@MrsOogieBoogie, My weekend wasn't bad, just a but lazy for a change Still waiting for work to fix my equpiment but that will hopeful be tomorrow now but we will see not holding out hope
@thesealofthesims, I'm not a big TV fan these days as I prefer to game and write but its nice for a change
@CathyTea I agree as well: let's all unite, no matter which game we play! And I used to read tons of TS2 stories and they will always have a special place in my heart because TS2 was what got me into the Sims stories! I actually dug some of people's TS2 stories out of the depths of the Internet some time ago and went on a reading binge. Fun times!
My Sims stories: The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE) The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE) Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
Sorry I've been AWOL and not replying. I've been sick as a dog and getting worse since Friday, but still dragging myself into work. I finally have a doctor's appointment tomorrow after work, but on Saturday I was on the verge of calling an ambulance, I felt so bad. Waking up breathless and in pain is no fun, together with everything else (burning ache between the shoulder blades, aches going down the upper arms, tightness and aching of the chest, etc) all pointed to heart problems, but since I also have respiratory issues (and have also developed a cough) I'm pretty certain that it's a lung infection.
In short: I've felt absolutely awful (I still do, still in pain, still struggling to breathe) so I've not been up to doing much except hauling my sorry backside into work, getting through my shift, and flaking out when I get home. So, please forgive any typos, errors, and bear with any words/phrasing that may come across as not my usual self, because I'm not firing on all cylinders right now.
A few replies:
@Lckygrl1975 I've done clock-watching shifts before (2pm-10pm and 3pm-11pm) and I don't mind them so much as they mean I get enough sleep. On the flip-side, I've also done stupidly-early shifts (5:30am - 1:30pm) which entailed my alarm clock going off at 03:50am every day for 20 years. I was surviving on about five hours of sleep a night in all that time, and while it had its plus points (watching the sun rise in the summer, getting home at lunchtime) it was absolutely exhausting. My earliest start now is 8am, for which I get up at 06:30am. That's do-able, and since I only work a four-hour shift now (I was doing nine or ten hours until a week or so ago) I'm home by lunchtime, and I love that I have my afternoons free.
And yes, yes, yes to good stories are good! Yes, there are a lot of folks who are going to miss out on that if they are immediately going to disregard a story just because of the game that was used to illustrate it.
At this point, I had a whole chunk of text about being *very* visually-oriented and how the aesthetics of TS4 are literally (and that's not a mis-use of that word) jarring to me. I tried to phrase it in a way that wouldn't cause upset to anyone who loves the visuals of TS4... but I feel so ill right now that my words aren't working properly. It was getting longer and longer, with caveats and several "no offence"s, so I just deleted it
So all I'll say is that I know I'm missing out on great fiction, but I've had to block all references to TS4 on Tumblr, because the visual aesthetics (bright, glowing, pastels, etc) actually makes me cringe back from my screen. I can scroll past the occasional image here and there (eg: a story promo banner on this thread) but on Tumblr I was seeing multiple posts containing multiple images. So, while it might seem incredibly irrational, that is why I don't read TS4 stories. I'm not disregarding them (because that makes it sound as if I'm looking down on them and - consequently - their authors); rather I just can't manage the visuals.
I'm sure that won't win me any friends, and indeed a few people might think, "Well why the heck should I bother with reading your story if you don't want to read TS4 stories?" That's entirely their prerogative, just as not reading TS4 stories (because of the visuals thing) is mine. I know my story is not to everyone's taste. It gets pretty dark, twisty, and complex in places and it begins with a disclaimer and warnings, so readers know what they're getting into. I have a very small, but very faithful band of readers, and I love and am grateful to all of them. (I'd send a big squishy hug to them all, but I'm struggling to breathe as it is!)
@ra3rei Thank you! My 'everyones' are alternately blushing and preening! (Just don't follow me on Tumblr, mmkay? I have even more everyones on there!)
I like things with substance, more than gameplay. A combination of the two is necessary I think, but I like the more realistic interpretations of the gameplay. Sometimes the lighthearted stuff makes me feel like I'm just reading a documentary of how the player plays, which is not a bad thing, it's just not something I want to spend most of my time reading.
I'm quoting this because it's pretty much how I read, too. (@NewToTheSims, I swear we must be twins!) I prefer more realism and less gameplay in the stories that I read. As with the visuals, it's a personal preference. If a story begins with something like, "My name is ABC Sim, my favourite food is Autumn Salad, and my traits are XYZ. Today I got to level two in Cooking and practiced my Charisma in a mirror," then that's pretty much a list of gameplay. Some people love those, some people don't. I happen to be a "don't". However: give me some really juicy, thick plotting, and I'll be there in a heartbeat, because I like a bit of meat on my plate! (Oh, that sounds SO wrong )
There are times when - for me, anyway (again with the personal preferences!) - gameplay-style fiction really works, and that's when it's used deliberately, such as in things like Klepto Challenges ('Stealie Nicks - Klepto King' was a good one on here) that actually focus on game mechanics. Or the stories (which I do actually love) where the author breaks the fourth wall and talks to their Sim as part of the story, and the Sim answers back (usually in the vein of: "What do you mean, I've only got a tent and a bike? And WHERE DID ALL MY MONEY GO?!") When done well, those can make me howl with laughter.
@CitizenErased14 Oh lord, my readers already know something of what's going to happen in the future of my story, because I fail at patience. My Tumblr followers found out about a certain wedding when I jumped forward in time because I simply couldn't wait to see what the happy couple's first *grandchild* would look like, and the readers saw the wedding bands. They also know what's going to happen to Gunther, because... you guessed it! Madame Impatient went ahead and built the entire set on which that... happening happened, took some screenshots and posted them (okay, with a 'spoilers behind the link!' cut) on Tumblr
If you really want to avoid spoilers, then maybe you could take some special generic screenshots and make a simple banner image for them. Choose some images that sum up one (or several) of the key themes in your story, but that don't give away any crucial plot points, and use those for your updates for the chapters that you don't want to spoil?
Right, I'm now going to crawl into bed and try to get some sleep. One more work shift to get through, and then hopefully I'll find out what the heck is wrong with me. If I've upset anyone with my mention of the TS4 visuals, then I'm genuinely sorry. It's not my intention to make anyone feel bad about something they love.
See, @ValoisFulcanelli You have made me very "wilty flower" right now See? This is why I was nervous about posting here haha. Everyone keeps saying there are "no borders" between our sections of the forum but clearly there are, because I'm sure you aren't the only one who feels that way!
So... I won't lie. I'm offended haha. I know that wasn't your intention, but I won't lie about how I'm feeling right now. I put so much hard work and love into my story and it saddens me that someone would avoid it simply because of the visuals I use. (Not being into the style/plot is another thing entirely! But judging a story by its visuals is basically the definition of judging a book by its cover haha). Like you said, it's your prerogative and there's nothing wrong with having/sharing an opinion. So it's my prerogative to feel offended and share my counter-opinion, right?
On a lighter note, I totally understand the idea of being excited about something and sharing it with readers haha. I'm trying very hard not to do that as we approach the "big finale" of my story. I don't think the generic screenshots will work (just because it's kinda not my style), so I think unfamiliar readers will just have to deal with the spoilers haha.
By the way,I am not trying to start a fight at all, but you wouldn't have shared your opinion if you weren't expecting a response, right? And when I'm offended, it's hard for me to stay silent Sorry, in my nature!
@InfraGreen@Jes2G *waves* Hi! Hope you're having a good day. @CathyTea Hey! I do the Rebuild Willow Creek challenge by @OJenn - I don't have much yet, but I built a gym, and the founder couples house! LOL. I post my updates on the Wordpress blog I have dedicated to it. @mastressalita In addition to what you said about why there are still TS3 related things when TS4 had just come out... not everyone switches to the new version instantly, and some never do, so I guess to me it didn't seem that wierd that there were still TS3 things. If it works and you like it, there's no reason to ditch it for the next new thing. Some people are early adopters, yes, and they will go buy something new the day it comes out, but not everyone does that, so it does make sense that TS3 stuff would still be around. @thesealofthesims OMG... I feel you... if little kids had been singing Let it Go around me, I would hate that song with all the fiery passions of Mordor... I have the dislikes children trait... so yeah... LOL. *sends hugs your way* Eeee I love White and Nerdy too! Hahaha, ugh how could I forget that one, I am ashamed of myself. (ok not really LOL) But yes, that is a good one. Oh, there's this parody made by someone, IDK who, but it's called "Let it GROW" and it's sung by a guy about beards, and how he will not shave, he will just let it grow. LOL. Hubs showed it to me one day and it was hilarious. Yeah, I totally agree with you, there is so much in Sims3 I haven't even figured out, touched on yet and I've owned the game for two years already. That's mainly why I still have Sims3 on my computer, and just added Sims4. No way I think, that I could ever completely quit playing Sims3, it's just too much fun. Mmm I don't think I had to wait too long, Simself was pretty happy, so she smiled a lot LOL. @ra3rei Hey! Got your comment on The Proposal, was going to answer it here after I post. XD Then I was going to work on another of my Sims stories. @winterbaby20 You know what... I agree with you on that, I could never study in silence. Hel- I can't even write in silence. I need noise. Usually I have a tv show on in the background, something I don't particularly need to pay attention to, but I need the noise. For me, I think it's because I grew up in Chicago and there was always some sort of noise happening, so when it got really quiet, it just felt wierd... Now I live on a main road, and I like it that way, whereas a lot of people I know say they would never live on a main road because it's too noisy. I love it... @CitizenErased14 Regarding your chapter picture question, I myself, make one picture for my updates, like for example when I update The Proposal on Tumblr, I made one picture, and I just change the text to reflect which chapter it is that I'm updating. So. I avoid it because the one picture I made represents the story in a general way, and I don't have to use an actual screenshot from the chapter as the picture. This is the picture I was talking about in the example. *hands you some hot chocolate for comfort* It's ok... not everyone will like the TS4 graphics, they are so different O_O BUT. I hope you are still feeling like you are among friends, because you are. ^_^ *clinks hot chocolate mug*
@Lckygrl1975 Thanks so much. I really just want to be normal again. LOL. @RipuAncestor *waves flag of a plumbob* Simmers unite!! @ValoisFulcanelli *hands a bowl of chicken noodle soup* LOL, Chrome-impaired. The asterisks are a nice touch. OMG, that example you gave, with the describing out the Sim's name traits, and all that, yeah, that's exactly what I was saying *high fives you gently* Ahh, yeah the "Sim-God" style, that walks a delicate line with me, cause yes, done well it can probably be very good, I think I've just seen too many where they all start to sound the same and then I fall asleep on my keyboard from boredom. LOL. Heehee, your answer to @CitizenErased14 is also my suggestion to them (don't know if they're a him or her so I'll just say them LOL). Even though you're not firing on all cylinders, you seem to still be doing pretty well haha, cause that makes complete sense to me too, a generic banner is the best to avoid spoilers. Awww and it's okay that you don't like TS4 graphics, they're really way different than TS3, and one reason I think they don't look as realistic is probably because of the aspects you described, the very pastel looking colors and extreme sort of brightness in the way they are rendered. I hope me putting my TS4 Simself in here wasn't too huge of a deal LOL.
@CitizenErased14 *hugs*
1) I do really enjoy your story Dust To Dust! I plan on binge reading this weekend.
2) For the story photo, while I don't do it (as I have yet to figure out how to do it best on my site... Still playing around with features. XD), I could give you some advice to what I did in the past.
~You could do symbolism (something I love) as it's not obvious at first, but one a person reads the chapter, then they will quickly understand. For example, if something big happened to a female character (like death), and that character happens to wear some sort of jewelry, perhaps have some jewelry sitting next to a vase of roses. I love symbolism, as when I go back I'm all like "OH MY GOD HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THAT BEFORE!?!?!?!?!" Just a suggestion.
~Or, perhaps foreshadowing would be a good idea...
~you could also have a photo of something that happened previously in the story -- for example, a photo that includes MAJOR points of the last chapter?
My suggestions may not be the best, but it's what I do/did.
@everybody: Off to play Pets Rescue after I finish replying on all the threads that are important to me (AKA, any thread I bookmarked...).
@OJenn *blush* That might have been me and @CitizenErased14 that started it when I said I was doing your TS4 challenge of Rebuilding Willow Creek, LOL... then some other people who know you mentioned your challenge again XD *waves* @SilentWolf101 Hello! Hope you're doing well.
@SilentWolf101 Every time I get asked this question, my answer is always the same, length doesn't matter to me. If the chapter is good, I'll always wish there was more of it. If the chapter didn't catch my interest for some reason, or is boring, then I'll wish there was less of it, even if there was only a paragraph. A short boring paragraph is something I don't want to read just as much as a long interesting paragraph is something I want to keep reading. I don't mean to sound crass, LOL, but it's my honest opinion. However, if you're looking for a more detailed specific answer, I tend to write long because I have a lot to say, but I do have shorter chapters as well, sometimes in the story it doesn't make sense to add more material just yet, so when that happens I leave the chapter shorter. I write a lot by feeling, rather than like technique, I guess? Like... I never give myself a goal of how many words/paragraphs/length, I always just write what I need to say in this particular chapter to move the story along no matter how long or short it is. @winterbaby20 *high fives* LOL.
@NewToTheSims I agree. I write both long and short chapter, but I'd love to see what my audience prefers in the way of length (content isn't going to change very much...). I will definitely try to make these chapters interesting, mostly by inserting quite a bit of emotion and sympathy for the character(s).
@SilentWolf101 Um....I prefer long, unless it's past midnight, then I prefer my iToy to lose its battery power. :P But I'm a binge reader.
That said, if I know a story that I'm reading has long chapters, I might wait a while before I find the "time" to sit down and read it. If it's short I'll do it on the spot. Overall if the story has my attention, I'll read every word no matter how long and always wish for more. If the posts are short and frequent I'm less likely to forget then if they're longer and less frequent. I'm trying to use a reading log to remember what stories I'm in since the wordpress reader doesn't work for me any more...too many subscriptions.
@NewToTheSims I even wrote a longer post at the end of your legacy, but it was swallowed up by the iToy comment eater on Blogger. That reminds me to go attempt to repost now that I'm on a real computer.
Check out Raerei's Fortress for Builds, Short Stories, and maybe some longer stuff.
And thank you for the hugs and kind words, SilentWolf! Now I remember you commenting! I appreciate you checking out my story and I hope you enjoy the binge haha You're awesome
@ra3rei Ahh okay, so that "Anonymous" was you then. Cool. I'll fix it on my end when I reply. *slaps Blogger* Cooperate dang you. LOL. Thank you for the comment.
I replied and fixed your anonymous problem LOL as far as labelling it goes. You can view my reply here. My Reply to your Comment @CitizenErased14 Hey you're welcome. Hope you have better insight on what you want to do now for those update pictures.
S'okay @NewToTheSims glad you (and others) are enjoying the challenge so far!
@SilentWolf101 - I prefer good content, no matter length. I recently went out on a limb here and wrote up a Memoir styled story that isn't lengthy but I work on capturing key moments in my characters lives. Granted it all depends on what format you use of course but I'd say it doesn't matter to me as a reader either way so long as it is something of interest.
Thank you everybody for the feedback. It's nice to know the information given. I like to write long chapters, but as I've come to realize not everybody likes long chapters. So, I wanted to know what my audience would be interested in.
I do not have a set update day, as life is unpredictable and I feel like I'd be making apologies for not meeting the deadline very often... But I try to keep my updates within the span of a month or two per story. Otherwise, I let my readers know. And, to keep the audience involved in the story, I put out polls occasionally.
@mastressalita In addition to what you said about why there are still TS3 related things when TS4 had just come out... not everyone switches to the new version instantly, and some never do, so I guess to me it didn't seem that wierd that there were still TS3 things. If it works and you like it, there's no reason to ditch it for the next new thing. Some people are early adopters, yes, and they will go buy something new the day it comes out, but not everyone does that, so it does make sense that TS3 stuff would still be around.
Oh no no, that isn't what I thought was strange. I mean, I'm one of those people that went out and bought TS3 when TS4 came out because I'm a weirdo that likes a "completed" product, heh! It wasn't that there was lots of TS3 stuff in this section that I found strange, it was the lack of TS4 stuff in this section that I found strange. I mean, it's out there, there should be stories and creative content for it. That's what made me realize the forums had separated out TS4 Stories and Legacies into their own spot, hense so little of it being in this Stories and Legacies forum, so it kinda became the haunting grounds of all the TS3 stuff instead.
@mastressalita In addition to what you said about why there are still TS3 related things when TS4 had just come out... not everyone switches to the new version instantly, and some never do, so I guess to me it didn't seem that wierd that there were still TS3 things. If it works and you like it, there's no reason to ditch it for the next new thing. Some people are early adopters, yes, and they will go buy something new the day it comes out, but not everyone does that, so it does make sense that TS3 stuff would still be around.
Oh no no, that isn't what I thought was strange. I mean, I'm one of those people that went out and bought TS3 when TS4 came out because I'm a weirdo that likes a "completed" product, heh! It wasn't that there was lots of TS3 stuff in this section that I found strange, it was the lack of TS4 stuff in this section that I found strange. I mean, it's out there, there should be stories and creative content for it. That's what made me realize the forums had separated out TS4 Stories and Legacies into their own spot, hense so little of it being in this Stories and Legacies forum, so it kinda became the haunting grounds of all the TS3 stuff instead.
I still have such a hard time navigating the whole forums. I have my little corner, the TS4 Creative Corner--and I rarely venture outside of a handful of threads in that corner! I'm still not even entirely sure how to find my way here! LOL! I just wait for notifications.
I guess some fun things have come from the segregation--we ended up reinventing the wheel, basically, by creating many of the same threads that are here already, simply because we didn't know this area existed! And so, as a result, we've had all the fun of watching a community form from scratch. It's fun now to get to know this corner, because it's like discovering an entire wing in the library that I didn't even know existed!
Every time I reflect on all the incredible works of SimLit, I'm blown away. So much talent and such generosity and dedication! What a cool community to be part of1
@SilentWolf101 : I'm not a very picky reader, so I'll read anything, long or short. I know I tend to write on the longer side for my play-by-post stuff but on the short side for my Sims stuff... I dunno, perhaps because one is a text-only format I just tend to, well, write more. I think you should write what works for you, and what ultimately makes you happy. If you are are enjoying what you do, it will show in your work, and I don't think anyone is going to think much about the length, but rather the content.
FINALLY! I posted the first chapter of my Pets Rescue story. 1.00: Memories Story Info and Warnings
*I apologize, but I really wanted to try advertising my story this way...*
@msbeckycat *waves* @SilentWolf101 Cool! Glad you're doing well. Heehee, I hope you got some answers as far as if others like long or short. XD I'm totally an irregular updater too, because I just can't keep myself on such a rigid schedule for anything. I don't like routine, and definitely, life gets in there and throws in random stuff that I can't plan for anyway. Heehee. Ooh! First chapter! How exciting! @OJenn Yeah, I'm definitely enjoying it. It gave me a different reason to play TS4, other than just free play with Sims I always play with. @mastressalita Ahh ok, sorry if I misunderstood, or something LOL, but I was mainly just sharing what I had thought of when I saw that part of your comment. I agree about the forum's navigation being really different, and where certain things were hidden so people didn't necessarily find things if they weren't in plain sight, and if they weren't interested in searching for a particular thing. @CathyTea Truth be told, I don't explore the forums a whole lot, as far as lots of different threads, so I'm one who didn't know where little things had been tucked away. When the forum changed to this new design, I just followed the threads I had followed on the old forum. Some threads are very much 'complaining' threads, so that is mostly why I don't venture out to a lot of the other threads. I don't really like to listen or complain about things in such a large extent, so I just stuck to the stories and legacies thread that I was familiar with.
Hey guys, gotta get ready to go visit my family for the next four days, so I'm gonna have to keep my replies pretty brief. But, after I was gone all weekend because I wasn't feeling well, I didn't want to go the whole week without dropping in - and I don't know if I'll have internet access again until we get back on Sunday. So - I love you, and sorry if I missed you or didn't respond very thoroughly.
@MrsOogieBoogieSorry to hear you weren't feeling well. I hope you're feeling better and I'm glad you were able to rest! I can totally sympathize with that feeling. The whole monthly-corporal-punishment-for-not-being-pregnant is pretty bull.
Oh, I actually forgot about the "unveiling" you do at the beginning of each generation! I adore it, so I can't believe I forgot.
No - I meant are you gonna show us the two Oliver/Isaiah babies that we haven't met yet!
Yeah, there's some annoyances to generations, but the biggest one (the punishments) has a mod work-around (THANK YOU @mastressalita for sharing), so if that's stable (I haven't had a chance to try it yet) it might be worth your time . If you don't have it though - I'd probably suggest you get supernatural. I know you don't have supernaturals in your game, but you can turn them off in the base-game settings, and the world that comes with that one is my absolute favorite so far of the EA towns. Though - I suppose that might not be enough reason to buy a whole expansion.
Oh my god! I was so undecisive that I never actually voted on Sunday. Now I've lost a day of voting! I've cast on the other days, but I'm not tellin' you for who (though, I'm sure you know. lmao)! I'm glad I don't know who's winning so far - even though the suspense is killing me.
@thesealofthesims Thanks. I am feeling a lot better now. Just had to basically sleep it off. . Though, once I finally felt better on Sunday, I went and dropped my bike on my hand and bruised my thumb really badly - so I can't win for losing right now.
@NewToTheSims aka:LateKnightSimmer Oh... I haven't had deep-dish pizza in a long time! That sounds really good. That was always my favorite (besides stuffed crust pizza I guess. lol )
*high-Fives* Oh, my gosh. I bet the instructor was super surprised. I know my sister and I took our tests in my mom's extended-cab S10 pickup and that was already pretty tough! That's cool that you were able to complete yours in a full size!!
I'm glad you where feeling better - but make sure you take care of that fever you've obviously got (why else would you WANT to do dishes ) Sorry that your cough was just hiding for the day . I hate when that happens. It's so frustrating when you're almost better for a while.
@ra3rei lol, I've definitely been there (loosing too much sleep/time to the awesome creators here). Good luck with that!
I'm glad you're enjoying yourself since you came here! I'm excited to find some time to read some sims4 SimsLit, now that I know there's a few more serious stories out there for it. As you said - good writing is good, and it's unfortunate that aesthetics have stopped so many people (myself included) from discovering the talent that abounds around here.
@Lckygrl1975 Congrats on the new furniture! I hope you had fun getting it! My weekend was.. Well, if I wasn't at work I was asleep basically. Trying to get rid of the cold I'd caught before visiting my family back in MN. But, that wasn't so bad in a way (though I have been super pouty that I didn't get any simming/writing time because of it.)
@CitizenErased14 Dood! I'm so excited for you to finish your story. You're really pumping it out . I need to get caught up on my reading list so I can start reading it!!
Honestly - I wouldn't worry too much about spoiler-y images. I don't think most people understand the spoilers they see when it's something they're new too - and technically it *could* be something thrown in to specifically throw the reader off. I personally assume everything is the later until I get to the chapter anyway. I actually try to do the opposite (choosing a random picture that I didn't get a chance to use in the chapter that matches the timeline) but even in that regard I've found myself accidentally posing spoiler-ish pics too. But - in a situation like yours, where all the pictures up to this point were like a snapshot FOR the chapter, changing that at the end would be annoying to me as a reader. (like, if you've got a collection of novels and the first four have covers of the "main" characters for the book, but the fifth and sixth are of like, some random flower or something - wouldn't that be annoying?) that's just my take on it. It's obviously your story though - do what you want to see. We aren't paying customers so we aught be pretty forgiving I think
@mastressalita Ah! I'm sorry that you struggle with building!! If it makes you feel better, I feel that way about making sims. That's 90% of the reason I decided to go with the "Townie mother" rule for my legacy - so I wouldn't have to make too many sims!! It's almost painful to even just DRESS people sometimes - and in my first generation I didn't even TRY to re-dress almost anyone! lol.
I'm sure nobody would judge you for having a mortgage system. It seems totally fair to me. You could also try moving as you upgrade - either buying a starter home and upgrading to nicer/bigger houses as you can afford it, or maybe you can find an "upgrading" house you can download! I actually kinda want to try building something like that myself! It seems like a lot of fun - though I probably won't have time for a project like that until after Thanksgiving. Maybe I can construct a building challenge for myself around that idea though! I'm gonna have to look into it and see if anyone's done something like that!
Oh my god! Thank you so much for that mod! I can't believe I never even thought about looking for one!
I know I for one was very flattered and thought it was really cool that you were doing an index. I have wanted something like it for a while and plan on utilizing it a lot.
@ValoisFulcanelli *WAVES FRANTICALLY*
HEY YOU! I was wondering where you were hiding!
sorry you weren't feeling well. It sounds pretty serious. I hope the doctors come up with something to help you feel better soon, and that it doesn't turn out to be anything to awful. Please be careful
Comments
Painswater Point
7.31 Let Nathan grow up http://pp.lckysim.co.uk/?p=4224
@NewToTheSims, hope that cough gets better soon
@MrsOogieBoogie, My weekend wasn't bad, just a but lazy for a change
@thesealofthesims, I'm not a big TV fan these days as I prefer to game and write but its nice for a change
The Fey of Life - fairytales in life are few and far between (Forum thread HERE)
The Chrysanthemum Tango - a story about life, death, magic, and how to be a good landlady (Forum thread HERE)
Forget-Me-Not - some things just refuse to stay buried; an Ambrosia Challenge story (Forum thread HERE)
Evening, @everyone.
Sorry I've been AWOL and not replying. I've been sick as a dog and getting worse since Friday, but still dragging myself into work. I finally have a doctor's appointment tomorrow after work, but on Saturday I was on the verge of calling an ambulance, I felt so bad. Waking up breathless and in pain is no fun, together with everything else (burning ache between the shoulder blades, aches going down the upper arms, tightness and aching of the chest, etc) all pointed to heart problems, but since I also have respiratory issues (and have also developed a cough) I'm pretty certain that it's a lung infection.
In short: I've felt absolutely awful (I still do, still in pain, still struggling to breathe) so I've not been up to doing much except hauling my sorry backside into work, getting through my shift, and flaking out when I get home. So, please forgive any typos, errors, and bear with any words/phrasing that may come across as not my usual self, because I'm not firing on all cylinders right now.
A few replies:
@Lckygrl1975 I've done clock-watching shifts before (2pm-10pm and 3pm-11pm) and I don't mind them so much as they mean I get enough sleep. On the flip-side, I've also done stupidly-early shifts (5:30am - 1:30pm) which entailed my alarm clock going off at 03:50am every day for 20 years. I was surviving on about five hours of sleep a night in all that time, and while it had its plus points (watching the sun rise in the summer, getting home at lunchtime) it was absolutely exhausting. My earliest start now is 8am, for which I get up at 06:30am. That's do-able, and since I only work a four-hour shift now (I was doing nine or ten hours until a week or so ago) I'm home by lunchtime, and I love that I have my afternoons free.
At this point, I had a whole chunk of text about being *very* visually-oriented and how the aesthetics of TS4 are literally (and that's not a mis-use of that word) jarring to me. I tried to phrase it in a way that wouldn't cause upset to anyone who loves the visuals of TS4... but I feel so ill right now that my words aren't working properly. It was getting longer and longer, with caveats and several "no offence"s, so I just deleted it
So all I'll say is that I know I'm missing out on great fiction, but I've had to block all references to TS4 on Tumblr, because the visual aesthetics (bright, glowing, pastels, etc) actually makes me cringe back from my screen. I can scroll past the occasional image here and there (eg: a story promo banner on this thread) but on Tumblr I was seeing multiple posts containing multiple images. So, while it might seem incredibly irrational, that is why I don't read TS4 stories. I'm not disregarding them (because that makes it sound as if I'm looking down on them and - consequently - their authors); rather I just can't manage the visuals.
I'm sure that won't win me any friends, and indeed a few people might think, "Well why the heck should I bother with reading your story if you don't want to read TS4 stories?" That's entirely their prerogative, just as not reading TS4 stories (because of the visuals thing) is mine. I know my story is not to everyone's taste. It gets pretty dark, twisty, and complex in places and it begins with a disclaimer and warnings, so readers know what they're getting into. I have a very small, but very faithful band of readers, and I love and am grateful to all of them. (I'd send a big squishy hug to them all, but I'm struggling to breathe as it is!)
@ra3rei Thank you! My 'everyones' are alternately blushing and preening!
I'm quoting this because it's pretty much how I read, too. (@NewToTheSims, I swear we must be twins!) I prefer more realism and less gameplay in the stories that I read. As with the visuals, it's a personal preference. If a story begins with something like, "My name is ABC Sim, my favourite food is Autumn Salad, and my traits are XYZ. Today I got to level two in Cooking and practiced my Charisma in a mirror," then that's pretty much a list of gameplay. Some people love those, some people don't. I happen to be a "don't". However: give me some really juicy, thick plotting, and I'll be there in a heartbeat, because I like a bit of meat on my plate! (Oh, that sounds SO wrong
There are times when - for me, anyway (again with the personal preferences!) - gameplay-style fiction really works, and that's when it's used deliberately, such as in things like Klepto Challenges ('Stealie Nicks - Klepto King' was a good one on here) that actually focus on game mechanics. Or the stories (which I do actually love) where the author breaks the fourth wall and talks to their Sim as part of the story, and the Sim answers back (usually in the vein of: "What do you mean, I've only got a tent and a bike? And WHERE DID ALL MY MONEY GO?!") When done well, those can make me howl with laughter.
@CitizenErased14 Oh lord, my readers already know something of what's going to happen in the future of my story, because I fail at patience. My Tumblr followers found out about a certain wedding when I jumped forward in time because I simply couldn't wait to see what the happy couple's first *grandchild* would look like, and the readers saw the wedding bands. They also know what's going to happen to Gunther, because... you guessed it! Madame Impatient went ahead and built the entire set on which that... happening happened, took some screenshots and posted them (okay, with a 'spoilers behind the link!' cut) on Tumblr
If you really want to avoid spoilers, then maybe you could take some special generic screenshots and make a simple banner image for them. Choose some images that sum up one (or several) of the key themes in your story, but that don't give away any crucial plot points, and use those for your updates for the chapters that you don't want to spoil?
Right, I'm now going to crawl into bed and try to get some sleep. One more work shift to get through, and then hopefully I'll find out what the heck is wrong with me. If I've upset anyone with my mention of the TS4 visuals, then I'm genuinely sorry. It's not my intention to make anyone feel bad about something they love.
So... I won't lie. I'm offended haha. I know that wasn't your intention, but I won't lie about how I'm feeling right now. I put so much hard work and love into my story and it saddens me that someone would avoid it simply because of the visuals I use. (Not being into the style/plot is another thing entirely! But judging a story by its visuals is basically the definition of judging a book by its cover haha). Like you said, it's your prerogative and there's nothing wrong with having/sharing an opinion. So it's my prerogative to feel offended and share my counter-opinion, right?
On a lighter note, I totally understand the idea of being excited about something and sharing it with readers haha. I'm trying very hard not to do that as we approach the "big finale" of my story. I don't think the generic screenshots will work (just because it's kinda not my style), so I think unfamiliar readers will just have to deal with the spoilers haha.
By the way,I am not trying to start a fight at all, but you wouldn't have shared your opinion if you weren't expecting a response, right? And when I'm offended, it's hard for me to stay silent
@CathyTea Hey! I do the Rebuild Willow Creek challenge by @OJenn - I don't have much yet, but I built a gym, and the founder couples house! LOL. I post my updates on the Wordpress blog I have dedicated to it.
@mastressalita In addition to what you said about why there are still TS3 related things when TS4 had just come out... not everyone switches to the new version instantly, and some never do, so I guess to me it didn't seem that wierd that there were still TS3 things. If it works and you like it, there's no reason to ditch it for the next new thing. Some people are early adopters, yes, and they will go buy something new the day it comes out, but not everyone does that, so it does make sense that TS3 stuff would still be around.
@thesealofthesims OMG... I feel you... if little kids had been singing Let it Go around me, I would hate that song with all the fiery passions of Mordor... I have the dislikes children trait... so yeah... LOL. *sends hugs your way* Eeee I love White and Nerdy too! Hahaha, ugh how could I forget that one, I am ashamed of myself. (ok not really LOL) But yes, that is a good one. Oh, there's this parody made by someone, IDK who, but it's called "Let it GROW" and it's sung by a guy about beards, and how he will not shave, he will just let it grow. LOL. Hubs showed it to me one day and it was hilarious. Yeah, I totally agree with you, there is so much in Sims3 I haven't even figured out, touched on yet and I've owned the game for two years already. That's mainly why I still have Sims3 on my computer, and just added Sims4. No way I think, that I could ever completely quit playing Sims3, it's just too much fun. Mmm I don't think I had to wait too long, Simself was pretty happy, so she smiled a lot LOL.
@ra3rei Hey! Got your comment on The Proposal, was going to answer it here after I post. XD Then I was going to work on another of my Sims stories.
@winterbaby20 You know what... I agree with you on that, I could never study in silence. Hel- I can't even write in silence. I need noise. Usually I have a tv show on in the background, something I don't particularly need to pay attention to, but I need the noise. For me, I think it's because I grew up in Chicago and there was always some sort of noise happening, so when it got really quiet, it just felt wierd... Now I live on a main road, and I like it that way, whereas a lot of people I know say they would never live on a main road because it's too noisy. I love it...
@CitizenErased14 Regarding your chapter picture question, I myself, make one picture for my updates, like for example when I update The Proposal on Tumblr, I made one picture, and I just change the text to reflect which chapter it is that I'm updating. So. I avoid it because the one picture I made represents the story in a general way, and I don't have to use an actual screenshot from the chapter as the picture. This is the picture I was talking about in the example. *hands you some hot chocolate for comfort* It's ok... not everyone will like the TS4 graphics, they are so different O_O BUT. I hope you are still feeling like you are among friends, because you are. ^_^ *clinks hot chocolate mug*
@Lckygrl1975 Thanks so much. I really just want to be normal again. LOL.
@RipuAncestor *waves flag of a plumbob* Simmers unite!!
@ValoisFulcanelli *hands a bowl of chicken noodle soup* LOL, Chrome-impaired. The asterisks are a nice touch.
LateKnightSimmer
Echoes of Eternity
The Seven Ridiculous Sins
Rebuild | Rebuild Vol. 2
1) I do really enjoy your story Dust To Dust! I plan on binge reading this weekend.
2) For the story photo, while I don't do it (as I have yet to figure out how to do it best on my site... Still playing around with features. XD), I could give you some advice to what I did in the past.
~You could do symbolism (something I love) as it's not obvious at first, but one a person reads the chapter, then they will quickly understand. For example, if something big happened to a female character (like death), and that character happens to wear some sort of jewelry, perhaps have some jewelry sitting next to a vase of roses. I love symbolism, as when I go back I'm all like "OH MY GOD HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THAT BEFORE!?!?!?!?!" Just a suggestion.
~Or, perhaps foreshadowing would be a good idea...
~you could also have a photo of something that happened previously in the story -- for example, a photo that includes MAJOR points of the last chapter?
My suggestions may not be the best, but it's what I do/did.
@everybody: Off to play Pets Rescue after I finish replying on all the threads that are important to me (AKA, any thread I bookmarked...).
Yes, I'm still working on my stories. But I am restarting them (again). Links will come when they're up.
Come Join The Mafia! | Monthly Simlit Story Challenges
@SilentWolf101 Hello! Hope you're doing well.
LateKnightSimmer
Echoes of Eternity
The Seven Ridiculous Sins
Quick poll: Do you guys prefer to read long or short chapters? (I'm hoping to get at least three votes in before I upload this Pets Rescue chapter...)
Yes, I'm still working on my stories. But I am restarting them (again). Links will come when they're up.
Come Join The Mafia! | Monthly Simlit Story Challenges
@winterbaby20 *high fives* LOL.
LateKnightSimmer
Echoes of Eternity
The Seven Ridiculous Sins
Yes, I'm still working on my stories. But I am restarting them (again). Links will come when they're up.
Come Join The Mafia! | Monthly Simlit Story Challenges
That said, if I know a story that I'm reading has long chapters, I might wait a while before I find the "time" to sit down and read it. If it's short I'll do it on the spot. Overall if the story has my attention, I'll read every word no matter how long and always wish for more. If the posts are short and frequent I'm less likely to forget then if they're longer and less frequent. I'm trying to use a reading log to remember what stories I'm in since the wordpress reader doesn't work for me any more...too many subscriptions.
@NewToTheSims I even wrote a longer post at the end of your legacy, but it was swallowed up by the iToy comment eater on Blogger. That reminds me to go attempt to repost now that I'm on a real computer.
And thank you for the hugs and kind words, SilentWolf! Now I remember you commenting!
I replied and fixed your anonymous problem LOL as far as labelling it goes. You can view my reply here.
My Reply to your Comment
@CitizenErased14 Hey you're welcome. Hope you have better insight on what you want to do now for those update pictures.
LateKnightSimmer
Echoes of Eternity
The Seven Ridiculous Sins
@SilentWolf101 - I prefer good content, no matter length. I recently went out on a limb here and wrote up a Memoir styled story that isn't lengthy but I work on capturing key moments in my characters lives. Granted it all depends on what format you use of course but I'd say it doesn't matter to me as a reader either way so long as it is something of interest.
Rebuild | Rebuild Vol. 2
I do not have a set update day, as life is unpredictable and I feel like I'd be making apologies for not meeting the deadline very often... But I try to keep my updates within the span of a month or two per story. Otherwise, I let my readers know.
Yes, I'm still working on my stories. But I am restarting them (again). Links will come when they're up.
Come Join The Mafia! | Monthly Simlit Story Challenges
Oh no no, that isn't what I thought was strange. I mean, I'm one of those people that went out and bought TS3 when TS4 came out because I'm a weirdo that likes a "completed" product, heh! It wasn't that there was lots of TS3 stuff in this section that I found strange, it was the lack of TS4 stuff in this section that I found strange. I mean, it's out there, there should be stories and creative content for it. That's what made me realize the forums had separated out TS4 Stories and Legacies into their own spot, hense so little of it being in this Stories and Legacies forum, so it kinda became the haunting grounds of all the TS3 stuff instead.
Have a Sim story site? Please submit your link to the Stories and Legacies Index!
Check out my Simlit at Sim Stories: Hijinks from the World of Sims 3!
My Simlit Discussion/Updates | The Fringe | Short Story Challenges
I still have such a hard time navigating the whole forums. I have my little corner, the TS4 Creative Corner--and I rarely venture outside of a handful of threads in that corner! I'm still not even entirely sure how to find my way here! LOL! I just wait for notifications.
I guess some fun things have come from the segregation--we ended up reinventing the wheel, basically, by creating many of the same threads that are here already, simply because we didn't know this area existed! And so, as a result, we've had all the fun of watching a community form from scratch. It's fun now to get to know this corner, because it's like discovering an entire wing in the library that I didn't even know existed!
Every time I reflect on all the incredible works of SimLit, I'm blown away. So much talent and such generosity and dedication! What a cool community to be part of1
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Have a Sim story site? Please submit your link to the Stories and Legacies Index!
Check out my Simlit at Sim Stories: Hijinks from the World of Sims 3!
My Simlit Discussion/Updates | The Fringe | Short Story Challenges
1.00: Memories
Story Info and Warnings
*I apologize, but I really wanted to try advertising my story this way...*
Yes, I'm still working on my stories. But I am restarting them (again). Links will come when they're up.
Come Join The Mafia! | Monthly Simlit Story Challenges
@SilentWolf101 Cool! Glad you're doing well. Heehee, I hope you got some answers as far as if others like long or short. XD I'm totally an irregular updater too, because I just can't keep myself on such a rigid schedule for anything. I don't like routine, and definitely, life gets in there and throws in random stuff that I can't plan for anyway. Heehee. Ooh! First chapter! How exciting!
@OJenn Yeah, I'm definitely enjoying it. It gave me a different reason to play TS4, other than just free play with Sims I always play with.
@mastressalita Ahh ok, sorry if I misunderstood, or something LOL, but I was mainly just sharing what I had thought of when I saw that part of your comment. I agree about the forum's navigation being really different, and where certain things were hidden so people didn't necessarily find things if they weren't in plain sight, and if they weren't interested in searching for a particular thing.
@CathyTea Truth be told, I don't explore the forums a whole lot, as far as lots of different threads, so I'm one who didn't know where little things had been tucked away. When the forum changed to this new design, I just followed the threads I had followed on the old forum. Some threads are very much 'complaining' threads, so that is mostly why I don't venture out to a lot of the other threads. I don't really like to listen or complain about things in such a large extent, so I just stuck to the stories and legacies thread that I was familiar with.
LateKnightSimmer
Echoes of Eternity
The Seven Ridiculous Sins
@MrsOogieBoogie Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well.
Oh, I actually forgot about the "unveiling" you do at the beginning of each generation! I adore it, so I can't believe I forgot.
No - I meant are you gonna show us the two Oliver/Isaiah babies that we haven't met yet!
Oh my god! I was so undecisive that I never actually voted on Sunday. Now I've lost a day of voting!
@thesealofthesims Thanks.
@NewToTheSims aka:LateKnightSimmer
*high-Fives*
I'm glad you where feeling better - but make sure you take care of that fever you've obviously got (why else would you WANT to do dishes
@ra3rei lol, I've definitely been there (loosing too much sleep/time to the awesome creators here). Good luck with that!
I'm glad you're enjoying yourself since you came here! I'm excited to find some time to read some sims4 SimsLit, now that I know there's a few more serious stories out there for it. As you said - good writing is good, and it's unfortunate that aesthetics have stopped so many people (myself included) from discovering the talent that abounds around here.
@Lckygrl1975
@CitizenErased14 Dood! I'm so excited for you to finish your story. You're really pumping it out
Honestly - I wouldn't worry too much about spoiler-y images. I don't think most people understand the spoilers they see when it's something they're new too - and technically it *could* be something thrown in to specifically throw the reader off. I personally assume everything is the later until I get to the chapter anyway.
@mastressalita Ah! I'm sorry that you struggle with building!! If it makes you feel better, I feel that way about making sims.
I'm sure nobody would judge you for having a mortgage system. It seems totally fair to me. You could also try moving as you upgrade - either buying a starter home and upgrading to nicer/bigger houses as you can afford it, or maybe you can find an "upgrading" house you can download! I actually kinda want to try building something like that myself! It seems like a lot of fun - though I probably won't have time for a project like that until after Thanksgiving. Maybe I can construct a building challenge for myself around that idea though! I'm gonna have to look into it and see if anyone's done something like that!
Oh my god! Thank you so much for that mod! I can't believe I never even thought about looking for one!
I know I for one was very flattered and thought it was really cool that you were doing an index. I have wanted something like it for a while and plan on utilizing it a lot.
HEY YOU! I was wondering where you were hiding!
sorry you weren't feeling well.