What do you look for in a Sims Story? «12...Next Go

msarobix

I have been reading a lot of Sims stories and I was wondering what everyone looks for in story. Is is drama, humor, horror, lots of pictures, what exactly do you look for in a Sims story and what keeps you coming back for more.

I just started my first Sims 3 blog and if I am going to take the time to produce it I would really like people to read it and if it isn't what people are looking for then what is the use.

Please let me know what you look for in a Sims 3 story.

And if you feel up to it check out my new Sims 3 Blog "My Peeps of Twinbrook" and let me know what you think.

londonlola

Im glad you asked that. It is hard, as writers, to actually get a feel for what people are looking for and to know what they like.

It's even more discouraging when you have a good story, and you dont get many views; but someone puts up ramblings (sometimes lol), and people go crazy for it.

I am definitely keeping my eye out on this thread to see people's responses.

lumiina

When I look for a sim story, I'm looking for stories that incorporate both the photos and the writing, like a manga or graphic novel would do. I usually skip over stories that are lengthy in words. They just don't appeal to me.

While I've only read one chapter so far (just started the story), I really like how The Lovegood Legacy incorporated a long-text intro, and then short text under each photo. Her writing style intrigues me.

As for genre, any interests me. As long as the author is good at his or her genre. For instance, I don't think I could ever write a comedy. I'm not good at that kind of thing. Write where your skill is at.

I just recently got into sim stories. While playing Sims 2, I was all about making and watching sim movies. But on Sims 3, movies are harder for me to create, so I'm creating stories instead. It's a new experience for me. Others probably tolerate lengthy text better than me. For me, each story is like a short movie or a photo album.

msarobix

I agree, which is one reason why I asked this question. I have looked at so many different stories, and some have lots of detail, while others just skim the surface. Some have lots of pictures, some only a few.

It is really difficult to decide which route you want to take.

For me I like the story line and the pictures. What interests me most about some stories is how the author was able to get pictures of certain things. Because we all know that the way the story is written is not always how it actually happens in the game.

Sometimes I wonder how long it take some of the authors to put together their blog with all the pictures, that seem to reflect exactly where their story was going. Or maybe they just play the game taking a ton of pictures and then create a story around that. I just don't really know.

msarobix

lumiina wrote:

While I've only read one chapter so far (just started the story), I really like how The Lovegood Legacy incorporated a long-text intro, and then short text under each photo. Her writing style intrigues me.

I have to agree I like the Lovegood Legacy too. I am only a about half way through the first generation, but I like it so far. That is one of the ones that I sit and wonder how she was able to get certain pictures, and she has a lot of pictures.

My blog so far is a little more lengthy in words, but I still have pictures to go along with it. I don't tend to take a picture of every scene thought.

jenaben8806

I don't know how to answer that really. I think it depends on my mood. Some days I like to see a story that embellishes the pictures more and has more words than pictures. I like that people have an imagination big enough to be able to do that. But I also like stories that are about even with pictures and text.

I don't know why, but I tend to also like stories that are more realistic. Maybe it's because I need a story where there's a character that I can relate to.

I know how hard it is to write stories and all, writing a legacy myself. It is very discouraging when you think you've done a good job and only a handful of people read it lol. Just have faith in yourself and I say do whatever is comfortable to you! Good luck!

Pink12345

Well from a point of view fromn a writer on here myself. I like to spaz the story up with many twists. Like one's that will get readers not only to think what's gonna happen next, but to think many different possible ways.I also like cliffhangers. I tend to have a habit on doing that so. It keeps the reader wanting more and more.

When I read other's stories, I not only like what the story is about, but how good the pictures are. Yes, there are good stories out there that don't have pictures, cause those authors want you to imagine yourself. But I like when there are pics in the stories, makes it more intese :]

msarobix

jenaben8806 wrote:

I don't know how to answer that really. I think it depends on my mood. Some days I like to see a story that embellishes the pictures more and has more words than pictures. I like that people have an imagination big enough to be able to do that. But I also like stories that are about even with pictures and text.

I don't know why, but I tend to also like stories that are more realistic. Maybe it's because I need a story where there's a character that I can relate to.

I know how hard it is to write stories and all, writing a legacy myself. It is very discouraging when you think you've done a good job and only a handful of people read it lol. Just have faith in yourself and I say do whatever is comfortable to you! Good luck!

Thanks for your input. I have to agree that as a writer I really need to do know what I feel comfortable with. I guess the problem is that I don't really know what I am comfortable with, since I am so new the Sims Stories. I guess I mostly want people to read and if it isn't interesting enough to keep people coming back to find out what happens next then do I really want to take the time to document everything and blog about it. I am having fun and if nothing else I will be able to go back and read my own story generations down the line.

I like creating the story, but don't always have an extensive group of photos to help document. I really don't know how long that would take, and I also would like to play the game too.

msarobix

Okay, so no one else has an opinion on this one. 45 people have read this post and only 4 people responded.

It seems that everyone has an opinion when you don't want it and when you do no one cares.

Oh well, I guess I will keep posting my blog and if readership goes down then I will know I am doing something wrong.

But I would really like to know what you think even if you do hate my blog. I am a big girl and I can take the criticism.

I just want to know.

londonlola

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londonlola

msarobix,

This seems to be the general consensus with alot of the sims stories. There will be views, but no one really recommends/responds.

I have also noticed alot of stories out there that (and not trying to be mean, just an observation)that there doesnt seem to be depth in some stories.

Its almost as if the shorter it's written, and the quicker it gets to resolution or drama, the better people will flock to it.

The demographic doesnt seem to care about character development or internal struggles lol. They want fast, hard drama and everything spelled out for them lol.

NekoWolf37

I'm probably one of the only people here that reads really long books. Give me a good lengthy story several chapters long and I'll be hooked. That isn't to say that short stories are bad. It's just I get through them so quickly I get disappointed.

Genre wise I read anything (except Horror. My imagination is pretty intense and horror wouldn't let me sleep), and while mythical creatures like werewolves or fairies can be interesting, its always fun to just sit down and read a story about something you can relate too. I myself am more of a realistic writer.

And don't get worked up about the views vs responds thing. It's possible someone else already said what they were going to say.

MissGemini

I like any kind of genre really, as long as it is well written. (although I have to admit it, my favorite is probably drama or romance)

What I really like in writing is a big vocabulary. That way you don't see words repeated over and over in the story. I also like it when a story is realistic, like it is actually taking place in the real world not just the sim world.

As for the pictures and writing thing I like both. When it comes to sims stories I probably woudn't read it if there were no pictures at all, but then again I wouldn't read it if it had 20 pictures and only a few sentences.

Also don't worry about the comments/views on your stories. A lot of people read and just don't comment.

StyxLady

When reading, I like a good mix of narrative and dialogue. A whole lot of "My sim did this," and "My sim rolled this trait," annoys me. However, cheesy or cliche dialogue and no narrative isn't very fun to read either. It has to be a good mix of both, with emotions that are well thought out and characters who are well-rounded and dynamic.

Like MissGemini said, there also has to be a good balance of pictures and text. Too many pictures and not enough text, or too much text and almost no pictures, won't really keep my interest very long. Someone else mentioned cliffhangers, and those are a good way to keep the reader wanting more. Just like when you read a book and at the end of almost every chapter is a line you weren't expecting to keep you wanting to turn the page and continue reading.

I've noticed there are ten times more readers than there are commentors, usually. Some people just don't like to take the time to voice their opinions. One good way to get more readers is to read and comment on other people's stories. Many of the writers out there return readership.

crazy_cute

I'll go for a fantastic horror story! I've been lurking on PopTart's sticky, and I must say that Buttertoast's "Frozen Waters" Is the best story I've read here. Long stories I'll go for as well. I finished the Count of Monte Cristo in four days! I get what you mean about stories under the radar. My story "Dreamer" Went well, but chapter 2 died. xP

msarobix

londonlola wrote:

msarobix,

This seems to be the general consensus with alot of the sims stories. There will be views, but no one really recommends/responds.

I have also noticed alot of stories out there that (and not trying to be mean, just an observation)that there doesnt seem to be depth in some stories.

Its almost as if the shorter it's written, and the quicker it gets to resolution or drama, the better people will flock to it.

The demographic doesnt seem to care about character development or internal struggles lol. They want fast, hard drama and everything spelled out for them lol.

I have seen some stories with no depth to them, but that isn't always bad, I personally just prefer to read something else. I guess for me I get attached to characters in a book and the only way to do that is to know a little bit about them.

I also understand that the shorter it is the more people want to read it. In the past i have found myself skipping over blogs that are long and drawn out, but then there are others that are long and drawn out that I stay and read. I guess it just depends on whether the reader grabs my attention.

I guess I am struggling with this because this is really my first attempt and writing a story, Sims or otherwise. Sure I wrote short stories in school, but nothing that I really cared if someone else liked. Here I want others to be interested in reading and keeping them coming back for more. If the story is boring that that just isn't going to happen.

msarobix

NekoWolf37 wrote:

I'm probably one of the only people here that reads really long books. Give me a good lengthy story several chapters long and I'll be hooked. That isn't to say that short stories are bad. It's just I get through them so quickly I get disappointed.

Genre wise I read anything (except Horror. My imagination is pretty intense and horror wouldn't let me sleep), and while mythical creatures like werewolves or fairies can be interesting, its always fun to just sit down and read a story about something you can relate too. I myself am more of a realistic writer.

And don't get worked up about the views vs responds thing. It's possible someone else already said what they were going to say.

How long do you consider long for a book? Have you ever read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon? Man is that book long and very descriptive. I don't know exactly how many page it is because I am reading it on my Kindle, but it sure is long. Lots of good description, but it seems very slow moving.

Sorry, back to Sims.

msarobix

MissGemini wrote:

I like any kind of genre really, as long as it is well written. (although I have to admit it, my favorite is probably drama or romance)

What I really like in writing is a big vocabulary. That way you don't see words repeated over and over in the story. I also like it when a story is realistic, like it is actually taking place in the real world not just the sim world.

As for the pictures and writing thing I like both. When it comes to sims stories I probably woudn't read it if there were no pictures at all, but then again I wouldn't read it if it had 20 pictures and only a few sentences.

Also don't worry about the comments/views on your stories. A lot of people read and just don't comment.

I am with you on the vocabulary. I do try to interject a wider vocabulary if possible, but I don't want to make it hard to read either.

I also hear you about the comments vs. readers. I read a lot of blogs that I never make a comment on. So I am sure that many other people do the same thing. I can look at my stats on the blog dashboard so I can see how many people are visiting even if they are not commenting. My main goal is to keep people coming back.

I hope I can accomplish that.

londonlola

Stories that lack depth are fine. I wouldnt want everyone to write novels lol. It's just that, theres not much of a balance out there.

I love that people post stories and I love seeing people's creative sides; but it tends to get repetitive seeing the same type of content; but thats what people like right now.

For a while, I would just sit and "study", if you will, the stories out there. For the most part, I see that Im just simply not that type of writer to dish out something fast and easy. So now, I kinda just write my stories to get the ideas out my head and to have a visual representation, whether they are enjoyed by others or not

But, it is completely understandable that youd want a story liked, as you write for others. Thats really sweet.

msarobix

StyxLady wrote:

When reading, I like a good mix of narrative and dialogue. A whole lot of "My sim did this," and "My sim rolled this trait," annoys me. However, cheesy or cliche dialogue and no narrative isn't very fun to read either. It has to be a good mix of both, with emotions that are well thought out and characters who are well-rounded and dynamic.

Like MissGemini said, there also has to be a good balance of pictures and text. Too many pictures and not enough text, or too much text and almost no pictures, won't really keep my interest very long. Someone else mentioned cliffhangers, and those are a good way to keep the reader wanting more. Just like when you read a book and at the end of almost every chapter is a line you weren't expecting to keep you wanting to turn the page and continue reading.

I've noticed there are ten times more readers than there are commentors, usually. Some people just don't like to take the time to voice their opinions. One good way to get more readers is to read and comment on other people's stories. Many of the writers out there return readership.

Dialogue is one thing my blog is missing right now. I will have to find a way to work that in more, and cliffhangers too. Right now I am pretty much just working on introducing the characters and getting their lives rolling, so there really isn't much dialogue or cliffhangers.

Plus, I am trying to keep the posts by Weeks and Days in Sim life. I just figured it would make it easier to keep track of what I have and haven't posted, since I am really a two Sim Weeks ahead with writing than what I have actually posted. But that might have to change as I move forward with the game.

Thanks for your input, and thanks to everyone else who has added their comments.

balletgirl

I think I'm going to be in the minority here, but I prefer more text than pictures. I'm not as interested in stories/legacies that have a three sentences, a picture, three more sentences, another picture...you get the idea. Not to say that having a lot of pictures is bad, but I'm more interested in the story.

I like it more when there is a paragraph or two, and then a really good picture. I like long stories with depth. I want the plot to be well thought out, the characters to change and develop, and the writing style to be interesting. I also love good grammar and a wide vocabulary. In legacies, I prefer it to be written in more of a story form- not character-creator talk (although, that can be good for comedic legacies).

In general, I guess I like the words to carry the story more than the pictures. I think pictures should be more of a supplement to the story. I should be able to read it without pictures, and still fully understand what is going on.

Just my opinion- I know that not everyone will agree.

msarobix

balletgirl wrote:

I think I'm going to be in the minority here, but I prefer more text than pictures. I'm not as interested in stories/legacies that have a three sentences, a picture, three more sentences, another picture...you get the idea. Not to say that having a lot of pictures is bad, but I'm more interested in the story.

I like it more when there is a paragraph or two, and then a really good picture. I like long stories with depth. I want the plot to be well thought out, the characters to change and develop, and the writing style to be interesting. I also love good grammar and a wide vocabulary. In legacies, I prefer it to be written in more of a story form- not character-creator talk (although, that can be good for comedic legacies).

In general, I guess I like the words to carry the story more than the pictures. I think pictures should be more of a supplement to the story. I should be able to read it without pictures, and still fully understand what is going on.

Just my opinion- I know that not everyone will agree.

It is good to know there are people like you out there. I do like the pictures, but also like the story line, and if the majority like to have mostly pictures with few words then I would probably stop blogging now.

Thanks for you input.

Holzibell

I'm the sort of person that likes reading too, therefore I like well written stories that haven't got an obvious plot at the beggining but more depth to them as you go on.

I've nearly finished the story I'm doing and I give myself credit since its the first I've written but I've tried to have a lot going on in it as it continues, but am really off put that there aren't many reccommendations, obviously its not the greatest and there are mistakes but then theres other things on the story page that people seem to enjoy reading more and its just 2 pages of something like "how to impregnate your teenager" I really don't get it...

I think I like stories with twists and things but also a bit of romance. I don't like the stories where it's all cheat and deceit straight away and not much else because I like to get into the story first. I really enjoyed 'In roses shadow' by Lauren92596, it had a realistic heartfelt romance in it but also had other twists and it was really well written.

Anyway, keep writing people!

Evergreen226

When I read something, I look for:

-Proper Spelling
-Proper Grammar
-Proper use of the English Language
-Chat Speak

Primarily, if chat speak is used through the whole thing, there isn't ANY way I am reading it. If it's used in a section and it pertains to the matter, it's fine.

I'm mostly drawn to UNIQUE dramas and horror stories :]

NekoWolf37

msarobix wrote:

NekoWolf37 wrote:

I'm probably one of the only people here that reads really long books. Give me a good lengthy story several chapters long and I'll be hooked. That isn't to say that short stories are bad. It's just I get through them so quickly I get disappointed.

Genre wise I read anything (except Horror. My imagination is pretty intense and horror wouldn't let me sleep), and while mythical creatures like werewolves or fairies can be interesting, its always fun to just sit down and read a story about something you can relate too. I myself am more of a realistic writer.

And don't get worked up about the views vs responds thing. It's possible someone else already said what they were going to say.

How long do you consider long for a book? Have you ever read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon? Man is that book long and very descriptive. I don't know exactly how many page it is because I am reading it on my Kindle, but it sure is long. Lots of good description, but it seems very slow moving.

Sorry, back to Sims.

I haven't but yes, some big books tend to go on and on without any need. That's why I hated Eragon and that series. The guy just went on and on and on until I lost interest.

I'm all about plot. If there's a good storyline you'll have me hooked until the end. I have two legacies I'm working on. One is the comedic creator-to-founder talk, but the other is from the founder's point of view. I write that one out so that if the pictures don't show up for someone (aka me, and it happens a lot) then they can still follow along and not get lost.

I also like good grammer. It really makes me mad when I read sentences that run-on or aren't complete, or just don't make sense. Bigger words are like extra spice to the story, making it more interesting.

I also love intricate characters. It's a bit tiring hearing about "The Girl Next Door," and she's pretty, blonde, blue-eyed, kind of shy and gets the football player. But I don't want the opposite either, because I see a lot of those too. The misunderstood girl who is ignored by her parents, so she dresses in black and falls in love with some sweet guy.

All in all, I guess I'm saying that the best stories are well-thought out, with exciting twists every now and then, interesting characters that you want to get to know right off.

Holzibell

When I read something, I look for:

-Proper Spelling
-Proper Grammar
-Proper use of the English Language
-Chat Speak

Same! Can't stand stories not written in good english