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The Art Commune Reading Circle

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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    @CathyTea Thanks for sharing. I've only read your first chapter of the Thirty Sims series and I'm looking forward to reading more. I'll definitely read in order though.

    I totally understand writing late at night when the s/o is in bed. Generally a guaranteed no-interruptions. I tend to do my best writing late at night, but I've been experimenting writing at other times of day with my weird flexible schedule as of lately.

    Jim loves to talk to me when I'm writing! LOL! Then, I'll stop writing so I can listen and respond with full attention, and he'll stop talking! "Oh," he says, "Now that you're listening, I think I'll play chess!" LOL! He wants my divided attention!
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    edited July 2016
    Okay, here goes my intro:

    Amelia Sprigg decides to become a landlady to solve her money problems and to hopefully make new friends. It’s a simple plan, really, but nothing is simple when she unwittingly accepts a rather eccentric young man named Tad Dustpine as her tenant. After that it’s only a matter of time before Amelia’s life is filled with magic, potential danger, and ontological questions.

    But maybe it’s not so bad. She does at least make new, very extraordinary friends and realise that she too is rather extraordinary in her own way.


    And yes, I lazily just copypasted that from the blog. So I'll talk a little more about it. It's a story-driven SimLit story, and it's kind of a combination of elements and subjects that I personally love. I mean, it's easy to write about things one likes, but I sometimes feel like the things I cram into other stories a few things at a time are ALL here. It combines (urban) fantasy, morbid themes, ontological and existential questions, character studies and development, deep friendships and family ties, anthropomorphic personifications, mystery, crime, action, and calm everyday life.

    I love all my stories, even in the times when I feel like they're terrible, and I love this story too. I also really like the freedom I get with the setup of this story. Even though I always give myself full freedom, or at least try to, with for example The Fey of Life I played it a bit safer because I was just getting back into the SimLit scene after... what, a seven-year break? That's... kind of a long time. Anyway, while I do love Fey a lot, and for that the more grounded-in-reality (or not, seeing how that too is a fantasy story) approach works, Tango gives me the chance to just go all out and pour even more random thoughts and approaches into it. I feel like I can do pretty much anything as long as I keep the focus where I feel like it should be. I can introduce new characters (which I feel like I've been doing a bit too much now), think up new subplots and twists, and character arcs. Now I just need to take care that I don't get too carried away with it and make the whole thing fall apart by making the story too twisty and too big. It's supposed to be a story of a big scale but with a very cosy, not that complicated heart of one house and a mostly normal, hopefully relatable main character (and one not-so-normal one).

    EDIT: Oh, and how could I forget the major themes of mortality, immortality, identity and the forming and change of it, as well as loneliness and love for the world. For that last one there's the strange tension of loving the world, living things, and humanity while also being disconnected from them in different ways. These are also things I like to write about and they're all in this story too.
    Post edited by RipuAncestor on
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    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)
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    RipuAncestorRipuAncestor Posts: 2,332 Member
    JLBDreamer wrote: »
    All stories are updated at least twice a month.

    I'm looking for discussion, constructive Criticism and feedback if you are inclined to do so.

    I'll definitely join and I'll have you guys decide between my two new stories that I'll be rolling out in June. So it will be fun to have you all jump in at the start of a story. So here are the choices:

    1) The Last 100 Years
    This one has the Prologue partly done and will premiere next week. Its based on Korean Dramas and Myth.

    2) Morrison Mansion Mayhem
    This one is probably about 2 weeks away from the Prologue to be posted. This will be a Sci-Fi Black Comedy.

    3) Wild Hearts: The Wilder Vampiracy
    This story is on its second generation and each generation will be based on classic play or literature.



    Ooh, a tough decision between 1) and 2)... Because Korean dramas and myth sound super interesting, but on the other hand, black comedy is my favourite type of comedy (or at least one of them) and I also like Sci-Fi... Agh, I don't know! I'd say either of those. I'll probably check out both anyway.
    doublebannerpic.jpg?w=676
    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)
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    JLBDreamerJLBDreamer Posts: 622 Member
    edited May 2016
    @RipuAncestor, @CathyTea, @AdamsEve1231 and @MedleyMisty thank you for your kind words. It means a lot to be told more than one of my ideas look interesting.

    I have a tally going and if someone said they couldn't decide I put a mark all stories they mentioned. As it stands its a tie between The Last 100 Years and Morrison Mansion Mayhem which tells me I wrote pretty good introduction blurbs on my blog! I'll just ask for the member's votes I don't have yet and hope it ends the tie! If scheduling makes a difference on the vote LHY (The Last Hundred Years) will Premier this week and MMM (Morrison Mansion Mayhem) will premier in the following week.


    @friendsfan367and @rednenemon do you want to put your vote in on which story of mine you'd like to read?

    Post edited by JLBDreamer on
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    rednenemonrednenemon Posts: 3,206 Member
    @JLBDreamer

    Yes, of course! :)

    Hmmm... for me, it's a tie between 1 and 3... I'll guess I'll have to go with 1. Korean dramas have fascinated me lately.
    AO3: Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth <(Where I'm usually at nowadays)
    MQ2gUyY.jpg
    Part One(Complete 9/24/16) /Part Two(on hold)/Short Stories(on hold)/Twinbrook 1996(on hold)/Ten Crystal Hearts (on hold)
    I own the TS3 Store as of 12/11/16 (sort of. It's complicated)
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    MedleyMistyMedleyMisty Posts: 1,188 Member
    edited May 2016
    @CathyTea Yay I'm so happy I could help inspire you! I need to get back to my own list, but I just haven't felt like doing much of anything lately.

    I think it's awesome how those things came together to give you a structure to play with. And of course I love your 30 prompts.

    I'm definitely looking forward to getting caught up and then reading more as you write it. :)

    Post edited by MedleyMisty on
    Sometimes the darkness and I tell stories.
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    MedleyMistyMedleyMisty Posts: 1,188 Member
    @rednenemon I am not familiar with either of those things, so reading your work will be a brand new adventure for me! :) Yay I love adventures and new things.
    Sometimes the darkness and I tell stories.
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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    Ooooh! I'm going to play Sims now! In the afternoon! I haven't played TS4 in the afternoon hardly ever--it's usually an after-supper activity for me. I'm also going to play a funny game I have with two goofy twins who think they work for the Queen of England! They're the MC Command Center twins of my SimSelf and @ra3rei's awesome Cocoa Pigglewiggle. (He's so neat, I can see why my SimSelf fell for him!)

    Right-to! See you all later-o!
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    MedleyMistyMedleyMisty Posts: 1,188 Member
    I am pretty low on energy and motivation right now, but I guess here's an intro to Surreal Darkness.

    I started it when Midnight Hollow came out, so it starts in Sims 3 and moves to Sims 4.

    I took some scenery shots of Midnight Hollow and I thought they were gorgeous, and then everyone was complaining about how dark the town was. So for fun, I personalized the darkness in silly little captions for my scenery shots. Then the story started to grow, as stories do.

    It only uses scenery shots. Neither of the two main characters has a name or a gender. It is set in the game, but still things happen that couldn't really happen in the game, like thin strips of spacetime playing Twister as baby unicorns drink chocolate milk and cause the end of that particular universe. And I love it, very much.
    Sometimes the darkness and I tell stories.
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    friendsfan367friendsfan367 Posts: 29,362 Member
    the BENDERS started off as a distraction. i started a alphabcy on new years eve last year because i hate the noise of fireworks.i made noel and lauren and just started playing.and writing very little on them because who knew they would be so popular. so its now a year later and i'm still writing about them. i'm starting to try using the little camera that came withone of the sims 4 packs to take pictures and i'm also trying to build their home.because they can be like rabbits. so ea homes don't fit them after a while.
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    @rednenemon I am not familiar with either of those things, so reading your work will be a brand new adventure for me! :) Yay I love adventures and new things.

    @rednenemon I echo @MedleyMisty. I am not familiar with either of those things so this will be new and different for me. I'm looking forward to reading more.
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    the BENDERS started off as a distraction. i started a alphabcy on new years eve last year because i hate the noise of fireworks.i made noel and lauren and just started playing.and writing very little on them because who knew they would be so popular. so its now a year later and i'm still writing about them. i'm starting to try using the little camera that came withone of the sims 4 packs to take pictures and i'm also trying to build their home.because they can be like rabbits. so ea homes don't fit them after a while.

    @friendsfan367 Do you have another place you've been posting your stories or is this the first time you've published them on WordPress (or another medium)? You talk about playing these characters and doing an alphabacy and I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything or writing somewhere else. Maybe I'm just missing a little context so if you wouldn't mind clarifying, I'd appreciate it.
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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    friendsfan367friendsfan367 Posts: 29,362 Member
    edited May 2016
    the BENDERS started off as a distraction. i started a alphabcy on new years eve last year because i hate the noise of fireworks.i made noel and lauren and just started playing.and writing very little on them because who knew they would be so popular. so its now a year later and i'm still writing about them. i'm starting to try using the little camera that came withone of the sims 4 packs to take pictures and i'm also trying to build their home.because they can be like rabbits. so ea homes don't fit them after a while.

    @friendsfan367 Do you have another place you've been posting your stories or is this the first time you've published them on WordPress (or another medium)? You talk about playing these characters and doing an alphabacy and I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything or writing somewhere else. Maybe I'm just missing a little context so if you wouldn't mind clarifying, I'd appreciate it.

    i only use wordpress.i started the story more than once because of glitches.i will try and write thebackstory tomorrow. yesterday i was sick and today was spent waiting ffor my mom to pick up something she had shipped to my place by mistake. so if tomorrow is unevenful i should be able to do it.
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    MedleyMistyMedleyMisty Posts: 1,188 Member
    I've added links to our stories in the first post.
    Sometimes the darkness and I tell stories.
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    rednenemonrednenemon Posts: 3,206 Member
    A lot of times I forget to post links to updates. So chances are if I don't post links, it doesn't mean I haven't updated. (Rather, I tend to post just about every day, believe it or not)

    Anywho, here's one:

    Onward, On The Line

    It's rather filler-y, and a bit short. (Another reason I might not post links: I assume people won't want to read short, filler-y updates)
    AO3: Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth <(Where I'm usually at nowadays)
    MQ2gUyY.jpg
    Part One(Complete 9/24/16) /Part Two(on hold)/Short Stories(on hold)/Twinbrook 1996(on hold)/Ten Crystal Hearts (on hold)
    I own the TS3 Store as of 12/11/16 (sort of. It's complicated)
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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    rednenemon wrote: »
    A lot of times I forget to post links to updates. So chances are if I don't post links, it doesn't mean I haven't updated. (Rather, I tend to post just about every day, believe it or not)

    Anywho, here's one:

    Onward, On The Line

    It's rather filler-y, and a bit short. (Another reason I might not post links: I assume people won't want to read short, filler-y updates)

    This morning, I had to take the car to get new tires. So while I was waiting, I read Racket-Rotter! It was really fun. I started getting a bit too immersed, and I switched to Shakespeare! Same stories, same themes, sort of!

    You'd asked about quality shifts--I didn't notice any in arc 1 (which I finished this morning). For me as a reader, you achieve a high level of quality and maintain it throughout. There are peaks from that high level, but it never drops below a high level of quality. The peaks are great--I wouldn't want it to all be at the peaked level--too intense! It's how I love fiction to be: from a really strong standard, there are peaks of brilliance.
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    I have a new chapter of Three Rivers! Three Rivers 14.1
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    Thanks for the clarification @friendsfan367. No rush. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    edited June 2016
    I submitted my short story for the Short Story forums challenge which has a bizarre and minor connection to Part 1 of KCLKF and to the future of KFLL if you're interested here - Flowers Grow Back. (If you've read KCKLF, you might figure it out.)

    I should have Kass's story updated in the next week or two. This should give those of you who haven't read before a chance to read and catch up.
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    I just feel like talking about how much I love Sims! Look at this beautiful woman! She's game-generated--she was a Townie, and when I moved her into a house, I discovered that she had a wife and an adopted son. She is so beautiful that I can't really get over it. Her personality is also beautiful! And... she was having a secret affair (game-generated) with Geoffrey Landgraab! It's not a secret anymore...

    fourteen01.png?w=776
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    friendsfan367friendsfan367 Posts: 29,362 Member
    i have to start over. i think my mods wiped out the benders.
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    CathyTeaCathyTea Posts: 23,089 Member
    i have to start over. i think my mods wiped out the benders.

    Oh, no! Those poor Benders! This is a lot of start-overs for them!
    Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology

    Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    CathyTea wrote: »
    I just feel like talking about how much I love Sims! Look at this beautiful woman! She's game-generated--she was a Townie, and when I moved her into a house, I discovered that she had a wife and an adopted son. She is so beautiful that I can't really get over it. Her personality is also beautiful! And... she was having a secret affair (game-generated) with Geoffrey Landgraab! It's not a secret anymore...

    fourteen01.png?w=776

    @CathyTea <3

    This makes me smile! :)
    I'm so glad to be on the forums with you all and to see our enthusiasm for the Sims.
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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    AdamsEve1231AdamsEve1231 Posts: 7,035 Member
    i have to start over. i think my mods wiped out the benders.

    This has happened to me before. I've had to reinstall and overhaul, I think, 3 times?!? It's frustrating. I hope you can figure out a way to fix everything. I feel your pain. :(
    With these forums closing down, stay connected.

    Find me elsewhere:
    My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
    Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
    My Worldbuilding Blog
    Simblr
    My Sims Pinterest
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