What is Gothic Fiction? Tips for Writing Gothic Stories

Are you the type who slows down to admire a crumbling castle on a misty hillside? Do you feel at home among candlelit corridors, secret passageways, or lonely, windswept moors? If so, you might already have the heart of a Gothic fiction fan—or even a future Gothic writer.

But what exactly is Gothic fiction, and how do you write a Gothic story? In this post, we’ll explore key characteristics of this genre and how you can write a modern Gothic novel that readers will love!

What is Gothic fiction?

What is Gothic fiction? It’s a literary genre defined by shadowy settings, heightened emotions, and a constant sense of dread. The term Gothic fiction comes from its early connection to Gothic architecture, which features looming cathedrals, arched windows, and stone walls steeped in decay. Just as those buildings inspired awe and unease, early Gothic novels created worlds where danger lurked in every corner and the supernatural elements felt vividly real.

Gothic literature emerged during the Romantic period, when writers embraced imagination and raw emotion over strict realism. From Horace Walpole, author of The Castle of Otranto (widely regarded as the first Gothic novel), to Edgar Allan Poe, whose short stories redefined horror fiction, early Gothic writers were fascinated by humanity’s darkest passions and fears. This brief history of Gothic storytelling paved the way for today’s modern Gothic novels, horror stories, and even Southern Gothic literature.

Common elements of Gothic literature

Gothic fiction depicts much more than old mansions with elaborately carved banisters. These novels also include elements of the macabre, damsels in distress, antiheroes, and haunted houses, making them the natural predecessor to today’s horror, suspense, and dark academia genres.

The literary canon of Gothic fiction includes classics like Wuthering Heights, The Fall of the House of Usher, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The typical subgenres you’ll see are Gothic romance (the Brontë sisters), Gothic horror (Edgar Allan Poe), and Southern Gothic (Flannery O’Connor).

Whether you’re reading classic Gothic literature or exploring contemporary Gothic works, you’ll find familiar elements and tropes that define the Gothic genre:

Grim, moody atmosphere in a liminal space

The setting of a Gothic tale is never ordinary. Words like bleak, eerie, and isolated often describe its tone, but the key is to create an environment where reality feels unstable and mysterious. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley places her narrator in wild, uncharted regions, perfect for exploring dangerous ambition and the supernatural elements that follow:

There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand . . . . There is a love for the marvellous, a belief in the marvellous, intertwined in all my projects, which hurries me out of the common pathways of men, even to the wild sea and unvisited regions I am about to explore.

This kind of setting allows readers to feel that anything could happen, even the impossible. Of course, these marvels that the narrator seeks in a “wild” and “unvisited” place that is “out of the common pathways of men” end up being a tale of horrors beyond imagining; but this liminal space is ripe for exploring the dark side of humanity’s unending curiosity and unchecked ambition. What better atmosphere is there to learn the terrifying consequences of dabbling in the supernatural than the cold, inhospitable wildness of the unexplored Arctic, where, as in science, the unknown abounds?

Remote and spooky setting

Many Gothic stories unfold in Gothic castles, sprawling manors, or Gothic buildings marked by decay. But not every Gothic work relies on elaborate décor. Some famous novels, like Toni Morrison’s Beloved, use subtler locations that still radiate menace. Whether it’s a classic Gothic novel or a modern horror story, these Gothic settings isolate the characters, making help impossible to reach and danger inescapable.

For example, look at the description of 124 Bluestone Road in Beloved:

124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom . . . . Howard and Buglar, had run away by the time they were thirteen years old—as soon as merely looking in a mirror shattered it (that was the signal for Buglar); as soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). Neither boy waited to see more; another kettleful of chickpeas smoking in a heap on the floor; soda crackers crumbled and strewn in a line next to the doorsill . . . . No. Each one fled at once—the moment the house committed what was for him the one insult not to be borne or witnessed a second time.

Whether or not you set your dark tale in a Gothic mansion, the setting should induce fear by hinting at the existence of the malicious supernatural somewhere within—a force eager to destroy the protagonist, a dealer of the macabre. Your character should feel alone, unable to get help if needed, whether that’s because they are in a remote place, they cannot escape the evil targeting them, or because no one believes a word they’re saying.

Supernatural influence

In Gothic horror novels, the threat may be literal or imagined. Vampires (such as in Dracula), ghosts (Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House), cursed objects, or twisted experiments like in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are all common in this genre. Sometimes the evil is psychological, as in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, where paranoia and guilt become monsters of their own. Whether or not the supernatural ends up being real, rationally explainable, or complete delusions, is up to you.  Many gothic authors also weave real-world horrors into their gothic fiction books, using supernatural elements as symbols of injustice, trauma, or historical tragedy.

Deep passion and dark romance

In Gothic romance, love and obsession blur into danger. From Heathcliff’s haunting devotion in Wuthering Heights to the tormented figures of Southern Gothic writers like Flannery O’Connor, Gothic novels are full of characters who let passion consume them. This emotional intensity creates powerful drama and suspense, showing what happens when desire spirals into destruction.

Take this passage from Wuthering Heights:

And I pray one prayer—I repeat it till my tongue stiffens—Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living! You said I killed you—haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe—I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!

The deep passion experienced by characters can be driven by fear, paranoia, or neuroticism, but often it’s an obsessive love for someone or something. If it’s the former, naturally, this fanatical adoration will only lead to an unhealthy, ill-fated relationship. As you prepare to write your own novel, ask yourself what your hero or villain might care about so much that their worship could backfire and end up becoming a hellish, cautionary tale.

Innocent heroes and alluring villains

A typical Gothic story often pairs naïve protagonists with mysterious, troubled figures, or with charismatic Gothic villains hiding terrible secrets. From Jane Eyre’s Edward Rochester to Dorian Gray’s seductive corruption, Gothic authors love to explore both innocence and darkness in human nature. These extremes often collide in relationships that are as fascinating as they are doomed.

Ready to craft your own Gothic book?

The Gothic genre thrives on atmosphere, emotion, and imagination—tools every writer already has at their disposal. Start with a chilling setting, layer in rich Gothic elements, and let your characters wrestle with passion, fear, and the unknown. Whether you lean into Gothic horror, Gothic romance, or even southern Gothic, you’ll be carrying on a tradition of storytelling that has fascinated readers for centuries!