As I’m working on my own Gothic novel at the moment, I thought I would read Elizabeth Gaskell’s Life of Charlotte Brontë for some inspiration, and it instantly re-ignited my admiration for both Brontë and for Gaskell. Today I thought we could take some prose examples from Charlotte Brontë’s writing, analyse them, see what makes… Read More
Refer back to this article any time you want to indulge the reader with some pleasurable anticipation, or delay a revelation in order to increase suspense. ☞ Our paradigm for this article will be Jane Eyre, so expect spoilers.
SUPERNATURAL LANGUAGE The Moon card in the Tarot’s Major Arcana perfectly exemplifies the feeling of the Underworld of Adventure. Nothing seems real; the character finds themselves in a world where everything is possible, but only within the purview of a dream landscape that they (perhaps rightly) mistrust. Jane Eyre, following her acceptance of Mr. Rochester’s… Read More
Rejecting the paths of others is all very well, but there’s still an art to feeling out your own path. It’s a very simple process, and the most successful heroines use it instinctively, all the time. Take, for example, Jane Eyre: And now I felt that it was not enough; I tired of the routine… Read More
Dear Main Character, Have you grown accustomed to following others? Do you believe that somewhere, somehow, someone has the answer, and that all you need do is imitate them? Perhaps that’s why you’re here? You’re hoping for the magical combination of ingredients and recipes to tell your story, to realise your dreams, to fulfil your… Read More