My daughter posted this list to Facebook. I have no idea where she found it, but I thought my readers might appreciate it, especially the authors. (Though I'm inclined to break some of these rules too.)
And now . . . from my daughter's Smart phone . . .
Susie had to work, so we arrived late at The Capital Room Bar's Burlesque Night, but not too late to have fun!
And from last night at Susie's birthday party at Texas Roadhouse . . .
Susie and I have done drink selfies from Venice, FL to Venice, Italy—even at Dublin airport, as I recall. Though I think last night at Texas Roadhouse in Sanford was the noisiest setting I can recall.
THE GOTHIC NOVEL - BREAKING THE RULES
Warning: Be wary of breaking the rules until you've written a good many books; even then, do it only if you're an indie author with no editor or marketing department to please!
Why did I break so many rules while writing The Abandoned Daughter?
Except for the periods when I was writing Regency Romance for Signet, Contemporary Romance for Kensington, and, later, Regency Historicals for the Ellora Cave's non-erotic historical line, I have made an effort not to repeat myself—except, of course, for the obligatory HEA ending. When planning a book, I work at finding a different setting, a different plot, a different set of secondary characters. And I switch genres, from Gothics rife with things that go bump in the night to Regency Romance and Adventure with a dash of comedy, to Regency Historicals with some highly serious plots, and back to Contemporary Mystery, even a Medieval and a Steampunk!
This variety pleases my need for something new and different, and, I hope, keeps me sharp. As well as satisfying my readers' hopes for a novel that isn't "same-old, same-old."
So, yes, after eleven Regency Gothics, I decided to break as many rules as I could while writing #12. (Jury still out on that one.) But this week, as I finished the draft of The Abandoned Daughter, it seemed a good time to look back and see which rules I broke and which I kept. So . . .
THE BROKEN RULES:
1. Setting. As all Gothic aficionados know, an eerie setting is traditional: a castle, a dilapidated mansion, maybe with a ghost or two.
The setting for The Abandoned Daughter is Bath, one of the most serene and beautiful cities in the realm. Bad things wouldn't dream of happening there.
2. Hero. Heroes in Gothic novels are frequently unsympathetic, if not downright disbelieving of the heroine's fear that she is being threatened. On occasion, the so-called heroes are even suspected of being the villain wishing the heroine dead.
In The Abandoned Daughter, although the hero is seen by the heroine as a villain, she finds it impossible to believe he wants her dead. He does, in fact, become her Knight Errant, determined to save her from whatever danger stalks her.
3. Point of View. Gothic novels are customarily told from the viewpoint of the heroine, isolating her from all hints of what is going on outside her immediate area. The Abandoned Daughter, however, uses multiple POVs, with little more than paragraphing to mark the switch. (As Georgette Heyer did in her Regency novels, a practice that causes some NY editors to cringe.)
4. Bodies. Traditional Gothic novels are usually more Threat than the castle floor being strewn with bodies. Even if deaths are present, one or two is the customary max.
In The Abandoned Daughter the body count is high. Necessary to the plot twist mentioned below.
5. Isolation. Customarily, the heroine is afflicted by a feeling of isolation (one of the main reasons for telling the story in first person). The heroine in The Abandoned Daughter is positively surrounded by well-wishers and protectors.
6. Plot Twist. In the final action scene in most Gothic novels, the hero demonstrates he is true blue by rescuing the heroine or the heroine miraculously saves herself,
In The Abandoned Daughter there is a plot twist I hope will come as a true surprise. (And no, I'm not telling!)
RULES KEPT:
1. Heroine's lowly position. Many Gothic novel heroines are governesses or companions. Although some Gothics feature married heroines, their marriages were often sparked by convenience rather than love or even affection. The husbands tend to be absent, indifferent, or even threatening; the female, seemingly powerless.
2. Menace. A sense of Menace is a vital ingredient in a Gothic novel. The heroine must feel threatened—although calmer moments are allowed, leading both heroine and readers into thinking all might be well.
3. Eerie Atmosphere. Ghosts, fog, wild moors are a Gothic novelist's favorite ploy. In The Abandoned Daughter, with Bath bisected by the River Avon, there was no doubt which eerie staple would be employed.
I have undoubtedly missed a point or two, but you get the gist of it. It remains to be seen if readers will consider beautiful Bath as an acceptable Gothic setting. Hopefully, The Abandoned Daughter will debut in late July.
~ * ~
~ * ~
For a link to Blair's website, click here.
For recent posts, scroll down. For Archives, see the menu on the right.
Thanks for stopping by,
Grace (Blair Bancroft)
6.5 Writes should always proofread.
ReplyDeleteI admit it, I missed that! What an eagle eye you have.
ReplyDelete