The Bloomers are done?! Weeeeeeeeeee! Congrats, @ThePlumbob!!! Welcome to the completed legacy club lol. That is seriously amazing. I will get around to finish reading it one day lol.
The Bloomers are done?! Weeeeeeeeeee! Congrats, @ThePlumbob!!! Welcome to the completed legacy club lol. That is seriously amazing. I will get around to finish reading it one day lol.
@Jes2G Haha they're not going anywhere And thanks! I'm in good company
There's a big party going on over at The Bloomers thread. Swing on by if you'd like to drop off your congratulations and share your gratitude!
(We might be having a Writer Q & A over here this weekend--I'll let you know!)
Thank you so much @CathyTea ! Definitely up for a Q&A!
Fantastic! Ok, Bloomers Fans! Check back here this weekend (Saturday morning, Mountain Standard Time--or maybe earlier, depending...) for an Author's Q & A! Bring all your questions about The Bloomers and your questions for ThePlumbob! We'll start Saturday, and continue for as long as there are questions!
@ThePlumbob Huge congratulations to you on completing a legacy challenge, and an amazing one at that! I'll definitely be heading over to read what's been happening since I stopped!
Hope that your accomplishment has had a chance to settle in over these past few days! It's always such a strange feeling to have a major project complete.
First, I want to thank you for writing The Bloomer Legacy. You've inspired so many people to write! And your stories have brought so much joy to so many.
I know that I, for one, have felt that your story lived inside of me over this past year and a half. I can recall so many times when I'd be strolling through the garden, thinking about Cassiel, Yenn, and Sera. Your story's part of me now, and I know I'll continue thinking about it--and about your Sims--through my life! Thank you! Writers give such tremendous gifts of insight and love to their readers, and I hope that you know how much you've given all your readers!
And now... The Writer Q & A!
I'd like to invite anyone who's interested to share questions with ThePlumbob about the writing of this story.
Here are my questions for starters...
1) Can you share with us, as much as possible, your thoughts, feelings, and expectations when you first sat down to write your first post back in June 2015?
Did you think you'd finish?
Did you have any idea what a contribution this story would make to SimLit?
Did you have any notion that your story would inspire so many others?
2) When I was reading this, even from the first chapters, I always felt the impetus of momentum: I knew you'd finish! You took a few breaks along the way, but even with a busy life and starting a new career--and didn't you have a house move or two during this?--you still completed it! How did you that? What did you draw on to help you see this through all the way to the end?
And what advice do you have for others who are beginning or in the middle of long projects, and who are also balancing out busy life and personal demands?
3) How has writing this changed you?
(I might have more questions later, but this will do it for now!)
Thank you so much for hosting this @CathyTea , and for all of your kind words These are such thoughtful questions, hopefully I can do them justice
1) Can you share with us, as much as possible, your thoughts, feelings, and expectations when you first sat down to write your first post back in June 2015?
It was a really important time in my life, actually. I had just quit a job that was making me miserable and I was fortunate enough to have a decent amount of savings to allow myself not to jump straight into simply for the sake of it. Since I was able to take my time job hunting to find something that fits, I also started little side projects; a travel blog, and a Sims blog. I wasn't all too sure what I was doing with it at first, i think I wrote a handful of reviews and shared random tidbits before actually diving into a legacy.
I used to read a lot of TS2 and TS3 stories when I was younger, but I never really got involved in TS4 community until then for some reason. I would always play legacy-style, but I never really managed to stick with a family past generation 4 or 5 (that goes for all previous incarnations of The Sims games). But when I came across the Build Newcrest challenge, I felt like it eliminated one of the biggest issues I had with the classic legacy challenge; living on the same lot for the whole time - I get so bored of the same landscape! Plus the idea of creating an entire world from scratch really appealed to me, and I wanted to force myself to build a little more, since I find building a little tedious.
Given the above, I bet you can guess the answer to the first question: No, I didn't think I would finish I can be pretty flaky with things like this, believe it or not. I figured documenting the story might give me a bit extra incentive to finish, and save me from going stir crazy until I find a new job
I definitely didn't think about much of a bigger picture beyond that - and I still don't really consider my story as something influential, really! I just think of it as a fun and fulfilling way to express myself (which is why I'm likely to write something else down the line )
2) When I was reading this, even from the first chapters, I always felt the impetus of momentum: I knew you'd finish! You took a few breaks along the way, but even with a busy life and starting a new career--and didn't you have a house move or two during this?--you still completed it! How did you that? What did you draw on to help you see this through all the way to the end?
And what advice do you have for others who are beginning or in the middle of long projects, and who are also balancing out busy life and personal demands?
I'm surprised you thought that - you had way more faith in me than I did
Like I said, the first couple of months the story actually kept me sane. Once I did find a new job, that was as rewarding an interesting as I'd hoped, things got a lot more intense - I was able to keep going for another month or two because I had a fair bit pre-written, but eventually I did end up having to take my first break for almost a month, in December. Funnily enough, a year later, December time again turned out to be really challenging in keeping the story going. Apparently December is my low point, creativity and energy-wise, it would seem!
I can definitely share what helped me along the way, but I don't think it's universal advice that will work for everyone, since creative projects are such an individual matter. The way I operate may not work for some people at all!
Focusing on just the one story - I know a bunch of people, yourself included, thrive on juggling several stories at once and jumping between them. I know how I work, so I could't allow myself to do that, or even play a different family in the game. I get very full on with things I'm passionate about, so I knew that if I got invested in a different family, I would never finish the Bloomer story. I did take breaks and shift my focus to something completely different at times, but I always tried to make sure that in the sims and simlit world, the Bloomer legacy is it for me.
Not going too deep until the end - Having read my story, it's easy to see that the first 8 generations (with the exception of generation 6) are around 20-30 chapters long, and then suddenly you get the monstrosity that is generation 9 Arguably, I had more heirs to cover in the last generation, but this whole evolution was deliberate. I was scared of getting too granular too quickly and getting overwhelmed, or running out of things to say. If I explored every possible theme I could think of in the earlier generation, I felt I may end up repeating myself. It may not have necessarily ended up being the case, but it kept me going. Once I got to generation 9, I knew I would finish, and that there wasn't really a danger of repeating myself or running out of themes, because it was the last one. So I went wild
If you're not feeling it, allow yourself to take a break, or just skip it - I know that if I force myself to write when I'm not really in the mood, I'll never be satisfied with the result and it will put me off even more. I need my inspired moodlet That's why I took a couple breaks in between, and let myself recharge for a few weeks before going back into it. And that's the reason why I glossed over an entire generation in one chapter too. Monty and Scarlet were lovely, and playing with their growing family while expanding their business was fun, but I didn't find it stimulating to write about... so I decided not too. I could sense myself starting to disengage (and GT came out, so I was desperate to play in Windenburg), so I figured I'd shake things up - that's where Astrid came from
Don't think about the readers too much- I know, this sounds awful! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to each and every single reader that reads my story, and adore the thoughts and comments they share. What I mean is that sometimes, I see writers get really hung up on the amount of readers they have, or the number of comments they get. Those of us who have written long stories know that readers come and go. There's not necessarily a lot of comments at first, which can make some people feel discouraged. But what people who haven't written longer stories don't realise is that this is a constant pattern. Reading simlit tends to be an ad-hoc interest, so readers will disappear. Or perhaps find your story is no longer for them, because the way you write it has changed, or they've changed, or their energy has simply shifted towards something else. And that's fine. So, as cliche as it sounds, write for you.
3) How has writing this changed you?
I don't know if it's changed me, per say, but it helped me determine what my values and beliefs are - It's a funny one, since you would think I'd know that, but unless you ponder over life very deeply (which I don't tend to), you're not necessarily conscious of it. Until it materialises in the message of the story There is a strong sense of growing up, growing as a person and learning to accept yourself in the story, and it was interesting for me to explore these topics. Generation 3 was especially personal to me, since like Lilah, I've always been a bit of a wanderer at heart, and writing her was my way of figuring out if I'm capable of settling down in one place. (If the story is any indication, I guess the answer is yes, providing "Peter" takes me on an epic trip of a lifetime when we're retired LOL!)
Of course, my writing has developed as the story progressed too. Or more so, has been "dusted-off"; I used to write a lot during my student years but it was something I grew out of touch with. And the whole blogging thing has been handy for my professional life too
It's also great to know that even I am capable of actually following through with a personal project to the end, pacing myself to avoid burning out and get myself-motivated. If I can do it, anyone can
I love your answers, @ThePlumbob ! I especially love your words about writing for yourself. I can tell when writers write for themselves because of the momentum that their stories pick up. Yours has that! I think that's what made me always feel that you would finish. Also, I really enjoyed watching the way that you followed through with plots and character development in the way you wanted, regardless of what your fans were clamoring for! That added to the trust I already felt in you as a writer, because I knew you'd always do what you, and the story, demanded!
More questions, if you're not tired of answering!
1) Let's talk about the cross-overs! How did you get the idea to do this? What do you feel the crossovers added to your story? What advice do you have to other writers who want to do collabs or crossovers?
2) Will you share favorites with us? Favorite characters? Favorite in-game moments? Favorite builds? Favorite scenes or chapters to write? Favorite memories?
3) Oh! We've got to talk about the Plum Tree! How did that come about and how did it help your story?
4) Will you share with us some of the interplay you achieved between in-game events and plot-driven writing? How did you find and create such a beautiful balance between the two?
1) Let's talk about the cross-overs! How did you get the idea to do this? What do you feel the crossovers added to your story? What advice do you have to other writers who want to do collabs or crossovers?
Oh, that's a good question! Ideas for cross-overs tend to come about the same way regular story ideas do - you get a spur of a moment spark of inspiration, and then it's pesky and refuses to go away. Except with cross-overs, it has to go both ways so it's all about timing. I really like collaborations as a reader, since it makes the whole universe seem so much richer - it's lovely to imagine all of these stories are happening at the same time, in the same world!
Advice-wise, I guess the most important thing is that both writers agree on the type of collaboration and what they expect from it. Like, there's different levels of controld and detail, you can have collaborations where you basically go "here you go, here's my character, do as you please with them" or a very hands-on one where the two authors co-write whichever chapter the cross-over happens in. Or something in between, where one person can preread whatever the other one has written to make sure it goes with their vision. I've done all three, and they are all super fun - there isn't really a right way to go about it. What's important is that the two writers agree on the approach to collaborating
2) Will you share favorites with us? Favorite characters? Favorite in-game moments? Favorite builds? Favorite scenes or chapters to write? Favorite memories?
Oh, I have so many - do they still count as favourites if I love so many of them?
My favourite scene was probably the one with Yenn at the graveyard when Ethan passed away and she was there in a wedding dress, refusing to accept it. It was filled with raw emotion, and stuck with me till now. I also really enjoyed writing the parts where Vito was trying to win Louis back. Oh, and the fairytale chapter where we learn Candy and Paolo passed away. Apparently I enjoy writing bittersweet moments...
My favorite heirs were Isaac, Liv and Sera. I can't really decide which of them I liked the most! Non-heirs would be Yenn (of course), Cassiel and Malakai.
Favourite in game moments - Isaac bringing Ruby back to life. (And actually, anything involving Isaac. He was so fun to play!) Carly and Ralph's wedding. Yenn and Ethan's first date. Cassiel's shenanigans in the Lollipop Lair. Newton's autonomous disaster of a lovelife
3) Oh! We've got to talk about the Plum Tree! How did that come about and how did it help your story?
Well, long story short my boyfriend was tired of helping me make an updated family tree in photoshop every month or two, so he decided to write an app to shut me up instead... Turns out a fair few other people also wanted to use it We definitely didn't think it would get as popular as it did!
Story-wise, obviously it helped me track the family, and it did probably bring a handful of readers. Though I mostly view it as totally separate; as my boyfriend's cool project. I'm very proud of him
4) Will you share with us some of the interplay you achieved between in-game events and plot-driven writing? How did you find and create such a beautiful balance between the two?
I don't really have a secret formula or anything. I base the plots on what I feel seems appropriate based on the sims' traits, personalities and experiences, and most of the time the game cooperates haha! For example, Sera and Lorcan did have this instant spark between them (I'm talking almost half a pink bar after their first interaction). I wanted them to, but it happened regardless. I enjoy when things work out that way I also base a lot of the developments just on how the sims look at each other and the vibe I get, so then the plots I plan usually go with the gameplay very well. And with a few exceptions, I do not plan very far ahead.
The only thing I had planned for the longest time was the finale - I've basically known how it would go for a year now, before I even knew who the generation 9 heirs would be (at the time I didn't even know there would be multiple heirs!). In any case, I don't really have any particular recipe... I just enjoy the game, and let my imagination run wild... and they influence each other
5) What's next, and when can we expect it?
I'll have a bit of a break, and then I'll start a new story, which will be nothing like this one... basically to enhance the break I have a vision for a grim, post-apocalyptic story (so basically the exact opposite of the hopeful message of this legacy ). Whether I'll actually write it, I don't know - I'll need to write a fair few chapters first before deciding whether I can commit to it and share it. In any case, I do fancy a change, but I don't think I'll stay away from simlit for too long
@ThePlumbob Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions! I really enjoyed learning more about the process, and your answers are inspiring. I especially love the one about "writing for yourself!"
1) Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
A mix of @CitizenErased14 s A2A, the TV show Gossip Girl and my desire to write something different than the casual Vee is for Vortex I was writing at the time. I wanted to do a plot-driven story like @CitizenErased14 and infuse it with the same type of drama that's in Gossip girl
2) What specific challenges did you encounter in writing this, both in terms of the Sims and in terms of the writing or plotting?
Sometimes I found myself creating plotholes and trying too hard to fill them and make my idea work instead of just changing the whole idea. For example I wanted Valerie and Ethan to talk to Eva - where would they find her? When would they talk to her? Would she even let them into her room? While trying to solve all these questions I suddenly realised it would make a lot more sense to just have them chat on facebook, so I scrapped the whole "go find her" approach and did that instead. But yeah it was challenging sometimes to realize when it was time to change the approach.
3) What was the most rewarding part of the project for you?
Finishing it? haha I always enjoyed when people commented that they were intrigued by a character - especially Ethan because I'm very proud of him having made him that is, as a character he's kind of a shady 🐸🐸🐸🐸.
4) What do you feel you gained as a writer in completing this?
Uhm, I don't know? Feeling proud to have finished it I guess And experience with setting up a plot-driven story.
5) You did it! What advice can you give other writers who are working to finishing projects that have been going on for a while?
I went through a serious slump a few weeks before the end where I just couldn't motivate myself to write... what helped was doing a detailed outline and writing down a range of possibilities what could happen next, then choose the plotline. It made me excited again to write things out!
6) I know all of us who read it are crying out for a sequel--can you share any spoilers?
No spoilers haha I think there will be a sequel and I can share that we'll see almost all major characters again. There are still a few mysteries from UIB that are begging to be explored.
1) How did you ever come up with the intriguing premise and realization of this story?
2) I know you mentioned once that you weren't that crazy about Dusk at the beginning, but you came to love him. How did that happen?
3) What was it like to tell the story through letters? How do you think it would be different if you'd used a diary format or more straight narrative?
4) I know that your pen pals (me and Allie) sort of got caught up in our own busy lives towards the end, and you had to finish it without us! As a reader, I thought that was really neat and it felt natural, but I can imagine it was sort of disappointing for you. Do you feel it worked out OK? What prompted you to go ahead and complete it, rather than wait for us to find our ways back to the letters?
5) What do you like most about the story? What did you learn in writing it?
6) Anything else you want to share about it? Any questions for readers?
And with all my heart, thank you for writing it! It was a really great experience to be part of this and I love the story so very, very much!
1) How did you ever come up with the intriguing premise and realization of this story?
Honestly I'm not sure I managed to get sims 3 to work on my old laptop and as it was my favourite version of the game I was just itching to play I decided to try to change up my usual gameplay style and try something I hadn't done before so I created a vampire just to experience it (as I had always concentrated on family play).
Soon after i started playing with Dusk, The sims 4 Vampires were released and I wondered about the differences in the different version of vampires. I also had sims 2 UC so thought it would be fun to add those vampires to the comparison.
I had dabbled with the idea of making a story about it but decided against it Until I saw the Pen Pal project thread. I lurked for a while and eventually decided to jump in and give Dusk and his story a chance.
The Actual plot for the story came to me out of nowhere while trying to think up a title for Dusk's story/Blog
2) I know you mentioned once that you weren't that crazy about Dusk at the beginning, but you came to love him. How did that happen?
Just through the letters each letter he received really bought him to life for me. I really had to get to know him to be able to reply in a way that felt right/genuine for him. He was my least favourite sim because I didn't spend much time on his creation he was just thrown together in sims 3 (Due to lagging issue in Cas) so I had no connection to him (I know I must sound crazy but usually when I create a sim I have their story/personality/background in mind as I build the different components of the whole sim)
3) What was it like to tell the story through letters? How do you think it would be different if you'd used a diary format or more straight narrative?
Telling Dusk's story through letters was amazing!! I eagerly looked forward to each correspondence because each letter not only gave the reader a chance to get to know Dusk but also gave me the opportunity to discover more about him. And the collaboration made me worry less about my abilities as a writer (I use that term loosely) The whole experience was just fun and it made it so much easier to write. I think If I'd have used Diary format or Narrative I would have lost motivation and I doubt his story would have been completed or even started.
It becomes so much more than just a story. There's Something about the partnership/relationship built between the two/three sims and their creators that creates something unique and special that I think comes across in the correspondence.
4) I know that your pen pals (me and Allie) sort of got caught up in our own busy lives towards the end, and you had to finish it without us! As a reader, I thought that was really neat and it felt natural, but I can imagine it was sort of disappointing for you. Do you feel it worked out OK? What prompted you to go ahead and complete it, rather than wait for us to find our ways back to the letters?
Thank you I'm relieved to hear that the story didn't feel rushed near the end. I am a little sad that Dusk's story ended without getting to be a bigger part in the lives of his pen pals. I'm not disappointed though just like in reality things happen that change the direction of our lives and it was just that way for Dusk so I'm happy with the way it panned out.
I decided to go ahead and complete the story as life has taken one of those unexpected turn's for me and I am currently taking a short break from the forums and my sim lit to concentrate on my family. I knew it was coming and I wanted Dusk to get his ending before I stepped away. And I didn't want to leave anyone hanging on waiting for him to return letters Just in case I/he wasn't able to.
5) What do you like most about the story? What did you learn in writing it?
I learned to have a bit more patience and pace myself. I usually write and post my chapters as soon as they are written so anyone who has read my stories will know I tend to post tons of chapters all at once, which must be a little overwhelming to have so many updates to read just pop up at once. My stories I think must feel so rushed because of it. I'm hoping when I do get back to writing I'll be able to take this newly found patience and take the time to really think about what I'm writing and hopefully it will help my writing to improve.
6) Anything else you want to share about it? Any questions for readers?
No, But I absolutely recommend trying out the Pen pal project.
Thank you for Letting me be a part of the Project! It was a really fun, exciting experience I loved every second of being part of the collective.
Oh haha! I feel like a slacker for only doing 7 at a time! Haha. Thanks so much for the cookies and party, @CathyTea !!
1) What was game-play like? OMG!
I didn't have a bulter or nanny hired and that meant I spent most of the time exhausted and trying to ingore the multitude of messages about how if I didn't feed the toddlers they were going to be taken away. My poor caretaker got perhaps one full nights sleep during the event and passed out half a dozen times. The stress was real. Also instead of all my toddlers slowly aging at the same rate, I kept adding new toddlers as they aged up and out early to keep the number at seven. New toddlers are much crankier and needier than old toddlers.
2) How did you feel about your nanny or caretaker?
Ah Guppy Pigglewiggle. As my gen 10 heir I never really have done a lot with him, he's not gotten to grow up or anything, but he seemed the perfect person to take care of all my tiny toddlers. I really really felt sorry for him while I played.
3) Any tips for the challenge?
Hmmm several tips I can think of but the two most important?
Build smart and avoid using high chairs. All the toddler stuff was really close together so there wasn't a lot of walking around needed for Guppy to do, except of course when he had to use HIS bathroom and shower. That really should have been closer.
Put food out on the counter. The little ones will go get it and eat it when they are hungry all by themselves. (Then put chairs for them to sit on closer so they don't wander half way across the map to eat)
Maybe just maybe a butler or a nanny is a good idea.....
4) Was it fun to write?
I did a single post write up after I finished. While I was playing I published to twitter so there wasn't much of a write up to do. The challenge was loads of fun thought. If I can come up with 7 more toddlers that I want to play with I would probably try again.
5) How did you decide which Sims you'd have as toddlers?
I wanted to see all my character's as toddlers so I picked out ones that I knew well and that I thought might be recognizable. I wanted a variety of looks.
Also I had to pick ones that I had as adults in my gallery. Haha - that actually meant that some of them aged up early so I had to go and find more. I don't actually have a lot of my sims saved in the gallery. For example I would have loved to include 🐸🐸🐸🐸 with Arty, but I never saved her. And having Adam's sister Eve in there would have been cute as well, but she's only in her save file.
My Simself
Arturo Huffman (Huffman Legacy gen 1)
Samuel Huffman (Huffman Legacy gen 2)
Adam Childe (My wonderchild)
Amelia Echo (Derelict Room Challenge)
Mina Pigglewiggle (Pigglewiggle legacy gen 7)
Julia Pigglewiggle (Ambrosia Challenge - gen 11 pigglewiggle)
Shannon Drifter (Drifter Challenge gen 1)
Penelope Pigglewiggle (Blue Peas Adventures - gen 7 pigglewiggle)
Cocoa Pigglewiggle (Sidelines: Get to Work - gen 6 pigglewiggle)
6) How did you decide what style you'd write the story in?
Actually, I was in an anti-writing mood when I started. I just wanted something brainless and fun, but I wanted to share the pictures. Since I had already done the twitter-pictures, it made sense to collect them.
7) Are you ready for more toddlers, or are you running the other way? LOL!
Always. Right now I have four Drifter toddlers (three in the same household) and they are getting cuter everyday. I'm probably gonna try 7 again if I can twist the challenge some way or another. Maybe do a proper story.
8) Most fun moments? (Of writing or playing)
Oh - so many. Watching Penelope play with the alien stuffie...
Reading time (I love that you can read to multiple toddlers at once)
And overall just torturing Guppy with so many children. Torturing sims with kids is kind of my favorite pasttime.
Check out Raerei's Fortress for Builds, Short Stories, and maybe some longer stuff.
*ninjapig munches on a cookie and snuggles all the toddlers*
1. Gameplay was very frustrating at the outset, but got easier and easier as the days passed. I got used to taking care of so many kids and directing Graham and Maki accordingly. Of course, the kids learned how to go potty and began to sleep easier on their own as time passed, so that helped a lot!
2. I loved Maki! She's such an unconventional nanny with that crazy mohawk and that goofy walk, but she was such an amazing nanny. I can't count the number of times I wanted to give her a command to help a toddler that Graham couldn't handle, only to stop and blink in amazement upon finding her already taking care of them. And she does it all with a smile and a cuddle and while bobbing her head to the music. Amazing woman.
3. Potty training should be your focus from the get go! Don't bother with high chairs; just leave platters of cooked food out and the kids will help themselves. Also, the Wild trait is worse than Fussy. By a long shot.
4. Very fun! There's never a dull moment with these kids, but you might want to consider special events (field trips or playdates or parties) to shake things up every so often if it becomes more of the same.
5. I read Meggles' story around the time The Sims was celebrating its anniversary, so I decided to celebrate too in my own way with toddler Sims we all know and love!
6. Well - I was busy, so I wanted something that I can caption and post up easily.
7. More toddlers! I love them to bits. There's just so much to discover with them...and you can see their personalities really shining through.
8. Whenever Bob showed up! He's the sweetest child ever.
Thank you everyone who took the time to read my story and come along on a wild toddler experience with me. It was so much fun.
Oh haha! I feel like a slacker for only doing 7 at a time!
1) What was game-play like? OMG!
I didn't have a bulter or nanny hired and that meant I spent most of the time exhausted and trying to ingore the multitude of messages about how if I didn't feed the toddlers they were going to be taken away. My poor caretaker got perhaps one full nights sleep during the event and passed out half a dozen times. The stress was real. Also instead of all my toddlers slowly aging at the same rate, I kept adding new toddlers as they aged up and out early to keep the number at seven. New toddlers are much crankier and needier than old toddlers.
@ra3rei, your answer to question one completely negates your comment above, just saying. You took the most difficult route out of all of us! Loved reading your challenge story and insights. If anyone wants to know more tips and tricks, read Rae's challenge! She has so many good ones listed there.
Comments
There's a big party going on over at The Bloomers thread. Swing on by if you'd like to drop off your congratulations and share your gratitude!
(We might be having a Writer Q & A over here this weekend--I'll let you know!)
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Thank you so much @CathyTea ! Definitely up for a Q&A!
@Jes2G Haha they're not going anywhere
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
Fantastic! Ok, Bloomers Fans! Check back here this weekend (Saturday morning, Mountain Standard Time--or maybe earlier, depending...) for an Author's Q & A! Bring all your questions about The Bloomers and your questions for ThePlumbob! We'll start Saturday, and continue for as long as there are questions!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Hope that your accomplishment has had a chance to settle in over these past few days! It's always such a strange feeling to have a major project complete.
First, I want to thank you for writing The Bloomer Legacy. You've inspired so many people to write! And your stories have brought so much joy to so many.
I know that I, for one, have felt that your story lived inside of me over this past year and a half. I can recall so many times when I'd be strolling through the garden, thinking about Cassiel, Yenn, and Sera. Your story's part of me now, and I know I'll continue thinking about it--and about your Sims--through my life! Thank you! Writers give such tremendous gifts of insight and love to their readers, and I hope that you know how much you've given all your readers!
And now... The Writer Q & A!
I'd like to invite anyone who's interested to share questions with ThePlumbob about the writing of this story.
Here are my questions for starters...
1) Can you share with us, as much as possible, your thoughts, feelings, and expectations when you first sat down to write your first post back in June 2015?
Did you think you'd finish?
Did you have any idea what a contribution this story would make to SimLit?
Did you have any notion that your story would inspire so many others?
2) When I was reading this, even from the first chapters, I always felt the impetus of momentum: I knew you'd finish! You took a few breaks along the way, but even with a busy life and starting a new career--and didn't you have a house move or two during this?--you still completed it! How did you that? What did you draw on to help you see this through all the way to the end?
And what advice do you have for others who are beginning or in the middle of long projects, and who are also balancing out busy life and personal demands?
3) How has writing this changed you?
(I might have more questions later, but this will do it for now!)
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
1) Can you share with us, as much as possible, your thoughts, feelings, and expectations when you first sat down to write your first post back in June 2015?
It was a really important time in my life, actually. I had just quit a job that was making me miserable and I was fortunate enough to have a decent amount of savings to allow myself not to jump straight into simply for the sake of it. Since I was able to take my time job hunting to find something that fits, I also started little side projects; a travel blog, and a Sims blog. I wasn't all too sure what I was doing with it at first, i think I wrote a handful of reviews and shared random tidbits before actually diving into a legacy.
I used to read a lot of TS2 and TS3 stories when I was younger, but I never really got involved in TS4 community until then for some reason. I would always play legacy-style, but I never really managed to stick with a family past generation 4 or 5 (that goes for all previous incarnations of The Sims games). But when I came across the Build Newcrest challenge, I felt like it eliminated one of the biggest issues I had with the classic legacy challenge; living on the same lot for the whole time - I get so bored of the same landscape! Plus the idea of creating an entire world from scratch really appealed to me, and I wanted to force myself to build a little more, since I find building a little tedious.
Given the above, I bet you can guess the answer to the first question: No, I didn't think I would finish
I definitely didn't think about much of a bigger picture beyond that - and I still don't really consider my story as something influential, really! I just think of it as a fun and fulfilling way to express myself (which is why I'm likely to write something else down the line
2) When I was reading this, even from the first chapters, I always felt the impetus of momentum: I knew you'd finish! You took a few breaks along the way, but even with a busy life and starting a new career--and didn't you have a house move or two during this?--you still completed it! How did you that? What did you draw on to help you see this through all the way to the end?
And what advice do you have for others who are beginning or in the middle of long projects, and who are also balancing out busy life and personal demands?
I'm surprised you thought that - you had way more faith in me than I did
Like I said, the first couple of months the story actually kept me sane. Once I did find a new job, that was as rewarding an interesting as I'd hoped, things got a lot more intense - I was able to keep going for another month or two because I had a fair bit pre-written, but eventually I did end up having to take my first break for almost a month, in December. Funnily enough, a year later, December time again turned out to be really challenging in keeping the story going. Apparently December is my low point, creativity and energy-wise, it would seem!
I can definitely share what helped me along the way, but I don't think it's universal advice that will work for everyone, since creative projects are such an individual matter. The way I operate may not work for some people at all!
3) How has writing this changed you?
I don't know if it's changed me, per say, but it helped me determine what my values and beliefs are - It's a funny one, since you would think I'd know that, but unless you ponder over life very deeply (which I don't tend to), you're not necessarily conscious of it. Until it materialises in the message of the story
Of course, my writing has developed as the story progressed too. Or more so, has been "dusted-off"; I used to write a lot during my student years but it was something I grew out of touch with. And the whole blogging thing has been handy for my professional life too
It's also great to know that even I am capable of actually following through with a personal project to the end, pacing myself to avoid burning out and get myself-motivated. If I can do it, anyone can
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
More questions, if you're not tired of answering!
1) Let's talk about the cross-overs! How did you get the idea to do this? What do you feel the crossovers added to your story? What advice do you have to other writers who want to do collabs or crossovers?
2) Will you share favorites with us? Favorite characters? Favorite in-game moments? Favorite builds? Favorite scenes or chapters to write? Favorite memories?
3) Oh! We've got to talk about the Plum Tree! How did that come about and how did it help your story?
4) Will you share with us some of the interplay you achieved between in-game events and plot-driven writing? How did you find and create such a beautiful balance between the two?
5) What's next, and when can we expect it?
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Oh, that's a good question! Ideas for cross-overs tend to come about the same way regular story ideas do - you get a spur of a moment spark of inspiration, and then it's pesky and refuses to go away. Except with cross-overs, it has to go both ways so it's all about timing. I really like collaborations as a reader, since it makes the whole universe seem so much richer - it's lovely to imagine all of these stories are happening at the same time, in the same world!
Advice-wise, I guess the most important thing is that both writers agree on the type of collaboration and what they expect from it. Like, there's different levels of controld and detail, you can have collaborations where you basically go "here you go, here's my character, do as you please with them" or a very hands-on one where the two authors co-write whichever chapter the cross-over happens in. Or something in between, where one person can preread whatever the other one has written to make sure it goes with their vision. I've done all three, and they are all super fun - there isn't really a right way to go about it. What's important is that the two writers agree on the approach to collaborating
2) Will you share favorites with us? Favorite characters? Favorite in-game moments? Favorite builds? Favorite scenes or chapters to write? Favorite memories?
Oh, I have so many - do they still count as favourites if I love so many of them?
My favourite scene was probably the one with Yenn at the graveyard when Ethan passed away and she was there in a wedding dress, refusing to accept it. It was filled with raw emotion, and stuck with me till now. I also really enjoyed writing the parts where Vito was trying to win Louis back. Oh, and the fairytale chapter where we learn Candy and Paolo passed away. Apparently I enjoy writing bittersweet moments...
My favorite heirs were Isaac, Liv and Sera. I can't really decide which of them I liked the most! Non-heirs would be Yenn (of course), Cassiel and Malakai.
Favourite in game moments - Isaac bringing Ruby back to life. (And actually, anything involving Isaac. He was so fun to play!) Carly and Ralph's wedding. Yenn and Ethan's first date. Cassiel's shenanigans in the Lollipop Lair. Newton's autonomous disaster of a lovelife
3) Oh! We've got to talk about the Plum Tree! How did that come about and how did it help your story?
Well, long story short my boyfriend was tired of helping me make an updated family tree in photoshop every month or two, so he decided to write an app to shut me up instead... Turns out a fair few other people also wanted to use it
Story-wise, obviously it helped me track the family, and it did probably bring a handful of readers. Though I mostly view it as totally separate; as my boyfriend's cool project. I'm very proud of him
4) Will you share with us some of the interplay you achieved between in-game events and plot-driven writing? How did you find and create such a beautiful balance between the two?
I don't really have a secret formula or anything. I base the plots on what I feel seems appropriate based on the sims' traits, personalities and experiences, and most of the time the game cooperates haha! For example, Sera and Lorcan did have this instant spark between them (I'm talking almost half a pink bar after their first interaction). I wanted them to, but it happened regardless. I enjoy when things work out that way
The only thing I had planned for the longest time was the finale - I've basically known how it would go for a year now, before I even knew who the generation 9 heirs would be (at the time I didn't even know there would be multiple heirs!). In any case, I don't really have any particular recipe... I just enjoy the game, and let my imagination run wild... and they influence each other
5) What's next, and when can we expect it?
I'll have a bit of a break, and then I'll start a new story, which will be nothing like this one... basically to enhance the break
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
July, what a great accomplishment!
I'm always inspired when writers finish projects, especially when they have busy lives, multiple stories, and lots of things going on!
Will you share your responses to these questions with us as a way of celebrating the story's completion?
1) Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
2) What specific challenges did you encounter in writing this, both in terms of the Sims and in terms of the writing or plotting?
3) What was the most rewarding part of the project for you?
4) What do you feel you gained as a writer in completing this?
5) You did it!
6) I know all of us who read it are crying out for a sequel--can you share any spoilers?
Congratulations, again! It was a very fun and engaging story to read. Great characters and a great plot!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
1) Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
A mix of @CitizenErased14 s A2A, the TV show Gossip Girl and my desire to write something different than the casual Vee is for Vortex I was writing at the time. I wanted to do a plot-driven story like @CitizenErased14 and infuse it with the same type of drama that's in Gossip girl
2) What specific challenges did you encounter in writing this, both in terms of the Sims and in terms of the writing or plotting?
Sometimes I found myself creating plotholes and trying too hard to fill them and make my idea work instead of just changing the whole idea. For example I wanted Valerie and Ethan to talk to Eva - where would they find her? When would they talk to her? Would she even let them into her room? While trying to solve all these questions I suddenly realised it would make a lot more sense to just have them chat on facebook, so I scrapped the whole "go find her" approach and did that instead. But yeah it was challenging sometimes to realize when it was time to change the approach.
3) What was the most rewarding part of the project for you?
Finishing it?
4) What do you feel you gained as a writer in completing this?
Uhm, I don't know? Feeling proud to have finished it I guess
5) You did it!
I went through a serious slump a few weeks before the end where I just couldn't motivate myself to write... what helped was doing a detailed outline and writing down a range of possibilities what could happen next, then choose the plotline. It made me excited again to write things out!
6) I know all of us who read it are crying out for a sequel--can you share any spoilers?
No spoilers haha
Until It Breaks (Complete!) | Tribe Arayeo | Discovery (Complete!) | Vee is for Vortex
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Origin ID: cshaner07
You know I love this story so much! And I had so much fun letting one of my Sims get to be a tiny part of it!
Can we talk about the story and your experience writing it?
If so, here are questions for you, @Charliimai !
1) How did you ever come up with the intriguing premise and realization of this story?
2) I know you mentioned once that you weren't that crazy about Dusk at the beginning, but you came to love him. How did that happen?
3) What was it like to tell the story through letters? How do you think it would be different if you'd used a diary format or more straight narrative?
4) I know that your pen pals (me and Allie) sort of got caught up in our own busy lives towards the end, and you had to finish it without us! As a reader, I thought that was really neat and it felt natural, but I can imagine it was sort of disappointing for you. Do you feel it worked out OK? What prompted you to go ahead and complete it, rather than wait for us to find our ways back to the letters?
5) What do you like most about the story? What did you learn in writing it?
6) Anything else you want to share about it? Any questions for readers?
And with all my heart, thank you for writing it! It was a really great experience to be part of this and I love the story so very, very much!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
1) How did you ever come up with the intriguing premise and realization of this story?
Honestly I'm not sure
Soon after i started playing with Dusk, The sims 4 Vampires were released and I wondered about the differences in the different version of vampires. I also had sims 2 UC so thought it would be fun to add those vampires to the comparison.
I had dabbled with the idea of making a story about it but decided against it Until I saw the Pen Pal project thread. I lurked for a while and eventually decided to jump in and give Dusk and his story a chance.
The Actual plot for the story came to me out of nowhere while trying to think up a title for Dusk's story/Blog
2) I know you mentioned once that you weren't that crazy about Dusk at the beginning, but you came to love him. How did that happen?
Just through the letters each letter he received really bought him to life for me. I really had to get to know him to be able to reply in a way that felt right/genuine for him. He was my least favourite sim because I didn't spend much time on his creation he was just thrown together in sims 3 (Due to lagging issue in Cas) so I had no connection to him (I know I must sound crazy but usually when I create a sim I have their story/personality/background in mind as I build the different components of the whole sim)
3) What was it like to tell the story through letters? How do you think it would be different if you'd used a diary format or more straight narrative?
Telling Dusk's story through letters was amazing!! I eagerly looked forward to each correspondence because each letter not only gave the reader a chance to get to know Dusk but also gave me the opportunity to discover more about him. And the collaboration made me worry less about my abilities as a writer (I use that term loosely) The whole experience was just fun and it made it so much easier to write. I think If I'd have used Diary format or Narrative I would have lost motivation and I doubt his story would have been completed or even started.
It becomes so much more than just a story. There's Something about the partnership/relationship built between the two/three sims and their creators that creates something unique and special that I think comes across in the correspondence.
4) I know that your pen pals (me and Allie) sort of got caught up in our own busy lives towards the end, and you had to finish it without us! As a reader, I thought that was really neat and it felt natural, but I can imagine it was sort of disappointing for you. Do you feel it worked out OK? What prompted you to go ahead and complete it, rather than wait for us to find our ways back to the letters?
Thank you I'm relieved to hear that the story didn't feel rushed near the end. I am a little sad that Dusk's story ended without getting to be a bigger part in the lives of his pen pals. I'm not disappointed though just like in reality things happen that change the direction of our lives and it was just that way for Dusk so I'm happy with the way it panned out.
I decided to go ahead and complete the story as life has taken one of those unexpected turn's for me and I am currently taking a short break from the forums and my sim lit to concentrate on my family. I knew it was coming and I wanted Dusk to get his ending before I stepped away. And I didn't want to leave anyone hanging on waiting for him to return letters Just in case I/he wasn't able to.
5) What do you like most about the story? What did you learn in writing it?
I learned to have a bit more patience and pace myself. I usually write and post my chapters as soon as they are written so anyone who has read my stories will know I tend to post tons of chapters all at once, which must be a little overwhelming to have so many updates to read just pop up at once. My stories I think must feel so rushed because of it. I'm hoping when I do get back to writing I'll be able to take this newly found patience and take the time to really think about what I'm writing and hopefully it will help my writing to improve.
6) Anything else you want to share about it? Any questions for readers?
No, But I absolutely recommend trying out the Pen pal project.
Thank you for Letting me be a part of the Project! It was a really fun, exciting experience I loved every second of being part of the collective.
Read my Legacy story's or atttempt one of my Sims 4 challenges.
Charlii Mai's Blogs and Challenges
Read All of my Latest stories all in one place.
RainbowPlumbob (Wordpress)
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
(If anyone else finished the toddler challenge and completed a story about it, let us know and you can join in the celebration!)
Here are their stories:
@eXokamikaze - 8 Toddlers
@Meggles - 8 Toddler Challenge
@ra3rei - 7 Toddler Challenge
Congratulations, you three!
First the cookies:
Now the Party!
Now the questions:
1) What was game-play like? OMG!
2) How did you feel about your nanny or caretaker?
3) Any tips for the challenge?
4) Was it fun to write?
5) How did you decide which Sims you'd have as toddlers?
6) How did you decide what style you'd write the story in?
7) Are you ready for more toddlers, or are you running the other way? LOL!
8) Most fun moments? (Of writing or playing)
Congrats, again, you three!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
1) What was game-play like? OMG!
I didn't have a bulter or nanny hired and that meant I spent most of the time exhausted and trying to ingore the multitude of messages about how if I didn't feed the toddlers they were going to be taken away. My poor caretaker got perhaps one full nights sleep during the event and passed out half a dozen times. The stress was real. Also instead of all my toddlers slowly aging at the same rate, I kept adding new toddlers as they aged up and out early to keep the number at seven. New toddlers are much crankier and needier than old toddlers.
2) How did you feel about your nanny or caretaker?
Ah Guppy Pigglewiggle. As my gen 10 heir I never really have done a lot with him, he's not gotten to grow up or anything, but he seemed the perfect person to take care of all my tiny toddlers. I really really felt sorry for him while I played.
3) Any tips for the challenge?
Hmmm several tips I can think of but the two most important?
4) Was it fun to write?
I did a single post write up after I finished. While I was playing I published to twitter so there wasn't much of a write up to do. The challenge was loads of fun thought. If I can come up with 7 more toddlers that I want to play with I would probably try again.
5) How did you decide which Sims you'd have as toddlers?
I wanted to see all my character's as toddlers so I picked out ones that I knew well and that I thought might be recognizable. I wanted a variety of looks.
Also I had to pick ones that I had as adults in my gallery. Haha - that actually meant that some of them aged up early so I had to go and find more. I don't actually have a lot of my sims saved in the gallery. For example I would have loved to include 🐸🐸🐸🐸 with Arty, but I never saved her. And having Adam's sister Eve in there would have been cute as well, but she's only in her save file.
6) How did you decide what style you'd write the story in?
Actually, I was in an anti-writing mood when I started. I just wanted something brainless and fun, but I wanted to share the pictures. Since I had already done the twitter-pictures, it made sense to collect them.
7) Are you ready for more toddlers, or are you running the other way? LOL!
Always. Right now I have four Drifter toddlers (three in the same household) and they are getting cuter everyday. I'm probably gonna try 7 again if I can twist the challenge some way or another. Maybe do a proper story.
8) Most fun moments? (Of writing or playing)
Oh - so many. Watching Penelope play with the alien stuffie...
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Rebuild | Rebuild Vol. 2
I second this statement. Well done!!
1. Gameplay was very frustrating at the outset, but got easier and easier as the days passed. I got used to taking care of so many kids and directing Graham and Maki accordingly. Of course, the kids learned how to go potty and began to sleep easier on their own as time passed, so that helped a lot!
2. I loved Maki! She's such an unconventional nanny with that crazy mohawk and that goofy walk, but she was such an amazing nanny. I can't count the number of times I wanted to give her a command to help a toddler that Graham couldn't handle, only to stop and blink in amazement upon finding her already taking care of them. And she does it all with a smile and a cuddle and while bobbing her head to the music. Amazing woman.
3. Potty training should be your focus from the get go! Don't bother with high chairs; just leave platters of cooked food out and the kids will help themselves. Also, the Wild trait is worse than Fussy. By a long shot.
4. Very fun! There's never a dull moment with these kids, but you might want to consider special events (field trips or playdates or parties) to shake things up every so often if it becomes more of the same.
5. I read Meggles' story around the time The Sims was celebrating its anniversary, so I decided to celebrate too in my own way with toddler Sims we all know and love!
6. Well - I was busy, so I wanted something that I can caption and post up easily.
7. More toddlers! I love them to bits. There's just so much to discover with them...and you can see their personalities really shining through.
8. Whenever Bob showed up! He's the sweetest child ever.
Thank you everyone who took the time to read my story and come along on a wild toddler experience with me. It was so much fun.
@ra3rei, your answer to question one completely negates your comment above, just saying. You took the most difficult route out of all of us!
I loved it!
I've got questions for you!
1) How did you come up with the idea for the Echo series of alternate lives?
2) How did you come up with the particular idea for "The Lost Dancer"?
3) This story uses a lot of poses! Did you run into any specific challenges with them? And what did you most enjoy about using the poses?
4)
5) You've really completed a lot of stories: What's your secret?
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!