[rune]

I was thinking of having a story based around a world that has two divided cultures.

One based on Medieval period and the other based on Gothic.
The story would fall into kind of fantasy/horror category.

I was just wondering if this sounded like a daft idea http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Bardos]

As a beggining, it sounds pretty good to me...

[wastra]

Could be really good, could be really bad.

The basic idea of the setting is less inportant than how well it is used/fleshed out.

Anything at sucha basic level can sound good. It can just as easily sound trite. You could use New Jersey as your setting if you did it well.

[Penumbra]

I would suggest you discover the differences between Gothic and Medieval first. Do you know much of the culture, when they began, who started things rolling and why? What role did the Knights Templar have to play with Gothic architecture and the subsequesnt tales and literature that followed. When do medieval times commence and when do they end. If you are going to tackle this in a meaningful way, do some research. It will pay off for you in a literate and scholarly way when you are finished. Finally, identify those tales which the genre identifies as such.

[rune]

I am trying to find some information on the different periods, but not to stick too much to a strict guideline though.

I want to get the look of the periods (clothes etc.) pretty right and hopefully the architecture too. But after that i am making up my own religion and what is considered normal life.

I quite like the idea of doing something different, not quite the norm be in fantasy or horror http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[matthewajg]

I strongly suggest that you do research into the "Medieval" and "Gothic" periods, and where geographically you are speaking. "Medieval" and "Gothic" are terms which can be used far too generally, but do have a specific historical context. Research, and the implementaion of it, seperates amateurs from professionals in many cases. A sci-fi author would never DREAM of writing a story based on String Theory without a full understanding of the scientific concepts involved...so too should fantasy authors exploring ancient cultures study a good deal of history. And don't settle for a web page or two, nor an encyclopedia entry to give you enough information. Dig, and dig deep...then perhaps the story you suggest may be enriched by the cultures which inspired it. I would suggest however, that if you want to do something out of the "generic fantasy" norm, DO NOT use Medieval or Gothic Europe. Those cultures have been used very frequently. If you want something "original" look to the Chinese, Aboriginal Australia, Mezo-America...
Also, Medieval and Gothic Europe are not quite as different as you might believe...