Embarking on a Creative Journey: Grimoires, Poetry, and Gothic Fiction with Simone Bastille

Some people keep journals—I keep grimoires.

Pages filled with ink, pressed flowers, cryptic notes, and fragments of stories waiting to be told. Writing has never been about recording the ordinary; it's about capturing the strange, the unseen—the spaces where reality brushes against something else.

This space is a creative workshop, literary apothecary, and sanctuary for those drawn to dark academia, gothic fiction, folklore, and the written word. I design book covers for blank journals, blending aesthetics with purpose, while also writing poetry, shaping eerie narratives, and studying astro-herbology and plant lore.

Like many, I walk between two worlds—the one of ink and shadows, and the one of work, routine, and responsibility. Here, I carve out time for mystery in the midst of the mundane, letting creativity take root in the quiet hours.

Through this blog, I’ll share my writing process, inspirations from myths and folklore, and the tangled web of ideas that shape my work.

The Power of the Written Word: My Grimoires & Journals

A grimoire isn’t just a book—it’s a repository of knowledge, rituals, and creative chaos.

I don’t keep a traditional journal, but I design them—for those who wish to fill their own pages with something meaningful. Whether for writing, sketching, spellcraft, or quiet reflection, a blank book is a vessel waiting to be filled.

Every design I create is rooted in dark, moody aesthetics, celestial themes, and the quiet beauty of forgotten places. Inspired by old-world books tucked away in shadowed libraries, waiting to be rediscovered.

If that speaks to you, I encourage you to start your own grimoire—a place where ideas, inspirations, and strange little thoughts can live until they take shape.

Poetry: Whispers Between the Pages

Poetry isn’t always pretty. It lingers. It unsettles. It sharpens the edges of the world.

I don’t write about what’s pleasant—I write about what stays. The things we feel but cannot name. The weight of unspoken things.

My poetry comes in fragments, in quiet moments, in the hush of snowfall or the flicker of candlelight. I let the words find their own form—sometimes jagged, sometimes delicate. The best poetry should feel like an incantation, something you carry long after the page is turned.

I’ll be sharing some of my work soon. Until then, look for poetry in the spaces between—in the silence before rain, in the scent of old books, in the way dusk lingers just a little longer than it should.

Gothic Fiction: Where Shadows Breathe

Gothic fiction has always felt like home.

There’s something intoxicating about haunted places, restless characters, and the quiet unraveling of things unseen. It’s a genre that exists between beauty and ruin, light and shadow.

I write of forgotten places, spirits that refuse to rest, the weight of history pressing against the present. My inspirations come from classic gothic writers like Mary Shelley and Poe, but also from folklore, abandoned buildings, and the eerie beauty of decay.

Through this space, I’ll share my thoughts on gothic literature and the alchemy of storytelling, as well as glimpses into my own work-in-progress—a novel that leans into the eerie, the poetic, and the otherworldly.

Upcoming Projects: Stories Waiting in the Dark

Right now, I’m working on a collection of poetry and short stories—woven from seasonal decay, liminal spaces, and the quiet passage of time. These pieces exist in the spaces between—between life and death, past and present, reality and something slightly… off.

Beyond that, I’m shaping the bones of a gothic novel—something haunting, something that lingers like a half-remembered dream. It’s still taking shape, but I’ll be sharing pieces of the process soon.

Insights from My Creative World

Creativity is messy. It arrives in fragments. In whispers. In ideas that refuse to stay in neat little lines.

I don’t try to tame it—I follow where it leads.

Here, you’ll find gothic fiction, poetry, folklore, and the alchemy of words. If you’re drawn to the in-between places, the ones that feel both familiar and otherworldly, then you’re in the right place.

Let’s step into the dark together.

Join Me on This Adventure

As I begin this blogging journey, I hope to connect with fellow storytellers, gothic fiction lovers, poets, and those drawn to the strange and beautiful.

I’m excited about what lies ahead. Expect writing reflections, gothic literature deep dives, poetry, and the quiet magic of storytelling.

Let’s build a community of like-minded souls—where storytelling is sacred, and creativity has no limits.

Thank you for being here. Let’s begin.