Focus

Ghost stories, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, have always been popular. However, it is safe to say that stories of this genre are more interesting if they are based around a true event; which is why I have chosen to write about the story of Mrs Winchester. 

Personally, there is something exciting and intriguing about the idea of reading a story which is true, especially if that story is unique and uncanny.  I found this when I was reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, as although there are hundreds of mystery murder books out there, this one stuck out to me because I knew that the events were true.  

Inside the Mystery Mansion

In addition, it is clear that there is a high demand for ghost stories at the moment; bookshops are stacked to the brim with tales of the supernatural; specifically in the teen and adult sections. This is why I have chosen to write about The Mystery Mansion, because of the popularity for these stories in the publishing world. Furthermore, this type of genre is not targeted at the faint-hearted, therefore my story will be centred towards a Young Adult/Adult audience.  

As Michael Ricketson says in his book, Telling True Stories, ‘the act of researching and writing true stories of readers engaging with them is of profound importance in a democratic society.’ The whole process and planning of your work, is directed to make your story worth reading to your audience. As Lee Gutkind says, ‘reaching out and touching readers is what focus is all about- determining your theme or message and targeting it in a subtle but real manner.

To conclude, it is clear that while writing my piece, it is extremely important to remember why the story is interesting to the reader.  By ‘finding focus’, specifically in my message and theme, it will allow me to follow exactly what my audience will want from my story. 

Issues

One aspect that I am most worried about when creating my piece, is the reliability of my sources. Considering that the event that I am researching is not that well known, I do not have as much information about the story as I may have hoped.  If, for any reason, I am to accidentally make a false statement, then that will be defamation on my part.   However, this will not stop me from creating this story, the most important thing I will have to focus on is making sure that the few sources I have are truthful. As Lee Gutkind says in his book Keep it Real (p. 56), ‘fact checking is what makes the (story) trustworthy in the eyes of the reader’.

Also, there is the issue of my work sounding similar to other peoples’ writing. ‘Ensuring that all the language in the writing is your own’ (Gutkind, L. p. 31) is very important; which is why I will be using scenes in the narrative as this is much more interesting, compelling and unique. As well as this, I do not want my work to just be a broad overview of the story, as this can be extremely boring and repetitive.

The final aspect I feel will be an issue when creating my story, is the reliability of my main character.  There is heavy indication that Mrs Winchester did not have capacity, and therefore her account of that time can be considered erratic.  By resolving this, I will specifically include the fact that she was not in her right mind, especially after the death of her daughter and husband.  I anticipate that I will be able to find some kind of evidence, i.e. Medical records and personal accounts. If not, I will hopefully be able to find accounts from other characters during that time. 

Style and Form

‘Using a timely, narrative approach to write about actual people, events and issues for a broad audience produces works that lodge deep in the reader’s gut and resonates in their mind.’ (Ricketson, M. Telling True Stories: 2014)

When considering the choice of the style and form of my creative piece, there is one specific and important aspect to think about, what will be the most engaging narrative to readers?  Whilst reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, what stood out to me the most was the perspective that Summerscale chose to write in, she wrote in a third person narrative which in turn made it easier for her to jump from each of the character’s stories.

Lee Gutkind states in the Art of Creative Nonfiction, ‘as writers, we must learn to read the products we produce through the eyes of the people we are trying to reach.’ Evidently, what Gutkind is trying to establish is that when writers are choosing the style and form of their work, there should be heavy consideration on the target audience and what they will find engaging, rather than just what the writer thinks is interesting to read.

Gutkind also goes on to say that ‘the writer should visualise the structural elements of essays, chapters, books, and so forth, in order to achieve intellectual harmony with the work, specifically, and the reader, generally.’ Moreover, I have decided to use a third person narrative for my work as, although I have one character in mind that I am going to focus on, I still would like to discuss additional figures, as Summerscale did in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. I would also like to include additional information in my work in terms of the history of the Winchester family, their business, and also Sarah Winchester’s life before she married; it will be easier for me to do this if I write in a third person narrative. 

In terms of form, I will be writing my story mainly through scenes as ‘scenes are the building blocks of creative nonfiction.  Scenes specifically and creative nonfiction generally are action orientated’ (Gutkind, L. 1997). Without the action of scenes and the imagery that they bring, there is nothing engaging for the reader.

Overall, as I now know from the research I have undertaken, there is nothing more important than making sure that the style and form of my work both, engages the reader, and brings across my story in the best way possible.

The Discovery

‘Telling true stories is a powerful form of public communication. Researching what is going on in people’s lives and in the world around us unearths fresh, even revelatory information that at its sharpest will speak truth to those in positions of power and authority.’ (Ricketson, M. Telling True Stories: 2014)

A few days ago, the book I ordered specifically for my story on The Winchester Mystery House, finally arrived.  It is called The Inscrutable Mrs. Winchester and Her Mysterious Mansion and it is written by a woman called Lisa Selby.  Although the narrative is not all that descriptive, completely unlike the work of Kate Summerscale in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, the book still gives me help in understanding the story of Mrs Winchester and her infamous mansion. 

The book, however, does give me additional information in terms of the Winchester family and the Winchester rifle business; specifically a chapter called The History of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. In this chapter, I learned that William Winchester, and his father and uncle before him, did not come from a wealthy family and in fact, his grandfather was a farmer and died when William’s father and uncle were only one year old.

After a massive success in his company called The New Haven Shirt Manufactory Company, Oliver Winchester, William’s father, decided to enter into the firearm industry, in a company called Volcanic Arms Company.  After the owner died in 1857, Oliver, who owned a majority of the stock, chose to take over the company; later renaming it the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. 

Another chapter, named The Life of Sarah Winchester, Fact and Fiction, gave me additional information about Sarah’s association with the medium, Adam Coons. Seemingly, Coons (at one of their meetings) was said to have told Mrs Winchester that her recently dead husband was in the room with her and that he would guide her to her new home, ‘which she would recognise when she saw it.’

As well as learning about the Winchester family, I also found evidence in the form of pictures, specifically taken from inside the mansion; which will be useful in terms of collecting sources, as well as describing the house itself for my story.   

Sarah Winchester and Her Mysterious Mansion

William Wirt Winchester and Sarah Lockwood Pardee married in 1862 and had one daughter called Annie, born 15 June 1866; who sadly died weeks later on 25 July.    This caused Sarah to fall into a deep depressing; which worsened after William’s death in March 1881.

Sarah Winchester, 1865. 

After William’s unfortunate death, Sarah inherited an immense amount of money, which she used to fund the construction of, what is now known as, The Winchester Mystery House.

According to sources, Mrs Winchester sort out spiritualists as she felt that her family was cursed, she came in contact with a medium called Adam Coons, a psychic, and it was said that he told Sarah that the Winchester family was being haunted by the people that had been killed by the Winchester rifle (the family business).  Allegedly, Coons advised Sarah to move to the west and build a house for herself and the spirits; he apparently warned her that if the construction of the house ever stopped, then she would join the same fate as her husband and daughter. 

Driven by fear, Sarah purchased a farmhouse in San Jose, California (525 South Winchester Boulevard) and began using her vast inheritance to rework the house in hopes to keep the spirits at bay.

It is clear in the first instance that Mrs Winchester is the main character in this mysterious story, however, it can be inferred that Adam Coons – the medium – could also be a major part of this story.  Perhaps his perceptive of the situation, whether he was sincere or not, could tell us more about Mrs Winchester mannerisms during the time, was she driven with madness after the death of her husband and daughter? Or was she in fact sane?

Hopefully a book concerning this story that I have ordered, called The Inscrutable Mrs. Winchester and Her Mysterious Mansion by Lisa L. Selby, will shed some light on the character of Adam Coons. Surely, this will also give me additional information in the lives of Mrs Winchester and her family, as well as the family business that allegedly caused the haunting.  

Winchester Mystery Mansion

Some true stories stay with the reader for months, even years. Some spur readers to action.  That action may mean simply sharing the true story with friend and strangers.  It may mean the upending of long-held views.’ (Ricketson, M. Telling True Stories: 2014)

While researching true stories, I initially wanted to find something that was significant, interesting and also held historical impact; something that most people would recognise. However, after looking at the PowerPoint from our second lecture, I began to realise that I needed to find something of greater significance, something that not only had a personal element to me but also to the reader; what use was it if the story was dull, boring and repetitive.

This brought across my next problem, what kind of story would be personal to me?  I had already decided that I didn’t want to write about my family or friends, for I felt it would be too difficult to write personally as it would make me feel incredibly pressured to create some sort of masterpiece for them.  My next best bet was a local story, or a story centred to a specific place.  My first thought was to search for something more close to where I live, Brighton, but found nothing that interested me or brought an idea to mind.  I then decided to search stories in Winchester and, although I had no luck in that sense, I was delighted story to find a story about a haunted mansion in Winchester, California.

Winchester Mystery Mansion 

This story, sometimes known as the Winchester Mystery House, is based around a woman named Sarah Lockwood Pardee.  Sarah married William Wirt Winchester, treasurer of the famed gun makers, in 1862.  After William died of tuberculosis, Sarah was convinced that the spirits of those her dead husband’s weapons killed were haunting her.  This story is about the way in which Sarah overcame these spirits, by setting out building a structure to confuse the potential ghosts, it was a mansion outfitted with doors that opened into walls, the stairs lead to nowhere; the whole mansion was a confusing design.

With additional research, I am hoping to find extra information into the lives of Sarah and William to add more context to the story; much like Kate Summerscale did in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.