That's for the General tips @CathyTea , I really appreciate it. Once I figured out I was playing the game too fast and slowed down and zoomed in I got some great shots.
Dad thinks I should have kept it to myself about my sister's accident in early August from our next door neighbour but when they asked why we had the dogs for so long, and where my sister is?
@NyteRose, this is just my opinion- but I really do not like Tumblr as a platform at all, in large part for the harassment people will get over pretty much anything there. It's why I don't, and likely never ever will make a Simblr because I cannot stand the site nor the general toxicity of the community that I have seen and that many friends have experienced. I only follow a few Simblrs solely for the purposes of CC and pose finds. I have friends who ditched their Simblrs largely because of toxic people they were dealing with almost constantly. Many of them are largely put off getting back into the community at all because of it... I know that some people have had a great experience on Tumblr and that there are a lot of great people on there too, but I would actually advise to avoid Tumblr, to be honest. I think it'd save you a lot of un-needed hassle especially if the harassment keeps happening.
I know a couple of people have started posting Sims stuff on a social media site named Pillowfort that might be worth looking into, though I don't know much about what the community there is like. But it's another option and looks similar-ish? to Tumblr, so might be worth a look.
For tumblr I can say that I am there for almost ten years and it is easily possible to stay away from drama and toxic people, because everyone decides for themselves what shows up on their dashboard.
It's like everywhere in the internet. It's your choice where you go.
There are a lot of amazing simblrs to discover and wonderful people to meet. I have mutuals there from all over the world and we like and follow us for many years.
When you feel discouraged with your story, is it always for the same reason or does it change? And what does discourage you?
My kryptonite is the distraction and the language ^^'
Fighting distraction got easier with steady practice and language by reading and watching series and videos, also steady practice then π€
hello! - it's a bit of a shame this thread got neglected because I think it's a wonderful idea, all writers get discouraged sometimes and having a support network can be so helpful
@Lenny_Ogg I have a few reasons that I cycle through, usually to do with me thinking my actual writing style is terrible is a frequent one, along with wondering if my characters are awful or if readers aren't picking up on the central messages/purpose of the story. Totally normal stuff, but on some days I find myself a bit slammed by negative feelings.
I agree about language! Like you said, reading and consuming other media is helpful. In fact, I might even say it's essential. I don't know how I'd write if I wasn't an avid reader too - it's like homework, or learning your scales while playing an instrument.
@Lenny_Ogg ugh yes! The balance is such a fine art - I think we just have to practice and figure out what works. It's a process, and (at least for me) we're not professionals, so it's only natural that there's things that will trip us up.
I think with people understanding the messaging in your story, you have to accept that some people straight-up will not get it, and that's fine. People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others. I get comments too that make me think "hmmm.. either I've done a terrible job of explaining this or this person has lead a completely different life to me" I don't mind it mostly, I genuinely think it's cool and interesting. If anything it's made me reflect on my own behaviors and thoughts and ask myself if I'm actually a weirdo haha. I've written passages inspired by things I've done in my own life and had people say "WHAT? Why on earth would your character do this, this seems insane!!" All I can do is say.. uh, I guess maybe she is??? Maybe I am too?? I think just the odd time I feel bummed out - if more than one person agrees that something feels off then I can't help but feel like I'm just bad at explaining.
I'm certain that some of your readers get it! I haven't read your story yet, but I think if one person gets it (aka you) then there's bound to be plenty others. This is what I try to tell myself anyway. For every one comment that doesn't 'get it' for me, there's at least five that say lovely things about how deeply they've understood the characters, so I try to focus on this. Still, we all have our off days
I have a soap opera structure to my story, with multiple protagonists and the focus on each chapter is on one of them before shifting to another character in the next. That's my style and I'm sticking with it because Sim 66 is set in one specific period of time and I want to show the 1960s through the perspectives of all kinds of characters from swinging Mods, action heroes, stuck up busybodies and love struck teenagers. Speaking of which, the lowest readership figures are for one of the characters I find most fascinating to write for: 17 year old Jamie. I've read, and watched, a lot of coming of age books and films and I thought a key aspect of writing a story set in the 1960s is to experience life from the perspective of a boy on the verge of manhood in a time when there's all this free love and the shadow of being drafted and sent to Vietnam is hanging over his head. But if he's the central character of a chapter I might get 5 views whereas if the chapter is about investigative reporter Suzy, tough cop Action or swotty doctor Julia I'll get 15-20 views for them. Jamie's not a character I want to drop from the story but I don't want to be discouraged when it's his turn to feature either.
Hannah, I admit I just don't get Jude but the other characters in Lucky Girl are fully engaging and, hey, I'm still reading it despite not liking one of the main characters so don't be discouraged. If you've got the readers hooked and coming back, then that's the job done.
Always for the same reasons, but it rarely lasts long because it is what it is. If I have to pull something out of my backside to finish a chapter, then I will. If I have to end this story badly to end it at all, then I will. People don't always like magic / occult stuff. People don't like darker stories all the time. People don't always have time for longer stories, people don't always like longer stories. This story isn't one where you can rely majorly on the pictures to tell the story, so people with English as a second language get lost. It happens, all I can do is keep writing because perfection and the reboot loop rarely has a positive outcome. I've never wanted to reboot my current story, though.
My readership has dropped drastically since the story started, but it is what it is, that's the way of being a creative. On top of everything, we are all busy, tired, mentally unwell adults who don't always have time for Sims anymore. XD
People not understanding characters isn't really a big deal for me because everyone has their own outlook of a character, and outlooks can be skewed by multiple factors. Sometimes it does make me wonder if I've made a mistake when someone's outlook on someone's actions is wildly different to my intentions, but half the time it's just different people, different outlook.
'People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others.' - This. I think this is what affects it the most. And in a slightly related note, there's sometimes the outlook of 'If I wouldn't do that, then why would anyone else?'
I think those are all excellent points, @SnowBnuuy and I agree with them all. I began my story with no readers, and it was only after I had published 20 chapters that the readers came. Having a whole bunch of people discovering your story at once and seeing the stats rise dramatically can go to one's head but I've got to be realistic: I started with nothing and I'm still having fun 197 chapters later.
@Kellogg_J_Kellogg This is it. I do sometimes lose motivation with this story (usually when patches break something major and I'm forced to take a break, or when I get distracted by other games XD) but I always come back to it. If it isn't already apparent, my story is 90% wish fulfillment and 10% for the readers, so even if I lost all my readers and only had Yimi left cheering at the sidelines I'd still write the story anyway. Keeps me distracted : P
@hellohannah2
'People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others. I get comments too that make me think "hmmm.. either I've done a terrible job of explaining this or this person has lead a completely different life to me"'
What you wrote there above had me thinking the whole day ^^ and it's so true.
Change of perspective/point of view is so important and I even weave it in my story sometimes but other times I completely forget to take it into account.
I'm determined to do this more often now π€
@Kellogg_J_Kellogg your story is really something else. I love the 60s and i love how you 'showcase' the era and how much background it provides.
It's an advantage that blogspot shows the actual views (does only the author see the views?). On tumblr I just see the likes/reblogs but there are many who read the story without interacting. when I add an anonymous poll I'm always surprised how many are lurking in the shadows and maybe (the polls show me that they actually often do) have a different opinion than the followers who interact. the internet is a strange place.
My readership has dropped drastically since the story started, but it is what it is, that's the way of being a creative. On top of everything, we are all busy, tired, mentally unwell adults who don't always have time for Sims anymore. XD
People not understanding characters isn't really a big deal for me because everyone has their own outlook of a character, and outlooks can be skewed by multiple factors. Sometimes it does make me wonder if I've made a mistake when someone's outlook on someone's actions is wildly different to my intentions, but half the time it's just different people, different outlook.
@SnowBnuuy I love what you wrote about that you keep on doing your thing despite the drop. That is something I really want to keep doing for myself. And I'm glad I did so far. Since writing is a kind of therapy for me and a way to deal with things. My road. I love to have people walking this road with me but I also understand if this road ist too diffycult/crazy/ annoying for them ^^' but I would not want to walk a different road.
People not understanding characters:
Yes, I learned that too. One of my main characters, the sim I love most of all sims I ever had, is not very popular among my followers, but the annoying, mental guy - they just love him and even defend him! haha
I once worked with an actor named Paul Darrow who told me that a villain doesn't see himself as a villain; he sees himself as the hero of his own story. Consequently the hero is the villain to someone else's eyes.
I once worked with an actor named Paul Darrow who told me that a villain doesn't see himself as a villain; he sees himself as the hero of his own story. Consequently the hero is the villain to someone else's eyes.
so playing both sides. hope that makes sense sometimes i get lucky and it does other times not so much.
People don't always like magic / occult stuff. People don't like darker stories all the time. People don't always have time for longer stories, people don't always like longer stories. This story isn't one where you can rely majorly on the pictures to tell the story, so people with English as a second language get lost. It happens, all I can do is keep writing because perfection and the reboot loop rarely has a positive outcome.
Yes - I feel this too. Of course my story hasn't got magic elements, but we've touched on this in another thread previously. Some people don't want to read about slice of life/ordinary stuff and only want magic/occult and there's no way we as writers can control that. All you can do is make what you want to make and sort of hope that people come along and read it. Someone could be writing the best story in the world but if it's got too many fantasy elements or world building stuff I'll frankly struggle - my brain just doesn't absorb that stuff haha. For example I want to love Dune, but I open that book and my brain automatically shuts down in the same way it does when someone tries to explain the rules of a board game to me.
I'm also the same in that Lucky Girl is so text based, the pictures are just there to accompany the writing, and without them it'd still work. Mine also suffers from being written with dialogue in Hiberno English so it's definitely prohibitive for non native speakers. I know that, and I know it affects my engagement but I can't ever see myself changing that. I see trends through my stats where people will read chapter one and then quit, but if they stay until chapter three or four they tend to read until the end. Sometimes I think it's weird to be able to see the stats like that. If you wrote and published a physical book you'd never get those kinds of insights, like who threw your book across the room after one chapter vs who devoured it in one night. I wonder sometimes if it's good for me to even look.
I'm in a period of growth right now, happily, but it look about three months/10 chapters for almost anybody to read my story, and that's how it tends to go around here (seeing as so many people abandon their stories in the first few weeks of them - people never want to get invested in something that is likely to disappear). I wonder sometimes what'd happen if I experienced a drop in viewers, but it's encouraging to read that you'd all keep going anyway. I'd like to think I'm the same, because like @Lenny_Ogg said, it's like therapy to write. We'd all probably do it even if nobody was listening to us.
Completely agree with the villain for some/hero for others sentiment. A good villain doesn't think they're a villain anyway, they should have justified their actions to themselves. Equally each hero should be flawed - I think I'd prefer to have people vehemently dislike a character that I wish they'd like to making them one-dimensional and flat, completely perfect in every way out of anxiety about what people might think.
It's really nice to read your thoughts and to know that we all have similar experiences with this
I once worked with an actor named Paul Darrow who told me that a villain doesn't see himself as a villain; he sees himself as the hero of his own story. Consequently the hero is the villain to someone else's eyes.
'Ted, however, insists that the βtrueβ hero of the movie is in fact Johnny Lawrence, portrayed by William Zabka, echoing a popular and long-held fan theory that the true villain of βThe Karate Kidβ is in fact Daniel LaRusso, and Johnny, who was only ever trying to defend himself, was the victim of Danielβs unjustified violence. In the clip, Ted states Ralph Macchio βis NOT The Karate Kid! The Karate Kid was William Zabka, star pupil of the Cobra Kai dojo, who this monster defeated with a cheap, illegal, headkick in the most tragically haunting film ending of all time.β '
I once worked with an actor named Paul Darrow who told me that a villain doesn't see himself as a villain; he sees himself as the hero of his own story. Consequently the hero is the villain to someone else's eyes.
That's maybe one reason why I always in movies or books, try to "like" or "understand" villains and in some cases, even in SimLits, often give "bad guy" a chance ( @hellohannah2 , with Dean ) .
Usually not working for long But I try at least to see things from both points of view, good and bad.
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Cobra Kai has based six seasons around that exact premise, Lenny. One of the best bits in Season 1 is where Johnny explains the fight on the beach from his point of view.
And on the flip side Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory is the real antagonist.
With Dean in "Lucky Girl", I didn't like him then I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and then I hated him in those last few chapters.
Agreed with the villainy is more thinking you're doing the right thing moreso than knowing you're doing the wrong thing (which plenty of people IRL are like that, but when it comes to story the former is a lot more interesting.) Even though my antagonists aren't particularly ambiguous in any sense and are mostly downright awful, 90% of the time, they're doing what they think is the right thing to do. @hellohannah2 Long response incoming!
- Trouble is this is me RN, I can't get into things that don't have some kind of fantasy element and it's not even a personal taste thing, it's just my dumb brain and its dumb hyperfixation issues. : P Trouble is I joined the forum just as all the dark fantasy authors left, it's kind of sad, I miss them a lot ;-;
The thing is world building and high fantasy really aren't for everyone, and even me as someone WHO LOVES ME SOME DEEP FANTASY LORE can easily get lost. And then there are authors who are amazing worldbuilders, but they spend so much time worldbuilding that they don't actually start writing the story. And I'm like 'but you have this amazing world!' : P
'All you can do is make what you want to make and sort of hope that people come along and read it.' THIS THIS THIS. Write it and hope for the best!
Oh absolutely, like I I said to you when you brought it up on your forum about it being in a dialect of English, I wouldn't change that because I think it'd affect the authenticity of your work. Same way a lot of the ways I word things sometimes might lose readers who aren't familiar with UK slang, but I just leave it as is. Though I do bear in mind characters' nationalities and do some bits of research beforehand, since quite a lot of characters in my story aren't English. Sometimes I'll look up idioms and sayings from their countries, or things that mean a lot in their language but don't necessarily translate to English well.
Ah, a fellow sufferer of 'why do people always give up by chapter one?' I'm lucky if anyone makes it past the prologue ;-; You are ABSOLUTELY right about writing being therapy. I always need a project or I'll go mad and things will be bad without something to focus on, not to mention I use the story in some ways to deal with things that have happened or are happening or potential concerns, and to process them in an outside way. I know there are healthier ways to deal with such things than writing, but you get me. : P
Most of my 'heroic' characters are absolutely awful people in some fashion, especially the vampires, who just so happen to be a lot of people's favourites : P
Hello. I feel like this is a place where I need to hang out sometimes. I hope that's okay.
Some of you here I know from the Art of Simlit thread, or writers I follow, or readers who read my story. So much of what all of you are talking about in the most recent posts are things I struggle with too, and frequently get me down. Feeling like I'm not writing the "right" kind of story, readers not liking a character I like, or not getting what I'm saying when I write... I can really relate.
My story posts are on hiatus right now, as I try to get enough done to start posting again. I don't (and honestly can't) write in a linear fashion. For example right now, Chapter 31 is still being created, while Chapter 59 is completely done. So I have to stay way ahead of what I'm posting.
But I'm also struggling with motivation right now, for a lot of the reasons people comment on above. I love my story and my characters, but sometimes I just slide down into that awful dark pit where I feel like everything I write is so childish and pointless and everyone else is writing stories that are way better than mine. Sometimes I just can't stand anything I create. So, I'm just looking for some other writers who understand what that feels like.
On a different note, @Kellogg_J_Kellogg I absolutely love this observation:
I once worked with an actor named Paul Darrow who told me that a villain doesn't see himself as a villain; he sees himself as the hero of his own story. Consequently the hero is the villain to someone else's eyes.
That's very much how I think. And frequently how I write. And I tend to prefer conflicts in stories where both sides have a really good point.
Thanks for sharing. It's often difficult to open up about one's private thoughts in front of people you've never met in person so well done.
Please don't get despondent...SnowBnuuy and I are of the same opinion that your first audience is yourself. None of us came into Simlit with a pre-built audience, we all have to grow one over time. I'd also caution against comparing yourself with other writers. Everyone does something different and you can't read everyone else's stories either. Persevere, press on through the tough bits and don't worry if some chapters don't fizz like others.
Another unfortunate soul signing up for the Simwriters Anonymous here
(oh this isn't it? okay i'll go down the hall)
people might have bumped into me on dark alleys of this forum
but yeah I write some silly little stories here on forums
and I noticed this so I guess I'm here to share my awkward vibes now
I feel like recently I keep being plagued by fortune teller problem with my stories
where my brain is just on constant " this would be cool story" mode
but its always like not the time for it in next 10 years or so
like I be playing this baby sim while my brain is already scheming their retirement plan
and then I just feel constantly stuck in wrong time wrong story and its so very frustrating
or say I have story
but then I feel like in order for that story to make sense/have all the right characters etc
I would first have to write/play the other 10 stories
that explain to other people how on earth I arrived there
also when I finally do get there
I don't find it fun anymore cause you know it was idea 10 years ago
and now I already have new even more futuristic ideas in my head
any tips on how to stop accidentally time travelling?
also I feel like I'm finding myself stuck with nooboo additions in my stories lately
and its lowkey killing my spirits cause too many nooboos in row is just too many
but at the same time I do actually need those dang nooboos for those future plans i have so hmmph
idk man I'm just finding myself tangled in my own schemes I guess
Post edited by Simmingal on
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@Kellogg_J_Kellogg Thank you. Those are all things I tell myself, but it doesn't work so well coming from me.
@Simmingal I understand the "time traveling brain" thing. That's what happens to me too. It can be very frustrating at times. I've found that I have to write whatever is in my head regardless of whether or not I will ever actually use it. Once I've written the idea to my satisfaction, I can often jump back again to what I really need to be working on, at least for a while. Sometimes just acknowledging the idea you are having and giving it some attention can quiet it down. Have you tried just running with whatever you're thinking of, and at least getting it down as text, even if the gameplay isn't there yet?
@Kellogg_J_Kellogg Thank you. Those are all things I tell myself, but it doesn't work so well coming from me.
@Simmingal I understand the "time traveling brain" thing. That's what happens to me too. It can be very frustrating at times. I've found that I have to write whatever is in my head regardless of whether or not I will ever actually use it. Once I've written the idea to my satisfaction, I can often jump back again to what I really need to be working on, at least for a while. Sometimes just acknowledging the idea you are having and giving it some attention can quiet it down. Have you tried just running with whatever you're thinking of, and at least getting it down as text, even if the gameplay isn't there yet?
glaicier i try and write whatever is in my head too. sometimes i let them play though. probably why i have to say get off her thats not your wife so much well in the past i think i'm afraid to start this time.
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For tumblr I can say that I am there for almost ten years and it is easily possible to stay away from drama and toxic people, because everyone decides for themselves what shows up on their dashboard.
It's like everywhere in the internet. It's your choice where you go.
There are a lot of amazing simblrs to discover and wonderful people to meet. I have mutuals there from all over the world and we like and follow us for many years.
π Best of Buydebug βοΈ Short trips to the Oggiverse - Short Clips π¬ My Builds: Houses π Rooms π SciFi πΎ creatively edited Screenshots π¨
My kryptonite is the distraction and the language ^^'
Fighting distraction got easier with steady practice and language by reading and watching series and videos, also steady practice then π€
π Best of Buydebug βοΈ Short trips to the Oggiverse - Short Clips π¬ My Builds: Houses π Rooms π SciFi πΎ creatively edited Screenshots π¨
@Lenny_Ogg I have a few reasons that I cycle through, usually to do with me thinking my actual writing style is terrible is a frequent one, along with wondering if my characters are awful or if readers aren't picking up on the central messages/purpose of the story. Totally normal stuff, but on some days I find myself a bit slammed by negative feelings.
I agree about language! Like you said, reading and consuming other media is helpful. In fact, I might even say it's essential. I don't know how I'd write if I wasn't an avid reader too - it's like homework, or learning your scales while playing an instrument.
This is sometimes hard to achieve for me. Sometimes I get questions or comments that make me question me π
But the majority are silent readers and I hope some of them get it, though π©βπ»
And when I have current events that crawl way back in the story I put links to the past events that lead there to refresh the memory.
I'm walking on a thin line between pushing the story forward and times where I just focus on the characters and some fun events.
To get to know them better and show why they feel and act like they do. That's important for me too.
But I know that this distracts from the plot... I try for a balance haha
π Best of Buydebug βοΈ Short trips to the Oggiverse - Short Clips π¬ My Builds: Houses π Rooms π SciFi πΎ creatively edited Screenshots π¨
I think with people understanding the messaging in your story, you have to accept that some people straight-up will not get it, and that's fine. People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others. I get comments too that make me think "hmmm.. either I've done a terrible job of explaining this or this person has lead a completely different life to me" I don't mind it mostly, I genuinely think it's cool and interesting. If anything it's made me reflect on my own behaviors and thoughts and ask myself if I'm actually a weirdo haha. I've written passages inspired by things I've done in my own life and had people say "WHAT? Why on earth would your character do this, this seems insane!!" All I can do is say.. uh, I guess maybe she is??? Maybe I am too?? I think just the odd time I feel bummed out - if more than one person agrees that something feels off then I can't help but feel like I'm just bad at explaining.
I'm certain that some of your readers get it! I haven't read your story yet, but I think if one person gets it (aka you) then there's bound to be plenty others. This is what I try to tell myself anyway. For every one comment that doesn't 'get it' for me, there's at least five that say lovely things about how deeply they've understood the characters, so I try to focus on this. Still, we all have our off days
I have a soap opera structure to my story, with multiple protagonists and the focus on each chapter is on one of them before shifting to another character in the next. That's my style and I'm sticking with it because Sim 66 is set in one specific period of time and I want to show the 1960s through the perspectives of all kinds of characters from swinging Mods, action heroes, stuck up busybodies and love struck teenagers. Speaking of which, the lowest readership figures are for one of the characters I find most fascinating to write for: 17 year old Jamie. I've read, and watched, a lot of coming of age books and films and I thought a key aspect of writing a story set in the 1960s is to experience life from the perspective of a boy on the verge of manhood in a time when there's all this free love and the shadow of being drafted and sent to Vietnam is hanging over his head. But if he's the central character of a chapter I might get 5 views whereas if the chapter is about investigative reporter Suzy, tough cop Action or swotty doctor Julia I'll get 15-20 views for them. Jamie's not a character I want to drop from the story but I don't want to be discouraged when it's his turn to feature either.
Hannah, I admit I just don't get Jude but the other characters in Lucky Girl are fully engaging and, hey, I'm still reading it despite not liking one of the main characters so don't be discouraged. If you've got the readers hooked and coming back, then that's the job done.
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
My readership has dropped drastically since the story started, but it is what it is, that's the way of being a creative. On top of everything, we are all busy, tired, mentally unwell adults who don't always have time for Sims anymore. XD
People not understanding characters isn't really a big deal for me because everyone has their own outlook of a character, and outlooks can be skewed by multiple factors. Sometimes it does make me wonder if I've made a mistake when someone's outlook on someone's actions is wildly different to my intentions, but half the time it's just different people, different outlook.
'People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others.' - This. I think this is what affects it the most. And in a slightly related note, there's sometimes the outlook of 'If I wouldn't do that, then why would anyone else?'
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
'People always want the story to relate to their lives in some way, we all project our personal stories onto others. I get comments too that make me think "hmmm.. either I've done a terrible job of explaining this or this person has lead a completely different life to me"'
What you wrote there above had me thinking the whole day ^^ and it's so true.
Change of perspective/point of view is so important and I even weave it in my story sometimes but other times I completely forget to take it into account.
I'm determined to do this more often now π€
@Kellogg_J_Kellogg your story is really something else. I love the 60s and i love how you 'showcase' the era and how much background it provides.
It's an advantage that blogspot shows the actual views (does only the author see the views?). On tumblr I just see the likes/reblogs but there are many who read the story without interacting. when I add an anonymous poll I'm always surprised how many are lurking in the shadows and maybe (the polls show me that they actually often do) have a different opinion than the followers who interact. the internet is a strange place.
@SnowBnuuy I love what you wrote about that you keep on doing your thing despite the drop. That is something I really want to keep doing for myself. And I'm glad I did so far. Since writing is a kind of therapy for me and a way to deal with things. My road. I love to have people walking this road with me but I also understand if this road ist too diffycult/crazy/ annoying for them ^^' but I would not want to walk a different road.
People not understanding characters:
Yes, I learned that too. One of my main characters, the sim I love most of all sims I ever had, is not very popular among my followers, but the annoying, mental guy - they just love him and even defend him! haha
π Best of Buydebug βοΈ Short trips to the Oggiverse - Short Clips π¬ My Builds: Houses π Rooms π SciFi πΎ creatively edited Screenshots π¨
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
so playing both sides. hope that makes sense sometimes i get lucky and it does other times not so much.
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
Yes - I feel this too. Of course my story hasn't got magic elements, but we've touched on this in another thread previously. Some people don't want to read about slice of life/ordinary stuff and only want magic/occult and there's no way we as writers can control that. All you can do is make what you want to make and sort of hope that people come along and read it. Someone could be writing the best story in the world but if it's got too many fantasy elements or world building stuff I'll frankly struggle - my brain just doesn't absorb that stuff haha. For example I want to love Dune, but I open that book and my brain automatically shuts down in the same way it does when someone tries to explain the rules of a board game to me.
I'm also the same in that Lucky Girl is so text based, the pictures are just there to accompany the writing, and without them it'd still work. Mine also suffers from being written with dialogue in Hiberno English so it's definitely prohibitive for non native speakers. I know that, and I know it affects my engagement but I can't ever see myself changing that. I see trends through my stats where people will read chapter one and then quit, but if they stay until chapter three or four they tend to read until the end. Sometimes I think it's weird to be able to see the stats like that. If you wrote and published a physical book you'd never get those kinds of insights, like who threw your book across the room after one chapter vs who devoured it in one night. I wonder sometimes if it's good for me to even look.
I'm in a period of growth right now, happily, but it look about three months/10 chapters for almost anybody to read my story, and that's how it tends to go around here (seeing as so many people abandon their stories in the first few weeks of them - people never want to get invested in something that is likely to disappear). I wonder sometimes what'd happen if I experienced a drop in viewers, but it's encouraging to read that you'd all keep going anyway. I'd like to think I'm the same, because like @Lenny_Ogg said, it's like therapy to write. We'd all probably do it even if nobody was listening to us.
Completely agree with the villain for some/hero for others sentiment. A good villain doesn't think they're a villain anyway, they should have justified their actions to themselves. Equally each hero should be flawed - I think I'd prefer to have people vehemently dislike a character that I wish they'd like to making them one-dimensional and flat, completely perfect in every way out of anxiety about what people might think.
It's really nice to read your thoughts and to know that we all have similar experiences with this
This reminds me of the mindblowing 'The Bro Mitzvah' Episode of 'How I Met Your Mother':
'Ted, however, insists that the βtrueβ hero of the movie is in fact Johnny Lawrence, portrayed by William Zabka, echoing a popular and long-held fan theory that the true villain of βThe Karate Kidβ is in fact Daniel LaRusso, and Johnny, who was only ever trying to defend himself, was the victim of Danielβs unjustified violence. In the clip, Ted states Ralph Macchio βis NOT The Karate Kid! The Karate Kid was William Zabka, star pupil of the Cobra Kai dojo, who this monster defeated with a cheap, illegal, headkick in the most tragically haunting film ending of all time.β '
How everything changes with your point of view.
π Best of Buydebug βοΈ Short trips to the Oggiverse - Short Clips π¬ My Builds: Houses π Rooms π SciFi πΎ creatively edited Screenshots π¨
That's maybe one reason why I always in movies or books, try to "like" or "understand" villains and in some cases, even in SimLits, often give "bad guy" a chance ( @hellohannah2 , with Dean
Usually not working for long
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
And on the flip side Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory is the real antagonist.
With Dean in "Lucky Girl", I didn't like him then I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and then I hated him in those last few chapters.
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
@hellohannah2 Long response incoming!
- Trouble is this is me RN, I can't get into things that don't have some kind of fantasy element and it's not even a personal taste thing, it's just my dumb brain and its dumb hyperfixation issues. : P Trouble is I joined the forum just as all the dark fantasy authors left, it's kind of sad, I miss them a lot ;-;
The thing is world building and high fantasy really aren't for everyone, and even me as someone WHO LOVES ME SOME DEEP FANTASY LORE can easily get lost. And then there are authors who are amazing worldbuilders, but they spend so much time worldbuilding that they don't actually start writing the story. And I'm like 'but you have this amazing world!' : P
'All you can do is make what you want to make and sort of hope that people come along and read it.' THIS THIS THIS. Write it and hope for the best!
Oh absolutely, like I I said to you when you brought it up on your forum about it being in a dialect of English, I wouldn't change that because I think it'd affect the authenticity of your work. Same way a lot of the ways I word things sometimes might lose readers who aren't familiar with UK slang, but I just leave it as is. Though I do bear in mind characters' nationalities and do some bits of research beforehand, since quite a lot of characters in my story aren't English. Sometimes I'll look up idioms and sayings from their countries, or things that mean a lot in their language but don't necessarily translate to English well.
Ah, a fellow sufferer of 'why do people always give up by chapter one?' I'm lucky if anyone makes it past the prologue ;-; You are ABSOLUTELY right about writing being therapy. I always need a project or I'll go mad and things will be bad without something to focus on, not to mention I use the story in some ways to deal with things that have happened or are happening or potential concerns, and to process them in an outside way. I know there are healthier ways to deal with such things than writing, but you get me. : P
Most of my 'heroic' characters are absolutely awful people in some fashion, especially the vampires, who just so happen to be a lot of people's favourites : P
Some of you here I know from the Art of Simlit thread, or writers I follow, or readers who read my story. So much of what all of you are talking about in the most recent posts are things I struggle with too, and frequently get me down. Feeling like I'm not writing the "right" kind of story, readers not liking a character I like, or not getting what I'm saying when I write... I can really relate.
My story posts are on hiatus right now, as I try to get enough done to start posting again. I don't (and honestly can't) write in a linear fashion. For example right now, Chapter 31 is still being created, while Chapter 59 is completely done. So I have to stay way ahead of what I'm posting.
But I'm also struggling with motivation right now, for a lot of the reasons people comment on above. I love my story and my characters, but sometimes I just slide down into that awful dark pit where I feel like everything I write is so childish and pointless and everyone else is writing stories that are way better than mine. Sometimes I just can't stand anything I create. So, I'm just looking for some other writers who understand what that feels like.
On a different note, @Kellogg_J_Kellogg I absolutely love this observation: That's very much how I think. And frequently how I write. And I tend to prefer conflicts in stories where both sides have a really good point.
Please don't get despondent...SnowBnuuy and I are of the same opinion that your first audience is yourself. None of us came into Simlit with a pre-built audience, we all have to grow one over time. I'd also caution against comparing yourself with other writers. Everyone does something different and you can't read everyone else's stories either. Persevere, press on through the tough bits and don't worry if some chapters don't fizz like others.
Read Sim 66 here:https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978195/sim-66/p1
https://kelloggjkellogg.blogspot.com/2020/10/sim-66-prologue.html
(oh this isn't it?
people might have bumped into me on dark alleys of this forum
but yeah I write some silly little stories here on forums
and I noticed this so I guess I'm here to share my awkward vibes now
I feel like recently I keep being plagued by fortune teller problem with my stories
where my brain is just on constant " this would be cool story" mode
but its always like not the time for it in next 10 years or so
like I be playing this baby sim while my brain is already scheming their retirement plan
and then I just feel constantly stuck in wrong time wrong story and its so very frustrating
or say I have story
but then I feel like in order for that story to make sense/have all the right characters etc
I would first have to write/play the other 10 stories
that explain to other people how on earth I arrived there
also when I finally do get there
I don't find it fun anymore cause you know it was idea 10 years ago
and now I already have new even more futuristic ideas in my head
any tips on how to stop accidentally time travelling?
also I feel like I'm finding myself stuck with nooboo additions in my stories lately
and its lowkey killing my spirits cause too many nooboos in row is just too many
but at the same time I do actually need those dang nooboos for those future plans i have so hmmph
idk man I'm just finding myself tangled in my own schemes I guess
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@Simmingal I understand the "time traveling brain" thing. That's what happens to me too. It can be very frustrating at times. I've found that I have to write whatever is in my head regardless of whether or not I will ever actually use it. Once I've written the idea to my satisfaction, I can often jump back again to what I really need to be working on, at least for a while. Sometimes just acknowledging the idea you are having and giving it some attention can quiet it down. Have you tried just running with whatever you're thinking of, and at least getting it down as text, even if the gameplay isn't there yet?
glaicier i try and write whatever is in my head too. sometimes i let them play though. probably why i have to say get off her thats not your wife so much well in the past i think i'm afraid to start this time.