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Sylvan Glade Tea Party

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  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    edited September 2020
    @lone_cat
    After reading everyone's comments, I am going to hold off on explaining things in the comments unless someone directly asks for an explanation and leave more up for interpretation by the reader. I feel like I either go from revealing too much or too little and need to be more consistent.
    I actually enjoy reading the extra information that you reply to me in your comments. I don't think it's reveals too much at all. You keep it on topic to what your reader (me) am asking about or wondering aloud about. I only feel overloaded when an entire lore is attached to a simple question. Laike:
    Me: Such pretty hair color. Is your hair color auburn?
    Athena: It's ginger. A mixture of orange and red. Auburn is Ferarri red mix fire brick and burgundy. Thanks! I maintain my hair color by going to the salon 7 times a week and I always ask for Maple to do my hair. No other hairstylist does it better. I inherited my hair color from my dad. His hair color is auburn actually but it's the mixture of genes from mom that my hair color turned out lighter. I must've gotten a lot of pheomelanin from my parents.
    If you're ever worried about that. You've nothing to worry about. Your extra info is always short and sweet and not spoilery so I'd take it and see if I can find more clues with it. (But no, you're a tight ship :lol: ) So don't feel the need to withhold anything I like it that you share just enough that I can have a discussion if I want. Kinda lonely if I presented my ideas but nothing happens.

    @ThePlumbob
    I think the more confident you are in your writing the more inclined you would be to react the way this writer did. Because individual interpretation notwithstanding, I'd be likely to see a reader getting "lost" as my fault - as a failing to convey the events better on my part. Which is where I might be likely to overexplain.
    Fair enough. I'd argue that being lost is an experience in itself. I'd be okay with the idea of getting lost. Like for characters, my reader bias towards Yimi's Richard and Snuffy's Caleb is through the roof shot into outer space now but if a chapter redeems them I'm happy to reel it all in and admit that I've unfairly condemned them. (Also applause to the author for that awesome bait). For plot based like lone_cat's mysteries, I like that I go "whuuuuut?" at a grand reveal and then leaf through the previous chapters to find the hints. Then be all "Aww that was awesome. I need to be more perceptive next time." So yeah. Readers getting frustrated imo isn't a bad thing. :lol: But yeah, that's just what I think and how I'd react. May not apply for others.
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    edited September 2020
    @mercuryfoam
    Fair enough. I'd argue that being lost is an experience in itself. I'd be okay with the idea of getting lost. Like for characters, my reader bias towards Yimi's Richard and Snuffy's Caleb is through the roof shot into outer space now but if a chapter redeems them I'm happy to reel it all in and admit that I've unfairly condemned them. (Also applause to the author for that awesome bait). For plot based like lone_cat's mysteries, I like that I go "whuuuuut?" at a grand reveal and then leaf through the previous chapters to find the hints. Then be all "Aww that was awesome. I need to be more perceptive next time." So yeah. Readers getting frustrated imo isn't a bad thing. :lol: But yeah, that's just what I think and how I'd react. May not apply for others.
    Oh definitely, I'm not arguing against anything you said above, I agree with all of that :) Sometimes getting lost is indeed the point :)
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    edited September 2020
    Happy Friday guys! Since nobody seems to be volunteering any serious topics at the minute, I'm here with a silly one: Good old round of Snog, Marry or Kill for the characters in everyone's stories. Because I'm mature like that. Or maybe I just want to give everyone a chance to kill Morgyn, haha.

    Right, I'll go first, in alphabetical order:

    Almost Eternal
    Snog: Faith. Especially after seeing those artbreeder pictures, she's gorgeous :love:
    Marry: Um... ok this is a bit of a struggle. Not sure which one of these maniacs I want to get bound to for life :D Melinda, probably.
    Kill: Will. I hate his guts. But he's a side character so that's probably a wimpy answer. If it had to be one of the main 5, then April. She's been especially annoying lately.

    Between 2 Worlds
    Snog: Curtis. Considering how much I go on about him being perfect in every way, I know I'm probably expected to say he'd be my choice for Marry. But he is the crown prince of the underworld, so maybe that wouldn't be a sensible idea.
    Marry: Kian. He'd make me laugh.
    Kill: Errm.. The Scorcher? That's definitely a wimpy answer. Could say Masato but he's such a complex, fascinating character, so that would be a shame. So let's go with Trevor.

    Supernatural Misadventures
    Snog: Spoiler if you're not fully faught up:
    Luke. Even in his current condition, might add some flavour, haha. He still has that charming confidence.
    Hang on, I forgot about Willa. Although that could be a kiss of death. Probably not worth it. I'll still go with Luke.
    Marry: This is kind of risky, given how little we know about him, but I'll say Ian. He seems like a deep, kind and sensitive person... if it turns out he does indeed have some sketchy skeletons in the closet, I'l file for a divorce :D
    Kill: Oh this is hard, everyone in Supernatural Misadventures is really likeable. Err... Spoiler for season 1:
    the author? I'm not even fully convinced on him, though.
    If I come up with a non-wimpy answer for this one, I'll let you know.

    Takes of Camelot
    Snog: Honestly, the cast here is so attractive there's not many people that would be a no-go :D But top contenders would be Morgana or Lancelot. Both, if that's an option o:) If I only had to pick one, then Morgana.
    Marry: This is the easiest out of all of them, Arthur, hands down. And not for his political power or his pretty face. He's such a lovely, wholesome, well-rounded guy with his heart in the right place. Gah.
    Kill: Uther. Which will come as a shock to no one haha.
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    edited September 2020
    Ermagewd I love this! Great choice, @ThePlumbob . I approve, yes yes, much approved :love: I wonder how many of us will end up choosing the same characters… *fingers crossed*
    Whoa, Morgana trumps Lancelot in the snog department? That’s unexpected. I was so sure you’d go with Lancelot all the way! :D Haha, I wonder if Arthur’s last chapter swayed your opinion on the marry list. And oof, so little love for Uther. Why ever would that be? xD

    Okay, my turn!

    Almost Eternal
    Snog: Faith, though I’m feeling guilty about it as I write it. XD
    Marry: I’m probably insane, but Lilith. I really like her in the story so far. Mind probing and all.
    Kill: April, though the kid doesn’t deserve it. She’s just a supercharged version of a toddling brat. Or Man Bun… but Will doesn’t really deserve death, either. Maybe I’m too soft. xD (and Sandy of course, but the woman is already dead.)

    Between Two Worlds
    Snog: Kirino. I’ve been completely enamoured with her since her first appearance in the story, haha.
    Marry: Grim. Not even a contest. I adore the guy and his wily, eloquent ways. Sure, he’s a grim reaper and you probably can’t cuddle with those, but darn it, I like the guy! xD
    Kill: Oof, there’s so many eligible people for this spot, I can’t make up my mind. I hate Masato with a passion, so probably him.

    Blackwell Chronicles
    Snog: Micah. And I’m basing this solely on looks and that whole hot brooding thing he’s got going on for himself. XD
    Marry: Dandy. Fight me.
    Kill: Verena, actually. Morgyn is a pompous, self-aggrandizing plum and L Faba deserves to fall into a very veeeeery muddy ditch somewhere, but between the three of them, Verena is the real threat, haha. Even though I adore her villainous ways.

    Supernatural Misadventures
    Snog: I’m not caught up yet here, so this is a bit harder, but Ian’s partner from the first season.
    Marry: Hailey herself, I think. Things never get boring with her around – she’s got a knack of finding strangeness. Or strangeness finds her. The result is the same. XD
    Kill: The author. Hands-down. *angry grumbling in the background*
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  • SnuffyBucketSnuffyBucket Posts: 569 Member
    Between Two Worlds
    Snog: Eva. But only when she's making that face.
    Marry: Curtis. Think I'd make a good criminal bride.
    Kill: Masato. Sorry, can't stand the dude.

    Blackwell Chronicles
    Snog: Micah. But only when he's in his batman onesie.
    Marry: Morgyn. You're stuck with someone forever now, you potato. Oho, and you think you're a heartbreaker. >:):D
    Kill: Verena. She gives me the creeps.

    Supernatural Misadventures
    Snog: Vern. I dunno why. To shut her up for a minute?
    Marry: Hailey. It would be a wonderful marriage of dark, awkward hilarity and I would certainly always win at poker.
    Kill: Ian. Just because I have to pick someone and like him least.

    Tales of Camelot
    Snog: Morgana. Dem lips, those eyes...
    Marry: Arthur. He seems such a sweetheart. I'd probably destroy him, but ah well.
    Kill: Uther. Obviously. If he doesn't get a clean sweep I'll be very surprised.
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    Almost Eternal
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    @_sims_Yimi
    Like I said, too many attractive people in your story! :mrgreen:
    Well, I've already thought of this as a possible topic a c ouple days ago, so I've had time to think about it lol. So nope, today's chapter did not sway me more towards Arthur, I was already swayed. Definitely made me solid in my decision, though :) And Uther can hardly be a shock hahaha.
    Marry: I’m probably insane, but Lilith. I really like her in the story so far. Mind probing and all.
    Wow, you are brave! :D
    Snog: Kirino. I’ve been completely enamoured with her since her first appearance in the story, haha.
    Oh yes, she'd be a close second for me too :)

    Your BC responses are not a huge surprise haha. Well, apart from Verena. You'd kill that poor sweet little girl? Monster :D
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    @SnuffyBucket
    Oh look, our answers for ToC are identical!

    LMAO even I would not marry Morgyn and I'm like their number one groupie :D Bold choice!
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    edited September 2020
    Woah... This.... Woaaaah...! I'm lost for words. This is too fun! :D

    Almost Eternal
    Snog: Faith. I'm kinda liking everyone loving her, but also not liking it because I have to take a number :bawling:
    Marry: ...... Melinda's.. adoptive parents? :sweat_smile: Mel then.
    Kill: Caleb. He's actually not so bad in the recent chapters. But if I had to pick one out of the main cast, he bags the win. :)

    Blackwell Chronicles
    Snog: Micah. (Verena triumphs Micah for me actually, but I'll need to get an age up potion for obvious reasons)
    Marry: Dandy! <3<3<3
    Kill: Morgyn.

    Supernatural Misadventures
    Snog: Vern. *How you doin?* Luke Actually, I think he'll annoy me.
    Marry: Ian. Or Barnes if he weren't gay :lol:
    Kill: Wow this is actually hard. You're right they're all pretty awesome characters :( . Uh..
    Nancy? :lol:

    Takes of Camelot
    Snog: Ooof... Merlin or Sarah. Arrrgh.. I can't pick. Ok I don't have abs, so Merlin. :lol:
    Marry: Morgana. No contest.
    Kill: Used to be Uther. But Richard, you're dead in my eyes. >:)


  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    @mercuryfoam
    Nope. Dandy is mine. Fight me. :D

    Also this:
    Ok I don't have abs, so Merlin. :lol:
    Made me laugh so much. XD
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  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    @_sims_Yimi
    What do you say to a 3-way marriage? Otherwise...
    Bring it on, SISTA. *warcry* B)>:)
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    @mercuryfoam
    Hol'up. Hol'up.
    I'd get to marry Dandy AND you?

    Right! I changed my mind. Let's go find a priest.
    J6AKQqX.jpg
    Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
  • SnuffyBucketSnuffyBucket Posts: 569 Member
    @ThePlumbob
    Snog: Faith. Especially after seeing those artbreeder pictures, she's gorgeous :love:
    Marry: Um... ok this is a bit of a struggle. Not sure which one of these maniacs I want to get bound to for life :D Melinda, probably.
    Kill: Will. I hate his guts. But he's a side character so that's probably a wimpy answer. If it had to be one of the main 5, then April. She's been especially annoying lately.
    I think you only asked this question so you could tell me again how much you hate Will, right? ;)

    @_Sims_Yimi
    Snog: Faith, though I’m feeling guilty about it as I write it. XD
    Marry: I’m probably insane, but Lilith. I really like her in the story so far. Mind probing and all.
    Kill: April, though the kid doesn’t deserve it. She’s just a supercharged version of a toddling brat. Or Man Bun… but Will doesn’t really deserve death, either. Maybe I’m too soft. xD (and Sandy of course, but the woman is already dead.)
    You should feel guilty. Poor Faith; always bedded, never wedded. You are too soft; I mean most of my cast is already dead so it's sort of a non-question really. ;)

    @MercuryFoam
    Snog: Faith. I'm kinda liking everyone loving her, but also not liking it because I have to take a number :bawling:
    Marry: ...... Melinda's.. adoptive parents? :sweat_smile: Mel then.
    Kill: Caleb. He's actually not so bad in the recent chapters. But if I had to pick one out of the main cast, he bags the win. :)
    Take a number? Sheesh... the girl stands on a street corner once and this is the reaction? :o Melinda's parents? Yes, I mean who wouldn't want to be Mrs. Chuck Bucket, right? It's OK, choose Caleb, he'd choose himself. :'(
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    Almost Eternal
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    edited September 2020
    @_sims_Yimi & @mercuryfoam
    Hol'up. Hol'up.
    I'd get to marry Dandy AND you?

    Right! I changed my mind. Let's go find a priest.
    ROFL You guys crack me up :joy::joy::joy:

    I guess I can officiate :D If Dandy agrees to all this, that is, obvs. He'd probably make L Faba his Best Man, err, Woman, though, so you'd have that to look forward to.

  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    ThePlumbob wrote: »
    @_sims_Yimi & @mercuryfoam
    Hol'up. Hol'up.
    I'd get to marry Dandy AND you?

    Right! I changed my mind. Let's go find a priest.
    ROFL You guys crack me up :joy::joy::joy:

    I guess I can officiate :D If Dandy agrees to all this, tht is, obvs. He'd probably make L Faba his Best Man, err, Woman, though, so you'd have that to look forward to.
    @mercuryfoam, I vote we marry Plumbob, too.
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    Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    _sims_Yimi wrote: »
    ThePlumbob wrote: »
    @_sims_Yimi & @mercuryfoam
    Hol'up. Hol'up.
    I'd get to marry Dandy AND you?

    Right! I changed my mind. Let's go find a priest.
    ROFL You guys crack me up :joy::joy::joy:

    I guess I can officiate :D If Dandy agrees to all this, tht is, obvs. He'd probably make L Faba his Best Man, err, Woman, though, so you'd have that to look forward to.
    @mercuryfoam, I vote we marry Plumbob, too.
    But... then I couldn't officiate! Also, I'd never marry Dandy, I feel like his mother <3
  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    edited September 2020
    @_sims_Yimi, @ThePlumbob
    _sims_Yimi wrote: »
    @mercuryfoam
    Hol'up. Hol'up.
    I'd get to marry Dandy AND you?

    Right! I changed my mind. Let's go find a priest.
    *grins like a plum* :love:
    _sims_Yimi wrote: »
    I vote we marry Plumbob, too.
    *nosebleeds and faints*
    ThePlumbob wrote: »
    But... then I couldn't officiate! Also, I'd never marry Dandy, I feel like his mother <3
    Still one big happy family.

    Phew.. OKAY. I need some air. :astonished::lol:

    EDIT: lol I got censored.
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    ThePlumbob wrote: »
    But... then I couldn't officiate! Also, I'd never marry Dandy, I feel like his mother <3
    Still one big happy family.

    Phew.. OKAY. I need some air. :astonished::lol:

    EDIT: lol I got censored.


    Yup! or you can just marry two out of three. Problem solved! Also, I’ve decided. Between snog, marry and kill, I’ll marry everyone here. It’ll be like collect-them-all, sim edition. I have a huge writer’s crush on you lot, anyway.
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  • mercuryfoammercuryfoam Posts: 1,156 Member
    @MercuryFoam
    Snog: Faith. I'm kinda liking everyone loving her, but also not liking it because I have to take a number :bawling:
    Marry: ...... Melinda's.. adoptive parents? :sweat_smile: Mel then.
    Kill: Caleb. He's actually not so bad in the recent chapters. But if I had to pick one out of the main cast, he bags the win. :)
    Take a number? Sheesh... the girl stands on a street corner once and this is the reaction? :o Melinda's parents? Yes, I mean who wouldn't want to be Mrs. Chuck Bucket, right? It's OK, choose Caleb, he'd choose himself. :'(
    I just read your update. Now Faith'scomment makes sense. Eek! :lol:
    But Mel's Parents make strange food! I want to try orange and blue stuff. :joy: Every day is an adventure (if I don't keel over first)
    Kay. I'm gonna go tear Will to pieces in your comments now. Looks like someone else besides Caleb is worthier of my toys. >:)
  • SnuffyBucketSnuffyBucket Posts: 569 Member
    @MercuryFoam
    I just read your update. Now Faith's comment makes sense. Eek! :lol:
    But Mel's Parents make strange food! I want to try orange and blue stuff. :joy: Every day is an adventure (if I don't keel over first)
    Kay. I'm gonna go tear Will to pieces in your comments now. Looks like someone else besides Caleb is worthier of my toys. >:)
    You want blue lasagne? Even though it made Faith vomit purple for a week? :D Yay! New hate interest for Foamy, can't wait! * Prepares for beating *

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    Almost Eternal
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    edited September 2020
    Yup! or you can just marry two out of three. Problem solved! Also, I’ve decided. Between snog, marry and kill, I’ll marry everyone here. It’ll be like collect-them-all, sim edition. I have a huge writer’s crush on you lot, anyway.
    Yay, megamarriage! <3 Tricky living arrangements, mind. We'd have to borrow a wing of that palace that Yanzi lives in or something :D
  • lone_catlone_cat Posts: 417 Member
    Ah, I'm not on the forums for a couple of days and the place is a party. :D

    My answers will probably be similar to what everyone else said, and indecisive. I wimped out on the kill part because even evil characters are sometimes just too awesome to kill. I'm also behind on everyone's stories for the week, so this might change once I'm caught up.

    Almost Eternal
    Snog: Faith, she's hot, but it looks like there's a line forming for her. She needs to open up a kissing booth. I'll also say April, just because Caleb won't.
    Marry: This one's a toss-up between Lilith and Mel. Lilith is smart, a doctor, and attractive, so I could definitely get on the marriage train. Although the mind-reading would be kinda weird. Mel is a sweetheart, and she likes cats. We could be crazy cat-ladies together. :D
    Kill: Will or the evil vampire lurking in the shadows.

    Between 2 Worlds
    Snog: Kirino, I always thought she was stunning. Curtis would come in second, and the only reason I don't consider him marriage material is because of his crime underground past.
    Marry: Kian, he is a good-natured guy, with a good sense of humor.
    Kill: This is hard, I would say Scorcher, but he's already dead. I like Masato too much, even though his motives are questionable. So I guess I'll go with Trevor.

    Blackwell Chronicles
    Snog: Micah, he makes getting out of a coffin in his skivvies look good.
    Marry: Cordelia because she's a lost soul that needs some love and someone needs to keep her away from Morgyn after Dandy gets married off to Foamy and Yimi.
    Kill: This is hard, I would say Verena, but I love her as a villain. So maybe Alba? This makes me feel like a cruel person because she was blind and homeless. On the other hand, she seems a little too unpredictable. I like L Faba and Morgyn for how complicated they are, so not prepared to see them gone just yet. I'm so indecisive, lol.

    Tales of Camelot
    Snog:There are way too many good looking characters to choose from, lol. Lancelot, Morgana, Arthur, Sarah, Merlin, I can't decide. I'd be happy with any of them.
    Marry: Merlin, Gawain or Muiri. All of them are kind-hearted souls, and Gawain loves animals, which I find very endearing. I suppose I could add Arthur or Morgana, but I wouldn't want to be part of the nobility, too many court politics. I'd be happy being a druid with Muiri or Merlin. :D
    Kill: Richard, he's pure evil.

    I was going to do individual quotes for everyone's comments on Supernatural Misadventures, but that got too complicated for my technology-challenged brain and it's been a long week. So I'm just going to do a summary.
    Snog: Three votes for Vern, and spoilers for story 2
    one and a partial vote for Luke, and one vote for Willa.

    I'm glad Luke is still attractive in his current state and Willa is hot, but the whole dead, vampire thing kind of gets in the way.
    Maybe some snogging would be good for Vern, help her not be so angry, lol.

    Marry: Two votes for Ian, two for Hailey, and one for Barnes (if only he had eyes for the ladies :p ).
    Haha, I find it interesting that my main love interests have votes divided between them. My lips are sealed about Ian being a good marriage candidate or not. I'm leaving that up for interpretation. ;)

    Kill: Two votes for the author (he's done some pretty questionable things). One vote for Ian (I'm finding that Ian is a pretty divisive character, either people like him or they don't). One vote for a spoiler for Story 2.
    Nancy. Aww Nancy, but she's been through a rough time with losing her son and all. :D
  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    @lone_cat
    Marry: Cordelia because she's a lost soul that needs some love and someone needs to keep her away from Morgyn after Dandy gets married off to Foamy and Yimi.
    That is so thoughtful and sweet and hilarious at the same time! Yes, you keep Cordelia right in case Morgyn tries to cheat on Snuffy :D
    So maybe Alba? This makes me feel like a cruel person because she was blind and homeless. On the other hand, she seems a little too unpredictable.
    Don't feel cruel. She was blind and homeless, but that was centuries ago. Can't play that card forever. She is not the nicest of people, that's for sure.
    Marry: Two votes for Ian, two for Hailey, and one for Barnes (if only he had eyes for the ladies :p ).
    Haha, I find it interesting that my main love interests have votes divided between them. My lips are sealed about Ian being a good marriage candidate or not. I'm leaving that up for interpretation. ;)
    I did consider Barnes too, but indeed the fact he's not into women would be a problem :D And I do love Hailey, but then I want to be the clumsy dork in the relationship. Though I'm not sure if marrying Ian would solve that for me haha.
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    Right! Hi, guys. It’s 10 minutes before work starts and I cannot for the life of me find the motivation, so I have a topic I want to throw in the group. Specifically, the concept of “Killing your Darlings”.

    There’s plenty of explanations online for those who have never heard of it, but for a short summary: it’s the act of getting rid of unneeded storylines, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentences or descriptions in your writing. Especially if it’s a bit of writing that you’re very passionate/enthusiastic about, or have worked very hard to bring into existence. Often it’s the bits that you are the most proud of, and also the bits that your readers sometimes can’t connect with. It might be an inspirational quote from a character that readers don’t understand. Or a super-detailed description of a structure, or culture, or magic phenomenon, or a bit of world building - something that you loved making, but that has no direct influence on the story and your readers might dislike, skim or even skip entirely.
    Experienced writers often give the advice that you need to “kill” these “darlings” and leave them on the cutting room floor in order to improve the story for your readers.

    So my question is: What do you think about this advice? Have you used the concept of “killing your darlings” in your writing before? If so, what did you remove (if you can answer that without spoilers)?
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  • ThePlumbobThePlumbob Posts: 4,971 Member
    edited September 2020
    Let's see... I have heard about killing your darlings before, though more so in relation to streamlining/making sure that the plot doesn't get too convoluted more so than because readers don't connect with it.

    Generally speaking, I don't really do this. Kind of. I do try to make sure that everything I include does either move the plot, develop the characters or build on lore, though you can justify most things with one of the three, and sometimes I do fail on that front anyway - which is mostly to do with simlit being a "live" process. By which I mean, if this was a book, once I got to the end I probably would go and cut some of the bits to tidy it up a little, but since I don't fully know what the end will look like yet, that's not really possible. (I doubt the season 1 ending I have in mind will change at this point, but the way I get to it might differ slightly from what I thought at the start, for instance).

    In any case, I try to account for that in the planning process rather than with something I've already put work into. I don't think I'd ever cut an entire chapter I already wrote, for instance. Probably (hello, flaky Plumbob). I have dialogue I wrote that I didn't use, but that's not because I was trying to kill my darlings, it was simply because I often get character conversations popping up in my head way ahead of "their" time, but by the time I get to the the conversation, the tone might not be right for them to discuss it so I go with the flow.

    For example - Spoilers for the last two chapters I've published (38 & 39):
    There was another subject Morgyn and Micah were supposed to discuss during their date, but the conversation took a different turn and it didn't make sense. Or in the latest chapter, my original plan was for Cordelia to say more about how she got her scar, but when I got there it didn't seem like something she would really reveal to Micah. Things like that.

    But that's more to do with flow than anything. What might qualify a bit more as what you're describing - the other day somebody that's currently reading the earlier chapters asked how Darrel and Emilia ended up together (not tagging this as spoiler given that they're a premade couple anyway). I do have some headcannon for that, but I don't think it would ever make sense to include in the story. So maybe that's more along those lines, but then again, calling Darrel and Emilia my darlings would be a bit of a stretch. It's also something that's only in my head, not something I actually have written up.

    I think if it was a matter of something I was particularly enthusiastic/passionate about, I would definitely include it regardless of whether I think my readers will care or not. a) I mostly write for myself and b) I am terrible at predicting who and what my readers will connect with, so if I went by that alone, I doubt my assumptions would be right anyway.

    I do often have issues with dripping in lore that exists in my head, has some relevance but does not make sense in the context of what's happening, i.e. the characters are unlikely to suddenly burst into a presentation on a particular subject. But I think that's slightly different from what you mean, because it actually is stuff that is relevant in the context of the story, I just can't find good places to shove it in.

    So, to sum up... I think about the flow a lot, about the readers not so much (sorry), and if I have a whim, I usually try to find a way to make it happen (I am a little bit Morgyn that way, heh).
  • _sims_Yimi_sims_Yimi Posts: 1,747 Member
    edited September 2020
    @ThePlumbob
    Generally speaking, I don't really do this. Kind of. I do try to make sure that everything I include does either move the plot, develop the characters or build on lore, though you can justify most things with one of the three, and sometimes I do fail on that front anyway - which is mostly to do with simlit being a "live" process. By which I mean, if this was a book, once I got to the end I probably would go and cut some of the bits to tidy it up a little, but since I don't fully know what the end will look like yet, that's not really possible. (I doubt the season 1 ending I have in mind will change at this point, but the way I get to it might differ slightly from what I thought at the start, for instance).

    That’s a good perspective! It’s true that it’s a lot harder to do in Simlit, since it’s an ongoing process and you can’t really change anything after you publish it let alone predict the exact route to the ending. Well, I suppose you can, but you’re going to end up confusing your audience if you change the story halfway.

    I do leave a lot of things on the cutting room floor, although as you say most of it is because of story flow and moving the plot along. I do sometimes struggle with altering ideas based on how I think my audience might interpret it. It’s often concepts that I was very enthusiastic about when initially thinking of it. But if it doesn’t fit, or I think it may upset readers, then I have a tendency of either toning it down or outright removing it.
    I actually came very close to doing that with Morgana’s kid chapters. They’re one of the darkest parts of the story, and I remember being very worried about whether or not I’d overdone it. In hindsight, I’m actually glad I didn’t “kill” the idea and went with what I wanted to do instead.
    So, to sum up... I think about the flow a lot, about the readers not so much (sorry), and if I have a whim, I usually try to find a way to make it happen (I am a little bit Morgyn that way, heh).
    Like Morgyn, hm? xD But yeah, I get what you mean. Maybe it’s a bit less relevant in simlit than in an actual novel =) I came across an article about it today and was wondering what kind of thoughts you guys had about it. :mrgreen:
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