To prepare you for this week’s interview with Michelle L. Levigne, today’s prompt is a picture appropriate for steampunk. That’s the genre of Michelle’s short story, “Crystal Rose” in Christmas fiction off the beaten path.
If you are new to this genre, it’s a kind of speculative fiction. Usually set in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s, it imagines our world as if it had been run by Jules Verne. All kinds of scientific advances that were made decades later in reality are made during this time period with steam.
I have a particular fondness for steampunk because one of my favorite TV shows when I was a kid was The Wild, Wild West, an early example of steampunk. My sisters and I would sit down on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to watch reruns of how two government agents in the Old West protected our nation from steam-powered robots and other fantastic plots dreamed up by supervillains, bent on taking over our country and then the world.
What’s the story with this steampunk picture? Here’s my take:
As my grandfather steered our dirigible toward the city, I leaned on the rail.
Neuweschstein. The most advanced city in the German Empire. Their scientists were known all over the world for their breakthroughs in developing steam tech. Some of their inventions were on board.
The German government also had a less well-known reputation for stealing other nation’s ideas. And possibly their scientists.
The city sprawled below us. My heart sank. “Gramps, even if Papa is here, how can we find him?”
Gramps set his jaw as he gripped the helm. “If he’s there, we’ll find him.”
This is my last spark for YA fiction. I chose this photo because it can be used in any genre. Who is the girl and why is she hitchhiking? Is she hunting for a friend who disappeared after a murder was committed? Is she on the run from officials because she possesses special powers? Is she crossing the country to start her first year at college and her car has broken down in a remote area without cell reception?
I used this photo last year during my month on speculative fiction. I like it so much I’m using it again. Something about the girl’s pose intrigues me. And the sun setting on what looks like a steamy summer day in the city. Perfect for a techno noir, like Blade Runner.
One of the perks of writing YA fiction is that you can write in any genre as along as your main character is a teen. This photo caught my attention because it looks like it was taken a hundred years ago, and about 1925, my grandfather severally injured his hand as a teenager. He was firing a muzzleloader that someone had overloaded with gunpowder, and it blew up. He lost the index finger on one hand. His father didn’t think he would be able to use his hand, which had serious consequences on a farm.
This month’s theme is Young Adult fiction. The Sparks will be photos that can ignite a Young Adult story.
