Inspiration for Your Gothic Setting
Clearly I’m in a setting groove. From last week’s post about how to use the best expected – or, even better, unexpected – types of settings in your writing: The Best Setting for a Gothic Book: The Expected and Unexpected Options for Gothic Writers. To my post back in April about Gothic settings that became synonymous with the books themselves: The Most Memorable Gothic Settings: And How to Apply Them to Your Writing. Not to mention the post that kicked it all off in early April: How to: Write Better Setting Descriptions: The Art of Reading with a Critical Eye. I’ve been thinking a lot about setting. This week I thought we’d look at something similar, but slightly different: Gothic places around the world, meaning those places that are known for having something of a Gothic flavor already!
I’m going to avoid touching on most of the obvious ones: Savannah with its history of ghosts; New Orleans and its voodoo past that Anne Rice capitalized on in her Vampire Chronicles; the Tower of London with its violent history; and all of Romania and its association with Dracula. Instead, I’m going to give you some lesser-known but equally awesome options to explore.
Hopefully these will inspire you either to use them in your writing, or to craft similarly-powerful locations of your own making!
Gothic Quarter – Spain
I’d be remiss if I didn’t start with the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, Spain. This location is the center of old Barcelona and is so-named for its Gothic architecture. Purportedly, some of the historicity of this quarter was actually manufactured in more recent centuries and doesn’t date to the Middle Ages. However, if you’ve ever seen the Barcelona Cathedral, you know why I think this site would make a phenomenal setting for a vampire novel.
Suicide Forest – Japan
Aokigahara has a lovely name, meaning Blue Tree Meadow. But it’s also the site of numerous bodies each year and thus has earned the moniker, Suicide Forest. This location has so many options. From werewolves, to unknown beasts, to psychological madness. You name it, I can picture just about any Gothic story working well in this forest.
Cape of Good Hope – South Africa
There’s nothing like a legend to create a great Gothic location. This one, The Flying Dutchman, tells the story of a Dutch trading ship that sank off of this site in 1941. Now it sails the seas as a ghostly ship and anyone who crosses its path meets an untimely death. A bit like the Pirates of the Caribbean, but feel free to take the legend in an entirely new direction!
Sac Uayum – Mexico
A natural well in the ancient Maya city of Mayapán, Mexico opens into an underwater cavern that’s covered in human bones. The village people refuse to approach the place and local legend says that it’s guarded by a demon who steals children. This could be the perfect setting for a story about a serial killer. Or take the opposite approach and craft a tale of a group forced to hide from society who encounter a mythic beast. Do any of them survive?
Ghosts Lagoon – Iran
In the middle of a dense forest in Iran’s Mazandaran Province lies a small lake filled with the rotting remains of trees. Seen in the fog, the site appears to be the ideal setting for a ghost story. I didn’t see any existing legend (there must be one?!) but why not make your own?
Bhangarh Fort – India
In India’s Rajasthan’s Alwar district, the ruins of a 17th century fort are known as the most haunted place in the country. Of the various legends, my favorite is of a local princess who spurned the advances of a sorcerer. Her actions resulted in his death, but not before he cursed the fort. Think of the story ideas you could use here!
The Pine Barrens – New Jersey, USA
A demon roams the forests of southern New Jersey. Aptly known as the Jersey Devil, he’s said to be the offspring of an 18th century woman. From plane crashes, to the ghostly laughter of a child, to inexplicable footsteps, the region is chock-full of legends making it one of the most haunted places in America.
The Myrtles Plantation – Louisiana, USA
The most haunted house (and plantation) in America is The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Haunted by 12 ghosts, one story is of Chloe, a former slave, who after having her ear cut off for eavesdropping, took her revenge on the plantation owner by poisoning a cake and killing two of his daughters. This would make a thrilling Southern Gothic setting or just the inspiration for your own twisted tale!
The Grande Hotel Trilogia – Cambuquira, Brazil
In Cambuquira Brazil stands the Brazilian equivalent of The Overlook Hotel. It’s said to be haunted, but especially room 204. With regular ghost sightings, strange noises, and the perennial knocking of paranormal activity, this one might be just the Gothic inspiration you’re looking for.
The Carlile House – New Zealand
For this one we head across the ocean to Auckland, New Zealand. The Carlile House was once an orphanage until legend has it that in 1912 a fire broke out, killing 43 boys. Locals say that they can feel the boys’ eyes watching them and can hear their shrieks for help. Imagine the Gothic tale that could be crafted around this one!
Conclusion
There are so many more! Haunted castles in Germany, fantastical cemeteries in Brazil, and hotels and houses packed with paranormal legends the world over. Of course none of these locations have to be the exact site of your Gothic story, but hopefully the legends surrounding them inspire you as you craft your own tale.
And of course, let me know! I’d love to know where you’re setting your book(s) and why.
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