Guess I'm here. I forgot about this and I just remembered.
So, I hate whining and complaining so this is kinda annoying to me but I'm going to let my feelings out anyway. Instead of crying about it, I'll just lay my thoughts out.
So, I feel like I'm giving all four of my stories my all but I'm getting nowhere. And when I say giving my all I literally mean there isn't much else I can do. Sure, I could rewrite the whole chapter several times but what good would that do? I feel like I'm just on the edge of giving up every few days and it's hard to stay motivated. I am trying with every single chapter. The story itself is progressing but I'm not feeling better about the situation.
Sorry for whining here. Just need to let it out.
I feel that, with the number of stories you're writing and at a high quality, it's totally normal to be washed out and stressed. Writing a lot is great, but it's hard to stay motivated for long, and if it's a constant struggle I do think a break is a good idea.
I don't think you should force yourself to take a complete break if you keep thinking about writing anyway, so what about a semi-break? Cutting down the number of posts you make, and maybe spending extra time pursuing other relaxing activities. Maybe even writing other stories for fun, not posting purposes. I think it could help you slow down a little bit, changing the gears so they don't get worn out so easily.
I love your writing, but it's not great if you yourself aren't having fun. Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out
It's actually not the writing I'm finding hard. That's actually the easy part! It takes me probably fourty minutes at most to write a WAWRMO chapter. It's putting all my effort into it and not really knowing if it's any good or if anyone cares.
Mostly with LL. You wouldn't know but I actually started screenshotting Sunday's LL chapter at 8 in the morning having only been awake for about 20 minutes. xD I'm naturally curious what people think and when it's just silent for so long it's hard. Makes me wonder if it's actually any good or if it was worth sitting for about an hour taking all of those pics (it's a process). Especially the latest chapters that I've been working up to for a long time. I know it's supposed to be my low drama story but it kinda developed it's own. I have plenty of story to tell but it's hard to stay motivated sometimes.
Also, I only mentioned this on tumblr but the wedding chapter took about 3 days of effort because of game bugs and me putting the game down for long periods of time because I was so fed up. (That was all despite me knowing no one was likely to read the thing.) A lot of it was my sims resetting from poses, getting up from seats and generally being a pain. I believe only the first few in that chapter are actually not posed. (With the exception of the guests who I had just sit there in the background...that was a pain in itself.)
Sorry I seem to be ranting again...
On another note, I'm up for doing another pen pal thing if anyone wants. You can have pick of a list of characters. (I have a lot but you can't have any PTLT characters unless your character lives in a similar time period..)
Ah, I see. Then I'll try to express how much I like your work more often!
Lots of writers feel this way, even if we don't say it. I know I do sometimes. I have a few writing friends that feel the same. It is discouraging when people don't respond to your work, as there are two sides to a shared story- the side that writes, the side that reads. Even a little word of encouragement really goes a long way. To anyone here, lurking or otherwise- I strongly urge you to write comments, even the littlest ones, to stories you read. It doesn't have to be for every new post. It doesn't have to be for the most recent post. Just whenever you have a little time, please drop us feedback. Knowing there are people that appreciate your work is a big motivation for us to keep going.
@CathyTea I agree. However I much prefer silent readers to readers who comment with nothing pleasant to say. I'm aware it can be hard expressing how you feel in the written form and sometimes written words come out harsher than they're supposed to but please think before you comment. Once something is written, you cannot take it back.
Sorry, this wasn't directed at you CathyTea, this was just to readers in general.
I think you mean me xD
I've never had any harsh comments before. If I did, I probably would have rolled up in my bed and cried. Everyone here is so positive and caring, and I'm thankful for that.
Now this is me personally: I would be hurt by a harsh comment, yes. But I'm more hurt if I think no one is reading my writing. That I've failed to make an impact on someone. However that doesn't mean I think these comments are good, and this is not true for all writers! Please don't drop mean comments and think they will make our day! If anyone ever comments on my writing, feel free to give me honest feedback. But please, do make it constructive. Do read it over before you post.
If you do have anything positive to say- anything at all- then please comment. That's what I meant to say, really. xD
@BlackUndecimber why would you think I meant you?
No you've been fine.
Yeah, I don't mind constructive criticism either. It's just got to be done sensitively. Also, if you don't know what you find wrong with a piece, wait until you do. Otherwise it's not helpful. Again, not directed at you chalicen. Just in general. XD
@simscognito You quoted deci/chalicen (so many nicknames) when you tagged CathyTea. I think that's what @BlackUndecimber meant when saying 'I think you meant me'.
Guess I'm here. I forgot about this and I just remembered.
So, I hate whining and complaining so this is kinda annoying to me but I'm going to let my feelings out anyway. Instead of crying about it, I'll just lay my thoughts out.
So, I feel like I'm giving all four of my stories my all but I'm getting nowhere. And when I say giving my all I literally mean there isn't much else I can do. Sure, I could rewrite the whole chapter several times but what good would that do? I feel like I'm just on the edge of giving up every few days and it's hard to stay motivated. I am trying with every single chapter. The story itself is progressing but I'm not feeling better about the situation.
Sorry for whining here. Just need to let it out.
I feel that, with the number of stories you're writing and at a high quality, it's totally normal to be washed out and stressed. Writing a lot is great, but it's hard to stay motivated for long, and if it's a constant struggle I do think a break is a good idea.
I don't think you should force yourself to take a complete break if you keep thinking about writing anyway, so what about a semi-break? Cutting down the number of posts you make, and maybe spending extra time pursuing other relaxing activities. Maybe even writing other stories for fun, not posting purposes. I think it could help you slow down a little bit, changing the gears so they don't get worn out so easily.
I love your writing, but it's not great if you yourself aren't having fun. Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out
It's actually not the writing I'm finding hard. That's actually the easy part! It takes me probably fourty minutes at most to write a WAWRMO chapter. It's putting all my effort into it and not really knowing if it's any good or if anyone cares.
Mostly with LL. You wouldn't know but I actually started screenshotting Sunday's LL chapter at 8 in the morning having only been awake for about 20 minutes. xD I'm naturally curious what people think and when it's just silent for so long it's hard. Makes me wonder if it's actually any good or if it was worth sitting for about an hour taking all of those pics (it's a process). Especially the latest chapters that I've been working up to for a long time. I know it's supposed to be my low drama story but it kinda developed it's own. I have plenty of story to tell but it's hard to stay motivated sometimes.
Also, I only mentioned this on tumblr but the wedding chapter took about 3 days of effort because of game bugs and me putting the game down for long periods of time because I was so fed up. (That was all despite me knowing no one was likely to read the thing.) A lot of it was my sims resetting from poses, getting up from seats and generally being a pain. I believe only the first few in that chapter are actually not posed. (With the exception of the guests who I had just sit there in the background...that was a pain in itself.)
Sorry I seem to be ranting again...
On another note, I'm up for doing another pen pal thing if anyone wants. You can have pick of a list of characters. (I have a lot but you can't have any PTLT characters unless your character lives in a similar time period..)
Ah, I see. Then I'll try to express how much I like your work more often!
Lots of writers feel this way, even if we don't say it. I know I do sometimes. I have a few writing friends that feel the same. It is discouraging when people don't respond to your work, as there are two sides to a shared story- the side that writes, the side that reads. Even a little word of encouragement really goes a long way. To anyone here, lurking or otherwise- I strongly urge you to write comments, even the littlest ones, to stories you read. It doesn't have to be for every new post. It doesn't have to be for the most recent post. Just whenever you have a little time, please drop us feedback. Knowing there are people that appreciate your work is a big motivation for us to keep going.
@CathyTea I agree. However I much prefer silent readers to readers who comment with nothing pleasant to say. I'm aware it can be hard expressing how you feel in the written form and sometimes written words come out harsher than they're supposed to but please think before you comment. Once something is written, you cannot take it back.
Sorry, this wasn't directed at you CathyTea, this was just to readers in general.
I think you mean me xD
I've never had any harsh comments before. If I did, I probably would have rolled up in my bed and cried. Everyone here is so positive and caring, and I'm thankful for that.
Now this is me personally: I would be hurt by a harsh comment, yes. But I'm more hurt if I think no one is reading my writing. That I've failed to make an impact on someone. However that doesn't mean I think these comments are good, and this is not true for all writers! Please don't drop mean comments and think they will make our day! If anyone ever comments on my writing, feel free to give me honest feedback. But please, do make it constructive. Do read it over before you post.
If you do have anything positive to say- anything at all- then please comment. That's what I meant to say, really. xD
@BlackUndecimber why would you think I meant you?
No you've been fine.
Yeah, I don't mind constructive criticism either. It's just got to be done sensitively. Also, if you don't know what you find wrong with a piece, wait until you do. Otherwise it's not helpful. Again, not directed at you chalicen. Just in general. XD
@simscognito You quoted deci/chalicen (so many nicknames) when you tagged CathyTea. I think that's what @BlackUndecimber meant when saying 'I think you meant me'.
Hi, Cog! @simscognito It's nice to see you pop in for this! Yeah, that was Deci's thoughtful comment you were replying to...
Mine have been so rambling.
Do you folks feel like that sometimes? Like your mind just rambles in about 20 interrelated directions, but it's hard to find the center point, so you just toss it all out there?
I'm going to share my recent writing experience with the work I just finished because my experience with it is such at odd with what we've been talking about here: the desire and need for good, thoughtful, insightful feedback.
I had been feeling a sort of disconnect between my writing experience and readers with a lot of work--it's like what we've been talking about here. Wanting readers. Wanting to have that engaged feedback. And it just wasn't happening in the way I wanted.
So I went on a bit of a writing detour so that I could fall in love with the solitary aspect of writing again. Before blogging, I wrote a lot, but most of what I wrote wasn't shared, and when I did share, it was only after the work was at a point where I felt ready for feedback, and then it was only shared with trusted readers whom I knew would give me the quality and depth of feedback I wanted.
And in that experience--in the solitary aspect of the writing--I found so much joy! So much satisfaction of exploring ideas. So I wanted to recreate that type of experience even in work that I was sharing.
When I wrote "a poem a day" in April, I figured not many people would read, and I figured that the writing wouldn't really be good, but it was a challenge I wanted to take up, and I knew if I succeeded, I'd have doubled (probably) my lifetime output of poetry to that point! I had a blast. I really got immersed in the finding ways to make the prompts meaningful to me and in playing with form and image. It was so much fun! Then, I decided to follow it up with "short story a day in May"--also, figuring that no one would read. I did think the writing would be good for the short stories, because that's a form I'm experienced with and love, but I had no idea what I'd write or discover. Man, I had so much fun! I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was learning--why I didn't like the prompts, why I was able to twist them into something that actually had an ongoing structure, and how to work with an actual plot. It was so fun!
So that helped me discover the form I wanted to use in "Summer House," which I also embarked on figuring that it would be mostly unpopular and hugely satisfying to write. I actually now crave writing work that I feel no one will read because I adore the freedom that gives me!
My new favorite boy band, Boy Story (watch for them! they're going to debut next month, and they're AWESOME! They're around twelve to fourteen years old, and they look much younger, and they're simply adorable) , has this saying that their leader, Hanyu, says regarding Social Media comments: "We don't live in other people's comments." I adore this! Sometimes, when I wrote in the past, I sort of felt that my stories lived in readers' "likes" and "comments," and I hate the confining and dependent way that makes me feel as a writer.
I want to shake all shackles and write whatever I want/need to write, striving for the form, pacing, structure, images, plot-or-lack-thereof that I want and need--that the story asks for. And to do that, I have to write as if "my story doesn't live in other people's comments."
So, my last three big writing experiences helped carve out that type of freedom that I need.
---
In a way, this is different from what @BlackUndecimber and @Bugsie2016 may be talking about--because it seems like what you both are talking about are not so much reader/consumer comments and reader/co-creator or reader/colleague comments. I think we all long to be part of a community, and a community of fellow reader/writers is so awesome! When we can have readers who talk about our craft, share the joy of our experience of writing, and make thoughtful, intelligent, observant, insightful comments, then it's so rewarding!
So... I want to be in that community, too! It's hard sometimes when there are lots of other demands, because it takes time to think and express ideas. It takes time to process... But I think it's worth it!
-- -
Super nice and ironic postscript: I actually did end up with some incredibly wonderful readers with my last three writing projects, the ones I felt would be so unpopular because they were written primarily for my own writing experience. And I think that is shows that sincere readers long for that connection that happens when writers write what is meaningful to them.
---
post-postscript: Book Club is on a short hiatus, and I think that the ideas we're exploring here are worth considering as we think about what we want book club to be and how it can build the kind of writer/reader community that we all long for...
---
post-post-postscript: I know that many writers in this corner of the forums long for this type of experience and community, too.... this conversation is one that often crops up, and many writers slump into despondency because of lack of genuine and sincere comments and readers.
---
post-post-post-postscript: Thanks to all of you who have shared kind words about my writing! I appreciate you so much!
Hi, Cog! @simscognito It's nice to see you pop in for this! Yeah, that was Deci's thoughtful comment you were replying to...
Mine have been so rambling.
Do you folks feel like that sometimes? Like your mind just rambles in about 20 interrelated directions, but it's hard to find the center point, so you just toss it all out there?
I'm going to share my recent writing experience with the work I just finished because my experience with it is such at odd with what we've been talking about here: the desire and need for good, thoughtful, insightful feedback.
I had been feeling a sort of disconnect between my writing experience and readers with a lot of work--it's like what we've been talking about here. Wanting readers. Wanting to have that engaged feedback. And it just wasn't happening in the way I wanted.
So I went on a bit of a writing detour so that I could fall in love with the solitary aspect of writing again. Before blogging, I wrote a lot, but most of what I wrote wasn't shared, and when I did share, it was only after the work was at a point where I felt ready for feedback, and then it was only shared with trusted readers whom I knew would give me the quality and depth of feedback I wanted.
And in that experience--in the solitary aspect of the writing--I found so much joy! So much satisfaction of exploring ideas. So I wanted to recreate that type of experience even in work that I was sharing.
When I wrote "a poem a day" in April, I figured not many people would read, and I figured that the writing wouldn't really be good, but it was a challenge I wanted to take up, and I knew if I succeeded, I'd have doubled (probably) my lifetime output of poetry to that point! I had a blast. I really got immersed in the finding ways to make the prompts meaningful to me and in playing with form and image. It was so much fun! Then, I decided to follow it up with "short story a day in May"--also, figuring that no one would read. I did think the writing would be good for the short stories, because that's a form I'm experienced with and love, but I had no idea what I'd write or discover. Man, I had so much fun! I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was learning--why I didn't like the prompts, why I was able to twist them into something that actually had an ongoing structure, and how to work with an actual plot. It was so fun!
So that helped me discover the form I wanted to use in "Summer House," which I also embarked on figuring that it would be mostly unpopular and hugely satisfying to write. I actually now crave writing work that I feel no one will read because I adore the freedom that gives me!
My new favorite boy band, Boy Story (watch for them! they're going to debut next month, and they're AWESOME! They're around twelve to fourteen years old, and they look much younger, and they're simply adorable) , has this saying that their leader, Hanyu, says regarding Social Media comments: "We don't live in other people's comments." I adore this! Sometimes, when I wrote in the past, I sort of felt that my stories lived in readers' "likes" and "comments," and I hate the confining and dependent way that makes me feel as a writer.
I want to shake all shackles and write whatever I want/need to write, striving for the form, pacing, structure, images, plot-or-lack-thereof that I want and need--that the story asks for. And to do that, I have to write as if "my story doesn't live in other people's comments."
So, my last three big writing experiences helped carve out that type of freedom that I need.
---
In a way, this is different from what @BlackUndecimber and @Bugsie2016 may be talking about--because it seems like what you both are talking about are not so much reader/consumer comments and reader/co-creator or reader/colleague comments. I think we all long to be part of a community, and a community of fellow reader/writers is so awesome! When we can have readers who talk about our craft, share the joy of our experience of writing, and make thoughtful, intelligent, observant, insightful comments, then it's so rewarding!
So... I want to be in that community, too! It's hard sometimes when there are lots of other demands, because it takes time to think and express ideas. It takes time to process... But I think it's worth it!
-- -
Super nice and ironic postscript: I actually did end up with some incredibly wonderful readers with my last three writing projects, the ones I felt would be so unpopular because they were written primarily for my own writing experience. And I think that is shows that sincere readers long for that connection that happens when writers write what is meaningful to them.
---
post-postscript: Book Club is on a short hiatus, and I think that the ideas we're exploring here are worth considering as we think about what we want book club to be and how it can build the kind of writer/reader community that we all long for...
---
post-post-postscript: I know that many writers in this corner of the forums long for this type of experience and community, too.... this conversation is one that often crops up, and many writers slump into despondency because of lack of genuine and sincere comments and readers.
---
post-post-post-postscript: Thanks to all of you who have shared kind words about my writing! I appreciate you so much!
you know i enjoy your writing . i'm just behind because when i figure out what your writing you moved on. on the brightside i can keep up with you here in the forums.
@For_Eorzea Eorz , I meant to pop back here yesterday to respond to your last comment ! How exciting that your parents were supportive and that you've begun exploring the requirements for a career in the game industry ! That industry needs your energy and talents ! So wonderful to begin to make steps to prepare for it!
i agree with cathtea. i had read your post about your talk with your parents and you talking but it was late and i was pushing my luck having my wi fi boom box on . its so cool they support you.
This was so that if you really wanted to be sure to get feedback on a story or post, you could post it here, and someone would be sure to provide the feedback.
It doesn't take the replace of having a group of supportive readers who always loyally read as soon as a post comes out... but it's a next-best step, maybe, and maybe it helps build a group of supportive readers who, at least, will read when asked?
I did some illustrations for Little Plague. What do you folks think?
[For clarity's sake, it's Lilith and Caleb Vatore in 1897.]
I love them!! I like how the rough lines give off that antique atmosphere without sacrificing too much detail, and it's so cool to see how you imagined Lilith and Caleb back in 1897. Little Caleb is so cute!
I did some illustrations for Little Plague. What do you folks think?
[For clarity's sake, it's Lilith and Caleb Vatore in 1897.]
I love them!! I like how the rough lines give off that antique atmosphere without sacrificing too much detail, and it's so cool to see how you imagined Lilith and Caleb back in 1897. Little Caleb is so cute!
I really love them, too! They look just the way I imagine them from your story! I love how evocative your drawings are!
Thanks for the feedback, pals. I'm planning on adding a pic for most chapters, though some things are best left up to the reader's imagination and I haven't got everyone's design figured yet.
Seeing as she's been around for a long time and witnessed huge changes in the world around her, it isn't hard to imagine Lilith would want to preserve some things about the way she looked when she was alive. Thus, I draw her with bangs. And it goes without saying Caleb has always had glorious hair.
The clothes are a tad more difficult - late 1800s stuff for women is easy to find, but with children all the Internet seems to come up with is sailor shirts. I'd love to know what, say, sweaters were like back then and was there something significantly different about shirts. It'd be easier [and satisfying! I love frilly stuff!] to just add ribbons and lace to everything and call it artistic freedom, but I am hell-bent on making the world and its characters look realistic as to underline the uncanniness of the events.
[aka a perfectionist with no sense of self-preservation.]
OK, am I the only one who turns into a blubbering sad-sack when writing a particularly sad/tragic part in a story? Truthfully, it's already been written but my "Forever in Time" story is moving house from Blogger to Wordpress and I've decided to do some revisions. There's some super sad stuff, such as this post that completely chokes me up. Going back and rereading in order to snip, trim, and add makes me eralize I am truly evil and beat up on my poor characters. My point is, how many of you get emotionally involved/attached to their your characters and do you feel like a complete heel when you put them through...shall we say...devastating times?
I get kidded by another Simmer friend of mine that they should have bought stock in Kleenex because of my "Hankie Warning chapters."
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh noooo!!!! LOL!!!! That is funny.
told you i could cheer you up. . her comment from last night shows up like that too so i can't even post back. its both amusing and frustrating.
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh noooo!!!! LOL!!!! That is funny.
told you i could cheer you up. . her comment from last night shows up like that too so i can't even post back. its both amusing and frustrating.
Yes, we can always count on you for a laugh. That really is strange. I'd never heard of that happening to anyone. What's been happening to me lately is that i get messages of new followers but they're always these strange Outlook addresses. Sometime last year, it was full of spam in the pending comments section, which was super frustrating. Weird!
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh noooo!!!! LOL!!!! That is funny.
told you i could cheer you up. . her comment from last night shows up like that too so i can't even post back. its both amusing and frustrating.
Yes, we can always count on you for a laugh. That really is strange. I'd never heard of that happening to anyone. What's been happening to me lately is that i get messages of new followers but they're always these strange Outlook addresses. Sometime last year, it was full of spam in the pending comments section, which was super frustrating. Weird!
i don't know how the name changed . all the other posts say cathtea.
Oh I do, each and every time. Just thinking about the last sad chapter while reading your post made me tear up a little. That was a hard death scene to write, but particularly touching as my sim's husband's ghost helpfully showed up to mourn her passing
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason. Sometimes, though, I wonder if sometimes it's TOO much, Call me crazy but if I need some extra inspiration for something like that, i'll watch really sad videos from old soaps to put me in the mood. LOL!!
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh noooo!!!! LOL!!!! That is funny.
told you i could cheer you up. . her comment from last night shows up like that too so i can't even post back. its both amusing and frustrating.
Yes, we can always count on you for a laugh. That really is strange. I'd never heard of that happening to anyone. What's been happening to me lately is that i get messages of new followers but they're always these strange Outlook addresses. Sometime last year, it was full of spam in the pending comments section, which was super frustrating. Weird!
i don't know how the name changed . all the other posts say cathtea.
Did you fiddle with your settings at all lately? Maybe something got borked up that way, or maybe it's just Wordpress somehow borking stuff up because of a glitch somewhere in their system.
Comments
@simscognito You quoted deci/chalicen (so many nicknames) when you tagged CathyTea. I think that's what @BlackUndecimber meant when saying 'I think you meant me'.
Oh really? Sorry about that.
Mine have been so rambling.
Do you folks feel like that sometimes? Like your mind just rambles in about 20 interrelated directions, but it's hard to find the center point, so you just toss it all out there?
I'm going to share my recent writing experience with the work I just finished because my experience with it is such at odd with what we've been talking about here: the desire and need for good, thoughtful, insightful feedback.
I had been feeling a sort of disconnect between my writing experience and readers with a lot of work--it's like what we've been talking about here. Wanting readers. Wanting to have that engaged feedback. And it just wasn't happening in the way I wanted.
So I went on a bit of a writing detour so that I could fall in love with the solitary aspect of writing again. Before blogging, I wrote a lot, but most of what I wrote wasn't shared, and when I did share, it was only after the work was at a point where I felt ready for feedback, and then it was only shared with trusted readers whom I knew would give me the quality and depth of feedback I wanted.
And in that experience--in the solitary aspect of the writing--I found so much joy! So much satisfaction of exploring ideas. So I wanted to recreate that type of experience even in work that I was sharing.
When I wrote "a poem a day" in April, I figured not many people would read, and I figured that the writing wouldn't really be good, but it was a challenge I wanted to take up, and I knew if I succeeded, I'd have doubled (probably) my lifetime output of poetry to that point! I had a blast. I really got immersed in the finding ways to make the prompts meaningful to me and in playing with form and image. It was so much fun! Then, I decided to follow it up with "short story a day in May"--also, figuring that no one would read. I did think the writing would be good for the short stories, because that's a form I'm experienced with and love, but I had no idea what I'd write or discover. Man, I had so much fun! I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was learning--why I didn't like the prompts, why I was able to twist them into something that actually had an ongoing structure, and how to work with an actual plot. It was so fun!
So that helped me discover the form I wanted to use in "Summer House," which I also embarked on figuring that it would be mostly unpopular and hugely satisfying to write. I actually now crave writing work that I feel no one will read because I adore the freedom that gives me!
My new favorite boy band, Boy Story (watch for them! they're going to debut next month, and they're AWESOME! They're around twelve to fourteen years old, and they look much younger, and they're simply adorable) , has this saying that their leader, Hanyu, says regarding Social Media comments: "We don't live in other people's comments." I adore this! Sometimes, when I wrote in the past, I sort of felt that my stories lived in readers' "likes" and "comments," and I hate the confining and dependent way that makes me feel as a writer.
I want to shake all shackles and write whatever I want/need to write, striving for the form, pacing, structure, images, plot-or-lack-thereof that I want and need--that the story asks for. And to do that, I have to write as if "my story doesn't live in other people's comments."
So, my last three big writing experiences helped carve out that type of freedom that I need.
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In a way, this is different from what @BlackUndecimber and @Bugsie2016 may be talking about--because it seems like what you both are talking about are not so much reader/consumer comments and reader/co-creator or reader/colleague comments. I think we all long to be part of a community, and a community of fellow reader/writers is so awesome! When we can have readers who talk about our craft, share the joy of our experience of writing, and make thoughtful, intelligent, observant, insightful comments, then it's so rewarding!
So... I want to be in that community, too! It's hard sometimes when there are lots of other demands, because it takes time to think and express ideas. It takes time to process... But I think it's worth it!
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Super nice and ironic postscript: I actually did end up with some incredibly wonderful readers with my last three writing projects, the ones I felt would be so unpopular because they were written primarily for my own writing experience. And I think that is shows that sincere readers long for that connection that happens when writers write what is meaningful to them.
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post-postscript: Book Club is on a short hiatus, and I think that the ideas we're exploring here are worth considering as we think about what we want book club to be and how it can build the kind of writer/reader community that we all long for...
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post-post-postscript: I know that many writers in this corner of the forums long for this type of experience and community, too.... this conversation is one that often crops up, and many writers slump into despondency because of lack of genuine and sincere comments and readers.
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post-post-post-postscript: Thanks to all of you who have shared kind words about my writing! I appreciate you so much!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
you know i enjoy your writing . i'm just behind because when i figure out what your writing you moved on. on the brightside i can keep up with you here in the forums.
being you is a fun intresting adventure.
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
i agree with cathtea. i had read your post about your talk with your parents and you talking but it was late and i was pushing my luck having my wi fi boom box on . its so cool they support you.
How did it go? Are you feeling OK?
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
This was so that if you really wanted to be sure to get feedback on a story or post, you could post it here, and someone would be sure to provide the feedback.
It doesn't take the replace of having a group of supportive readers who always loyally read as soon as a post comes out... but it's a next-best step, maybe, and maybe it helps build a group of supportive readers who, at least, will read when asked?
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
I did some illustrations for Little Plague. What do you folks think?
[For clarity's sake, it's Lilith and Caleb Vatore in 1897.]
I love them!! I like how the rough lines give off that antique atmosphere without sacrificing too much detail, and it's so cool to see how you imagined Lilith and Caleb back in 1897. Little Caleb is so cute!
Winter's Alchemy | Britechester After Dark - Forum thread
I really love them, too! They look just the way I imagine them from your story!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Seeing as she's been around for a long time and witnessed huge changes in the world around her, it isn't hard to imagine Lilith would want to preserve some things about the way she looked when she was alive. Thus, I draw her with bangs. And it goes without saying Caleb has always had glorious hair.
The clothes are a tad more difficult - late 1800s stuff for women is easy to find, but with children all the Internet seems to come up with is sailor shirts. I'd love to know what, say, sweaters were like back then and was there something significantly different about shirts. It'd be easier [and satisfying! I love frilly stuff!] to just add ribbons and lace to everything and call it artistic freedom, but I am hell-bent on making the world and its characters look realistic as to underline the uncanniness of the events.
[aka a perfectionist with no sense of self-preservation.]
*sits on bench and grins a little sheepishly*
OK, am I the only one who turns into a blubbering sad-sack when writing a particularly sad/tragic part in a story? Truthfully, it's already been written but my "Forever in Time" story is moving house from Blogger to Wordpress and I've decided to do some revisions. There's some super sad stuff, such as this post that completely chokes me up.
I get kidded by another Simmer friend of mine that they should have bought stock in Kleenex because of my "Hankie Warning chapters."
This is hard, you guys, I'm telling you.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Death scenes are so hard to write in a lot of ways. I tend to go all out, so the hankie warnings are there for good reason.
But yeah, those death scenes are torture, aren't they?
i bet i can cheer you up . not only does my wordpress think cathtea is spam it changed her name to array.
Oh noooo!!!! LOL!!!! That is funny.
told you i could cheer you up. . her comment from last night shows up like that too so i can't even post back. its both amusing and frustrating.
Yes, we can always count on you for a laugh.
i don't know how the name changed . all the other posts say cathtea.
Did you fiddle with your settings at all lately? Maybe something got borked up that way, or maybe it's just Wordpress somehow borking stuff up because of a glitch somewhere in their system.