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Post by hrootbeer on Jan 8, 2011 14:23:19 GMT -5
I'm a reader more than a writer. They say admitting it is half of the cure. Do I really want to be cured, though?
I'm proud of my Sims writing, and I've credited the Sims with breathing life into my writer's soul. But honestly...I'm a writing snob...and I secretly think that Sims writing isn't really writing. Oh it's fun, and a challenge, and I'm doing a lot of what I'd do in a real novel or story. But...and here is the snob in me...I know that it's going no where beyond the Sims community.
And that's a safe, small bubble.
I had this dream when I was younger. I wanted to write novels. I thought maybe I'd write romance novels, actually. I was actually in the Fine Arts program for writing at my university with every intention of being published. But I had this other little major in teaching, which I knew I needed so that I didn't starve or live with my parents for the rest of my life. Eventually I gave up the FA degree to concentrate on the teaching. I have never written or even really started a novel.
Do I have the dream still? I don't know. Part of me says, "YES!!!!" and part of me says, "meh". I'm not exactly sure what holds me back. I mean, I used to think it was lack of creative drive and lack of time and energy. But I can't use that excuse anymore. I mean, seriously, I have finished one Sims3 legacy and have started another. I do have the creative drive and the energy and time to write.
So why am I writing for the Sims and not starting a novel? I have ideas for novels, I think. I no longer want to write romance...at least not for adults. I think I want to write teen romance fiction. SO why am I not doing it?
I'm forced to admit that maybe the reason lies in the fact that I'd rather read than write. Oh, I like writing, but on the scale of a novel, I don't think I have the stamina. I also think I like the safety of the smaller scale of writing a Sim story. I like my bubble.
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Post by hrootbeer on Jan 9, 2011 20:45:19 GMT -5
Gods, I hate the toddler years in the Sims...especially when there are multiples. Simming shouldn't be that much like real life!
My stories always seem to get dull when the characters are raising kids. I am never satisfied with what I write during these periods.
I think my latest update was garbage.
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Post by hrootbeer on Jan 10, 2011 1:01:45 GMT -5
I'm listening to my ten year old daughter crying because she can't fall asleep. I don't have answers for her except, "close your eyes." And that's not really an answer, is it?
And I think I get why I find the toddler and kid years of the Sims so excruciatingly boring.
That's the stage of life I'm in right now. And frankly, my life is boring. I can't go so far as to say I hate it, but I would really only be able to admit to at most being "decently content."
I long for the days when I had no kids and could do pretty much what I liked. Why didn't I do more back then? I could have traveled? I could have taken up sky diving? But I didn't do those things and now I really can't.
So I listen to my daughter trying not to alert me to the fact that she's having an emotional fit over being awake at almost 10pm, and I feel guilty because I have zero sympathy. And I'm reminded of when I was playing today and the twin Sim-pods were hungry, had dirty diapers and were socially ignored. I knew I should probably direct my Sim mom to take care of them, but she was occupied teaching her toddlers how to walk. So was the Sim dad. It was important that the toddlers learn to walk so that they could age up and I'd could pick their traits. So I let the infants cry. And I took a teeny, tiny bit of delight in their crying.
I must be the worst parent ever to let the babies cry. In real life that would be child abuse or at least child neglect. The thing is, I couldn't ever do the same thing to my real children no matter how much I wanted to just shut them up in their rooms and ignore them...and I did want to do that more often than I want to admit. Even now, listening to my daughter's muffled sobs, I want to go help her...and at the same time I just want to tell her to shut up and deal with it.
How can one be at once maternally concerned and resentful?
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Post by celebkiriedhel on Jan 10, 2011 1:11:41 GMT -5
The thing about the sims is that you can do anything you like. Certainly from a story point of view - torture the kids! make it interesting Then you can be glad for your RL boredom. And that you are a way better mum in RL, than your sims are. A RL friend of mine is struggling with an autistic child at the moment, you could always try to add some sort of tension like that - illness, or so on. Boredom in a story is usually a sign that there isn't enough going wrong.
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Post by hrootbeer on Jan 16, 2011 13:31:19 GMT -5
Changing generations is difficult. I never quite know when to switch perspectives. I usually do it when the next gen. hits teen years, or almost hits young adult. But I want the change to be realistic and to grow organically from the current perspective.
I'm struggling with what to do for my next generation. I am doing a challenge story, which means that each generation has objectives to follow and a purpose. I like the challenge and I like switching to different aspects of the game...it forces me to play every aspect of the game. I find that I don't get bored as easily. That being said, I'm about to switch to the music generation and I don't know how to start it off.
*Spoiler Alert--don't read if you don't want to hear my plot possibilities*
I purposely got multiples for the last generation so that I could have a family band, sort of like the Jacksons or the Osmonds. I always intended to have the kids all be into music, acting, etc. However, I got triplets instead of twins and then a set of twins. So I have five kids and there can only be 4 people in a band. So now I'm sort of stuck. Personally, if I left one kid out, that's the person I'd want to follow in the story. What better conflict than jealousy and feelings of abandonment? Or, I could make a girl group out of the triplets and play that out. If I add a 4th member, that would create its own drama and potential conflicts. I've sort of made the girls cliches, though. I did that on purpose, too. But I don't want my writing to be cliched. I would like the situations to be real even if there is that element of cliche. Still, I feel like I might have trapped myself a little.
So I don't know what exactly I'm going to do for the next generation. I don't know when to transition. I don't know whose perspective to maintain. The only thing I do know is that I want to only follow one person's perspective. I will not be changing in the middle of updates like some people do (I did it back in gen. 2, and it's ok, but I don't always like how it disrupts the story flow).
I'm sure I'll figure it out. I have at least 1 more update before I have to fully decide.
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Post by rad on Jan 18, 2011 15:40:54 GMT -5
You could have a five-piece band if you wanted (there's a mic at Around the sims 3 that builds charisma - it lives in the 'mirrors' section). The Dayes will be doing that next gen. There's also the film career as well.
Why not see how well they get on with each other and whether anyone displays something you'd find interesting to follow through in an heir?
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Post by hrootbeer on Jan 19, 2011 23:34:55 GMT -5
There's a mic at Around the Sims? Oooooh! I think I must check that out!
I think I have a good plan, though. I chatted a bit with Orangeplumbob and something she said...or maybe it was just having thought about it, I hit on an idea.
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Post by hrootbeer on Feb 10, 2011 23:27:46 GMT -5
Once again I'm having plot problems. I want to do something in my music generation that I'm not sure exactly how to pull off. I'm going to put it in the spoiler thingy, but I'd really love advice. I'm about to take away all of my main character's family support. He's going to be alone, which is going to drive him to drink, take drugs, and basically become a degenerate. I don't think I'm going to have any problem writing about his fall, but I am not certain how to set up the pictures. What sorts of images should I try to get to convey how bad he really gets?
Also, I need a way to get him out of the gutter once I push him down and rub his face in all of it's excrement. I was thinking a woman needs to save him...but that seems a bit trite. Should I do it that way anyway? After all, the legacy has to go on...but I don't want to do something that is obvious. Help?
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Post by rad on Feb 11, 2011 17:20:58 GMT -5
What about music getting him out of the gutter in some way? He could always meet a woman in connection to music.
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Post by hrootbeer on Feb 14, 2011 23:40:53 GMT -5
I'm excited. I actually feel very happy about my writing for my latest update. I am no where near where I want to take my character, but I'm getting there and more importantly I like how I'm getting there.
A teensy, tinsy, part of my brain is telling me that I shouldn't be happy with my writing, that probably it isn't as good as I think it is, but I'm able to tune that part of my brain out right now.
It's a big step. Huge.
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Post by hrootbeer on Feb 19, 2011 11:41:00 GMT -5
Hey Rad, if you read this, thank you for responding to my plea for help. I am not going to use your suggestion, but as I thought about it, I did realize another direction I could take for my character. I won't give it away, but I'm super happy with the idea and with how the story is going currently.
And that brings me to my babble for today: Writer's High.
Runners always talk about the Runner's High. I have almost experienced this, but not completely when I'm doing a 5k on my treadmill or elliptical trainer. The way they describe the feeling, though, I think I've only experienced the masturbation version and not the real O.
I think writers have something similar...or at least that's how I'm feeling when I'm writing right now. I'm bouncing with joy when I'm done with my chapters lately. I'm so pleased with the writing, the flow, the plot, the dialogue, everything. I'm totally in the zone, and I love it. I've read about writers getting in the zone with their work and not eating and barely sleeping because they just have to write. I think I'd be there if this wasn't a story about a game where I have to take pictures and insert them into the story. I could keep writing forever, I feel right now. The only thing slowing me down is the game play that I want to accompany the story.
I'm so happy that I started Sim writing. I haven't been this jazzed for a story in my head since I started teaching.
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Post by hrootbeer on Feb 28, 2011 23:46:34 GMT -5
Did you know that you can't kill a Sims baby? I didn't know that. You can't even cheat one dead in the proper sense. I wanted the grim reaper to come for the baby of my latest heir, Mickey Fields. It would have made a fabulous picture. Unfortunately, it's just not possible.
I suppose I sort of understand why they won't let you murder a baby (or a toddler...or child). While I was letting the little guy starve to death and it was crying and crying, my heart was breaking. I wanted to rescue it so badly! But I knew that for plot purposes, that child had to die. Still.
Do author's who kill children in their non-illustrated stories feel this way about killing off a baby? I wonder. Does it break their hearts or are they looking at it as just another plot point?
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Post by rad on Mar 1, 2011 10:31:32 GMT -5
You could probably kill a child using a combination of Twallan's debug enabler and master controller. In game normally the social worker comes, which is also traumatic in a different way. I've never killed a child in fiction. Right now that's a bit too close to home to think about, though I guess I will one day.
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Post by hrootbeer on Mar 1, 2011 22:06:47 GMT -5
My children dying is one of my worst nightmares. I don't think it ever goes away as a mom.
Oh, and Rad, I decided how I was going to redeem Mickey...I'm pretty much not going to. I got to thinking about it and wondering why I needed him to have a happy ending. I realized that I didn't, so unfortunately for him, he's not going to get to feel any better than he did in Chapter 7 when he married Vanessa. I think his suffering actually will make the next generation stronger.
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Post by rad on Mar 4, 2011 10:53:16 GMT -5
Oooh I like that. Brave but with those DITFTs some of the storylines require a bit of darkness and unresolved tension. Good for you.
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Post by hrootbeer on Mar 6, 2011 14:17:59 GMT -5
Oooh I like that. Brave but with those DITFTs some of the storylines require a bit of darkness and unresolved tension. Good for you. Yeah, the evil generation is just around the corner. I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish that one. However, I just posted the beginning of the family generation. It's all of Mickey's troubles told from his daughter's point of view. I decided to try something new with the style. I hope it works and doesn't throw people off. DITFT challenges are a bit tricky because you do have to change perspective so much. The other tricky part is making them new and fresh without stealing other people's ideas. I think this generation will work out. I hope so. Jeri Fields is one of the prettiest Sims I've ever had. I really like her.
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