Genres I have never tried - Steampunk

26 Paychecks task for the week of February 12 to 25, 2026

I have never written steampunk... though it intrigues me. I don't think I have the brainpower to wrap my head around the concepts. I did enjoy the movie Wild Wild West which was considered Steampunk.

So what is it exactly?
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy. I don't feel intelligent enough to write in the science fiction genre, either. Steampunk focuses on envisioning a world where steam power remains the dominant technology. Stories are often set in the Victorian era or the American Wild West. Those who enjoy writing in this genre can blend 19th century aesthetics with retro-futuristic technology. Gears, pneumatic tubes and clockwork mechanisms power everything from personal gadgets to massive airships.

Apparently the genre likes to focus on how society would have developed if technology took this different path. Class struggle, colonialism and the relationships between humans and machines are featured. Wonder and adventure are also key.

The story world is both familiar and strange.

One of the things I love about Writing.com is that it challenges me to try to write in a variety of genres. I remember my first Birthday celebration in 2013 that had me writing a short story in a different genre each day of the celebration. Some of those stories are still in my portfolio.

In researching Steampunk I googled story prompts for the genre. There were some really cool ideas that I would love to read, but I don't think I have the chops to master the genre. I can appreciate what others can do. Maybe reading some of it, may spark my own creative juices. There are genres I love - like mystery - that I marvel at how the author weaves together the plot. I tend to be more character driven and am a plantser; so writing something that needs more structure, seems overwhelming to me.

That doesn't mean I won't try it... but it may not be put out there for anyone to see my efforts... at least not until I feel okay about it.

Here is the prompt link: https://www.everywritersresource.com/100-steampunk-writing-prompts/

Word count = 342 words.



Notes ▶︎

Task for "26 Paychecks " : February 12 to 25, 2026
Tell us about one (1) genre that you've never written anything for.
Name the genre and tell us why it's not something that has sparked any writing from you.
You can find a long list of genres in: Browse by Genre (linked from the left side bar) to see a list of genres.
If there is a genre that you know of, but it's not listed, and you haven't written for it, you can use that too.
For instance, there is no listing for Cyberpunk.
Create a piece of about 200+ words.