Gothic Romance
By Cathy M. Conway
By Cathy M. Conway
I’m not a fan of melodrama in real life. When done well on stage, in film or fiction however, I’m more than ready to suspend disbelief and lose myself in a tragic yet tender story.
I was a child of the 60s. By the time I started school, I had my heart set on being a paleontologist. Writing wasn’t even a blip on my radar. I loved books though. My favorite was Roy Chapman’s, “All About Dinosaurs” published in 1953. I still have it to this day, childish notes scribbled in the margins and all.
Over time my interest in dinosaur bones waned, and as I grew older, I discovered Gothic stories. “Wuthering Heights,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and “Jane Eyre” were my favorites. The melancholy themes, darkened halls, clandestine meetings, towers, and secret passageways fascinated me. Professed love was treated with restraint, genteel reserve, or indifference. I became a fan of the underdog. The older I became, the more I wanted to see the unlovable find love. Damaged heroes stole my heart. I began to write.
I cut my teeth on angsty poetry and fan fiction as a teen, sometimes having my work confiscated by an annoyed teacher or nosy classmate. Some years later, in April of 1991, I saw the musical, “The Phantom of the Opera.” The story of Erik and Christine was painful in its beauty, and I was mesmerized. A little research proved Gaston Leroux’s characters were in the public domain. And just like that, Gothic romance lured me back with unfailing ease, bringing with it, the inspiration for my debut novel.
I never could’ve guessed that my muse would be a deformed, masked, musical genius and murderer. But muses, much to their chagrin I’m sure, have little say in which person they’ll inspire. We writers have even less say in how long they’ll grace us with their presence. Erik has remarkable staying power.
I struggled for a long time with committing to the story he was telling me. But that didn’t stop him from influencing everything else I wrote. He’d already changed me. My eyes were opened to the despair and loneliness so many people experience. Erik might not be real in the corporal sense, but his story’s universal: Everyone wants to feel worthy of being loved.
In the years following my Phantom fixation and after my children were grown, I tried my hand at writing contemporary romance, inspirational fiction, flash fiction, and fantasy. I posted my work online, and had stories published in a few anthologies, but I still hadn’t put out my debut novel. At this point, I had a good portion of the story written. I just needed to finish. I hadn’t had trouble writing before. It took some time to realize what it was about this particular piece that held me up: My heart was involved. As parents, we’re not supposed to have a favorite child. As authors, we can do whatever we please. Erik will always be my favorite character. Everything he did within the confines of my book mattered.
To convey a story properly, writers need to stay vulnerable. Simultaneously, they must be brave. To fashion a story that evokes emotion, we have to walk headlong into it and feel the chosen emotion first. I was caught inside a paralyzing vortex of fear because I wasn’t sure how to proceed—and I wasn’t in there alone. Most can shake it off. Some let it block them forever. Fortunately, I’d fallen in with the former. I finished my novel.
Words hold immense power over us. They have the ability to build up, tear down, and make us laugh, cry, learn, love, and dream. I found my way out of the vortex, and there are many genres I’m itching to try my hand at. One thing’s for certain though: I haven’t seen the last of Gothic Romance with “Redemption of Shadows.” After all these years, Erik’s still with me.
AUTHOR BIO
A Southern California native and voracious reader, Cathy M. Conway's been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She left the business world to realize her dream of writing full-time in 2010.
Cathy admits to being an avid people watcher who's intrigued by the many facets of relationships; as such, her stories often have a romantic leaning and will contain a seed of hope.
When she’s not writing, Cathy enjoys theatre, travel, and trying local restaurants. She has a passion for dog rescue. Adopt, don’t shop!
“Redemption of Shadows” is Cathy’s debut novel.
Other stories Cathy has written:
“Redemption of Shadows” is Cathy’s debut novel.
Other stories Cathy has written:
"Olive Tree Manor" and "Evanescence" in the Writers' Anarchy anthology, "Flash It!"
"Calira & the Winds of Draoll" in the anthology, "Darkly Never After."
Coming Soon: “Pockets of Change” in “Panthology,” an anthology for charity.
Cathy's the mother of adult twins, and is an active member in her church and community. She lives in a coastal town where she enjoys long walks with her husband Bob and dog Riley.
Cathy M. Conway online:
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7373387.Cathy_Conway
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/cathyconway
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathymconway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathymconway
Her books:
Redemption of Shadows: A New Tale of the Phantom of the Opera http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Shadows-Tale-Phantom-Opera-ebook/dp/B0195U6BFS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Darkly Never After: Fairytales for Adulthood
May your wishes...: Christmas Drabbles
Jack-o'-Lantern Tales of Treats and Tricks: Hallowe'en Drabbles
Flash It! (Volume 1)
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