Are you looking to GM a steampunk role-playing game campaign? I just stumbled upon this recent article on CBR.com that has a nice top-ten list of steampunk RPG tips. Some of these are pretty good tips for creating a steampunk world or plotline for a novel or short story as well.
Basically:
- Make sure you understand your reason for running a steampunk campaign.
- Find a good game system that works (D20, GURPS, Iron Kingdom, etc.).
- This is steampunk, so steam should power your vehicles, ships, war machines, automatons, etc.
- Give your NPCs a distinctive steampunk feel.
- Consider the impact on the natural world (the environment, animals, monsters, etc).
- Make steampunk-oriented adventure hooks.
- Make sure the main villain is steampunk, too.
- Be sure to have maps and props.
- Subvert a few steampunk tropes!
- Setting is everything. A good setting can really breathe life into your campaign.
You can read all about here here: https://www.cbr.com/pro-tips-need-to-know-dming-steampunk-campaign-dungeons-dragons-pathfinder-dnd-tabeltop-rpg-castle-falkenstein
