Valentine continued to officiate marriages between young couples in secret. When discovered, he was ordered to death. In jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and his last letter to her was signed, Your Valentine, a sentiment still in use today.
• Cleopatra's seduction of Marc Anthony included layering floors with rose petals and adorning the walls with rose garlands. It is also reported that her bed was covered in rose petals. I call that invoking the power of Aphrodite.

The death of Adonis,  a painting by José de Ribera, 1637

Other favorite references.

• Morticia Addams, of The Addams Family, cuts the heads off her roses, displaying only the thorny stems.
• Playing cards in Alice of Wonderland paint the white roses red.
• The enchanted rose of Beauty and Beast.
• The hedge of thorns in Sleeping Beauty, where many princes died a sorrowful death. But then turned to roses after a hundred years, which parted for the young man who came and kissed her, awakening her kingdom. She was also named Brier-Rose.
• Grimm is a treasure trove of stories depicting roses,  like the two rose bushes, one white and one red in Snow-White and Rose-Red and so many others. I highly recommend researching them for inspiration.

Has your storytelling ever been inspired by the rose or any of its many associations? Are there other rose references you would include?

Stay beautifully haunted.🌹 

♥ Shadow.