Name: Taylor: English 10 Gothic Short Story 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: 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 doors grating on rusty hinges footsteps approaching lights in abandoned rooms characters trapped in a room ruins of buildings thunder and lightning rain, especially blowing sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds clanking chains gusts of wind blowing out lights doors suddenly slamming shut baying of distant dogs (or wolves?) 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, Terror, or Sorrow Surprise Haste Anger Largeness afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive, commiseration, concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded, dreading, fearing, frantic, fright, frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror, lamentable, melancholy, miserable, mournfully, panic, sadly, scared, shrieks, sorrow, sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified, terror, unhappy, wretched alarm, amazement, astonished, astonishment, shocking, staring, surprise, surprised, thunderstruck, wonder anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden, suddenly anger, angrily, choler, enraged, furious, fury, incense, incensed, provoked, rage, raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathful, wrathfully 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 Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions Exceeds (4) Meets (3) Nearly Meets (2) Beginning (1) main ideas are clear, focused and interesting Supporting details : 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 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) 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. main ideas are clear and focused Supporting details : 2. General or limited in places 3. Some connections and insights are present 4. Organization is clear; order and structure are present. 5. Clear paragraph breaks; organization is predictable. 6. Introduction is recognizable, developed 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. main ideas are overly broad or simplistic Supporting details : 2. Limited, off-topic, predictable or too general 3. Connections and insights are missing 4. Overall structure is inconsistent or skeletal. 5. Some paragraphs breaks; order of ideas may be unclear. 6. Introduction is too short, obvious or ineffective (e.g., My topic 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. 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 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.