Name: ____________________________
Gothic Short Story
Taylor: English 10
Assignment:​ Using 1 of your freewrites from class, or any of the
Gothic story starters, write a short story that shows the characteristics
of Gothic Literature or Dark Romance. You may take creative liberties
with your work, but must incorporate ​AT LEAST THREE​ Gothic
elements into your story.
Here are the steps:
● Think​ about why humans are fascinated with the macabre. Why
are there scary movies and stories still being created every year?
● Choose​ one freewrite from class or any other gothic story
starter.
● Develop​ a story that incorporates enough elements of gothic
literature and in-depth details (show don’t tell!) that will give
the heebie jeebies to your audience.
Essay Requirements:
● A clear introduction, body, and conclusion, and it should use
your ​best descriptive writing​. This paper will be scored based
on the NARRATIVE rubric
● Minimum of 2 pages typed- Maximum of 3 pages
Final Product:
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Typed using 12pt font
1 inch margins
MLA formatting
Submitted to turnitin.com on due date
Grading:
You will be assessed according to the 5 writing standards for the
school-wide rubric for Narrative Writing (Ideas and Content,
Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions which
is 50% or 5/10 standards).
** You must complete BOTH essays in a semester to pass the class! **
Due Dates:
● Brainstorming Sheet - 11/21
● Rough Draft/ Comment Draft- 11/23
● Final Draft submitting to Turnitin.com -12/2
** Each assignment listed above is due at the beginning of
class on the corresponding due date.
Possible Gothic Short Story Elements
1. Setting in a castle or old house/ estate
2. Atmosphere of mystery and suspense
3. Ancient Prophecy or something bad prophesied to happen
4. Omens, Visions, Portents (i.e. a statue of the main character falls, it may portend his death)
5. Supernatural or unexplained events
6. High emotion (anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially terror)
7. Women in distress (often abandoned)
8. Women threatened by a powerful, tyrannical male
9. Gloom and Horror Metonymy (ex. Rain=sorrow)
wind, especially howling
rain, especially blowing
doors grating on rusty hinges
sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds
footsteps approaching
clanking chains
lights in abandoned rooms
gusts of wind blowing out lights
characters trapped in a room
doors suddenly slamming shut
ruins of buildings
baying of distant dogs (or wolves?)
thunder and lightning
crazed laughter
Gothic vocabulary​: ​Aim to incorporate some of these words into your story
Mystery diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, magician, miracle,
necromancer, omens, ominous, portent, preternatural, prodigy, prophecy, secret,
sorcerer, spectre, spirits, strangeness, talisman, vision
Fear, afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive, commiseration,
Terror, or concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded, dreading, fearing, frantic, fright,
Sorrow frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror, lamentable, melancholy, miserable,
mournfully, panic, sadly, scared, shrieks, sorrow, sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified,
terror, unhappy, wretched
Surprise alarm, amazement, astonished, astonishment, shocking, staring, surprise, surprised,
thunderstruck, wonder
Haste anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient,
impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden, suddenly
Anger anger, angrily, choler, enraged, furious, fury, incense, incensed, provoked, rage, raving,
resentment, temper, wrath, wrathful, wrathfully
Largeness enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast
Gothic Short Story: Brainstorming sheet
PLOT: ​What is the ACTION of the story? What is the CLIMAX? (the scariest or most tense moment)
CHARACTERS: ​You should have at least 1 character, and some dialogue in your story. Describe the 1 or 2
most important characters in your story.
DESCRIPTION: ​What ​setting or atmosphere will you describe in detail? (Use imagery (five senses) to help
you!)
What GOTHIC ELEMENTS are in your story? ​If there are none, what can you add to make my story
Gothic?
Name of Writer: ___________________________
Class/Period: ____________________________
Peer Scored by: ______________________________
RUBRIC for Narrative Essay
Ideas and
Content
Organizatio
n
Exceeds (4)
____​1.​ Purpose and
main ideas are clear,
focused and
interesting
​ upporting details​:
S
____​2.​ Relevant,
carefully selected
details
____​3.​ Makes
connections and
shares insights
____​4. ​Order and
structure are strong
and move the reader
through the text.
____​5. ​Effective
sequencing​ and
paragraph breaks
____​6. ​Inviting
introduction​ that
draws the reader in
____​7. ​Conclusion​ has
a satisfying sense of
resolution or closure
____​8. ​Smooth,
effective ​transitions
among all elements
(sentences,
paragraphs, ideas)
Word
Choice
Sentence
Fluency
Conventions
____​9. ​Employs a
broad range of words,
which have been
carefully chosen and
thoughtfully placed for
impact.
____​10. ​Writing has
an easy flow and
rhythm. Sentences are
carefully crafted, with
strong and varied
structure.
____​11. ​Strong control
of conventions; uses
conventions effectively
to enhance readability.
Errors are few and
minor.
Meets (3)
Nearly Meets (2)
Supporting details​:
____​2.​ General or
limited in places
____​3. ​Some
connections and
insights are present
Supporting details​:
____​2.​ Limited,
off-topic, predictable
or too general
____​3. ​Connections
and insights are
missing
____​4. ​Organization
is clear; order and
structure are
present.
____​5. ​Clear
sequencing​ and
paragraph breaks;
organization is
predictable.
____​6. ​Introduction
is recognizable,
developed
____​4. ​Overall
structure is
inconsistent or
skeletal.
____​1.​ Purpose and
main ideas are clear
and focused
____​7. ​Conclusion​ is
developed
____​8. ​A variety of
transitions are used
____​9. ​Employs a
variety of words that
are functional and
appropriate to
audience and
purpose.
____​10. ​Writing is
easy to read aloud;
sounds natural;
variety of sentence
beginnings, lengths
and patterns.
____​11. ​Control of
conventions. ​Minor
errors do not
impede readability​.
____​1.​ Purpose and
main ideas are overly
broad or simplistic
____​5. ​Some
sequencing​ and
paragraphs breaks;
order of ideas may be
unclear.
____​6. ​Introduction​ is
too short, obvious or
ineffective (e.g., “My
topic is…”)
____​7. ​Conclusion​ is
too short, obvious or
ineffective
____​8. ​Transitions are
infrequent or
repetitive
____​9. ​Does not
employ a variety of
words, language lacks
precision and variety,
or is inappropriate to
audience and purpose.
____​10. ​Some parts
are easy to read aloud;
occasional awkward
constructions force the
reader to slow down.
____​11. ​Limited
control of conventions.
Errors begin to impede
readability​.
Beginning (1)
____​1.​ Purpose and
main ideas are unclear
and require inferences
by reader
​Supporting details​:
____​2.​ Minimal
development;
insufficient details
____​3. ​Irrelevant
details or extensive
repetition
____​4. ​Organizational
structure is unclear and
difficult to follow
____​5. ​Paragraph
breaks are missing.
____​6. ​Introduction​ is
missing or
underdeveloped
____​7. ​Conclusion​ is
missing or
underdeveloped
____​8. ​Transitions are
missing
____​9. ​Language is
repetitive and/or
misused, taking away
from the meaning and
impact.
____​10. ​Writing tends
to either be choppy,
rambling or incomplete.
Awkward constructions
force the reader to slow
down or reread.
____​11. ​Little control of
conventions. ​Frequent
errors impede
readability​.