Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Power of Steam Compels You

I want to apologize for the week break I took in my serial, The Power of Steam Compels You. That dreaded reality of real life got in the way of Zephyria for a while, but we're back and running now. You can head over to Adventures from Zephyria right now to give the newest chapter a look! I hope you are enjoying the supernatural steampunk adventure!

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Not Many Limits on Steampunk

Before I start, if you aren't quite sure what steampunk is, give it a quick look in your search engine of choice. There is already a ton of helpful information on the genre/lifestyle. Today I'm simply offering my opinion.

The thing I like most about the genre/lifestyle of steampunk is that there are very few rules. The overall scene is very accepting. You might be more into the gaslamp scene, or dieselpunk might be your thing, but overall, you can call it steampunk and be right. (Again, Google is your friend if you're not sure what those and other subgenres are.)

Of course, you can't simply glue gears on something or put on a pair of goggles and say it's steampunk. (Well, the great thing is, you probably can!) You really should research what has come before and go from there. After you know more about it, however, you can pretty much do anything you want in the genre. From ancient alternate history, to pure Victorian Steampunk, and far forward to Future Dystopian Steampunk, the world is your oyster!

So, my point being? Simply as I said. Whatever your interest in steampunk, you aren't confined by many rules. Find the basics, and you can basically go anywhere - past, present, or future. If you want to be a steampunk, do it however you like, and you're doing it correctly. I love that about the movement!

So what do you think? Do you agree with me, or am I being far too general in my view? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Writing Prompt #1

I love writing prompts. They're excellent for writing practice, creating short stories, and even sometimes unlocking a key point in a longer work that you just couldn't make right. Because of this, I want to occasionally post writing prompts here. Use them however you like. There is no need to credit me with whatever you come up with. Writing prompts are simply ideas, so any stories or plots you come up with are fully yours. 

With that being said, here is the first writing prompt. Of course it has a steampunk bent to it, but use it for whatever genre you like. (Note that I say "you" in the prompt, but, of course, this means your character.) Have fun with it, and I'll see you in the aether! 

Prompt #1:
You're walking along the beach when you see a bottle with some sort of parchment stuffed inside. You investigate and find it's a schematic to create a fantastic machine. There is also a short note. What sort of machine is it, and what does the note say? Does it lead you on an adventure that only the fully-built and functional contraption can help you conquer? Or does it leave you with a moral dilemma about the possible uses of the machine? Or does it say something else entirely?