@lisabee2 : Aww, I'm glad you like Rose! I always feel like so much about her doesn't really get to come across since her story really is just images and not textual. Shadow is the narrator, and he really doesn't know about the struggles Rose has to face dealing with getting old, facing an impending end of life, knowing she'll be leaving her family behind, having dementia, missing her late husband, etc. He only knows she is a fabulous wrinkly woman who puts food in his dish and gives the bestest pets.
I guess my only question would be .. do you know a RL Rose?
She wasn't based on anyone in particular, though a lot of events in her life are based on events around my grandparents (though I never really realized it until thinking about it now!) My grandmother was widowed back in 2006, and I don't think she's ever been quite the same from it. She isn't really a fan of animals and never got a pet or anything... I sometimes wonder if things would be different for her if she did. My other grandmother, also widowed, got a little lapdog of a dachsund that I think has been really good for her as she's had to deal with kidney failure and constant dialysis... she's mostly immobile and I think it's a great comfort for her to have that cuddly little guy buried under the blankets on her lap while she reads or watches television.
I know it doesn't happen in this set of chapters, but later Rose's granddaughter spends a weekend over, and that is based on my fond memories as a child of staying over at my grandparent's house. Before my family moved out of state, we lived in a house just around the corner, and I was always dropping in on my grandparents, and they never minded! I think that is why I placed Rose and Ashton Hatcher's family house pretty much across the street from each other.
Thankfully none of my grandparents have ever had to deal with dementia or alzheimers, and I'm so greatful for that. I know Rose's dementia isn't too apparent from Shadow's eyes; it is reflected by her absent-minded trait (she often simply "forgets" actions I've asked her to do in the middle of doing them, and makes derpy faces a lot, heh). I think the only reason she hasn't burned the house down by "forgetting" she is cooking is because she is a Natural Cook but she forgets a lot of other things (like feeding Ginko, the goldfish...) My late grandfather's best friend, part of a couple that always came and played pinochle with my grandparents once a week so I knew them well, had very severe alzheimers. He passed away shortly before my grandfather. I don't remember ever seeing him after the onset, but heard a lot of stories from my grandparents about how the condition had been affecting him. He was no longer able to play pinocle with them anymore, because he couldn't remember what suit was trump or just keep up with the game. But they remained close friends to the end. My grandma and his widow are still close friends and meet for dinner weekly.
I do deal with a lot of elderly patrons at my job as a librarian, and I really enjoy them. They are so sweet, they tend to come to the library pretty much every day, they have such stories to tell, and it's so hard when a patron you've known for years ends up in the obituaries one day.
makes me love Rose even more .. I hope you have her life span set to epic so we can enjoy her longer
I loved hearing the stories of your grandparents. I adore exploring life with the elder sim .. I would love hearing the stories. We have a remarkable elderly (white) woman I go to church with who actually marched with Dr Martin Luther King! Oh the fab stories she tells!
I've just finished reading and voting on last month's entries of the Short Story Challenges. Good luck all, they're great stories each month!
After reading all this inspiring material, I really want to get some work done on my WP. I find that starting out wanting to write a story and then getting sidetracked by all the amazing gameplay the Sims offers (and a building contest here or there too teehee) made me go along and see where it brought me a little too far and too long in the first generation. Now that that generation's wrapped up and I'm starting the second, the story itself definitely seeks more attention. I've been shaping storylines like crazy lately since I don't want to diddle-daddle another generation like this. It is just great getting into this flow! Only thing bugging me is that I don't have any chapters waiting in the meantime that I can share with readers so while I'm building up the storyline for the next two or three generations now, I feel pressured to get a move on. I really want to make it a good story, though, and don't want to press myself to later find I should have approached something different for the sake of the story if you get my drift? Realizing all this makes me wonder, how does this creative process work for you, back when you started out writing Simlit and how does it now and how long have you been building experience in the art of storytelling?
Would love to hear from you if comfortable with sharing
@Twiggy .. I am in the same boat with my story .. the drama is nearing the end and now I have to decide upon a different direction but that will involve actual play time ... I know where I will head in a far future direction but oh my this one in between is giving me fits
@cuddles5427 I've read through to chapter 10 now and haven't thought of any questions yet. At this point, I do want to say I like that you pull us into the strong emotional world of the protagonist right away as you start this story. When the second chapter comes along and I'm interested to know what happened, they part ways in chapter 2, huh? It's a great beginning to a dramatic love story. I am a fan of how you introduce and reintroduce the key characters in the first chapters of the story. Along the way, you feel for the protagonist and then happy he finds Jaz yet there is still this question in the back of my mind that keeps saying... but what about Robyn and Logan? And it just keeps spiraling while all the time I'm thinking: just speak up! But that's teens for you haha I think you portray this very well.
If a question does pop in mind, after all, I'll be sure to sure to share it here with you. One thing, though... maybe I missed it on your site, but is there a table of contents? In some cases that'll prevent scrolling back and makes looking up certain chapters easier then the archive does.
@lisabee2 Yeah, it can be a headache lol Just curious... do you work far ahead and/or schedule chapters? I see big differences between one or the other simlit writer it seems there. If anyone feels like chiming in there, I'm curious to know
Just realizing I've been late with mapping the second gen but I can forgive myself since it's a first time ever that I'm doing this. Now that I have my ideas ready for this gen, I'm worrying about timeline and such. But have been thinking it over once or twice the last two days and think I have things covered now. The second generation and beyond will be less aimless though the Mezilkrees themselves will remain clueless lol. I'm happy to say I have a long chapter in draft atm that I plan to finish and publish this weekend that announces the heir of gen. 2. After that, though, the story does need some worldbuilding and playing too. I plan to work a few chapters ahead again too then if time permits lol
@lisabee2 Yeah, it can be a headache lol Just curious... do you work far ahead and/or schedule chapters? I see big differences between one or the other simlit writer it seems there. If anyone feels like chiming in there, I'm curious to know
Just realizing I've been late with mapping the second gen but I can forgive myself since it's a first time ever that I'm doing this. Now that I have my ideas ready for this gen, I'm worrying about timeline and such. But have been thinking it over once or twice the last two days and think I have things covered now. The second generation and beyond will be less aimless though the Mezilkrees themselves will remain clueless lol. I'm happy to say I have a long chapter in draft atm that I plan to finish and publish this weekend that announces the heir of gen. 2. After that, though, the story does need some worldbuilding and playing too. I plan to work a few chapters ahead again too then if time permits lol
Sometimes I am way ahead and ready for the story to progress ... and I have a plan for down the road but I am shaky on the interim plan
... it is a lot of work for ?? results
@cuddles5427 I too have read (and reread) thru chap 10 ..
I too don't have a lots of questions popping in .. I find myself flitting about trying to land on which "team" I would be on. During one I feel so bad for Logan but then he chooses something that make me smh. Same for Robyn .. goodness I almost feel schizophrenic with trying to land for her. One min my heart is breaking and the next I am like geesh why did you do that!
I did like little cotton candy .. and I thought Logan might settle with her and his baby as Grams said he should. Hopefully he will man up and do the right thing by his kid. At thing point, with all the cheating and deception I think in RL neither would be a great catch LOL Thankfully it is the sims so redemption can come swiftly.
@cuddles5427 - I've read through chapter 10 of your story and don't have a lot of questions right now but will try to think of some between now and tomorrow.
I love the complexity of your characters. There's a lot of meat/grit to them, and they're in a complex situation. One minute, I feel bad for Logan and Robyn and then next, I want to slap some sense into them. LOL! It's written so well, and you do such an amazing job at conveying the emotions of your characters.
@Twiggy - I know what you mean. I read and voted for July's stories and it was tough. Lots of great stories for sure!
I'm going to mull over your creative questions and come back and share later if that's okay. I've been working on my short story for August (it's done, BTW), and my brain is fried. LOL! I put my heart and soul into my characters, so when I write their emotions and stuff, it really wipes me out afterward.
Right. So, like I said above, my short story for August is done. It's submitted on that thread but thought I'd share it here if anyone would like to read it. It's a side story to "Forever in Time," much as my July story was.
I was out of town most of this week on a mini-vacay (but I got to meet Latrice Royale! It was a fantastic show and she was, after all, an inspiring and entirely sweet lady. I got a photo with her and gave her a fan letter about how much she has meant to me and just felt on top of the world!)
Of course, being out of town (and then coming back to the stockpile of work at the library and having to work today at the library) means I've had no reading time. T_T I'm going to try to do some reading tonight while I rest my overworked feet and tomorrow afternoon!
@lisabee2 Oh yes, I get that! It's the fun and sense of accomplishment that keeps us going, regardless the outcome, right?
@sweetnightingale Great to see you're on a roll with the monthly story challenges. I'll be sure to read it. I don't know if I'll get an entry in this month seeing I have enough I want to to catch up on as is lol and that said, naturally it's okay to chime in whenever you want
@mastressalita How exciting! I can tell you were having a blast. It's written all over your happy face there. Glad to see you got some time off to spend with your sister. Too bad being away on your mini-vacay means coming back to stockpiles of work, though Hope your feet get some rest and relaxation soon now
Sorry that I wasn't very active over the weekend. Thank you all for such wonderful comments. @sweetnighingale thank you for commenting on the complexity of the characters. One of my favorite books is The Great Gatsby. I loved the way that I didn't quite love or hate any of his characters because they were written so realistically. I aim for this in my own writing. @twiggy Blogspot doesn't seem to have a table of contents. I've tried coding One in but tech confuses me. @lisabee2 I love how you're going back and fourth among teams. They are teenagers, so i have tried to make sure that their emotional and driven to make impulsive choices. @mastressalita I've seen your comments on a couple chapters. Thank you for taking the time to read some even though you were tired amd had just returned. I really appreciate it.
Sorry that I wasn't very active over the weekend. Thank you all for such wonderful comments. @sweetnighingale thank you for commenting on the complexity of the characters. One of my favorite books is The Great Gatsby. I loved the way that I didn't quite love or hate any of his characters because they were written so realistically. I aim for this in my own writing. @twiggy Blogspot doesn't seem to have a table of contents. I've tried coding One in but tech confuses me. @lisabee2 I love how you're going back and fourth among teams. They are teenagers, so i have tried to make sure that their emotional and driven to make impulsive choices. @mastressalita I've seen your comments on a couple chapters. Thank you for taking the time to read some even though you were tired amd had just returned. I really appreciate it.
LOL yes it was very much a teen rollercoaser ride .. well done!!
@cuddles5427 Ok, I didn't know that but can totally relate lol I'm quite new to WordPress myself. Don't know if WordPress does that. I kinda created a page for it myself. Will have to look it up one day. There are still so many things I would like to change or add but am kinda clueless.
@mastressalita - I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond back to this. It got a bit crazy around here and then I ended up going on a CC "shopping binge" to try to boost my Sims 4. I want to play it more but always hit the stumbling block of it being so barebones compared Sims 3 that I get bored easily. I thought maybe some CC finds might brighten things up for me a bit.
I need to go into Sims 3 today so will finish up with getting you those Sims. I'll try to point you to some good pictures too, so you can see what they look like with the CC I put on them in case you want to fix them up for your adoption project.
I know what you mean. I've also got an odd assortment of coloring books. I have a lot of geometric and mandala patterns but ended up picking up quite a few with fairies. I love fairies, if you didn't know already. LOL! And thank you for the links! I've got all those on my wishlist on Amazon. The dog ones are adorable and I got some chuckles out of the I Dream of Yarn one. The mermaids are gorgeous, too (I love mermaids and sirens).
I'm so glad you had a great time with your sister and got to meet Latrice Royale. Sounds like you had a blast.
I saw your comment on Chapter 2 of the Prologue for Lenora's Bachelorette Challenge and got a big laugh. Your choir teacher sounded awesome and I'd certainly have been howling at "the bowling joke."
@Twiggy - Thanks. I'm qutie surprised at myself, really. I was first to submit for July and got my story in early for August. I'm usually such a procrastinator with things so being first or early is rare. I'm glad it's in, though, because now, all I have to worry about is reading the other stories and voting. Hoping to get some mega reading in this week.
@cuddles54227 - You're welcome. It's been a long time since I'd read "The Great Gatsby," but ti do remember feeling the same way about the characters. Sometimes in many stories, characters are larger than life (hey, I'm guilty of writing characters like that), so it's nice when you do see something more realistic. I'm more of a fantasy genre type person myself but every once in a while, I like a more true to life story.
As far as a table of contents on Blogger, I just create my own and make a "Chapter Guide" section. I have to manually put the link onto the page once a chapter is published but at least there's something for readers to be able to navigate pretty easily.
@cuddles5427 - Sure! On the left side and underneath where you see "New Post," there is an option that says "Pages." Click that. Then, you click "Create New Page." It brings up a similar writing template like you see when you're making an actual post. What you do is write what you want and then insert the links to the chapters. It's easy with the "Link" button near the other formatting choices. When you're happy with it, hit "Publish." Then to make it show up on the blog, go into the layout settings. Look around until you see the "Pages" tab and then click "Edit." It'll bring up a little box for you to choose what pages are visible on the blog. Choose your Chapter Guide or Contents page you've just created. Then, if you want to, you can change the order of the pages as to how they appear as tabs on the top of the blog.
@cuddles54227 : Also, when coding a table of contents, it really isn't as hard as it looks. There is only one piece of coding a person even needs to know, making links, which can easily be copied and pasted multiple times with the data for the next chapter "plugged in" at the right places. (Yes, I'm one of those "scripts everything directly in HTML" people). When I made a Table of Contents, I created new page, and then just created links for each chapter using the HTML script:
<a href="LINK TO CHAPTER GOES HERE">CHAPTER NAME GOES HERE</a>
For each chapter you really just have to copy and paste the link above it on the table of contents and change out the link and chapter name. You don't have to know an abundance of coding.
I know Wordpress has a "work in HTML/work in code" option as well as the "Visual" option (where you use the What You See is What You Get input and just pick image buttons, link buttons, etc.) It's similar to picking those buttons on a forum or simply typing the bb-code commands directly into the input box.
Post two is updated with the mention of this coming weekend's story discussion. We will be diving into the first nine chapters of 'As Tears Go By' by @sweetnightingale
If you haven't caught up yet, this would be a great time to do so
Realizing all this makes me wonder, how does this creative process work for you, back when you started out writing Simlit and how does it now and how long have you been building experience in the art of storytelling?
I've only been writing Simlit for a year (my Blogaversary was last April) but I'm still pretty new to it all, as my release schedule is veeeeeeeeeery slow compared to most due to my chronic pain condition.
I actually find I write my Simlit a lot differently than most, which is probably why my writing doesn't appeal to many (and that's fine, that isn't a criticism at all). I'm not structured... at all! I do not plot ahead or script out long arcs. And none of my stories are legacies, something I've never really had any desire to write. I've always had this more laid back, "Let's jump into the game and see what I get... hmm, okay, I can work with that!" Sometimes I like an idea enough that I want to do more with it, and the next time I go into game, I will have a gameplan of what I want to happen and what kind of shots I want. But I still don't have a formal outline, and I still am not planning out in advance where I want things to go, because I like to leave things open enough to allow the game a bit of input/control too. I see it as my co-author. I also never "write first, then screencap." I always go get my pictures first, and write second. Even for the short story challenges! (Granted, for those, I do have a strict idea of the story I want to tell, and often have written down some notes of several kinds of screenshots that I want; but I still take all my pictures first, carefully pick them out, and write very last. Every single time! Pretty much everyone else I know in SSC always writes their story first, and then gets screenshots. I've always felt like I'm doing it backwards because of this, but it just works for me!)
My two stories are a lot different in the style of storytelling. Cat Chronicles is meant to be laid back and episodic -- like you could just pick any random chapter and be able to read it, and you might enjoy it or get a chuckle. You wouldn't necessarily have to start from chapter one and go in order (though if you do, certain aspects may make a bit more sense). Sort of like a sitcom -- there is a bit of chronology there if you watch every week, but if you miss some episodes and just catch a random episode on TV, you could still enjoy it. It doesn't have this heavy plot and is more about capturing funny moments or relatable feelings to pet-lovers. But Yandere Diaries has more of a plot, and as I've learned a lot about writing, I've definitely come to see flaws in its style and do want to go and make a lot of improvements to it. I honestly think participating in SSC every month has really sharpened me a lot. Many of the pieces of writing I'm most proud of are short stories I have done. And those are difficult because you have to encapsulate something meaningful in such a small space, without the luxury of a full set of chapters to expound on the idea, explain the characters, provide the backstory of the world...
As for working ahead or scheduling chapters, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I'm notorious for making my readers sad pandas for having the worst schedule in the world. -_-;; Because I update so infrequently, I always feel that the second I finish something, I have to race to put it up immediately! Honestly, I wish I could get over that, so I could build up a stockpile of material. If I had a stockpile, then I'd be able to actually schedule content and release steadily and predictably... but I know, eventually, my stockpile would run out, and I'd end up right back in the same boat. -_-;;
@cuddles5427 : I have (belatedly) finished reading chapters 1-10 of your story! I'm really enjoying all the drama and always curious what is going to be next for the cast of characters!
Since we all started with the TS4 reboot, I am curious... how different was the TS3 version of this story? Was it pretty much the same idea/concept (did it even have the same cast?) or is the story something completely different now? As a TS3 author myself, I'm curious, what have you found the biggest differences (and perhaps the strengths and weaknesses) for having used both games as a writing medium?
Do you have a particular character that is a favorite?
Is there anything that you would consider sources of inspiration for this story (other works of literature, television shows, etc?) It seems to be such a solidly crafted romantic drama, I'm curious if you have found inspiration in other works of this particular genre?
@sweetnightingale : I couldn't tell you how many times I "sat down to work on stories" and then needed a piece of cc for said story and then instead of working on the story, wasted the entire day collecting new cc instead. :-P Far, far, far too many!
And my sister collects fairies! I collect mermaids and her fairies (we are water and earth, she and I). I may have to pick her up a fairy coloring book someday to compliment the mermaid one I have. ^_^
I'm not in a huge rush so don't feel like you have to get your Sims ready immediately or anything (it'll be several chapters down the road yet at my current pacing...) but once you do have things squared away, feel free to drop me an e-mail anytime. I post it openly at the bottom of my About Me page. (And I can take Sim files as an attachment in a zip file, and you could also attach pretty example pictures on there).
As far as TS3 vs TS4 versions, there's a few key differences.
I really enjoy the emotional aspect of TS4. When a character is in their sad mood, or happy mood, or angry mood, they walk differently and have different interactions with other sims. I feel like this really aids in my portrayal of a character. I think I preferred TS3 as far as cosmetic details go. Robyn looked a bit more like a Greecian goddess-esque character back in TS3, Logan was a bit less awkward looking as well. However, I tend to think that their personalities best match their TS4 appearances. I also preferred how sims acted based off of their traits more. Sometimes in TS4 it almost feels like they are nonexistent. Also, characters at the beginning are the same. Logan, Robyn, Isaac, Rayven, and Jaz were all present in TS3 version. Logan's grandmother was present as well, but she was never pictured the way she is here. (Alsom my signature on here features TS3 versions of Isaac, Robyn, and Logan).
Favorite? That's a tough one. I like Logan because of how awkward he is. He's always kind of conflicted and he doesn't really think things through. Robyn is probably my least favorite out of the main 3, I think she's a bit too naive. I relate the most to Isaac's conflict than anyone else though (more on that in later chapters ). My absolute favorite though isn't introduced until Chapter 16 though.
I get most of how I write the characters personalities from The Great Gatsby. I loved that book because of how difficult it was to have a favorite character. They all frustrated you but, you still wanted the best for them. As far as the romance itself goes, I'm an avid fan of Romantic Comedies. This is why I actually take the pictures before I write the scripts for each chapter, I kinda view it as a miniature movie.
Comments
I loved hearing the stories of your grandparents. I adore exploring life with the elder sim .. I would love hearing the stories. We have a remarkable elderly (white) woman I go to church with who actually marched with Dr Martin Luther King! Oh the fab stories she tells!
LisabeeSims
New readers can visit here first: In-a-NUTSHELL
#EAgamechanger
I've just finished reading and voting on last month's entries of the Short Story Challenges. Good luck all, they're great stories each month!
After reading all this inspiring material, I really want to get some work done on my WP. I find that starting out wanting to write a story and then getting sidetracked by all the amazing gameplay the Sims offers (and a building contest here or there too teehee) made me go along and see where it brought me a little too far and too long in the first generation. Now that that generation's wrapped up and I'm starting the second, the story itself definitely seeks more attention. I've been shaping storylines like crazy lately since I don't want to diddle-daddle another generation like this. It is just great getting into this flow! Only thing bugging me is that I don't have any chapters waiting in the meantime that I can share with readers so while I'm building up the storyline for the next two or three generations now, I feel pressured to get a move on. I really want to make it a good story, though, and don't want to press myself to later find I should have approached something different for the sake of the story if you get my drift? Realizing all this makes me wonder, how does this creative process work for you, back when you started out writing Simlit and how does it now and how long have you been building experience in the art of storytelling?
Would love to hear from you if comfortable with sharing
LisabeeSims
New readers can visit here first: In-a-NUTSHELL
#EAgamechanger
@cuddles5427 I've read through to chapter 10 now and haven't thought of any questions yet. At this point, I do want to say I like that you pull us into the strong emotional world of the protagonist right away as you start this story. When the second chapter comes along and I'm interested to know what happened, they part ways in chapter 2, huh? It's a great beginning to a dramatic love story. I am a fan of how you introduce and reintroduce
If a question does pop in mind, after all, I'll be sure to sure to share it here with you. One thing, though... maybe I missed it on your site, but is there a table of contents? In some cases that'll prevent scrolling back and makes looking up certain chapters easier then the archive does.
Just realizing I've been late with mapping the second gen but I can forgive myself since it's a first time ever that I'm doing this.
Sometimes I am way ahead and ready for the story to progress ... and I have a plan for down the road but I am shaky on the interim plan
... it is a lot of work for ?? results
LisabeeSims
New readers can visit here first: In-a-NUTSHELL
#EAgamechanger
I too don't have a lots of questions popping in .. I find myself flitting about trying to land on which "team" I would be on. During one I feel so bad for Logan but then he chooses something that make me smh. Same for Robyn .. goodness I almost feel schizophrenic with trying to land for her. One min my heart is breaking and the next I am like geesh why did you do that!
I did like little cotton candy .. and I thought Logan might settle with her and his baby as Grams said he should. Hopefully he will man up and do the right thing by his kid. At thing point, with all the cheating and deception I think in RL neither would be a great catch LOL Thankfully it is the sims so redemption can come swiftly.
LisabeeSims
New readers can visit here first: In-a-NUTSHELL
#EAgamechanger
@cuddles5427 - I've read through chapter 10 of your story and don't have a lot of questions right now but will try to think of some between now and tomorrow.
I love the complexity of your characters. There's a lot of meat/grit to them, and they're in a complex situation. One minute, I feel bad for Logan and Robyn and then next, I want to slap some sense into them. LOL! It's written so well, and you do such an amazing job at conveying the emotions of your characters.
@Twiggy - I know what you mean. I read and voted for July's stories and it was tough. Lots of great stories for sure!
I'm going to mull over your creative questions and come back and share later if that's okay. I've been working on my short story for August (it's done, BTW), and my brain is fried. LOL! I put my heart and soul into my characters, so when I write their emotions and stuff, it really wipes me out afterward.
Because of Aurora
Of course, being out of town (and then coming back to the stockpile of work at the library and having to work today at the library) means I've had no reading time. T_T I'm going to try to do some reading tonight while I rest my overworked feet and tomorrow afternoon!
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
@sweetnightingale Great to see you're on a roll with the monthly story challenges. I'll be sure to read it. I don't know if I'll get an entry in this month seeing I have enough I want to to catch up on as is lol and that said, naturally it's okay to chime in whenever you want
@mastressalita How exciting! I can tell you were having a blast. It's written all over your happy face there. Glad to see you got some time off to spend with your sister. Too bad being away on your mini-vacay means coming back to stockpiles of work, though
@twiggy Blogspot doesn't seem to have a table of contents. I've tried coding One in but tech confuses me.
@lisabee2 I love how you're going back and fourth among teams. They are teenagers, so i have tried to make sure that their emotional and driven to make impulsive choices.
@mastressalita I've seen your comments on a couple chapters. Thank you for taking the time to read some even though you were tired amd had just returned. I really appreciate it.
LOL yes it was very much a teen rollercoaser ride .. well done!!
LisabeeSims
New readers can visit here first: In-a-NUTSHELL
#EAgamechanger
I need to go into Sims 3 today so will finish up with getting you those Sims.
I know what you mean. I've also got an odd assortment of coloring books. I have a lot of geometric and mandala patterns but ended up picking up quite a few with fairies.
I'm so glad you had a great time with your sister and got to meet Latrice Royale. Sounds like you had a blast.
I saw your comment on Chapter 2 of the Prologue for Lenora's Bachelorette Challenge and got a big laugh. Your choir teacher sounded awesome and I'd certainly have been howling at "the bowling joke."
@cuddles54227 - You're welcome. It's been a long time since I'd read "The Great Gatsby," but ti do remember feeling the same way about the characters. Sometimes in many stories, characters are larger than life (hey, I'm guilty of writing characters like that), so it's nice when you do see something more realistic. I'm more of a fantasy genre type person myself but every once in a while, I like a more true to life story.
As far as a table of contents on Blogger, I just create my own and make a "Chapter Guide" section. I have to manually put the link onto the page once a chapter is published but at least there's something for readers to be able to navigate pretty easily.
I hope this helped.
So an example of this link filled out in HTML...
For each chapter you really just have to copy and paste the link above it on the table of contents and change out the link and chapter name. You don't have to know an abundance of coding.
I know Wordpress has a "work in HTML/work in code" option as well as the "Visual" option (where you use the What You See is What You Get input and just pick image buttons, link buttons, etc.) It's similar to picking those buttons on a forum or simply typing the bb-code commands directly into the input box.
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
Post two is updated with the mention of this coming weekend's story discussion.
If you haven't caught up yet, this would be a great time to do so
~hugs~
@Twiggy:
I've only been writing Simlit for a year (my Blogaversary was last April) but I'm still pretty new to it all, as my release schedule is veeeeeeeeeery slow compared to most due to my chronic pain condition.
I actually find I write my Simlit a lot differently than most, which is probably why my writing doesn't appeal to many (and that's fine, that isn't a criticism at all). I'm not structured... at all! I do not plot ahead or script out long arcs. And none of my stories are legacies, something I've never really had any desire to write. I've always had this more laid back, "Let's jump into the game and see what I get... hmm, okay, I can work with that!" Sometimes I like an idea enough that I want to do more with it, and the next time I go into game, I will have a gameplan of what I want to happen and what kind of shots I want. But I still don't have a formal outline, and I still am not planning out in advance where I want things to go, because I like to leave things open enough to allow the game a bit of input/control too. I see it as my co-author. I also never "write first, then screencap." I always go get my pictures first, and write second. Even for the short story challenges! (Granted, for those, I do have a strict idea of the story I want to tell, and often have written down some notes of several kinds of screenshots that I want; but I still take all my pictures first, carefully pick them out, and write very last. Every single time! Pretty much everyone else I know in SSC always writes their story first, and then gets screenshots. I've always felt like I'm doing it backwards because of this, but it just works for me!)
My two stories are a lot different in the style of storytelling. Cat Chronicles is meant to be laid back and episodic -- like you could just pick any random chapter and be able to read it, and you might enjoy it or get a chuckle. You wouldn't necessarily have to start from chapter one and go in order (though if you do, certain aspects may make a bit more sense). Sort of like a sitcom -- there is a bit of chronology there if you watch every week, but if you miss some episodes and just catch a random episode on TV, you could still enjoy it. It doesn't have this heavy plot and is more about capturing funny moments or relatable feelings to pet-lovers. But Yandere Diaries has more of a plot, and as I've learned a lot about writing, I've definitely come to see flaws in its style and do want to go and make a lot of improvements to it. I honestly think participating in SSC every month has really sharpened me a lot. Many of the pieces of writing I'm most proud of are short stories I have done. And those are difficult because you have to encapsulate something meaningful in such a small space, without the luxury of a full set of chapters to expound on the idea, explain the characters, provide the backstory of the world...
As for working ahead or scheduling chapters, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I'm notorious for making my readers sad pandas for having the worst schedule in the world. -_-;; Because I update so infrequently, I always feel that the second I finish something, I have to race to put it up immediately! Honestly, I wish I could get over that, so I could build up a stockpile of material. If I had a stockpile, then I'd be able to actually schedule content and release steadily and predictably... but I know, eventually, my stockpile would run out, and I'd end up right back in the same boat. -_-;;
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
Since we all started with the TS4 reboot, I am curious... how different was the TS3 version of this story? Was it pretty much the same idea/concept (did it even have the same cast?) or is the story something completely different now? As a TS3 author myself, I'm curious, what have you found the biggest differences (and perhaps the strengths and weaknesses) for having used both games as a writing medium?
Do you have a particular character that is a favorite?
Is there anything that you would consider sources of inspiration for this story (other works of literature, television shows, etc?) It seems to be such a solidly crafted romantic drama, I'm curious if you have found inspiration in other works of this particular genre?
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
And my sister collects fairies! I collect mermaids and her fairies (we are water and earth, she and I). I may have to pick her up a fairy coloring book someday to compliment the mermaid one I have. ^_^
I'm not in a huge rush so don't feel like you have to get your Sims ready immediately or anything (it'll be several chapters down the road yet at my current pacing...) but once you do have things squared away, feel free to drop me an e-mail anytime. I post it openly at the bottom of my About Me page. (And I can take Sim files as an attachment in a zip file, and you could also attach pretty example pictures on there).
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
As far as TS3 vs TS4 versions, there's a few key differences.
I really enjoy the emotional aspect of TS4. When a character is in their sad mood, or happy mood, or angry mood, they walk differently and have different interactions with other sims. I feel like this really aids in my portrayal of a character. I think I preferred TS3 as far as cosmetic details go. Robyn looked a bit more like a Greecian goddess-esque character back in TS3, Logan was a bit less awkward looking as well. However, I tend to think that their personalities best match their TS4 appearances. I also preferred how sims acted based off of their traits more. Sometimes in TS4 it almost feels like they are nonexistent. Also, characters at the beginning are the same. Logan, Robyn, Isaac, Rayven, and Jaz were all present in TS3 version. Logan's grandmother was present as well, but she was never pictured the way she is here. (Alsom my signature on here features TS3 versions of Isaac, Robyn, and Logan).
Favorite? That's a tough one. I like Logan because of how awkward he is. He's always kind of conflicted and he doesn't really think things through. Robyn is probably my least favorite out of the main 3, I think she's a bit too naive. I relate the most to Isaac's conflict than anyone else though (more on that in later chapters
I get most of how I write the characters personalities from The Great Gatsby. I loved that book because of how difficult it was to have a favorite character. They all frustrated you but, you still wanted the best for them. As far as the romance itself goes, I'm an avid fan of Romantic Comedies. This is why I actually take the pictures before I write the scripts for each chapter, I kinda view it as a miniature movie.