Wattpad Tea Party

Welcome to the tea party!

Do sit down.

Let me pour you a cup of tea, I hope you like Earl Grey?

I thought I'd take a little bit of time to talk about what has influenced my writing and aspirations. 

The book that has "most rocked my world" in recent years is Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, which is the first in a trilogy about a young American lady who comes to London to reunite with her brother, after her guardians death. However, Tessa is kidnapped almost immediately after setting foot off the ship and whisked away to a frightening world of dark arts, where she is made to realize that she's something other than human, and that creepy warlocks want to use her ability to shapeshift for evil. And that is only the first few pages of the book, and then the dashing hero comes in and he is just...swoony fab. Funny. Handsome. Reckless. Sigh...this book hits all my buttons. And then it's a trilogy, and they're all good, but in my opinion, the first one is nearly perfect. 

I had also read Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, which is set in present day, and it's good, but for me-not as in sync with all my interestes.

Clockwork Angel is what I would call Steampunk Light. There are automatons, and inventions - but not a ton of science. And no dirigibles. I love a good dirigible. But the steampunky aspects are incorporated nicely into the book, and it all takes place in a sort of alt-universe that allows for tons of imaginative scenarios.

I am fascinated by Steampunk, but have to admit, I like it as a flavoring to my story-not the base.  I am all for worldbuilding but sometimes it feelsl like the goggles and the steam are really forced in to the narrative. 

Oh, what's that? You'd like one of these scones? I'll put a nice dollop of clotted cream and jam on top for you! 

Another book I read recently that I thought did a good job with incorporating the steampunk, without letting it become too precious, was Bethany Griffin's Masque of the Red Death, which loosely mirrors a poem from Edgar Allen Poe, and has tremendous atmosphere. There's a plague afoot in a pseudo-Victorian city and everyone needs to wear porcelain masks to stay safe. Not as gripping as Clockwork Angel (because no Will Herondale to make me sigh) but still quite good. 

I love old-fashioned things, Victoriana-I think I find steampunk so appealing because it's the opportunity to take that base of a setting and then layer new ideas on top instead of being bound to convention. And actual history.

How about you? Are you into steampunk? What are some favorite reads and how have they inspired you?