#TBR340 - Steampunk Stories

Grab a cold beverage and settle in! This week on Tall Boy Radio, Beans and Gaz are firing up the microphones for an absolutely packed, literary-fueled conversation. The boys are joined by the incredibly prolific independent author Victoria L. Szulc to dissect an astonishing milestone: writing and publishing over 30 books.Victoria is a true genre-hopper, spanning everything from dark, atmospheric vampire lore to gears-and-goggles steampunk adventures, with a fascinating detour into the gritty world of true crime. In this deep-dive interview, the trio uncovers exactly what drives a writer to produce such a massive body of work, the mechanics of a relentless writing schedule, and a masterclass on the subgenres capturing readers' imaginations today.For the uninitiated, the term "Steampunk" can feel a bit elusive. Beans kicks off the conversation by asking Victoria to lay down the definitive framework for the genre. Victoria breaks it down beautifully, explaining that it is essentially a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retro-futuristic technology and aesthetics based on 19th-century steam-powered machinery. Think the Victorian era meets advanced, alternate-history technology—where cybernetics run on brass gears, airships dominate the skies, and corsets meet ray guns.Gaz dives into the creative well, asking Victoria how she keeps the wellspring of ideas from running dry after 30+ titles. Victoria shares her deep love for history, classic gothic horror, and the aesthetic of bygone eras. Whether she is world-building a sprawling steampunk empire or crafting centuries-old vampire hierarchies, her inspiration often sparks from real-world historical anomalies, architecture, and the dark corners of folklore.You don't hit a 30-book bibliography by waiting around for inspiration to strike. Victoria pulls back the curtain on her daily routine, giving Beans, Gaz, and the listeners a realistic look at her writing schedule. She discusses:The discipline of daily word-count goals.How she manages to balance plotting complex, multi-book series while keeping her standalone projects fresh.The reality of being an indie author, where writing is only half the battle alongside editing, formatting, and marketing.Beans and Gaz are always curious about workflow, prompting a great segment on what helps Victoria maintain intense focus. From curated ambient playlists that match the mood of her gothic or Victorian settings, to the exact environment she needs to block out the noise of the modern world, Victoria shares her personal "focus hacks" that keep her fingers flying across the keyboard.Shifting gears from fiction to reality, the guys ask Victoria about her dabbling in the true crime genre. She explains the profound differences between inventing a fictional vampire antagonist and researching real-world crime. It’s a fascinating look at how a fiction writer adapts to the rigid, fact-heavy boundaries of non-fiction.Find Victoria online :Home | thecountessvictorialszulcauthortallboyradio.com