@Ashubii
This is fascinating, that cc inspires you to build your story c:
When I read it, I was amazed every chapter, of how gorgeous all the scenes were set. It's fascinating how much is possible in this game, with the right amount of cc, creativity, and patience!
Not really story related, but where did you find all that amazing stuff?
First of all, thank you so much
I found that CC all over the place, honestly! When I need something specific my first go-to is always Lana. Everything is so organized, it really helps find what you need! Under the Themed CC link there's a Fantasy and Magical tag, where I found a lot of the stuff I use.
In the more recent chapters I've used a lot of fantastic fantasy CC from Natalia Auditore. Natalia has a patreon ( ), but usually releases the content for free later. Valhallan is another one of my go-to's!
Finally (since I know you commented on it!) all of that mermaid CC came mostly from Merman Simmer.
Besides those specific places I've found a lot of random stuff just through googling or searching on Pinterest!
Hoo boy! I have NOT been a good coffee hour host. Forgive me @Ashubii
I'm a part of the community choir and I had to be at a mandatory practice all day Saturday, with the orchestra, so I couldn't be on here doing the scheduled coffee hour. Then today was busy with church and then picking my daughter up from grandma's and socializing there so.....
Thank you for your wonderful answers Ashubii, they were a joy to read. I think you'd mentioned to be before that Ainsley was somewhat based on you and I like that.
The Vrak were super cool looking! Same with the mermaids!
I've also found myself creating new characters or situations not normally planned based off of certain CC finds.
#CCRocks!
*Do any of the rest of you have questions for the lovely author?*
If you haven't started reading yet, do it! (Link in her signature above^^^ "Entangled Among The Branches")
Here's a question for you current readers:
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
And here's another question from me Ashubii:
What challenges have you faced in writing this story, and how did you overcome them?
I always find myself faced with some kind of challenge in my writing and love to hear how other author's overcome them. It can be very inspiring.
Hoo boy! I have NOT been a good coffee hour host. Forgive me @Ashubii
I'm a part of the community choir and I had to be at a mandatory practice all day Saturday, with the orchestra, so I couldn't be on here doing the scheduled coffee hour. Then today was busy with church and then picking my daughter up from grandma's and socializing there so.....
Thank you for your wonderful answers Ashubii, they were a joy to read. I think you'd mentioned to be before that Ainsley was somewhat based on you and I like that.
The Vrak were super cool looking! Same with the mermaids!
I've also found myself creating new characters or situations not normally planned based off of certain CC finds.
#CCRocks!
*Do any of the rest of you have questions for the lovely author?*
If you haven't started reading yet, do it! (Link in her signature above^^^ "Entangled Among The Branches")
Here's a question for you current readers:
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
And here's another question from me Ashubii:
What challenges have you faced in writing this story, and how did you overcome them?
I always find myself faced with some kind of challenge in my writing and love to hear how other author's overcome them. It can be very inspiring.
no your not i'd be the worst. i read one post at a time to keep stories staraight when i read multiple posts their not in the same story cause my reader puts the newest first. i actually read the last post of jes discovering juliana without ever starting the story. i started somewhere in the middle.
@emorrill In fairness, Coffee Hour only started today-ish (tomorrow for Northern Hemisphere folks) so you're all good!
I've been absent myself, due to World Series, Dungeons & Dragons sessions, sickness and just general laziness, so I'm hoping I can get some chapters read, so I can contribute before the end of Coffee Hour!
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
The sheer amount of work that obviously goes into it! Ashubii once mentioned her photography background to me, and it really, really shows. Her screenshots are gorgeous, and I can tell how much time she spends staging things to get them perfect. Every single chapter is a visual treat (and she goes all out with the builds and cc too!).
My other favorite part (I can have more than one, right?) was meeting Ainsley in the beginning. She felt so real and lost, and I wanted to see her find her place in the world--or maybe a different one.
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
The sheer amount of work that obviously goes into it! Ashubii once mentioned her photography background to me, and it really, really shows. Her screenshots are gorgeous, and I can tell how much time she spends staging things to get them perfect. Every single chapter is a visual treat (and she goes all out with the builds and cc too!).
My other favorite part (I can have more than one, right?) was meeting Ainsley in the beginning. She felt so real and lost, and I wanted to see her find her place in the world--or maybe a different one.
Agreed! Ashubii's effort definitely shines through in all the best ways. It's always an internal battle between deciding to keep reading or stare at the pictures a bit longer
I've only finished up to & including Ch. 16 so far, and I think the scenes with B are my favourites. She's so cute and I'm so curious to figure out exactly who she is and what's been going on.
Although I have yet to have any complaints about Ainsley's dreams of Hatter
From the town's first community lot to each household and rabbit hole, watch the stories unfold... Rebuilding Appaloosa Plains Prologue & Chapters 1-18 out now!
Origin ID: Mourning-Stars | Simming since 2000
What challenges have you faced in writing this story, and how did you overcome them?
This is a great question @emorrill ! There have definitely been some challenges, but I think that's true for every story.
The first thing that comes to mind would be setting up the scenes and getting the screenshots. I always have a vision in mind of what I want to happen, but sometimes there's just not enough decent CC or the scene just doesn't come together visually. It can be really frustrating! The best way I've overcome that is by either changing up how the scene goes/looks, or sucking it up and putting to use what limited resources I have to make it work.
Besides that, writer's block is a huge challenge. There have been (and will be) plenty of moments where I am clueless on where to go next with the story. That, or no matter how I try nothing I write sounds right. Usually taking a step back and a small break helps, but so does brainstorming new ideas with someone else. @Haids5987 has been a huge help to me and is always willing to be a soundboard when I need it
Finally, I think the biggest challenge I face while writing this story is confidence in my own writing. There are moments where I feel like everything could be a million times better, but I'm just not capable of making it that way. Or I (like Ainsley) will get anxiety and worry that I'm dragging the story out too slowly and boring people. Again, talking to friends really helps overcome that worry - @Haids5987 and @LadyLobster both have helped me feel better about this in the past! I'm reminded that ultimately I write for me and if I'm having fun with it (and I am – so much fun!) then that's what matters (:
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
The sheer amount of work that obviously goes into it! Ashubii once mentioned her photography background to me, and it really, really shows. Her screenshots are gorgeous, and I can tell how much time she spends staging things to get them perfect. Every single chapter is a visual treat (and she goes all out with the builds and cc too!).
My other favorite part (I can have more than one, right?) was meeting Ainsley in the beginning. She felt so real and lost, and I wanted to see her find her place in the world--or maybe a different one.
I have to thank @Haids5987 for a lot of those builds Thank you, though You and Haids are the reason I started this story, so it means a lot knowing you've enjoyed it ~
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
The sheer amount of work that obviously goes into it! Ashubii once mentioned her photography background to me, and it really, really shows. Her screenshots are gorgeous, and I can tell how much time she spends staging things to get them perfect. Every single chapter is a visual treat (and she goes all out with the builds and cc too!).
My other favorite part (I can have more than one, right?) was meeting Ainsley in the beginning. She felt so real and lost, and I wanted to see her find her place in the world--or maybe a different one.
Agreed! Ashubii's effort definitely shines through in all the best ways. It's always an internal battle between deciding to keep reading or stare at the pictures a bit longer
I've only finished up to & including Ch. 16 so far, and I think the scenes with B are my favourites. She's so cute and I'm so curious to figure out exactly who she is and what's been going on.
Although I have yet to have any complaints about Ainsley's dreams of Hatter
That spoiler, tho
I'm actually considering doing a chapter from B's point of view sometime soon!
Thanks @Munterbacon
Start reading! This one is awesome and you don't want to miss it!
@LadyLobster I didn't know @Ashubii did photography! So now that I think about all those lovely and colorful pictures, I definitely agree with you that her talent shines through! I mean, her writing talent definitely does.
I developed an instant connection to Ainsley when I first started reading the story because I too suffer from depression. It's wonderful to watch her become the heroine in this story and I can only imagine how much it's doing for her self-esteem, in a positive way.
Also I love stories where the leading lady isn't a skinny, gorgeous, full of sex appeal woman. (Even though I do think Ainsley is gorgeous!) We need more stories like that...where it shows that greatness comes from within and not just by how look to society.
Anyhoo, I don't want to go off on a tangent there, but you get what I mean.
@Morningstar Ditto DITTO to what you said in the Spolier!
@Ashubii Oh my goodness I loved your response and helpful advice to my question! Thank you!
The best way I've overcome that is by either changing up how the scene goes/looks, or sucking it up and putting to use what limited resources I have to make it work.
^I've so done this too. And sometimes changing it up will inspire a new idea for the scene that you never would've thought of otherwise and it adds a very nice touch to the story.
The chapter with the Chess board! My goodness girl that was phenomenally done!! **bows down**
Oh yes, the dreaded Writer's Block... Taking a break is what I do too to help and it's nice that you have fellow simmers to go to as a listener when you need advice.
Finally, I think the biggest challenge I face while writing this story is confidence in my own writing. There are moments where I feel like everything could be a million times better, but I'm just not capable of making it that way. Or I (like Ainsley) will get anxiety and worry that I'm dragging the story out too slowly and boring people.
^Once again you are preaching to the choir here. We are so much alike in our way of thinking.
With certain events in Sam's story, I KNOW everything could be/sound a million times better as I feel incapable of making them that way too, but you know...the more we continue to grow as a writer, we can always revisit chapters and make them better. That's a tiny bit of comfort I find in those moments.
I'm totally ok in saying that I think you're a better writer than me. But seriously, I learn so much about writing from reading your story. Your attention to detail, and describing it, FAR exceeds mine! I just want to get on with the dialogue. It's amazing to see what some writer's strengths and weaknesses are in their stories and how a fellow reader, who is also a writer, can learn how to strengthen their weaknesses from reading it. Does that make sense?
Edit to add: Never once have I felt board reading your story! Seriously! My eyes would be glued to the screen anticipating the next part!
I'm so glad I found your story! It's been a pure JOY to read and I literally can't wait for the next chapter to come out!
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
Chapters Twenty Five and Twenty Six! A double punch of all the things I love: underwater chapters, copious CC and pose use, an entire chapter from a new PoV, lesbians, and so on.
Also, I started reading Entangled back in April/May during an intense depressive period of my life and immediately related to Ainsley being depressed and overweight (unfortunately I was in the middle of a months-long love affair with alcohol and pizza too). Her first stumbling into Rowland Den was a magical moment that felt like true escapism when I needed it the most. Though @Ashubii herself as a friend later helped with that too.
My question for Ash: how did you come to be so in love with the Alice in Wonderland story and expanded lore? What makes it so appealing for you?
@emorrill I think Ainsley is gorgeous too!! In every chapter, I'm always struck by how beautiful she is, and I love that she's an unconventional heroine.
@ emorrill I think Ainsley is gorgeous too!! In every chapter, I'm always struck by how beautiful she is, and I love that she's an unconventional heroine.
Agreed! She slays me and not just with her fighting skills (I also love her learning how to hold her own in a fight. I'm so proud!!)
Thanks @Munterbacon
Start reading! This one is awesome and you don't want to miss it!
@LadyLobster I didn't know @Ashubii did photography! So now that I think about all those lovely and colorful pictures, I definitely agree with you that her talent shines through! I mean, her writing talent definitely does.
I developed an instant connection to Ainsley when I first started reading the story because I too suffer from depression. It's wonderful to watch her become the heroine in this story and I can only imagine how much it's doing for her self-esteem, in a positive way.
Also I love stories where the leading lady isn't a skinny, gorgeous, full of sex appeal woman. (Even though I do think Ainsley is gorgeous!) We need more stories like that...where it shows that greatness comes from within and not just by how look to society.
Anyhoo, I don't want to go off on a tangent there, but you get what I mean.
@Morningstar Ditto DITTO to what you said in the Spolier!
@Ashubii Oh my goodness I loved your response and helpful advice to my question! Thank you!
The best way I've overcome that is by either changing up how the scene goes/looks, or sucking it up and putting to use what limited resources I have to make it work.
^I've so done this too. And sometimes changing it up will inspire a new idea for the scene that you never would've thought of otherwise and it adds a very nice touch to the story.
The chapter with the Chess board! My goodness girl that was phenomenally done!! **bows down**
Oh yes, the dreaded Writer's Block... Taking a break is what I do too to help and it's nice that you have fellow simmers to go to as a listener when you need advice.
Finally, I think the biggest challenge I face while writing this story is confidence in my own writing. There are moments where I feel like everything could be a million times better, but I'm just not capable of making it that way. Or I (like Ainsley) will get anxiety and worry that I'm dragging the story out too slowly and boring people.
^Once again you are preaching to the choir here. We are so much alike in our way of thinking.
With certain events in Sam's story, I KNOW everything could be/sound a million times better as I feel incapable of making them that way too, but you know...the more we continue to grow as a writer, we can always revisit chapters and make them better. That's a tiny bit of comfort I find in those moments.
I'm totally ok in saying that I think you're a better writer than me. But seriously, I learn so much about writing from reading your story. Your attention to detail, and describing it, FAR exceeds mine! I just want to get on with the dialogue. It's amazing to see what some writer's strengths and weaknesses are in their stories and how a fellow reader, who is also a writer, can learn how to strengthen their weaknesses from reading it. Does that make sense?
Edit to add: Never once have I felt board reading your story! Seriously! My eyes would be glued to the screen anticipating the next part!
I'm so glad I found your story! It's been a pure JOY to read and I literally can't wait for the next chapter to come out!
I've said it before, but you really are too sweet to me @emorrill ! I'm so glad my responses to your question had helpful advice. You're definitely right about how changing up the scene from original plans can inspire an even better seen than before - this has happened to me plenty of times! That Chessboard scene would not have been nearly as fun as it was without @Haids5987 excellent building/designing skills! She really brought that to life for me
but you know...the more we continue to grow as a writer, we can always revisit chapters and make them better. That's a tiny bit of comfort I find in those moments.
This is such a lovely thought! Thank you for sharing it, it's not something I've contemplated before, but it's so reassuring
I also do not think I'm a better writer than anyone! I'm always learning knew things from other writers as well! My boyfriend and I have discussions about this a lot. He's also a writer, but to me he writes dialogue a million times better than I do, and to him he thinks I write descriptions better than he does. So we all do have our strengths and weaknesses, and it's beautiful that we can grow from the inspiration of fellow writers
And, I just posted Chapter Thirty-One this morning!
@InfraGreen I was really hoping you'd enjoy Sylnes' chapter! I'm still considering a short side-story about those two Elves
I also had no idea you felt that way when starting Entangled (and that it helped)! I'm so glad we started talking and I hope I can continue to be of help, because I adore the heck out of you
I have to go do some things and your question is going to take some thought, so I will answer it as soon as I can It's a wonderful one and I want to do it justice with my response!
Entangled was originally planned to be a more personal project – a form of self therapy, actually. So initially Ainsley was very much based on myself. That changed, of course, after I started working on Entangled.
I felt, for the first seven or so chapters, that it very much fit this original approach--and that's what really drew me in to it, actually! I love stories that focus around healing and self-discovery...
I just went back to see when I first felt the story going in a different direction, and I realized that it was once Cat stopped showing up so much!
Where is that Cheshire Cat?
Also... this sort of leads into today's chapter!
During the dream sequence, at first I thought that Ainsley had woken up, and that we'd returned to your intention of psychological exploration and healing with this story, and then what an amazing and insidious twist to find this was the dream and the evil force found a way to penetrate her though the dream! Wow. Awesome.
So... a few questions...
1) [Don't answer this one, @Ashubii -- it's for speculation ONLY!] I wonder when the story will return to the theme of psychological wholeness and when we'll find Ainsley reconnecting with the integrity, creativity, and health that she had Before...
2) Do you think you will write and share the original story? I love the theme of us achieving integration with Before--whatever our own particular "before" is. As adults, we are all in the state of "After," and the movement and journey of finding our B, reconnecting with her, and embodying her so that we achieve unity as a person--for me, that's the ultimate story, and I will love to read it!
3) What prompted you to veer from your original intention with the project? What is it in this new direction that inspires you and that you love? (For it's very obvious that this is a rich and inspired project, written with love and enthusiasm!)
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
The screenshots. All of them. I love the colors, the staging, the faces & poses, the backgrounds, and all the effort @Ashubii puts into small details, like changing Ains' hair in that one chapter where it rained, so it looked more wet.
I couldn't say which part of the story I like the best. I loved all of it, and one chapter flows so naturally to the next one, it's hard to break it apart. I'm also a big fan of the Alice in Wonderland world, and @Ashubii has taken this to the next level, by implementing a complex story, and adding so many other mystical creatures like elves and mermaids.
My question for Ash: how did you come to be so in love with the Alice in Wonderland story and expanded lore? What makes it so appealing for you?
Alice in Wonderland has always felt like the perfect vision of an escape from reality, and I think for my entire life that's something I've longed for. As a kid the animated Disney movie was my absolute favorite, and once I read the books I was immediately obsessed. While I didn't realize them for what they were at the time, depression and anxiety have always been a struggle. When I was younger believing in such a nonsensical world and imagining the chance to escape from the real world was a big source of comfort and really kindled my imagination. So I think that's what makes me love it so much and what makes it all so appealing to me. I always thought if I had been Alice, I'd have never wanted to go back home at all!
I don't know if this answer fully describes my love for the story, but I think to narrow it down to one thing it'd be the escapism of it all. I always seem to migrate towards stories – reading and writing them – with similar themes; I even dreamed about it last night, lol
Cat is sort of everywhere and nowhere, not at all unlike the Cheshire Cat from the original Alice stories. (I actually was very inspired by the Cat from the book Coraline, who tends to show up between realms on a whim!)
I actually have plans for her to show up again, and she'll have a much bigger role later on
2) Do you think you will write and share the original story? I love the theme of us achieving integration with Before--whatever our own particular "before" is. As adults, we are all in the state of "After," and the movement and journey of finding our B, reconnecting with her, and embodying her so that we achieve unity as a person--for me, that's the ultimate story, and I will love to read it!
The original plans for Entangled were going to be so personal – more like a journal than anything – that I'm not sure if I could go back and write that at this point (I'm definitely not the same person I was then). I feel like I haven't fully abandoned the original concepts of healing and self-discovery. I'm starting to work on incorporating a bit more of growth in Ainsley specifically, though right now it may be very subtle. I do have plans for B and in particular Ainsley's connection to her, so it's possible by the end of Entangled we'll see some of what you're talking about. If I somehow fail to accomplish that, then I will consider writing a story closer to the original plans
(I also hope I answered that in a way that wasn't too confusing. I've had plans relating to this entire theme and don't want to give too much away! There's also a very high chance I'll write a sequel when this is finished!)
3) What prompted you to veer from your original intention with the project? What is it in this new direction that inspires you and that you love? (For it's very obvious that this is a rich and inspired project, written with love and enthusiasm!)
Honestly, I just wanted something with more magic and nonsense. If I had kept the story as a self-therapy journal, there would not have been a Rowland Den or a Hatter or any of that. And it's that essence of whimsy and mysticism and dreams that I truly love and am inspired by. In a way, this shift has still served me personally as a form of therapy! I think it represents who I am more-so than the original project, and that makes it much easier to put my love into it. And I do love it, so much!
Also @CathyTea Haids is without her PC until this weekend, since she just moved, so while she's been on Wordpress via mobile she might not be around on the forums
Comments
First of all, thank you so much
I found that CC all over the place, honestly! When I need something specific my first go-to is always Lana. Everything is so organized, it really helps find what you need! Under the Themed CC link there's a Fantasy and Magical tag, where I found a lot of the stuff I use.
In the more recent chapters I've used a lot of fantastic fantasy CC from Natalia Auditore. Natalia has a patreon (
Valhallan is another one of my go-to's!
Finally (since I know you commented on it!) all of that mermaid CC came mostly from Merman Simmer.
Besides those specific places I've found a lot of random stuff just through googling or searching on Pinterest!
I'm a part of the community choir and I had to be at a mandatory practice all day Saturday, with the orchestra, so I couldn't be on here doing the scheduled coffee hour. Then today was busy with church and then picking my daughter up from grandma's and socializing there so.....
Thank you for your wonderful answers Ashubii, they were a joy to read.
The Vrak were super cool looking!
I've also found myself creating new characters or situations not normally planned based off of certain CC finds.
#CCRocks!
*Do any of the rest of you have questions for the lovely author?*
If you haven't started reading yet, do it!
Here's a question for you current readers:
What is your favorite part about the story so far?
And here's another question from me Ashubii:
What challenges have you faced in writing this story, and how did you overcome them?
I always find myself faced with some kind of challenge in my writing and love to hear how other author's overcome them.
no your not i'd be the worst. i read one post at a time to keep stories staraight when i read multiple posts their not in the same story cause my reader puts the newest first. i actually read the last post of jes discovering juliana without ever starting the story. i started somewhere in the middle.
Lol!
Well I appreciate you helping me feel better about it @friendsfan367
I've been absent myself, due to World Series, Dungeons & Dragons sessions, sickness and just general laziness, so I'm hoping I can get some chapters read, so I can contribute before the end of Coffee Hour!
The sheer amount of work that obviously goes into it! Ashubii once mentioned her photography background to me, and it really, really shows. Her screenshots are gorgeous, and I can tell how much time she spends staging things to get them perfect. Every single chapter is a visual treat (and she goes all out with the builds and cc too!).
My other favorite part (I can have more than one, right?) was meeting Ainsley in the beginning. She felt so real and lost, and I wanted to see her find her place in the world--or maybe a different one.
Agreed! Ashubii's effort definitely shines through in all the best ways. It's always an internal battle between deciding to keep reading or stare at the pictures a bit longer
I've only finished up to & including Ch. 16 so far, and I think the scenes with B are my favourites. She's so cute and I'm so curious to figure out exactly who she is and what's been going on.
Rebuilding Appaloosa Plains
Prologue & Chapters 1-18 out now!
Origin ID: Mourning-Stars | Simming since 2000
This is a great question @emorrill ! There have definitely been some challenges, but I think that's true for every story.
The first thing that comes to mind would be setting up the scenes and getting the screenshots. I always have a vision in mind of what I want to happen, but sometimes there's just not enough decent CC or the scene just doesn't come together visually. It can be really frustrating! The best way I've overcome that is by either changing up how the scene goes/looks, or sucking it up and putting to use what limited resources I have to make it work.
Besides that, writer's block is a huge challenge. There have been (and will be) plenty of moments where I am clueless on where to go next with the story. That, or no matter how I try nothing I write sounds right. Usually taking a step back and a small break helps, but so does brainstorming new ideas with someone else. @Haids5987 has been a huge help to me and is always willing to be a soundboard when I need it
Finally, I think the biggest challenge I face while writing this story is confidence in my own writing. There are moments where I feel like everything could be a million times better, but I'm just not capable of making it that way. Or I (like Ainsley) will get anxiety and worry that I'm dragging the story out too slowly and boring people. Again, talking to friends really helps overcome that worry - @Haids5987 and @LadyLobster both have helped me feel better about this in the past! I'm reminded that ultimately I write for me and if I'm having fun with it (and I am – so much fun!) then that's what matters (:
I have to thank @Haids5987 for a lot of those builds
Start reading!
@LadyLobster I didn't know @Ashubii did photography!
I developed an instant connection to Ainsley when I first started reading the story because I too suffer from depression.
Also I love stories where the leading lady isn't a skinny, gorgeous, full of sex appeal woman.
Anyhoo, I don't want to go off on a tangent there, but you get what I mean.
@Morningstar Ditto DITTO to what you said in the Spolier!
@Ashubii Oh my goodness I loved your response and helpful advice to my question! Thank you!
^I've so done this too.
The chapter with the Chess board!
Oh yes, the dreaded Writer's Block...
^Once again you are preaching to the choir here.
With certain events in Sam's story, I KNOW everything could be/sound a million times better as I feel incapable of making them that way too, but you know...the more we continue to grow as a writer, we can always revisit chapters and make them better.
I'm totally ok in saying that I think you're a better writer than me.
Edit to add: Never once have I felt board reading your story! Seriously!
I'm so glad I found your story! It's been a pure JOY to read and I literally can't wait for the next chapter to come out!
Yaaaaasss.
Chapters Twenty Five and Twenty Six! A double punch of all the things I love: underwater chapters, copious CC and pose use, an entire chapter from a new PoV, lesbians, and so on.
Also, I started reading Entangled back in April/May during an intense depressive period of my life and immediately related to Ainsley being depressed and overweight (unfortunately I was in the middle of a months-long love affair with alcohol and pizza too). Her first stumbling into Rowland Den was a magical moment that felt like true escapism when I needed it the most. Though @Ashubii herself as a friend later helped with that too.
My question for Ash: how did you come to be so in love with the Alice in Wonderland story and expanded lore? What makes it so appealing for you?
outrun / blog / tunglr
Agreed! She slays me and not just with her fighting skills (I also love her learning how to hold her own in a fight. I'm so proud!!)
outrun / blog / tunglr
I've said it before, but you really are too sweet to me @emorrill ! I'm so glad my responses to your question had helpful advice. You're definitely right about how changing up the scene from original plans can inspire an even better seen than before - this has happened to me plenty of times! That Chessboard scene would not have been nearly as fun as it was without @Haids5987 excellent building/designing skills! She really brought that to life for me
This is such a lovely thought! Thank you for sharing it, it's not something I've contemplated before, but it's so reassuring
I also do not think I'm a better writer than anyone! I'm always learning knew things from other writers as well! My boyfriend and I have discussions about this a lot. He's also a writer, but to me he writes dialogue a million times better than I do, and to him he thinks I write descriptions better than he does. So we all do have our strengths and weaknesses, and it's beautiful that we can grow from the inspiration of fellow writers
And, I just posted Chapter Thirty-One this morning!
I also had no idea you felt that way when starting Entangled (and that it helped)! I'm so glad we started talking and I hope I can continue to be of help, because I adore the heck out of you
I have to go do some things and your question is going to take some thought, so I will answer it as soon as I can
@emorrill You're doing great! Fantastic questions, and I've loved your insights and enthusiasm!
Ash, you mentitoned:
I felt, for the first seven or so chapters, that it very much fit this original approach--and that's what really drew me in to it, actually! I love stories that focus around healing and self-discovery...
I just went back to see when I first felt the story going in a different direction, and I realized that it was once Cat stopped showing up so much!
Where is that Cheshire Cat?
Also... this sort of leads into today's chapter!
So... a few questions...
1) [Don't answer this one, @Ashubii -- it's for speculation ONLY!] I wonder when the story will return to the theme of psychological wholeness and when we'll find Ainsley reconnecting with the integrity, creativity, and health that she had Before...
2) Do you think you will write and share the original story? I love the theme of us achieving integration with Before--whatever our own particular "before" is. As adults, we are all in the state of "After," and the movement and journey of finding our B, reconnecting with her, and embodying her so that we achieve unity as a person--for me, that's the ultimate story, and I will love to read it!
3) What prompted you to veer from your original intention with the project? What is it in this new direction that inspires you and that you love? (For it's very obvious that this is a rich and inspired project, written with love and enthusiasm!)
ALSO! What should we say about today's chapter, @Haids5987 and @LadyLobster ?
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
The screenshots. All of them. I love the colors, the staging, the faces & poses, the backgrounds, and all the effort @Ashubii puts into small details, like changing Ains' hair in that one chapter where it rained, so it looked more wet.
I couldn't say which part of the story I like the best. I loved all of it, and one chapter flows so naturally to the next one, it's hard to break it apart. I'm also a big fan of the Alice in Wonderland world, and @Ashubii has taken this to the next level, by implementing a complex story, and adding so many other mystical creatures like elves and mermaids.
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Alice in Wonderland has always felt like the perfect vision of an escape from reality, and I think for my entire life that's something I've longed for. As a kid the animated Disney movie was my absolute favorite, and once I read the books I was immediately obsessed. While I didn't realize them for what they were at the time, depression and anxiety have always been a struggle. When I was younger believing in such a nonsensical world and imagining the chance to escape from the real world was a big source of comfort and really kindled my imagination. So I think that's what makes me love it so much and what makes it all so appealing to me. I always thought if I had been Alice, I'd have never wanted to go back home at all!
I don't know if this answer fully describes my love for the story, but I think to narrow it down to one thing it'd be the escapism of it all. I always seem to migrate towards stories – reading and writing them – with similar themes; I even dreamed about it last night, lol
Cat is sort of everywhere and nowhere, not at all unlike the Cheshire Cat from the original Alice stories. (I actually was very inspired by the Cat from the book Coraline, who tends to show up between realms on a whim!)
I actually have plans for her to show up again, and she'll have a much bigger role later on
The original plans for Entangled were going to be so personal – more like a journal than anything – that I'm not sure if I could go back and write that at this point (I'm definitely not the same person I was then). I feel like I haven't fully abandoned the original concepts of healing and self-discovery. I'm starting to work on incorporating a bit more of growth in Ainsley specifically, though right now it may be very subtle. I do have plans for B and in particular Ainsley's connection to her, so it's possible by the end of Entangled we'll see some of what you're talking about. If I somehow fail to accomplish that, then I will consider writing a story closer to the original plans
(I also hope I answered that in a way that wasn't too confusing. I've had plans relating to this entire theme and don't want to give too much away! There's also a very high chance I'll write a sequel when this is finished!)
Honestly, I just wanted something with more magic and nonsense. If I had kept the story as a self-therapy journal, there would not have been a Rowland Den or a Hatter or any of that. And it's that essence of whimsy and mysticism and dreams that I truly love and am inspired by. In a way, this shift has still served me personally as a form of therapy! I think it represents who I am more-so than the original project, and that makes it much easier to put my love into it. And I do love it, so much!
Forgive me for being so obviously new at this.
I had another question for the readers but....the darn thing just slipped my mind.
Hopefully it will come back to me.
But yeah (Edit to add) @Ashubii I miss Cat and hope to see her again soon.
I think coffee hour is all week!
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