  Romance/Love
This week: An Overview of Gothic Romance Edited by: StephBee  
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Last month I talked about vampires and romance. This month, I thought I'd explore an off shoot of that, gothic romance. The Genre had it's heyday back in the 1970's and 1980's, but if you think about it, if it wasn't for gothic romance, perhaps we wouldn't have the out growth of vampires or paranormal romances that we have now.
Enjoy!
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In the 1930's author Daphne duMaurier added a heavy dose of romance to her gothic tales. Her story, "Rebecca" is known as a modern day reworking of Bronte's "Jane Eyre." duMaurier established heroines who swooned over or were terrified by scowling heroes.
Gothic romance soon took off during the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. Authors that became well known for writing gothic romance during this time include Dorothy Fletcher, Victoria Holt, and Barbara Michaels. As a teen growing up in the 1980's, I discovered Victoria Holt. I remember enjoying how she blended romance and the gothic. It wasn't overwhelming and the romances felt just right - not overly done, but gripping and real all the same time.
ELEMENTS OF GOTHIC ROMANCE
As well as working in elements of a traditional gothic story, romantic elements include one or more of the following:
A powerful love - this type of sudden, explosive love is the first the character has known.
Uncertainty of affection - there's a heightened emotion of uncertainty - does the intended return the love's powerful feelings?
Disapproval - the woman's father disapproves of her lover.
Lovers parted - more "gothic" reasons for being parted include an obstacle such as being locked in a dungeon, one of the lovers is given a false reason to flee or one of the lovers is banished.
Illicit love - a young woman catches the "eye" of an evil man.
Rival lovers - one or both of the lovers have more than one person vying for their attention.
GOTHIC ELEMENTS
The setting: gothic tales are usually set in a castle or a manor, or if set in America, an old family estate. These places usually have secret passages, trap doors, and mysterious rooms.
Mystery & Suspense: There is usually an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, usually around the parentage of one of the leads.
Prophecy: There's usually a prophecy involved, omens or visions.
Gothic stories also may include a woman in distress, high emotion, a powerful male figure and metonymies - metaphors like rain which are used to represent something else, like sorrow.
The supernatural - There are usually supernatural events that occur in a gothic story, but these events usually have a natural explantion.
VOCABULARY
The vocabulary of gothic romance heightens the tension. Words include: mercurial, sorcerer diabolical, frantic, fears, unhappy, astonishment, flight, wrath, vast.
FEEDBACK: Do you have any gothic romance stories you'd like to share?
EDITOR'S NOTE: If there is a particuliar aspect of romantic writing you'd like to see me tackle, write in and let me know.
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FEEDBACK QUESTION from 25 AUG: What about vampires appeals to the romantic in you?
Feedback is from my Newsletter dtd: 25 AUGUST 2010
robquill
Thank you so much for your introduction to Vampires and Love - I never knew. Your piece was inciteful and gave perspective to what is an unknown genre to me. You have give, flesh and (excuse the oun) blood to the characters in vampire legend and the modern approach. Thank you.
STEPH: 
Preacher 
I think of vampires and I think of Nosferatu - hardly romantic. Even Bela Lagosi's Dracula, while dashing and exotic, was a monster of evil intent. I guess I don't get the the "vampires are romantic" thing.
STEPH: I lthink the #1 appeal is the "bad" boy personna that the "good" girl can change. (And we all know the good girl is fighting a losing battle.) I also think another appeal is how the vampire deals with morality issues. Certaintly, he or she, doesn't have to do the "right" thing, why when you live forever and can do anything you want? Thus, when you do the "right" thing, the reader is rewarded. On a more visural level, there's something about kissing on the neck that is very appealing.
Doug Rainbow
Vampire stories use the "forbidden love" theme, an old reliable formula. Samson and Delilah, Romeo and Juliet, Pocahantas and John Smith are all examples. Did you ever notice that almost all vampire love stories are between a vampire and a standard human, and not between two vampires?
STEPH: Good point - and I think that's another strong appeal of the literature - the forbidden love theme.
saraiv
Vamps are sexy. It's just the truth. They are not real which makes it easier to believe they have all the appeal in the world. yum.
STEPH: Yes, there's also that. 
Susanne
It is funny how this vampire thing is so big right now, with Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, etc. I started writing after reading the Twilight books because it was the first time I read something that sounded like the stories in my head. But I do not like vampire stories and Twilight for me is just true romance. I never see Edward or the others as vampires, more like superheroes with special powers. But of course the "bad boy" who you, as a girl, turn good is the real clincher. Thanks for another great nl.
STEPH: You're welcome.
Kelsey needs to write!
Got to say I definitely like vampires in the Romance. Teen fiction... eh it's tiresomoe. They try to hard. I like the spin offs almost more though. Sherrilyn Kenyon with her "Dark Hunters" has vampire attributes but are also kick ass. Lyndsay Sands keep the normal vampire, but they do something. I think the most appealing thing to me is definitely the sense of purpose and what they're willing to do to keep thier mysterious ways a secret.
STEPH: That speaks to the morality I mentioned above. I hear a lot of good things about Sherrilyn Kenyon's vampire stories.
Helen McNicol
I think Anne Rice wrote great vampire characters. Lestat was the ultimate bad boy, who used his vampiric power to his own advantage, while Louis was the complete contrast, struggling with his immortality and trying to maintain the human within.
STEPH: Yes, and it's this contrast which makes Rice's story shine and highlights the deeper appeal of vampires.
Choppa Diablo
Interesting point, I've been studying vampires for years, your conclusion I would have to say is good, but a little bold you still missed out on a few big reasons that I'm sure you know but just wasn't thinking about at the time. If you don't mind we can discuss my theories at an later date. But for now I just want to say keep up the good work.
STEPH: I'd like to hear them.
scribbler
Can't we please just stop talking about vampires? I'm sick of them and they feel like old news.
STEPH: I prefer werewolves myself.
Raine
It is definitely the bad boy persona of the vampire that appeals to me. When done right, it can really make my day. However, I've always preferred werewolves to vampires. They mate for life thing is the appeal there.
STEPH: That's why I enjoy werewolves. They mate for life. Who wouldn't want that?
Your Romance/Love Newsletter Editors:
fyn 
Crys-not really here
StephBee
StephBee is a 911 Dispatcher with LAPD. Her paranormal romance, "The Hungarian," was recently released byDesert Breeze Publishing. Matthias harbors a dark secret, but when he meets a young British noblewoman, is he willing to risk it for her love? |
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Romance/Love: September 22, 2010 Issue [#3909]
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