Steampunk with H.L. Burke

Steampunk. Historical Fiction stuffed with science fiction with the occasional sprinkling of fantasy. I have unfortunately not read nearly enough of this genre.

I originally had another author lined up to talk about Steampunk, but when she had to be cut, I contacted the lovely H.L. Burke to see if she'd step up. She agreed, and here we go. Heidi is a prolific author of fantasy, one of the directors of the lovely Fellowship of Fantasy, and the author of a Steampunk series that looks absolutely adorable. Let's see what she has to say, shall we?

H.L. Burke

Steampunk/Fantasy/Romance

Author of Nyssa Glass

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Should I (You) Steampunk?

H. L. Burke

When Kendra was like, “Can you write a post about Steampunk for Indie e-Con?” I was like, “Sure” and started putting together ideas like, “My top ten ways to incorporate goggles into business casual looks” or “Best names for robot butlers” … then she was like, “Oh, and I'd prefer it to be an instructional post," and my mind kind of went, “Ruh-roh.” (insert Scooby Doo voice)

You see, I don't do instructions. I'm basically a chaotic creature of impulse and insanity. I don't read how-to books. If someone starts talking to me about craft stuff, I glaze over a bit. I believe rules are really really fun to break into a million tiny pieces and scatter about the room like glitter. Shiny glitter. Oh so shiny.

I'm the one in every group who lists the exceptions to every bit of advice. I'm a big believer in doing things my way and I feel hypocritical suggesting other people do anything my way rather than their way, and how the heck am I supposed to know their way? I'm not them.

So when people ask me writing advice, my top ones are usually, “Never ask permission to create art” and “Experiment until you find what works” and everything past that point, I consider negotiable.

But I was asked to write about Steampunk, and Steampunk does have some genre conventions, so let's dive in.

How do you know if Steampunk is the genre for you?

Now if you are considering writing Steampunk, chances are it's for one of two reasons:
1. You've read a lot of Steampunk books, immersed yourself in the genre, and really want to get a story out because of your love for all things Steampunk.

2. You saw a picture of a cute Steampunk cosplay and just really want to write a character who wears goggles.

Both are perfectly fine; however, if you're in the second camp you may be uncertain whether or not Steampunk is right for you and your story. What defines Steampunk besides the snappy taste in eye-protection gear?

Technically, and most simply, Steampunk is science fiction set in an alternate version of the Victorian era. It involves incorporating anachronistic technology into not necessary historical settings but settings that evoke that time frame. It often involves themes such as scientific progress, class conflict, and man and machinery.

Are there rules for Steampunk? Sure. Most of them have already been broken by at least one successful author, though, so I'd worry less about them and focus more on what draws you to the genre. If it is, to start with, just the aesthetics, you might want to reconsider, but if you get beyond those aesthetics and at least one theme/concept grabs you and fuels your imagination, don't worry too much about the rest.

So, how do you prep for Steampunk writing?

Read the Genre … or Don't

One way to go about it is to immerse yourself in reading the genre, see what sells, what works for other authors ... but if you're like me, that feels a bit like copying off a test and you'd rather not. Before I wrote my Steampunk series I'd read maybe two Steampunk books years before. I find there are two types of writer/readers, ones who read voraciously in the subgenre they are currently writing to stay in the “mood” and those like me who read their subgenre in their “off” time, but if they are seriously working on a story in that subgenre avoid it because they don't want to accidentally “borrow” something. I have a brain that can't read without going, “That's fun, but if I were the one writing it ...” so I tend to avoiding reading in genre.

Actually, if you want to get a feel for Steampunk but don't want to risk ripping off a fellow writer (even subconsciously), I suggest reading things written in the actual era. Jules Verne is considered the “Father of Steampunk.” H. G. Wells, Mary Shelley, any of the genre fiction from the time is a great place to start to get you in the mood (plus most of that work is public domain by now so if you accidentally copy something, they can't sue.).

Research Historical Events … Or Don't.

Steampunk is Victorian Science Fiction. Technically, Victorian is during the reign of Queen Victoria, which would be 1837-1901, but some people stretch Steampunk up to around 1910. Having a good working knowledge of the fashion, the technology, the historical norms of that period will ground your work in a sense of time and place …

… though of course Steampunk is ALTERNATE history. It often has little to do with actual historical/political happenings … and you can bend the society to fit your needs … some of it isn't even set in our world. A lot if in completely made up countries. And Steampunk is often intentionally anachronistic meaning that it has tech that wouldn't exist at that point so if someone complains that your characters are using technology that didn't exist during the time frame of your story, well, that's kind of the point.

Learn your Technology/Machinery … Or Don't.

Technological progress is a large theme in Steampunk. Inventors are commonly heroes. Some authors actually get involved in Steampunk because of the appeal of the technology and science. They like researching chemicals, steam engines, and automatons. They want to spend time thinking up the devices their characters will use, and I do think if you want to write a character who is an inventor or engineer, you should do some research into it (if your lead is an accountant or a society lady, less of a necessity) … that said, most readers want an adventure, not a user's manual, and it's pretty easy to do the surface work on your technology and not worry about cracking the hood, so to speak. Do what your story requires and don't feel the need to get put all the science on the page.

So why did I (actually me, the writer of this post) choose to write Steampunk?

Honestly, I blame Myst, the series of computer games with a puzzle/adventure focus. When I started the Nyssa Glass series, my first thought was to write a story that read like a puzzle game. The usual conceit of these games is you (or the character you control in game) are dropped into a strange environment and have to work your way through by solving a series of puzzles. I wanted a world where solving puzzles, finding out combinations to safes, and picking locks would be the primary challenges, and Steampunk fit this perfectly. It also fit my character's desire to better her life through hard work and education, but more the hands-on sort than the bookish sort …

Also, I found a really cute picture of a girl in goggles.

You know how it goes.