Tevun-Krus #3 - SteamPunk

A Sit Down with Wendy L. Callahan

SP Parish of Tevun Krus had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with the witty and encouraging Wendy Callahan. Check it out--

So, who are you—tell us a little about yourself.

When did you begin writing?

When I was 8-years-old, I wrote a play and roped my entire 3rd grade class into performing it. I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Er, not force people to do my bidding, but entertain them.

Why SciFi?

Because I’m a “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!” sort of girl. I love sci-fi, because it’s a distinctive genre with very few boundaries. It is open to exploration.

What’s your favorite story you’ve written?

Definitely THE CHRONOS CLOCK. It’s a snarky steampunk romp, and I giggled like a madwoman the entire time while writing it.

What is your fans’ favorite story you’ve written?

I seem to get a lot of compliments on THE GOSSAMER GATE, which is a contemporary fairy fantasy.

Who are some of your influences? Favorite writers?

Internet memes, video gaming puns, and manga seem to influence me the most these days (much wow! Such funny!). A few of my favorite writers are Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen, Marian Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

The scenery where I live tends to inspire me. THE CHRONOS CLOCK and subsequent books in the Aetheric Artifacts series are the result of me living in England for two years.

We know some of the big authors, Orson Scott Card or Tolkein for example, incorporate their religion into their work. Are you religious? If so, so you incorporate it into your stories?

I am a spiritual person and I’d say there’s a touch of my beliefs in my stories. The pantheon of supernatural and mythological beings in my contemporary fantasy reflects my path much more than my steampunk does, though.

Others say your first novel is usually autobiographical in nature. Did you find this was the case? Do you ever base characters or situations off real life situations? How do you balance that?

My first novel was about a dream world I wanted to visit when I was 12-years-old, so you could say it was semi-autobiographical wishful thinking. I almost always base my characters on people I know. If I kill you off… well, sorry about that. It happens.

Has anyone that you've based a character off of been offended once you kill them off? I could just imagine my mother giving me the silent treatment for that sort of thing :)

They've mostly been understanding. "Oh yes, I'm the villain. Of course I must die." It's that, or send them to Australia, where everything is deadly.

(And in the good nature of our monthly topic, Steampunk)

You have a few "Punk" stories that you've authored. What drew you in?

The whimsy and flexibility of steampunk are what I adore about it. It’s a place where I can play with ideas. I love history anyway, so retro-futurism appeals greatly to me. I’m the person who likes combining antiques with modern conveniences in my home, so why not in fiction?

Combining antiques and modern things, eh? What steampunk gadget in your novels are you most proud of?

Definitely the motor carriage in THE DAEMON DEVICE. Though I'm quite pleased with the Victorianized iron maiden in the upcoming finale to the series, THE ENIGMA ENGINE. Medieval torture devices are fun to "modernize" into 1892.

Where do you get your inspiration for the gadgets and get-ups of your settings and plots?

In the second book, THE DAEMON DEVICE, I had the airship, ferry, and train, but I wanted something fun to play with. So the motor carriage just sort of… happened. The character who invented it is outrageous, so I wanted it to be something that caused a little trouble behind the scenes. My characters seem to dictate the gadgetry and overall scenes. They’re bratty like that.

Is Steampunk your favorite? If so, why?

It is my favorite because it can be so much fun! I love that steampunk is often very high adventure, but still open to comedy or romance, or anything else. Steampunk has plenty of room to play and experiment, so it’s the aesthetic/sub-genre I favor above others.

What is your advice to new writers and writers who have decided to dip their toes in steampunk?

Don't play it safe - that's no fun. Try to read some of the classics as well as modern writers to get an idea of what steampunk encompasses. It is a broad spectrum, and there is still a great deal of room for original ideas. Let your imagination run wild.

Thanks Wendy! If you have questions for our featured monthly author, please leave them below. Something nagging at your brain that we can include next month? From silly to serious, we consider it all! Let us know what you want asked!