(With a nod to smashpumpkin) Bad Steampunk?

Heh, steam-driven robots, airships, fob watches that turn out to be gadgets, guns that shoot grappling hooks to whip characters out of harm's way, the cliché list goes on...

Thinking back to the steampunk/alt.hist. novels I was writing a few years ago, just about everything "unique" that I introduced in these epic tales of high adventure has since appeared elsewhere, especially in comics (e.g. Girl Genius and its lesser variants). Trying to stay ahead of the game ain't an easy task!

-Derek

Any speciic combination of elements can seem like a slap-on if you write in the right genre. But be wary of anything that might originate from the gaming community. There tend to be a lot of cliches there. "Aether" as an energy force. Airships without a good reason. Steam-driven monstrosities. Very small but complex gadgets. This is steam here, people, not servo-motors. You just can't miniturize that much. Oh, and airship pirates. Been there, done that. You'd best have a very good excuse


The truth is, unlike larger genres, there's just not all that much to be cliche in steam. 'cept maybe Steam fashion. The key here is to have the thing in question be relevant to the story. I know that's a pretty general rule, but with niche sub-genres that carry a very specific set of associations/connotations, you have to be even more careful.

The key to not writing something clichéd? Ask yourself, In the world I have created, and by the rules I set up in it... Is there a damn good reason?

If there is a damn good reason then it shouldn't be cliché.

I would approach it like this: don't write a steampunk novel, write a novel with steampunk elements.

The important parts like characters, relationships, conflict, resolution... etr. still need to shine through the story to engage the reader.

Straka said:

I would approach it like this: don't write a steampunk novel, write a novel with steampunk elements.

The important parts like characters, relationships, conflict, resolution... etr. still need to shine through the story to engage the reader.

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That's pretty much what the op said they were doing. Which doesn't mean it isn't great advice.

Liosse de Velishaf said:

That's pretty much what the op said they were doing. Which doesn't mean it isn't great advice.

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Sometimes motions need to be second.

derail // I have actually felt this dilemma before and put it to question; should I voice my opinion which is the same as others have posted? Would someone gain something from the redundancy? I decided that yes, redundancy of like minded opinions can be positive because it gives that particular view point more weight.

Straka said:

Sometimes motions need to be seconded.

derail // I have actually felt this dilemma before and put it to question; should I voice my opinion which is the same as others have posted? Would someone gain something from the redundancy? I decided that yes, redundancy of like minded opinions can be positive because it gives that particular view point more weight.

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Hehe, sorry. I've had that problem as well. I tend to post less if I am agreeing with the OP, but more if I am agreeing with other posters.

And like I said, it is still good advice.

Anyway, to imitate you a bit:

You've answered your own question, DP. If it looks "slapped on", people will think it is. Just make sure it is integral to the story, and not something you threw in because it sounded cool. This is true for all genre trappings.