70 Steampunk Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Steampunk is where Victorian elegance collides with brass gears, steam engines, and strange inventions. It’s a genre full of airships, clockwork creatures, daring inventors, and shadowy cities powered by impossible machines. For teen writers, steampunk offers the chance to explore stories of rebellion, discovery, and adventure in a world that feels both familiar and entirely new.
This collection of 70 writing prompts includes story hooks, titles, opening and closing lines, character sketches, immersive settings, and picture prompts to spark creativity. Whether in the classroom or writing for fun, these prompts will help teens imagine worlds of steam, smoke, and secrets.
1. Plot Hooks
Steampunk thrives on daring invention and bold adventure. These hooks place characters in worlds of gears, steam, and danger.
Write about a thief who steals blueprints for a machine that could change the world.
Write about a young mechanic who discovers their latest invention has a mind of its own.
Write about a society where steam engines are powered by human memories.
Write about a masked vigilante who sabotages factories at night.
Write about a skyship crew racing against rivals to reach a floating city.
Write about a scientist who hides forbidden technology in plain sight.
Write about an underground resistance plotting against a mechanical monarchy.
Write about a clock tower that controls time in the city below.
Write about a child who finds a brass key that unlocks more than doors.
Write about a city built entirely on gears that never stop turning.
2. Title Ideas
These title prompts give teen writers ready-made sparks of steampunk atmosphere.
The Clockmaker’s Daughter
Engines of Empire
The Skyship Rebellion
Brass and Ashes
The Alchemist’s Gear
The Last Steam Engine
Shadows Over Gearhaven
The Inventor’s Betrayal
Cogs of Fate
The Smokestack Crown
3. Opening Lines
Every story needs a hook. These opening lines bring steampunk worlds to life instantly.
“The gears ground louder than her heartbeat.”
“Smoke curled around the brass towers, staining the sky black.”
“He adjusted his goggles just in time to see the airship rise.”
“The city ran on steam, but the people ran on secrets.”
“Her invention wasn’t supposed to explode like that.”
“The king’s clock chimed thirteen, and everyone froze.”
“The factory never slept, and neither did its workers.”
“He found the note hidden inside the automaton’s chest.”
“The smell of burning coal clung to the streets like a curse.”
“She pulled the lever, and the world shifted on its gears.”
4. Closing Lines
Strong endings leave readers haunted or inspired. These closers give teen writers satisfying finishes.
“The airship rose into the clouds, carrying their last hope.”
“The gears slowed, then stopped, and the city fell silent.”
“He let go of the brass key, watching it sink into the smoke.”
“Her machine whirred to life, and nothing would ever be the same.”
“They vanished into the fog, their rebellion only just beginning.”
“The last spark flickered out, but their story burned brighter than ever.”
“She closed the clockwork heart, whispering goodbye.”
“For the first time, the city breathed free.”
“He turned the cog once more, sealing his fate.”
“The whistle of the train faded into legend.”
5. Character Ideas
Steampunk characters are inventors, rebels, rogues, and dreamers. These ideas help teens create unforgettable protagonists.
A young tinkerer with oil-stained hands and a brilliant mind.
A runaway heir who hides their identity while working as a mechanic.
A masked saboteur who secretly works for the crown.
A rogue airship captain with a taste for treasure.
A scientist who powers machines with alchemy instead of steam.
An automaton programmed with emotions it shouldn’t have.
A fortune-teller who uses clockwork cards.
A rebel leader with a mechanical arm.
A factory worker who dreams of escaping the smog-filled city.
A watchmaker’s apprentice who discovers their master is building a weapon.
6. Setting Ideas
Settings are the heart of steampunk. These places combine history, machinery, and imagination.
A city of endless smokestacks under a permanent grey sky.
A floating metropolis powered by massive turbines.
An underground market where illegal inventions are traded.
A royal palace lit by flickering gas lamps and hidden gears.
A train that never stops, circling the world endlessly.
A laboratory filled with whirring machines and broken prototypes.
A desert town where steam engines battle sandstorms.
A massive clock tower that looms over every street.
An airship graveyard where rusted hulks hide forgotten treasures.
A mechanical carnival where the rides run themselves.
7. Picture Prompt Ideas
Visuals bring inspiration to life. These picture prompts capture the steampunk mood and should spark some creative ideas:
Final Thoughts
Steampunk is a playground of imagination — a place where history and invention collide. These 70 prompts are designed to help teen writers dive into daring adventures, shadowy cities, and strange contraptions that push the boundaries of creativity.
For even more inspiration each day, don’t forget to check out our Daily Writing Prompts, where new themes and ideas keep the creativity flowing all year round.
