The Kindness Bench for SimLit Writers - For All Games!
What is a kindness bench?
Kindness benches are inspired by the Buddy Bench movement which is in practice in many schools. With Buddy Benches, children who need someone to play with or talk to at lunch sit on the bench, and then others come around to ask them to play and offer friendship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QdFeQQHRSQ
With the Kindness Bench for Writers and Storytellers, we provide a thread where writers can go when they're feeling discouraged, frustrated, or in need of a shot of inspiration and encouragement.
With writer's block, game glitches, drops in readership, plot complications, and more, it's easy to become temporarily discouraged when writing. The Kindness Bench offers a way to get back on track so that you're writing again and inspired by the value of your stories.
We invite all Simming writers, bloggers, and storytellers to stop by when they can use some friendly encouragement, and when they've got some friendly encouragement to share with other writers and storytellers.
We welcome writers using any and all versions of Sims!
On another site, I did and to a short extent, still do, have a bit of social anxiety. I joined this awesome thing, and there were several active members, kinda close knit. True, I'd messaged one or two people, but didn't quite find a place yet. One day, I finally ended up so lonely that I messaged somebody, and they became one of my best friends. That happened twice, and I can't imagine what would've happened if I hadn't met them.
I read several people's stories, but don't quite have anybody that I really talk to on here. I also get the nobody likes my stuff feeling, but I remind myself it takes time, but other times I just run out of inspiration.
Yeah, it's ok. It's really not been as bad on this site as the other one, and I guess it's because more people share my interests here lol (just a guess though)
@SeaDragonSong I get that feeling that nobody likes my work as well. It can be frustrating when you want to share something you're proud of yet no feedback. I love to create things and I'll still do what I love even if its for myself :) I'd like to check out your work if you have a link and want feedback. This goes for everyone else as well. Here is a link to my sims work if you're interested www.simcraft81.blogspot.com
"Simcraft81;14919302" wrote: @SeaDragonSong I get that feeling that nobody likes my work as well. It can be frustrating when you want to share something you're proud of yet no feedback. I love to create things and I'll still do what I love even if its for myself :) I'd like to check out your work if you have a link and want feedback. This goes for everyone else as well. Here is a link to my sims work if you're interested www.simcraft81.blogspot.com
Ok, my current story is linked in my signature. :) TY!
"SeaDragonSong;14919229" wrote: Yeah, it's ok. It's really not been as bad on this site as the other one, and I guess it's because more people share my interests here lol (just a guess though)
You should hang out with us in the Writer's lounge... if you do already I'm sorry. I recognize your avi from commenting on someone's thread, A2A maybe? But I don't remember seeing you there. It's a great group.
"MedleyMisty;14919434" wrote: Have you guys joined one of the reading circles? I think they're a great way to get to know people while getting and giving feedback.
Yes the reading circles are great. I'm in the Speed Readers Circle. I'd also suggest a reading buddy (or two depending on how many stories you have) someone you can show your work you're concerned about before it's published.
"MedleyMisty;14918743" wrote: @CathyTea *hugs, many hugs* Thank you, very much a lot.
I took that test you linked a couple pages ago, and it said that my purpose for being creative was to help and to create positive change and that sort of thing
So telling me "Just write for yourself and it shouldn't matter if anyone ever responds" isn't helpful, because I don't write for myself. I need to feel like what I write has some purpose and point outside of myself.
And the only skill I have 10 points in is writing, so that's the only thing I have to give. So it's important to me that it be a worthy present, that there is some point in giving it.
Actually my next highest skill would be photography, at maybe a 4 or 5, and then after that I'm lucky if I can scrounge up 2 points in any of the other skills, lol.
Is this the part you mean, about the darkness and its longing for the human?
I tell the hedges many things. I tell them about the human, about the walks we took together. I tell them about fishing the human out of the deep blue, and what that took from me. I tell them about the human’s one skin, and all the universes it holds inside itself.
I slip through the shadows of the hedgemouths, but they do not move. The maze does not answer.
I arrive at an end of the hedges. The leaves rustle as a breeze blows through.
I thought the human would be here, at the end. I thought that if I made it through the maze I would see the human again, but there’s only a tree and a rock and high stone walls.
I step out of the shadows and into the light, and the light burns and burns, and I scream for the human. I scream and scream and it burns and I run the burning into the tree, over and over, and finally the tree is burning too and it is screaming and I am screaming and we are at an edge, but this is not the end.
The breeze picks up embers from our burning. It carries them to the hedges. The teethleaves begin to blacken and curl in on themselves.
I scream, “Where is the human? Where is it?!”
The blackened hedgemouths open and close, open and close, but only smoke comes out.
The maze does not answer.
Probably not. You said begins. *searches through earlier chapters*
Anyway, what you said really does mean a lot. Thank you.
*squints at the excerpt*
I used too much alliteration in that line with all the sl and sh sounds, didn't I? Makes it too obvious. But I do need the repetition of the imagery of the hedgemouths, and how they have teethleaves that are quite sharp.
Edited it and took out one of the sl words, but left both the sh words. That'll work for now, I guess.
Nope, it didn't. Took out the second sh word too.
@ValoisFulcanelli I like that story. It's how like when I pick up the worms that I see that are still alive on the sidewalk and move them.
It gets to me sometimes though that you can't control how open someone else is to the beauty you create. Not as much as it used to, because I've learned a lot about humans and how their tastes and prejudices and attitudes are formed. Still though, it does kind of hurt knowing how many people will never even give my work a chance.
*squints some more at the excerpt*
Well, I guess it doesn't matter, because what I write is not beautiful or good.
Hiyeee! :) (I'm all smiley today..)
It's here, where we first start realizing that the darkness is capable of relating to the human and wishing for what might actually be a friendship (which I just realized, thematically, is so very similar to Tad's feelings towards Amelia in @RipuAncestor 's Chrysanthemum Tango):
I find the human. It is still at the edge of the other universe. It thinks it hurt my feelings. It wants me to come back. But I can’t.
Going back would hurt more.
I close the link to its thoughts. Goodbye, human.
I make a breeze. I send it off through the trees. Now there is noise. Not much, but enough. I make insects too. They buzz as they fly around the light.
This skin, this foggy grayness with all its limbs, is not suitable. It fades in and out, and when it fades out I see what is really there.
I am weak. I gave too much to the human. Far too much.
But I wanted it with me.
And why should it get to be free, when I don’t? Why should it get to just leave, to not have to feel the void within itself? When that’s all I ever wanted, but I can’t have it. It shouldn’t get to have it either.
This is from Separate Skins, https://medleymisty.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/separate-skins/
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