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Writing Tips.
Nikkei_Simmer
Posts: 9,427 Member
Writing a Sims 3 Story
This is aimed towards those who want to take their story-telling to the next level.
When I tackle a new Sims story, I write the story like I’m writing a fan-fiction. The simple fact is that it gets really easy to fall into the crutch of letting the images tell the tale and just describing the images.
I’ve read a lot of stories that didn’t delve deeply into the characters; that just described what their characters did that day (they ate such and such for breakfast, went to the store, painted or went to work came home, watched TV, ate dinner and went to bed).
What readers want in a juicy fan-fiction is to delve into the characters; why they did what they did - to really get into the mind of the characters.
For example; Jared Frio (a character that I hate) is a pretty one-dimensional character if you leave him the way EA has set him up. He’s a mean-spirited bully. His motivations seem pretty simple enough. He works at Hogan’s Diner as a short-order cook -a position that doesn’t require a whole lot of know-how and he goes around picking on people in the town of Sunset Valley.
But what brought him to that point? An abusive absentee father? What provoked him to be that way? Did his mom lavish attention on Connor, his younger brother, who seems to be more well-adjusted than he is? Why isn’t he more well-educated; was it rebellion against the iron dictates of his father or an abusive mother who played favorites.
Delve into the minds of your sims; not just the ones you create but the ones EA have left for your created sims to interact with. What are their motivations. What is the background that brought them to that point in life? Flesh out all your characters. What are their motivations - what drives them to be that way?
Fleshing out your characters brings the world alive -it makes your sims relatable to your readers instead of a detached. “Oh, your sim did that today, how interesting.”
Case example:
(Describing what your sim did that day)
Jared woke up that morning. It was sunny. He went to the fridge and had a quick meal of yogurt. Then he went to the market and bought (list of groceries). Along the way he ran into Gunter Goth. He hated Gunter so he insulted him and then punched his lights out. Then he went home and had lunch. After that he wanted to improve his fishing skill so he went to Pinochle pond and fished for a while. He got bored eventually and went home. It was getting late so he brushed his teeth and went to bed. That was Jared’s day off.
(A story-teller)
A bright sun peeked over the horizon, creeping its way slowly across the threshold of Jared Frio’s window in his bedroom; the rays finally reaching his covers warming them up slowly, coaxing a reluctant Jared to stir. He was never an early riser. He hated being yanked out of bed in the morning as his father used to slam open the door and roar at him to wake up. Now that Jared was an adult, he’d wake up when he was good and ready to and not a second before. It was another good ten minutes before the room was warm enough to Jared’s liking so that he could even think about removing one limb from under the covers, let alone set two feet on the floor.
I’ve taken the same amount of time on one section of Jared’s day that an event describer has taken to cover the whole day. In the “story-teller’s paragraph, I’ve described the environment, Jared’s general outlook on the world and his behavior. I’ve delved into his background on why he was reluctant to get out of bed and cemented the traits that he is obstinate and rebellious. That is refining and fleshing out a character.
That is what a story-teller does. A writer writing a story does not have the benefit of having pictures to tell a story. We have to craft those worlds we write about in our own minds before we put pen to paper. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but not when you’re telling a story. You have to be able to craft a compelling story that draws readers in with or without the benefit of having pictures.
This is aimed towards those who want to take their story-telling to the next level.
When I tackle a new Sims story, I write the story like I’m writing a fan-fiction. The simple fact is that it gets really easy to fall into the crutch of letting the images tell the tale and just describing the images.
I’ve read a lot of stories that didn’t delve deeply into the characters; that just described what their characters did that day (they ate such and such for breakfast, went to the store, painted or went to work came home, watched TV, ate dinner and went to bed).
What readers want in a juicy fan-fiction is to delve into the characters; why they did what they did - to really get into the mind of the characters.
For example; Jared Frio (a character that I hate) is a pretty one-dimensional character if you leave him the way EA has set him up. He’s a mean-spirited bully. His motivations seem pretty simple enough. He works at Hogan’s Diner as a short-order cook -a position that doesn’t require a whole lot of know-how and he goes around picking on people in the town of Sunset Valley.
But what brought him to that point? An abusive absentee father? What provoked him to be that way? Did his mom lavish attention on Connor, his younger brother, who seems to be more well-adjusted than he is? Why isn’t he more well-educated; was it rebellion against the iron dictates of his father or an abusive mother who played favorites.
Delve into the minds of your sims; not just the ones you create but the ones EA have left for your created sims to interact with. What are their motivations. What is the background that brought them to that point in life? Flesh out all your characters. What are their motivations - what drives them to be that way?
Fleshing out your characters brings the world alive -it makes your sims relatable to your readers instead of a detached. “Oh, your sim did that today, how interesting.”
Case example:
(Describing what your sim did that day)
Jared woke up that morning. It was sunny. He went to the fridge and had a quick meal of yogurt. Then he went to the market and bought (list of groceries). Along the way he ran into Gunter Goth. He hated Gunter so he insulted him and then punched his lights out. Then he went home and had lunch. After that he wanted to improve his fishing skill so he went to Pinochle pond and fished for a while. He got bored eventually and went home. It was getting late so he brushed his teeth and went to bed. That was Jared’s day off.
(A story-teller)
A bright sun peeked over the horizon, creeping its way slowly across the threshold of Jared Frio’s window in his bedroom; the rays finally reaching his covers warming them up slowly, coaxing a reluctant Jared to stir. He was never an early riser. He hated being yanked out of bed in the morning as his father used to slam open the door and roar at him to wake up. Now that Jared was an adult, he’d wake up when he was good and ready to and not a second before. It was another good ten minutes before the room was warm enough to Jared’s liking so that he could even think about removing one limb from under the covers, let alone set two feet on the floor.
I’ve taken the same amount of time on one section of Jared’s day that an event describer has taken to cover the whole day. In the “story-teller’s paragraph, I’ve described the environment, Jared’s general outlook on the world and his behavior. I’ve delved into his background on why he was reluctant to get out of bed and cemented the traits that he is obstinate and rebellious. That is refining and fleshing out a character.
That is what a story-teller does. A writer writing a story does not have the benefit of having pictures to tell a story. We have to craft those worlds we write about in our own minds before we put pen to paper. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but not when you’re telling a story. You have to be able to craft a compelling story that draws readers in with or without the benefit of having pictures.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Post edited by Nikkei_Simmer on
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For me, I feel I do better with historical pieces such as medieval stories.
Just because I feel like I belong in that time period(don't judge me XD).
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
@Nikkei_Simmer - Oh, Jared ain't so bad. He's a lot better than that Xander Clavell (the one Sim I don't like).
My Tip:
Learn about your Sim Subject, even those which you have created and then spin and/or expand upon that knowledge.
While I agree, fleshing out your Sims personality and lifestyle does make for a better story. Understanding what makes a Sim tick, in my opinion, is more easily done when the characters are your own (as in created by you). Because at this point you are the only one who knows them and their path, the reader will learn about them through the telling of their (your) story.
However, when it comes to writing stories about pre-made Sims, these are Sims who everyone who plays the game knows a little bit about and/or has some experience with. This doesn't mean their roles can't be re-written by the writer, they so totally can! The trick is in how to transition them from who they are into who you want them to be (in your story) while still remaining true to the character (Sim). So, in my opinion it is best to learn a bit of history about those Sims to better understand your subject first.
Keeping with the Jared Frio example as set forth. If you want to know what motivates Jared just read his brother Connor's bio.
"A loner by nature, about the only person that Connor Frio doesn't mind having around is his brother, Jared. After all, his brother leaves him alone to be his own person, never trying to push him or mold him the way his parents and classmates did. No, Jared doesn't mind that Connor often likes to just sit alone, reading a good book, so why would Connor want to spend time with anyone else?"
From Connor's bio you learn the Frio brothers grew up in a two-parent demanding household. It is clear from the description their parents had 'expectations' of their boys and were a bit forceful about expressing those expectations. Knowing this gives you a bit of insight into Jared's bio:
"Jared Frio isn't sure what he wants to do with his life. He knows he's good at cooking, but he just doesn't have the drive or ambition to become a great chef. He knows he's good at charming people, but he just doesn't have the desire to do more than scratch the surface of relationships. What will it take to aim him in the right direction?"
Jared's developed 'meanness' (rebellious nature) most likely comes from two points of motivation in his upbringing. The first is fighting against his parents dominating wants for his life and the second is protecting his younger brother's individuality from the forced desires of their parents (and possibly others). As far as his thoughts of self goes, he desires to become his own Sim. He knows a little bit about himself but not enough to make a dedicated decision about his life or future path. And, he will not be forced into one.
From this Jared's trait choices begin to make sense as does his behaviors. Natural Cook, Heavy Sleeper, Mean Spirited, Inappropriate, Party Animal.
Jared is the elder brother of Connor and the stronger of the two. He can take a lot of negativity and give back as good as he gets. He has had years of practice standing his ground against his parents and others. It's not so much that Jared is 'Mean', he just strongly objects to being forced into anything which he isn't certain about, this includes his relationship with Claire.
In a way, Jared's 'inappropriate meanness' is nothing more than a coping and defense mechanism when faced with authority (or the likes). According to EA, Jared finds stress relief when he is in the kitchen cooking, sleeping or partying. Now that you have a basic understanding of Jared, use what you have learned to guide his life and change his story into whatever you want it to be.
And by all means, just have fun creating and writing!