Celebrating 30 years of (official) Steampunk

Celebrating 30 years of (official) Steampunk

K. W. Jeter coined the term ‘Steampunk’ in a letter to science fiction magazine Locus, with the letter printed in the magazine’s April 1987 issue. It was meant to be a playful, tongue-in-cheek term for the genre. It stuck!

Steampunk was around long before 1987, but its birthday is this month. Let’s celebrate!

Any Suggestions or Requests?

Is there anything you would particularly like to know about when it comes to Steampunk or Writing? Please feel free to ask.

As well, I have a Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/lynne.lumsden.green

A twitter Account: https://twitter.com/gammagirl62

And a Pinterest Account: https://au.pinterest.com/gammagirl1906/?etslf=8031&eq=Lynne%20

 

You looking for me?

https://www.facebook.com/SteampunkSunday/

https://twitter.com/gammagirl62

Cogpunk Steamscribe in civilian clothing.

Best Photobomb EVER

Best photobomb ever, Supanova Gold Coast 2012

The Australian GenreCon 2015

All hail to the organisers, guests, participants, and the volunteers who made GenreCon such a brilliant learning experience for me and all the other attendees. This was my first GenreCon, but it certainly won’t be my last. Rooms full of genre writers? This is most certainly my tribe.

As a few highlights as to what gems were shared:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlC_gMnduoU
• We make ‘monsters’ by denying them a reflection (another way of explaining ‘The Other’.
• Point of Sale reviews are vital for both ebooks and traditional books.
• Editors read manuscripts outside of work hours and are unpaid for this reading!
• Online interactions should be 80% Personality and 20% Promotion.
• A lot of lawyers become genre writers – but not necessarily in the crime fiction genre.
• Always be your best self online and know when to step away from the keyboard.
• Finish the damn book (apparently I am not the only one who gets separation anxiety).
• No one has ever hurt their ‘brand’ by keeping quiet.
• With banter, what isn’t said can be just as important as what is said.
• Invitation is better than obligation when part of a community.
• Find the online media you are most comfortable with – don’t aim to follow everything.
• Be passionate (Am I passionate enough?)
• 60% of sales on Amazon are romance books of some sort or another.
• As a writer, you have to have many income streams to make a proper living.
• In the USA, writers are expected to produce Two books a year, in Australia it just one.(Smaller Market)
• If you are going the Indie publishing route, have three books ready for three close launches to build up your readership.
• A good book always beats good marketing in the long run.
• Google uses 57 indicators to know what you are going on your computer.http://www.rene-pickhardt.de/google-uses-57-signals-to-filter/
• If all your characters are speaking in the same voice, they are speaking like you.
• Even though statistically most publishers have a 50/50 gender breakup in their stable of science fiction authors – on bookshop shelves there is usually less than 40% women represented. True story.

Volunteering for the Writing Community

As frequent readers of this blog might guess, I am a strong believer in giving back to the community. Since I am still unemployed (alas) I have volunteered to help out at my local writing festival (yay). My excitement and enthusiasm for the Brisbane Writer’s Festival reminds me of my first writing conference, now over ten years ago.

At that first conference, I felt like I was ‘cheating’ to be there. I hadn’t started my writing degree, and I only had one or two serious writing credits. What I found was my tribe, and I felt more at ease in the group than I had ever felt anywhere before. I got them; they got me.

Since then, I have discovered pop culture conferences, which are another part of my tribe. However, as much as I enjoy Supanova and its ilk, nothing has quite the same buzz as a writers’ conference. I have volunteered at ‘Voices on the Coast’, which is for YA and Children’s authors, and at Reality Bites, the conference for creative nonfiction writers. I always learn something new at every conference, even if it just about just how friendly the Australian writing community really is. As an attendee or as a volunteer, writing conferences energise and inspire me.

I love hearing about other writers experiences with the writing process. If there is one thing I know, it is that no two writers have exactly the same process.

This festival, I am in the Green Room team. This means I have to rein in the fangirl and remain completely professional for the talent. They are the stars of the show, and my job is keep them happy and unstressed – well, as unstressed as you can be when you know you are about to front up to an auditorium full of excited festival attendees.

If you are one of the lucky people coming to the Brisbane Writers Festival, you are in for a real treat this year.

Steampunk Hats

I went on an outing on Sunday to celebrate a Steampunk Birthday of a very special young man. I took some photos of the range of hats.

The Birthday Boy and his lovely cap made from vintage fabrics.

Susan Wolf’s soft derby

Raven Wolf – Susan’s husband – with his traditional bowler.

A vintage pith helmet that has had actual adventures in exotic places.

Goggles!

Mimicking a hat riveted together from metal plates.

A true confection with flowers, ribbons, feathers and jewellery.

Nadine’s Military Style

Helen’s Bonnet