Learn to write a short story in the style of mid-century gothic romances published by Ace, Signet, and Paperback Library

If you're interested in stories about distressed heroines and brooding lovers, looming castles and ominous manors, wispy dresses swirling to waltzes, and ancient curses whispered by candlelight, then you're in the right place! 🕯️

This course is aimed at beginning writers interested in gothic fiction. However, writers of all skill levels are invited to enroll.

Write Your First Gothic Romance is a six-lesson activity-based course designed to give you an overview of the basic elements of mid-century gothic romance fiction, along with tips and techniques for crafting a moody, suspenseful tale.

At the end of this course, you'll apply what you've learned to outline—and then write—a 3,000-word short story in the style of classic gothic romances.

Register for this program

Pay a one-time fee or two monthly installments.

Why write a gothic romance?

There are several reasons to write gothic romance stories, particularly for beginners:

  • Gothic romance stories have clear genre elements and well-established tropes that can provide an easier framework for beginning writers to start from

  • Gothic romance stories are melodramatic, full of over-the-top characters, lurid descriptions, and surprise twists. Beyond being fun, writing these kinds of stories can be a good way to practice characterization, setting, cliffhangers, and plot structure.

  • Writing gothic romance gives you an excuse to indulge your moody side and explore the fashion, music, architecture, and culture of a romanticized Victorian era

  • Creating new gothic romance stories can help breathe new life into this classic genre

This is a self-paced, activity-based course

Here's a brief overview of the curriculum:

    1. Welcome to Write Your First Gothic Romance!

    2. About the Instructor

    3. Get to Know the Storytelling Collective

    1. Course Materials

    1. Lesson 1. Elements of a Gothic Romance

    2. Lesson 1. Activity

    1. Lesson 2. Adding Your Personal Twist

    2. Lesson 2. Activities

    1. Lesson 3. Setting the Mood

    2. Lesson 3. Activities

    1. Lesson 4. Building Romantic Tension

    2. Lesson 4. Activities

About this course

  • $59.00
  • 6 Lessons
  • Project Activities
  • Worksheets

Plus, your registration includes:

  • Help and support from your instructor

  • Access to a private Discord channel

  • Indefinite access to the course and any future course updates

  • Support, encouragement, and accountability from the StoCo community

We'll be publishing your gothic romance stories

Complete the course and submit your short story to us by June 1, 2025 to be included in our special print and digital collection available on DriveThruFiction.com!

Cover of Written by Candlelight Vol II, 2024's anthology
Learn more about our community anthologies

About the Instructor

Sersa Victory

Sersa Victory is a game designer and writer specializing in deathtrap dungeons for TTRPGs. He has published several top-selling adventures, including the ENnie Award-winning Shrine of the Jaguar Princess for the Shadowdark RPG. His other recent work includes the successfully crowdfunded tournament module Temple of the Green Devil, Crater of the Flaying Star for Kobold Press, and Dungeon Design Essentials: Traps for Storytelling Collective. His fiction has been published by DMR Books, Savage Realms Monthly, Scribemind Books, The Harrow, and others. In 2012, Chris Perkins and the D&D community voted him Apprentice of Acererak, the undead architect of the infamous Tomb of Horrors.

Register for this program

Pay a one-time fee or two monthly installments.

Explore all Storytelling Collective programs