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SIMCOM--Pammiechick's Story Picks ARCHIVE

pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
SIMCOM ARCHIVE

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This is the Archive thread for Pammiechick's Story Picks which is part of SimCom--a forum magazine for all things SIMS 4. Here you will find all the past and present editions from Pammiechick's Story Picks so you can catch up on anything you missed on the main thread.

Check out SimCom here: SimCom

Happy Simming! B)
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited February 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 1 ☆☆


    (Para) Normal Neighborhood by @CitizenErased14

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    CitizenErased14 is an eloquent writer. She has a hugely popular story entitled, DUST TO DUST, which is 100 chapters long and written in novel format about the relationship between a ghost and the boy who finds her and falls in love. She also has many ADORING fans! But what some people might not know is she also writes an extremely funny, extremely clever story entitled, (Para) Normal Neighborhood.

    She gives us a clue into what the story is about by the title alone. Seemingly normal young adult, Juniper, goes off on her own to make a fresh start of her life. She decides to move away from her parents into an average, everyday neighborhood. Normal, is what Juniper thinks, but it is anything but normal.
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    This unsuspecting heroine doesn’t realize the strange things going on around her are just that. Bizarre. She casually thinks up reasons for why all of these weird things are happening. And what’s so remarkable is the audience is privy to what actually is occurring through the windows of where she finds herself—mainly her house. I didn’t realize that until well into the story, so I missed out on some of the jokes at first. Make sure to look outside. You may be shocked!

    I won’t give anything away, but there is a huge mystery surrounding Juniper herself that I’m DYING to find out. And I can’t wait to see what happens next as the more Juniper gets to know her neighbors, the more she gets the sneaking suspicion SOMETHING is going on.

    I asked a few questions about the writing of this particular story and this is what CitizenErased said:

    I know you do screenshots and most of the humor is "off camera" in unsuspecting places. Some of these things look like it would be hard for you to time. Do you ever use photoshop for some of these scenes?


    Actually, the only thing I ever used photoediting for is my story banner (where Juniper is standing with all the various paranormal phenomena happening behind her). The rest is the product of a bunch of trial and error (which can be frustrating sometimes!). But I really enjoy doing the visual humor in this story, so I always feel like the effort is worth it!

    If not, what is the most amount of time you've ever spent on a shot?


    Ooh, this is a good question! I'm not sure if I ever completely paid attention! Probably not as long as you'd think. Maybe 10-15 minutes for some of those window shots in the first chapter. I usually do a practice-run without actually taking a screenshot where I time (more or less) how long it takes for a particular action to occur. Then I use THAT timing to plan out the timing Juniper's position/expression. The pose player and advanced debug cheat mod have helped a lot with this!

    Clever!

    What gave you the idea to do funny happenings around a character that is, in writer's lingo, the fool?


    The idea for (Para)Normal Neighborhood first came about through my submission for one of the short story challenges over the summer. I wrote a story (which is now the first chapter of PNN) about a girl's first night in a new house, and there's all these crazy paranormal events happening right under her nose.

    I really enjoyed writing it, and was thinking it would be fun to do a story about a neighborhood full of supernatural beings! But I needed to figure out how Juniper would react to it all. I'd written her as pretty ditzy/clueless in that first chapter, so I started thinking "What if she's STILL completely oblivious, even when it's all happening right in front of her?" so I went with it!

    That is the best way to get a great idea—writing!

    Have you ever studied writing? Having a fool as a lead is one of the best ways to write a comedy. Shakespeare was a master at this (Taming of the Shrew).


    I've actually never studied writing. Not officially, at least! I was about two credits shy of getting a minor in English in college, but those classes were all focused on studying literature, not writing anything yourself. But I've been writing for fun ever since I was quite young.

    Actually, my 'comfort zone' in terms of writing has always been dramatic stories and horror/scary stories. Writing comedy is something I've only ever attempted once before! PNN is very much out of my comfort zone, and I kind of took it on as something of a challenge. :)

    Do you have an ending in mind for this tale or will it be like an ongoing soap opera?


    A little of both! I have the entire first 'season' completely planned out, and I have overarching plotlines planned for the next season as well. There's also a vague idea for an 'endgame', but I don't know every little detail that will get us there, or how many seasons it will ultimately be. Guess we'll have to wait and see! :)
    ******

    Here is the trailer for this wonderful story. I hope you will check it out. Let @CitizenErased14 know you were there by commenting on either her blog or forum thread.

    Happy reading!
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited March 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 2 ☆☆
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    Today I’m going to highlight a story that NEEDS/DESERVES more people to read. While it seems like a simple Newcrest legacy story, by the time generation two hits, it turns into a page turning mystery love story that makes readers demand more! I’m talking about @Maladi777 ‘s epic story, THE HEFFNER LEGACY.

    In the first generation, @Maladi777 uses the standard legacy format where she talks about what her sims are doing. But when you start reading the second generation, she veers off from that format and the story takes off. In the second generation, the legacy heir, Andrew Heffner, meets up with Babs L’Amour—a snobbish sim who happens to fall in love and continues the Heffner brood. All goes along satisfactorily with two of the children—Bato and Beryl—where they age up to young adult, but then Babs has triplets and that’s where the mystery begins. Someone steals one of the babies and gives the Heffner’s a ransom note!

    What happens afterwards, I’m going to let you read about, but let’s just say a handsome hitman by the name of Tony “Meatball” Corleonesi blasts onto the scene, capturing not only the heart of Beryl, but also many fans (including myself!)

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    I asked Maladi777 about her journey from typical legacy storytelling to a full on mystery romance. Here what she has to say:

    1. Your legacy is a new twist with having to build in the Newcrest neighborhood. Why did you choose this challenge over other ones?

    The very first legacy I read was @thePlumbob's Bloomer Legacy. I liked the goals every generation's heir had to complete besides their aspirations. I had to learn how to use the building mode too, which I was reluctant to do before, and I started to like it. All in all, I owe big thanks to @thePlumbob for inspiring me.

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    2. For the first two generations, you follow the regular legacy in storytelling until one of Bab's babies is taken--then it turns into a mystery. Why did you decide to change the focus?


    I view the legacy rules just as guidelines I don't want to stick to strictly, the story is my priority.
    The truth is I knew I was going to introduce Meatball into the story at some place. I also knew I wanted one of my possible heirs to fall in love with him. But the game was giving me only boys! I had to wait until a girl was born and then I needed one more baby to get kidnapped. It got complicated, when Babs gave birth to triplets. I didn't expect that! Everybody could say: so what, they have two more babies.

    I'm going to focus on the legacy goals sooner or later again. I'm just too distracted right now.

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    3. I'm very surprised to hear English is not your first language as you do so well with your writing. Where are you from originally?


    You are? Wow! Thank you! I often feel my words should flow more smoothly, but as long as the readers can understand and feel the emotions I'm trying to relay, I'm happy.

    I'm from Czech republic, I live in a town not far from Prague, our capital.


    4. A fan favorite character is Tony (Meatball) Corleonesi that you acquired from another author's story. How did this come about?


    My first encounter with Meatball happened via The Bloomer Legacy. There was also a link to @RoryGilmore34's Legacies of the Sims in that particular episode. Being a thorough reader I always welcome a way to learn more about characters, so I read the first season of Rory's story too. When I was writing the second generation of the Heffners, I asked Rory, if I could borrow her most intriguing character, the notorious Meatball, and to my delight she agreed.

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    5. Are there any other challenges you plan on doing and will you tell a story with them?


    I'm also playing Rebuild Willow Creek and a neighbourhood rotation with the premade sims. I'm planning to post some stories from my rotational gameplay (I already have a story called Candy's choice ready, but I didn't have time to upload it, there's just a banner on my blog under Other Stories at the moment.) I want to make these stories somewhat interactive - the readers will be able to vote and decide how the stories will progress. But no promises, I want to focus on the Heffners as much as I can.

    I'm also considering trying the Amazon challenge, but we'll see. There are so many great challenges! The people who created them are awesome, thanks to them and thanks to simlit writers the game is much more enteratining for me than it has ever been.

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    Sounds like more intriguing stories in our future! I can't wait!

    If you want to read about the Heffners, please check them out here: THE HEFFNER LEGACY. If you want to only start reading for the mystery, you may start on generation 2. I promise you'll be glad you did!

    Happy reading!!!

    Pam

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited April 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 3 ☆☆

    The story I’m highlighting today is in an unusual format—it’s a video story and while I almost glanced over it, ignoring it because it was a video, boy I’m glad I decided to check it out. It’s entitled, CURSED BEAUTY, and written/told by @VirtuaLee . Each chapter is narrated by the author with music in the background for a wonderful effect.

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    The story is based loosely on a prettacy challenge—but the main character (who is ugly) will change in one generation to become pretty. I thought that was a great idea. Plus, it has a bit of fantasy and magic which I love and find intriguing.

    It follows the main character, Kaliani, who is hated and cursed by her beautiful sister, Isabella. It is Isabella’s life mission to make her sister’s life miserable, and she’ll stop at nothing to torture her even going so far as to call her Creature and treat her as a slave.

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    Evil Isabella falls in love with the hunky local bartender, Humberto. And when I say hunky, well...he’s up there with the last story I highlighted’s character,
    Tony Corleonesi. Now that’s high praise! I promise, by the end of this story, you will be in love with him. He, too, has an interesting past that ties in with the two sisters.

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    I won’t give anything away, but want to encourage you to check this story out. Oh, and I hope you have a lot of time to sit and watch because I will warn you that you’ll be hooked and binge watch until you’ve come to the last chapter. There’s still a few more chapters to go, I believe, before it’s done, but it will happen soon!

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    I asked @VirtuaLee a few questions about writing her wonderful story:


    What made you decide to do this challenge/story and why did you use the video format?

    Good Question and Thank YOU for this honor, I am so thrilled!

    I started a Youtube channel and was wrapping up my very first and very experimental Lets Play (LP) November of last year. I was looking for a new challenge to record with a twist. I dabbled with some story telling in my last LP and wanting to incorporate stronger storyline and even cut scenes (video story). So, through some genetics in TS4 create-a-sim feature the Briggans were born!!

    Because I am terrible at long-term projects I wanted to keep it short but I loved the idea of the Prettacy (ugly/beauty) legacy challenges. Viola, Cursed Beauty was created!

    There had to be a challenge so to speak, therefore I made it so that every time Kaliani levels a skill (four in all) she gets a change. The really fun element to this challenge is that the changes aren’t performed by me at all. I have a really good friend that is also a youtuber that makes BEAUTIFUL sims. She does all the ‘Kali Updates’ and so for me it’s a surprise just as much as it is for the viewers :)

    This story/LP platform is really bridging the gap between Simlit and Let’s Plays. I am stoked to be piloting such a curious and different way of storytelling.

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    Is Kaliani done changing or are there more in her future?

    No, there is one more major change to come – so four in total. (Edited to add--that change did happen, so she's done!)

    • *Hair/Makeup/Clothes
    • Body
    • Walk and Voice
    • Face

    The curious part of the changes is that CB fans are really attached to the way Kali looks currently. They really find her stunning the way she is and it warms my heart. They feel connected to her character in deep levels, how confident she has become, how she loves unconditionally and above all her level of forgiveness. It is dynamic to witness!

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    I noticed you are dabbling in short stories.

    Yes! Oh my, what a thrill to do short stories, they are so addicting. I entered my first challenge here on the TS4 forums February and it was incredibly enjoyable.

    Are you going to start writing more stories? If so, will you write them or still do them on video?


    I plan to enter as many as I can in the future. Funny you mention that, my short story submission for March is a potential ‘something’ I am noodling for a video story/let’s play on the channel. I find that those that like to watch videos prefer that venue and may miss out on a story on a written platform, or vice versa. So, I hope to bridge the gap in that arena as best I can.

    But to answer your question I would like to do both if time permits. I started a spin off of the CB story line with Kaliani’s father in written format. Sort of like the Bachelor Challenge in hopes to find him the ‘One’ lol!

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    Are there other challenges you are thinking about doing?

    I wrote my very first challenge I will be piloting on my Youtube channel in the next month or so. Also, have a new story launching after Cursed Beauty is completed, which should be in the next month!

    We’ll definitely keep our eyes open!

    Here is the prelude to the story to give you a better idea of what it’s about:




    Happy reading...I mean, listening!

    Pammiechick

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 2--THE HEFFNER LEGACY by @Maladi777

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited May 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 4 ☆☆
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    I'm so excited to feature a COMPLETED story today! This is a hilarious spin on the Bachelor Challenge using none other than the stars of the Disney Princess Challenge. I've seen this done before but what sets this one apart is...

    THE BACHELOR!

    It's Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and let me say his cheeky manner makes this story a delight. (Or maybe it's author @swcheppes masterful way of portraying him!)


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    Chauvinistic, full of himself, Gaston is on a quest to settle down (Whaaa?? That womanizer?) Ah, but it's true! And he'll have nothing less than a gorgeous princess. (Who else could satisfy his eloquent, discerning tastes? And if he's only going to get the milk from one cow, she'd better be RICH and FAMOUS...right?)

    So, here are his lovely ladies:

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    That's Jasmine (Aladdin), Mulan, Snow White, Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), Ariel, Tiana (Frog Prince), and Rapunzel!

    Boy, he knows how to go for top tiara!

    All through the story, Gaston finds out what love is...and what it isn't.

    (Running around without any clothing wasn't such a high moment for everyone.)

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    Through many challenges to see who won the coveted dates with the cheeky bachelor, the women had to hone their artist skills.

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    Now, I'm not going to give anything away. You just NEED TO READ it if you want a laugh or two. It was an enjoyable romp and I'm looking forward to the next installment which I will announce at the end of this article.

    I asked the author @swcheppes a few questions about how she went about doing this challenge as well as writing it:

    1. What makes your Bachelor challenge so different from others is your humor, especially Gaston. What made you decide on him for your main character?

    Once I decided I was going to do this challenge, I almost immediately knew which princesses I wanted to use. But as for who my bachelor was going to be I had no idea. I knew that I wanted to obviously use someone in the Disney world. Before I did this challenge, I had made a lot of different Disney characters for fun. I made most of the princesses and their princes. At first I thought I'm doing a princess challenge the bachelor should be a prince. However after thinking about it there were two reasons that wouldn't work,
    1)I'm currently playing a Disney based legacy and writing about it. All the princes I had made will be used in that so I wanted to save them for that and
    2)I didn't like the idea of breaking up a couple and having for example Ariel's prince making out with Snow White. I guess the Disney fan in me would feel that would be wrong hehehe. Since the princes were out I went through the rest of the Disney roster. Before I picked Gaston I was considering doing Peter Pan. But I had already used him in my legacy so he was out. Then Gaston popped in my head. Yes he's sort of a villain but I don't see him as bad as say a Jafar or Captain Hook. I started to think about who Gaston was from the movie and it was almost like he was made for the bachelor. I mean who else would want 7 girls fighting over him. Now that it's all over, I honestly can't picture a better bachelor:)

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    2. How did you go about choosing the ladies? I noticed Cinderella wasn't there. Any particular reason you didn't choose her?

    As I mentioned, I had already made a lot of the princesses and princes before starting this but unlike the princes, I could use the princesses. My legacy is a princess legacy however all the princesses are born in game, I don't get to us the ones I made in it except for my founder who turned out to be Snow. I'm sure there others out there who will agree you kind of fall in love with certain sims you make. That's how I felt about the princesses I made. I was so excited to finally be able to use them and show off my hard work.

    When it came to picking who I wanted to use there were a few that hands down I had to use (Ariel, she's my favorite princess of all time, Rapunzel, and Briar Rose). That left me with 4 spots to fill. I've made a Cinderella, so she was definitely in contention. But I also wanted some diversity in my cast. I didn't want all pale, light haired girls. Unfortunately Cinderella fit that bill. I already had Ariel, Rapunzel and Briar Rose, and I liked the idea of having Snow and tying it into my legacy story. Adding Cinderella would have been to much blonde. Plus she's not one of my favorite princesses. The rest of the cast, Mulan, Tiana and Jasmine helped give my cast that diversity I was looking for.

    After I had picked out my ladies and was ready to start I completely forgot that I had previously made Anna and Elsa. I was kinda sad that I wasn't able to use them, I didn't want to use a mod to enlarge my household. Then I came up with an idea on how to incorporate at least one of them. I stuck them both in the world and I said the first one I see while in the world I'll use as Tiana's replacement.

    I do want to give credit to my friend @darab224. She actually made Gaston. We had both decided to try this challenge together. We wanted to play the same characters and see how our results differed at the end. Since I had made all the princesses she had wanted to make Gaston. I think she did an incredible job with him.

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    3. How did you play the challenge? Did you influence the sims or did you go by their whims?

    I had been watching @roryilmore34's Let's Play of this challenge and modeled my gameplay like hers. She actually is what inspired me to do this challenge.

    I only controlled Gaston-- the only time I controlled the ladies was to get them to the different challenges and competitions. As for Gaston, I tried to control him as little as possible. Basically, if one of his needs was in the red and he wasn't reacting to it or on the solo dates to get the couple to be on an actual date and not just hanging out together. On the dates, I also did the interactions you needed to preform to win the reward. This was my first time playing where I didn't micromanage my sims every move. It was a challenge for me to give them their freedom. There were many times I was screaming at my computer screen reacting to what they were doing. I screamed at Mulan a lot lol. Towards the end she kept going to kiss Gaston in front of all the other girls, most of whom had a high romance bar. I'd then have the entire house sad for like 2 days and all they wanted to do was cry in the bed, which when photographed just looks like they are sleeping. It's like she was trying to add drama to my story.

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    4. Did the ending surprise you?

    Yes and no. From day one Gaston always wanted to chat or dance or play llama jenga with the winning girl. I had a feeling that if she survived the elimination challenges she would be at the end. The person who surprised me the most was
    Mulan. Mulan and Gaston barely had any interactions the first few weeks. Their solo date really did a 360 for their relationship. After they got back from the ruins, as I mentioned Mulan was all over Gaston. The one person I didn't want to win was Snow. Since at the beginning it's her great grandkids who are watching the video and it's clear that Gastons not their great grandfather. If she had won I would have had a lot of explaining to do.

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    5. You are doing a sidekick Bachelorette challenge next. Why did you decide to do sidekicks instead of leads?

    The truth is I wanted to do (spoiler alert for season 3) a villains season. But I wanted it to be 1 bachelor and 7 girls like this season. Halfway through this season I told myself I wanted to do a bachelorette next so villains would have to wait. When thinking about who my bachelorette would be I toyed with the idea of using one of the girls from season 1 like they do in the real show. But then I ran into the same problems I had choosing my cast for the bachelor, I wouldn't be able to use any of my princes and I didn't like the idea of princes and princesses switching partners. So I had to go back and search the Disney world for new people. Since I wasn't using anyone I previously made and would be making these sims specifically for this story, I took into consideration who I could best replicate.

    For some reason Audrey from the movie Atlantis (totally watch it if you haven't) was the first person to pop into my head. She's such a spitfire, her personality is perfect for this. I can't wait to write her. She's not a sidekick per say, she's more a supporting character but The Bachelorette: Disney Supporting Character Edition just didn't sound like a great name ha! That's why I used the word sidekick instead. Same goes for the guys in that season a lot of them are supporting characters. I'm hoping people won't be to bothered by that. And just so you guy aren't too bummed that I spoiled the surprise for season 3, I want you to know I have an even better idea for season 4. But I'll keep my mouth shut for that one!
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    6. Any other challenges you are thinking about doing or other stories you'd like to let us know about?

    I'm currently playing 4 different saves, 3 of which are stories I'm writing so no challenges on the horizon. I just don't have time.

    I've mentioned a few times that I have legacy story that I write. It's based on the Disney Princess 10 Gen Challenge. It follows the Blanc family, the founder is Snow from the bachelor. I'm currently on the 4th generation, writing wise, so there is quite a bit to catch up on, but it's a quick read. I feel it has similar humor to the Bachelor. If you're a Disney fan, you'll love the surprise Disney guests who appear through out the series.
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    I also have another story LAR: Life After Riverdale. It's been on a bit of a hiatus but I'm happy to report I will be writing new episodes soon! It's based on comic book characters from Archie Comics. So you'll see Archie of course and Betty, Veronica, Jughead and all of your favorites. I actually am really excited about the new idea I have for the story. I'm doing something with it that most of the major comic companies do...a reboot. So be on the look out for that.
    Finally I have another save I'm playing that was purely for fun, but of course I've been screenshoting it. It's my simself and she's dating Chris Evans (Captain America). I'm toying with idea of doing something with it but nothing's definite yet. I'm not sure if there's much interest in seeing that ha!
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    Well, that's it for this month. I hope you will check out her story. Don't be alarmed if you see the title has changed to the next season's story. All the chapters for the first season are on that thread. And now you won't miss the second installment!

    See you next time!

    Pammiechick

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 3--CURSED BEAUTY by @VIRTUALEE

    EDITION 2--THE HEFFNER LEGACY by @Maladi777

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited June 2016

    ☆☆ EDITION 5 ☆☆


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    I've been watching the History Challenge by @Cloudseeker for quite some time, but I haven't read many of the stories--they would seem to start strong but then peter out. In the challenge, you follow your sims through the generations but with each generation, you rise in an era of civilization, starting off...you guessed it...with the caveman--in the prehistoric era.

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    I was EXTREMELY excited when I found @Zoey95 's rendition entitled, LILITH'S STORY: a History Challenge. This story follows the founder and matriarch of mankind, Lilith, who is starting her tribe of people with her man, Adam.

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    But will everything go well for this primal couple? According to the rules of the challenge, there may be some hurt feelings as Lilith is bound to diversify genetics and mate with more than one man!

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    Now, I won't give away what happens, but let me just tell you, @Zoey95 is a skillful storyteller, weaving in some high drama with a nod to the early stories of the Bible that are really quite funny (and sad).

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    She also seamlessly transitions from one era to the next that shows a natural progression. I was amazed by how she did this.

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    Her story is so intriguing, it makes me want to try my hand at this challenge (add it to my growing list!)

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    If you want a fascinating read with lots of incredible cc perfect for the eras, please CHECK OUT HER STORY!

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    I asked the author @Zoey95 a few questions about how she went about doing this challenge as well as writing it:

    1. What made you decide to do the history challenge?


    The first thing that inspired me was stumbling upon Sandy's (Around the Sims) prehistoric CC. She is one of my favorite CC creators. I discovered the history challenge on her site. In 2012, I entered a Sims 3 contest hosted by 8NiSci8. In this contest, our team traveled through: prehistoric, ancient Egypt, medieval times eras as well as the time period of our choice. I didn't win first place, but I had a lot of fun creating the different eras. After my discovery of this challenge, I immediately searched for the History Challenge thread on the forum and began collecting CC.

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    2. One of the best twists of the story obviously uses the Bible as a reference in your story which really gives it a wonderful flavor. What made you decide to do this?

    Thank you for the compliment. One of my favorite TV shows, Once Upon A Time, takes traditional fairy tales and adds new twists. The tween I occasionally babysit reads newly published novels that are revised fairy tales. There are also stories written from the wicked step-mother's point of view. I wanted to start off with a strong female who would not hesitate to earn me points for having children with five different men. Growing up Christian, when I hear the words "In the beginning..." I immediately think of Adam and Eve. But I didn't want to recreate something, I wanted a fresh variation that took a left turn instead of a right.

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    3. You are about to start on the next generation which in the history challenge means a new culture in civilization. What are you most excited about?

    I'm very much looking forward to the new objects and furniture, building and decorating. The biggest challenge in the Prehistoric era was keeping everyone fed, reproducing and alive. All of the points earned for that era fell easily into those three tasks. This new era will be more challenging because some of the points earned is now dependent on NPCs (tips earned and a gold party with maximum guests) or difficult because limiting objects (achieving gold status party without a bar, for example). Also the Middle Ages will involve wealth and politics, so I need to lay the foundation for that in the Early Civilization era.

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    4.There are seven eras in the challenge--prehistoric, early civilization, middle ages, the old west, the industrial age, the roaring twenties, and modern day. Which era are you most excited to do?
    I'm really torn because I believe they will all be fun. However, I'm thinking the Roaring Twenties will be my favorite. Not only do I love the fashion, music, decor and buildings (I was featured for my 1920s Automat in Sims 3), but I'm also excited about taking my bad girls to a new level with criminal careers and needing five non-family members to die on the lot.

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    5. Do you have any other simlit stories?

    I do have several other simlit stories. I have a Sims 3 100BC that has been going on for 4 years now. When I started this challenge, I didn't have a clue how to take a decent screenshot or write, so the beginning is rather rough. I took almost all of last year off from writing on it because I did not have a desktop capable of running Sims
    4. I am now back to playing and posting on that story about every six weeks. I have a Sims 3 Bring Me Back to Life challenge that is on hiatus and will be until my 100BC is complete. I started a Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty because a good friend of mine was playing one. It is also on hiatus or will remain incomplete if I cannot recover the file. My real life became very stressful for some time and I had to limit my simming time. Now my life is calmer, but I am writing my first novel and need to allocate time there. Simming is my creative play time, but I'm limiting myself to two active challenges to keep a balance. When I complete one, I'll add in another. When my History Challenge is complete, I'd like to tackle the Sims 4 Amazon Challenge or Sims 4 Immortal Dynasty.

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    More great stories from @Zoey95 :smile:

    The Great Sim Spectacular - A Race Through Time contest.
    100 Baby Challenge.
    A Life Reborn--a Bring Me to Life challenge.
    A cool Sims 3 build--1920s automat.
    Immortal Dynasty - user name Zosa

    Wow! That's a lot of reading for you. I'm bookmarking everything since she's such a talented writer! I hope you will check out The Story of Lilith! You won't be disappointed!

    See you next time!

    Pammiechick

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 4--Disney Bachelor Challenge by @swcheppes

    EDITION 3--CURSED BEAUTY by @VIRTUALEE

    EDITION 2--THE HEFFNER LEGACY by @Maladi777

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
    Post edited by pammiechick on
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited August 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 6 ☆☆

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    New challenges seem to pop up every month, but none have intrigued me like the newest one that follows @CitizenErased14 's fabulous story DUST TO DUST--this story is about a ghost who is befriended by a little boy and through a whirlwind of events, love, teen angst, and heartbreak, the boy who becomes a man is determined to find a way to bring the ghost back to life. CitizenErased14 decided to make a new challenge called The Ambrosia Challenge that uses a quest to bring back a ghost.

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    At first, I was unsure how a new story could come about using this challenge--after all, the challenge seems to be taken directly from the original--that was until I found @Marialein 's story ANGEL IN THE DARKNESS. Haunting and mysterious, this story follows the main character, Angel and her tragic beginning. Someone is stalking her--obsessed with her beauty. And when things don't go his way...well, poor Angel is killed, becoming a ghost which starts the challenge.

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    The words and characters are deeply written all the while the author keeps you in the dark about who the antagonist is. Fast forward twenty years and there is a new girl who is living in Angel's mansion. There is mystery surrounding the people she meets. Will she find her true love or a murderer? One doesn't know! I'm in suspense!!!

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    I asked @Marialein a few questions about doing this challenge and writing her story:

    1. Your story follows a fairly new challenge based off the hit simlit story DUST TO DUST. What made you want to try the challenge?

    First I read Dust to Dust. It had been for a long time on my reading list and when I read it it was just so amazing. A few months later after I finished reading it @CitizenErased14 made a thread with this challenge. I looked through the rules and I knew I had to do this challenge. I really wanted to have more from Dust to Dust and the temptation to make it myself was too big to not try ;)

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    2. I love how your story starts off as a mystery. Where did you come up with your characters?

    Seriously? I have no idea :D I just knew that I wanted something different. I went into Cas and played a bit with the options. So I got Angel. For a long time I was not sure how I should name her and I guess I changed her name around 5 times. After playing for a while the rest characters like Angelines mother and father developed. For Shaiyenne it was the same like with Angel. I was just in the mood for Cas and then she got her characteristics. I would say more but I don't want to spoil.

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    3. What is the hardest part of playing the Ambrosia challenge for you so far?
    :dizzy::dizzy::dizzy::dizzy:
    Killing your sim is very hard. It wouldn't be so hard if I would have just played my sim for a few days but I saw how angel developed from a child to young adult and I am just so in love with her as sim. The rest is right now more storytelling than the actual challenge.

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    4. Since the challenge follows the story Dust to Dust, were you worried about making your story different?

    I really wanted to make it different. I was much more worried to make it too similar. I thought of different storylines and some were pretty similar to dust to dust. Maybe I will have still some similarities in the future but I will try to avoid it and just follow my storyline. A few challenge based storylines I can't avoid but I am nobody who follows rules very strict. I like to break it when it is important for my story.

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    5. You are a prolific simlit author. What other stories should people check out?

    I would say my Amazon Challenge. This is my main story and I update it as often as possible. I still have three other stories but they are right now pausing. When I continue them I will let you know.

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    6. Are there any other challenges you'd like to try or will be in your story future?

    I want to finish my prettacy and my Build Newcrest Challenge. I could also imagine to make a bachelor once but I will see what future brings.


    That's it for now. Please be sure to check out this amazing story!
    ANGEL IN THE DARKNESS!

    See you next time!

    Pammiechick

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 5--LILITH'S STORY--A HISTORY CHALLENGE by @Zoey95

    EDITION 4--Disney Bachelor Challenge by @swcheppes

    EDITION 3--CURSED BEAUTY by @VIRTUALEE

    EDITION 2--THE HEFFNER LEGACY by @Maladi777

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
    Post edited by pammiechick on
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  • pammiechickpammiechick Posts: 12,262 Member
    edited October 2016
    ☆☆ EDITION 7 ☆☆

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    I'm very excited to share a new story by one of our most talented storywriters here on the forum, @JoieWilder . It follows the ever dramatic Apocalypse Challenge and is entitled, Taken by Storme, which outlines founder Shannyn Storme's harrowing life amidst corrupt politics, limited resources, and marauding people ready to kill anyone for a bit of food.

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    One reason I love this story is because of the founder. She's not like most main characters--she has an edge that can verge on the unlikeable but the way @JoieWilder writes her, you understand why she's a bit broken. Growing up before the calamity that took most of the lives of Oasis Springs, Shannyn was raised in the mob and knows how to take care of herself. Once the Event happened, she finds herself not at the top of the pecking order anymore and all she can do is make sure she and her love, Giovanni, survive. Unfortunately, someone kills him and so, Shannyn only has herself to take care of.

    Or does she?

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    Taken by Storme will whisk you away on a roller coaster ride of emotions that will leave you wanting more! @JoieWilder has a great way of weaving in the tough cookie voice of Shannyn mixed in with her subtle caring side that you know is underneath her very hard exterior.

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    I asked @JoieWilder some questions about playing and writing this exciting challenge:


    1. This story follows the Apocalypse Challenge. What made you decide on this challenge over others?


    I really love difficult challenges. I actually developed my own version of the Runaway Teen Challenge because I found the original too easy too complete. The Apocalypse Challenge is about the most difficult there is. I tried to do one once in TS3, but I had no willpower when it came to dragable needs. I've gotten better about not cheating now in TS4 so that I can enjoy the challenge for longer.

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    2. One of my favorite parts of your story is your protagonist, Shannyn. She's harsh but likable because of her unique past. How did you come up with her storyline?


    Before I started this story, I started a for-fun apocalypse challenge. I wasn't planning to have any kind of story around it, but then, in gen 2, Shannyn was born. I loved her from the start, and, when she hit her teens, I just suddenly had an idea for a story surrounding her. I saw her loving and losing a man who was very different from her and then struggling to cope both with his loss and the apocalyptic world around her.

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    3. A nice twist was the introduction of Shannyn's mate, Jason
    Spoiler
    (whom Shannyn still doesn't realize she loves even after having children together.)
    Why did you choose his personality to bond with her?

    For Shannyn's romantic interest, I wanted someone similar to Gio. So Jason has a lighter personality with a creative spirit (both Gio and Jason have the creative trait). I didn't want their relationship to be perfect, though, because, at the core, Shannyn is evil. She found the holy grail of guys in Giovanni, who loved and accepted her for everything that she was; she couldn't find two unicorns, so there needed to be tension with Jason. And, well, I wanted to tell a story where things weren't actually perfect and harmonious.

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    4. There's a mystery surrounding Jason's job. Will we find out what he's doing by the next generation?


    Well, anyone who has read the rules of the apocalypse challenge should be able to guess what changes Jason will bring to Oasis Springs (if he reaches level 10 of his career). I won't reveal what exactly he has been working towards until it actually comes to fruition which will happen in gen 2. I was hoping for gen 1, but dang, those last three promotions are hard!

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    5. How will the heir be determined for the next generation?

    Unless something changes down the line, I think I'm going to go with first born in each generation, regardless of gender. So look out - gen 2 will have another evil sim at the helm!

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    6. You are a prolific author of SimLit. What are the other stories you are writing?


    Casually, I also write a rotation story, The More the Wilder, and an ISBI, Crazy Town, which are both written in a commentary-style. In TMTW, I have a few challenges; in one household, I'm playing a Tiny Living Challenge, in another, I completed a Runaway Teen Challenge, and in another, I've begun a Room Challenge. I also have a couple of households that I visit just for fun. And CT - well, it's an ISBI! Full of wacky autonomy.

    My other main story is the one of mine that most people know, the Thoreau Legacy, which follows a host of characters. It is currently in the second generation now, but I've already got ideas for generation three when it finally arrives. The Thoreau's are completely story driven, so I control and script everything; Taken by Storme has a lot more wiggle room, since I am determined that it shall be a hybrid between game-driven and story-driven (when you read gen one, I'll give you three guesses about something the game decided ).

    7. Are there any other challenges/new stories in your future?


    One day, I'd like to write a story about the Orphan Challenge, the challenge I created from the Runaway Teen Challenge. I don't really want to start any new challenges or stories while I've got so much going, though. TMTW and CT are very casual and I can let those slide if I need to, but the Thoreau's and Storme take a lot more time and effort to put together.

    I hope you will read this wonderful story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

    See you next time!

    Pammiechick

    STORY PICK ARCHIVES

    EDITION 6--ANGEL IN THE DARKNESS by @Marialein

    EDITION 5--LILITH'S STORY--A HISTORY CHALLENGE by @Zoey95

    EDITION 4--Disney Bachelor Challenge by @swcheppes

    EDITION 3--CURSED BEAUTY by @VIRTUALEE

    EDITION 2--THE HEFFNER LEGACY by @Maladi777

    EDITION 1--PARA NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD by @CitizenErased14
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