#Gothtober – A Tour of The Gothic

One of the reasons Gothic Fiction was so prolific in its time, was the escapism and wonder of writing about a place your audience has only ‘vaguely heard of’. The mystery and terror of the unknown is the genre’s bread and butter.

However –

Nowadays you can actually VISIT the places these stories are set. And if you decided to do a tour of the Gothic, these are the places I’d recommend.

The Castle of Otranto, in Otranto Italy.

The Mysteries of Udolpho, in the Spanish/French Pyrenees.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Frankenstein’s Germany, maybe don’t make the Arctic trip. Spoiler Alert… they don’t make it.

Dracula’s Romania, Bran’s Castle Transylvania. (This one I’ve actually been to. Blog coming soon).

As for the English Gothic Fiction Novels, you’ll notice they invoke mystery in a different way. In the form of ACTUAL mysteries. Murder or otherwise.

So if you can’t make it across Europe for your tour of the Gothic, maybe visit my Gothic Fiction Event in Lympne, Kent. Get a taste of the Gothic first hand.

And if you haven’t entered our #GothGiveAway – Comment below with your spookiest story!

 

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#Gothtober Giveaway!

I haven’t done a give-away in years, but I’m really excited about this one. And entering is really easy!

Priorities: What’s in it? 

Well…

• Hotel Chocolat, Crystopher the Vampire Caramel Halloween Box.
• Moleskin Notebook set. 
• Pumpkin and Spice Handpoured Candle
• Rae Dunn’s Wicked Mug
• Five Go Bump in the Night, Enid Blyton’s stories. 
• Frankenstein Tshirt 

How do I enter? 

Comment below with #GothGiveAway and an answer to this question:

What is the spookiest thing to ever happen to you? 

You can enter AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE! Each time you do, your name and story get put into a hat and on 18th October the giveaway will close and a winner revealed!

I also bought the most disgusting Spider Lollipops – so two Losers will also be picked and a thank you card and spider lollipop will go to those (un)lucky victors.

So go forth and spread the spook!

And if you haven’t yet bought your ticket for my Gothic Fiction workshop in the spooky 12th Century Castle, what are you waiting for?

 

T&Cs –

*Must be over 13.

*Must be UK or Ireland Resident, for postage.

*Chocolates and Lollipops are not Vegan or Gluten-Free, and contain nuts.

#Gothtober – Gothic Listening

Back in July I wrote a blog post about music being influential on writing, explaining that writers craving silence and solitude was a stereotype and ABSOLUTELY NOT how I like to write. Click here if you want a little slice of recap.

But a TLDR is: Some writers finds the blank page daunting, and music can help break numerous barriers.

And whilst music and literature might not seem synonymous, they both have tangible effects on us as human beings. When you’re a child you learn to sing along to music, keep to a beat and co-ordinate through music, whether that’s through music lessons or simply conditioning within the home. For example, my dad loves The Squeeze, so I know all the words to Up the Junction. (Test me). Equally, your parents might have read to you as a child, instigating your journey to reading and writing. Both are creative outlets developed and intrinsic to the person developing them. They’re large parts of everyone’s lives, whether they realise it or not, and the wider you explore both subjects the more you’ll get out of life and the wider cultural world around you.

The music I play when I’m writing is always curated to suit the mood of my writing.

So, with that in mind. I’ve created a playlist for you to listen to. Check it out on Spotify (not a spon – I don’t have NEARLY enough followers for that yet) and let me know what you think. What music do you listen to when you’re writing?