The Freezer Bunny Club - A Reading Circle
The Freezer Bunny Club: A Reading Circle https://i.imgur.com/qBYoZ55.png Welcome to The Freezer Bunny Club! This reading circle is an open space for the members to share our stories and discuss...
Forum Discussion
I'm going to do the questions in parts again. I just got to Arc 16, so I'm ahead. You'll have something to read every day and I won't overwhelm myself because there are quite a few questions.
General Questions
I've said it before, but I love your worldbuilding. You insert so many intricate details, it feels like it's a place that actually exists. The politics, religion, mafia's, diseases, background stories. It really does feel like the Fullbright family (and everyone else) has lived a whole life before we got to read about their story. Right now, I don't have questions about the worldbuilding. Well, maybe one. How much of the supernatural elements present in the game do you use? It's clear aliens are a part of your world, but how about faries, vampires, werewolves etc.? So far, everything makes sense. You seem to have a knack for tackling questions I might have in your narrative.
The author's notes are one of my favourite aspects of your story! I love reading what your fictional terms are based on, but I mostly love it when you tell us a little about your own life and how it influenced the story. I don't know if I'd call them useful per se. I don't need them to understand the story, but I do like them. I roll with whatever you give me in the actual text.
Hm, I'm not so sure about the arcs myself. For an arc, I think about a story arc which in my mind means it's a smaller part of a bigger story. I feel like you might have too many. They could be bigger than they are right now. I don't know if arc is the right word. I can't specifically remember a cliffhanger at the end of one of first seven arcs, but I do remember that I got excited to read the next arc the following day. They do provide a nice stopping point for me.
I think you might have noticed, but my initial impression of Kass wasn't great. I don't think she starts out particularly likable. She's definitely realistic, but she wouldn't be someone I'd want to hang out with. It's the immature way of going about things she sometimes has that annoys me. Maybe I would have liked her more when I was still somewhat immature and younger, but I feel like she might fall in the 'too young for me' category at this time in my life. She does have her likable moments though. I am getting more used to her throughout the story and I can she is improving. I hope she becomes even more mature later on.
I love slice-of-life. It's my favourite genre to read. I'm nosey, so I love feeling like I'm bursting into someone's life and getting to know everything about them. Drama's and soap opera's are some of my favourite shows to watch. I feel like I never want the story to end because I get so attached to the characters. I have less of that with stories from other genres whether that be on TV or in books/simlit. I think yours differs from other slice-of-life's I have read because it includes some mysteries. I don't think I've encountered a whole lot of that before. It's a nice change of pace and it keeps me wondering what's going to happen next. I'm not majorly attached to the characters yet though, but that might still come.
You write clear prose. It's much more detailed than the way I write, but I like it. You describe people Kass sees in the café or on the street, how they look, what they're wearing. It makes for a lively and realistic story which I'm here for. Sometimes I feel like the chapters go on for a little too long, especially if there are no pictures to break it up but I've still managed to finish an arc a day so you kept me reading anyway.
The pacing was something I had to get used to. I haven't read something before that included so many chapters/parts going over a single day. I expected Kass to go to college pretty soon after starting, but that wasn't the case. I'm on arc 15 and we're on June 10th now and we started on, what, June 1st? So, it's going pretty slow but I don't mind, really. As long as the story stays interesting. I am hoping for a time skip at some point though.
Arc 1
Arc 2
General Questions
1. All my Sims stories take place in the future (with an alternative history on Earth) on another planet (Simterra). What do you think of the worldbuilding? Does everything make sense? What additional questions do you have about the world building?
I've said it before, but I love your worldbuilding. You insert so many intricate details, it feels like it's a place that actually exists. The politics, religion, mafia's, diseases, background stories. It really does feel like the Fullbright family (and everyone else) has lived a whole life before we got to read about their story. Right now, I don't have questions about the worldbuilding. Well, maybe one. How much of the supernatural elements present in the game do you use? It's clear aliens are a part of your world, but how about faries, vampires, werewolves etc.? So far, everything makes sense. You seem to have a knack for tackling questions I might have in your narrative.
I put little Author's Notes at the bottom of every chapter. Are they useful? Do you like them? Do they help clarify things from the chapter?
The author's notes are one of my favourite aspects of your story! I love reading what your fictional terms are based on, but I mostly love it when you tell us a little about your own life and how it influenced the story. I don't know if I'd call them useful per se. I don't need them to understand the story, but I do like them. I roll with whatever you give me in the actual text.
3. The chapters are broken into arcs. Is this helpful? Do you find the breaks natural? (sometimes I use cliffhangers) >:)
Hm, I'm not so sure about the arcs myself. For an arc, I think about a story arc which in my mind means it's a smaller part of a bigger story. I feel like you might have too many. They could be bigger than they are right now. I don't know if arc is the right word. I can't specifically remember a cliffhanger at the end of one of first seven arcs, but I do remember that I got excited to read the next arc the following day. They do provide a nice stopping point for me.
4. What is your initial impression of Kass, my main character/the protagonist?
I think you might have noticed, but my initial impression of Kass wasn't great. I don't think she starts out particularly likable. She's definitely realistic, but she wouldn't be someone I'd want to hang out with. It's the immature way of going about things she sometimes has that annoys me. Maybe I would have liked her more when I was still somewhat immature and younger, but I feel like she might fall in the 'too young for me' category at this time in my life. She does have her likable moments though. I am getting more used to her throughout the story and I can she is improving. I hope she becomes even more mature later on.
5. The first part of the story is most definitely slice-of-life with some elements of supernatural/fantasy and mystery thrown in. Do you like it? How is it similar or different to other slice-of-life stories you've read?
I love slice-of-life. It's my favourite genre to read. I'm nosey, so I love feeling like I'm bursting into someone's life and getting to know everything about them. Drama's and soap opera's are some of my favourite shows to watch. I feel like I never want the story to end because I get so attached to the characters. I have less of that with stories from other genres whether that be on TV or in books/simlit. I think yours differs from other slice-of-life's I have read because it includes some mysteries. I don't think I've encountered a whole lot of that before. It's a nice change of pace and it keeps me wondering what's going to happen next. I'm not majorly attached to the characters yet though, but that might still come.
6. Any thoughts on my writing style? The length of chapters? The pacing?
You write clear prose. It's much more detailed than the way I write, but I like it. You describe people Kass sees in the café or on the street, how they look, what they're wearing. It makes for a lively and realistic story which I'm here for. Sometimes I feel like the chapters go on for a little too long, especially if there are no pictures to break it up but I've still managed to finish an arc a day so you kept me reading anyway.
The pacing was something I had to get used to. I haven't read something before that included so many chapters/parts going over a single day. I expected Kass to go to college pretty soon after starting, but that wasn't the case. I'm on arc 15 and we're on June 10th now and we started on, what, June 1st? So, it's going pretty slow but I don't mind, really. As long as the story stays interesting. I am hoping for a time skip at some point though.
Arc 1
Spoiler
The prologue included some of my favourite chapters. I remember feeling an affinity for Kass' grandpa after reading her description of him and I was so excited to meet him later on. The way you formatted it into an essay was something I thought was super unique and I loved reading Kass' writing. It did provide a great introduction. It gave me a good starting point to see what Kass' had experienced up until that point and we could really take off from there. I think I asked all of my questions in the comments on your blog. Maybe this one: What was Kass like when she was little? We haven't seen them as kids very much. What did Kass like as a kid, how was her relationship with her siblings etc.? I think it'd give some good context of who Kass grew up to be.
What do you think of the Prologue (the first five chapters)? Do you feel like it gives you a good introduction to Kass, her family, and backstory? Do you have additional questions about her family/past?
The prologue included some of my favourite chapters. I remember feeling an affinity for Kass' grandpa after reading her description of him and I was so excited to meet him later on. The way you formatted it into an essay was something I thought was super unique and I loved reading Kass' writing. It did provide a great introduction. It gave me a good starting point to see what Kass' had experienced up until that point and we could really take off from there. I think I asked all of my questions in the comments on your blog. Maybe this one: What was Kass like when she was little? We haven't seen them as kids very much. What did Kass like as a kid, how was her relationship with her siblings etc.? I think it'd give some good context of who Kass grew up to be.
Arc 2
Spoiler
I'm having a hard time remembering what happened in Arc 2 and how everyone was introduced, so I'll have to go back and look.
Right. I didn't like Amy very much, because of the way she dealt with the situation where one of the sisters stole Kass' stuff. She did still seem like a real mom though. Kass seemed to love her a whole lot and care for her. Kass' relationship with Andi is my favourite, although I like Carina as a standalone character more. Carina is sassy and pessimistic which I can relate to, but I feel like Kass and Andi get along better. Carina feels more troubled than either of them.
When we meet Ayesha, it feels like Kass and her are polar opposites and have nothing in common except growing up together. I like the way they tease each other and hang out. I think a lot of people have friends they grew up with who turned out to have completely different interests. You can grow apart or stay friends and I'm glad Kass and Ayesha stayed friends (so far). We obviously saw Gage immediately get into a fight with Kass. I felt like both parties were in the wrong there. Gage could have feigned some understanding for Kass and vice versa, actually. It shows that both sides have some maturing to do and try and work on their communication skills if they want to have this long-distance friendship. Miscommunication happens more often over the phone than in real life, because you can't see someone's face. So a better communication face-to-face might a step in the right direction already. I'm not a huge fan of Gage myself, but I'm glad Kass has such a good friend in him.
What do you think of the introduction of Kass' relationship with her mom and sisters? Does it feel realistic? What about the introduction of her friends, Ayesha and Gage?
I'm having a hard time remembering what happened in Arc 2 and how everyone was introduced, so I'll have to go back and look.
Right. I didn't like Amy very much, because of the way she dealt with the situation where one of the sisters stole Kass' stuff. She did still seem like a real mom though. Kass seemed to love her a whole lot and care for her. Kass' relationship with Andi is my favourite, although I like Carina as a standalone character more. Carina is sassy and pessimistic which I can relate to, but I feel like Kass and Andi get along better. Carina feels more troubled than either of them.
When we meet Ayesha, it feels like Kass and her are polar opposites and have nothing in common except growing up together. I like the way they tease each other and hang out. I think a lot of people have friends they grew up with who turned out to have completely different interests. You can grow apart or stay friends and I'm glad Kass and Ayesha stayed friends (so far). We obviously saw Gage immediately get into a fight with Kass. I felt like both parties were in the wrong there. Gage could have feigned some understanding for Kass and vice versa, actually. It shows that both sides have some maturing to do and try and work on their communication skills if they want to have this long-distance friendship. Miscommunication happens more often over the phone than in real life, because you can't see someone's face. So a better communication face-to-face might a step in the right direction already. I'm not a huge fan of Gage myself, but I'm glad Kass has such a good friend in him.
