Read: Boneshaker - Cherie Priest

Due to the overewhleming acceptance of Priest's Boneshaker and the entire series of which it is the first as an excellent example of steampunk, I've picked up this one for the next book in my reading list. It wouldn't be very far off to say that this book (if not the whole series it's in) is one of--if not the--most known steampunk stories around. People, I introduce to thee, Boneshaker.

 

Read: Heart of Veridon - Tim Akers

Due to the overwhelmingly positive reviews it received upon its release and thereafter for being an excellent example of steampunk's potential, I have started off my reading list with Tim Akers' debut novel Heart of Veridon.

 

What Comes Next...

So now with my 50,000 words of fantasy out of the way (though there is a great chance I'll be writing more after and possibly even during this trip), I have officially decided on the next genre I want to write:

Steampunk.

That's right. Get all the comments out now, please, because I promise you I've already thought about it at great length. I love reading fantasy, but am only mediocre at writing it, however I also am a little bit fond of science fiction, and from what I've been told from the very few sci-fi things I've written that it's better than my fantasy. Therefore, I began my search to incorporate both of these elements and happened upon the steampunk genre. I had never actually read any of it, but had heard of and knew a little bit about the genre.

Winn3r

Oh my god, people. I’m a little delayed on the announcement; but I won Nanowrimo! For the first time! I hit 50,000 words around 1:15 this morning. It was a crazy adventure trying to finish so early, but I did it. There were several points where I almost quit (again) but the wonderful wrimos (people that do Nanowrimo, if you didn’t know) here in Alabama pushed me through. I’m very grateful for their encouragement and look forward to spending more time writing with them. One of them even said they’d bake a cake if I hit 50k! My fingers and wrists kind of hurt now, but that’s alright. It was totally worth it.
 

You see, I’m going on a trip for the next week so family will probably prevent me from getting away to write a ton. So that leaves me to have to have won before I left. It’s all good now, though, because now I’m a Winn3r! (Somebody tell me they caught the play on my name there...)

ASSIMILATE! ASSIMILATE! ASSIMILATE!

People—especially Christians, I'm noticing—seem to have no concept outside of what they believe. Everything else is a lie, and the suggestion of something different shatters their world. It occurred to me recently that people have the hardest time with suggestions that a.) they aren't used to, b.) they don't suggest themselves, or c.) can't think of an answer or better suggestion for.

I’ve been told (and just noticed as well) people believe that without the religion or whatever else that people have, others can't make a difference in the world. This doesn't quite make sense to me. You can't make a difference without X beliefs or X faith? Right... That's why Steve jobs left the imprint of a billion dollar company that’s a core part of an enormous part of the world's population's lives. You could say the same for many others, like Nikola Tesla for example; or Albert Einstein; or Julius Caesar. Even look at someone like H.P. Lovecraft—probably the greatest inspiration to the horror fiction genre. There are plenty of others, most of which are known even by the most uneducated. You say they didn't make a difference or do something valuable with their lives because they don't believe in X? I’m not so sure...