Thinking Of Starting New Simlit Contest...Thoughts?

@Karababy52 My work has been censored here on the forums. I can't even post story update links because they were deemed 18+ and above the teen rating, yet it seems others can still get away with posting inappropriate content. I'm not policing, just pointing out an unfairness.

@Dollyllama108 My thought about the "comment on 3" requirement, is we want to have it, is that you may not be allowed to participate in later contests. That way it doesn't mess with the voting in that month.

@Karababy52 My definition of SimLit is a piece of fiction that exists in the Sims' world. So presumably all the pre-mades (or their ancestors, if it's a historical piece) exist, even if the protagonists don't interact with them directly, as do the neighborhoods and locations. Cowplants and the physical Grim Reaper are a thing, though again, the characters may or may not encounter them. Pics are helpful but I don't know if they need to be a requirement.

@QueenofMyshuno I'm happy to either participate or judge, whichever is needed. I was a slushpile reader for a pro-paying fantasy magazine a few years ago, then later moved up to editor. I also beta-read for spec fic writers pretty regularly. Though I know I'm also a newbie in the Sims community compared to some others, so no hurt feelings if you'd rather have someone more experienced on that front.

Seconding the 1,500 word limit. If we're potentially telling submitters they have to read/comment on at least 3 pieces and/or potentially telling judges they have to read all of them, the total word count adds up pretty fast.

As far as ratings go, if the entries themselves keep to the T rating, as per FictionRatings.com, we should be able to link to them from the forums, since Sims itself is T-rated game. That way we're not quite as censored (I'm pretty sure even K+ lets you describe the action a vacuum cleaner takes), but we're not going all-out NSFW, either. If @NyteRose or anyone else is not allowed to link to their site due to other mature content, I'm happy to offer hosting space for those entries. (I agree the mods don't catch everything, and it's frustrating, but we've got to work with what we have.)

Thanks, guys, for all your comments, which has really gotten me even more interested in this project now and encouraged me to start putting out some more feelers in other parts of the internet. A few people have already weighed in on word limit (thank you @NyteRose @Karababy52 and @katrinasforest), and I'm interested to hear other people's take on what you think the optimal word limit should be.

@divanthesimmer Thank you for the simlit judge suggestions!

@SoulGal7 You mentioned that you struggle to get things done in a month, and I'm wondering if a "heads up" section could solve that, like maybe provide a picture of whatever is going to be uploaded for the following month's contest, so that people can start planning two months ahead of time. As far as loose censorship, I don't want to give the impression it would be a free-for-all. You can't even say the word that starts with cr and means doodoo on the forum (one of my favorite words, LOL), and I know people have gotten dinged on Tumblr for stuff that would be rated PG, so I just want something that isn't so restraining but that still isn't gross and over the top. I'm specifically thinking of the horror genre, as well, which I love but could potentially be problematic in a heavily censored environment. So, hopefully you would still feel comfortable with what I have in mind.

@Karababy52 A small comment like "thank you for sharing" would work. I'm still debating if I want to do this or not due to concerns people have brought up. Also, if entrants' stories were forum-friendly, then they could totally use the forum for their original post, but if they weren't forum-friendly, they would still have the option of entering the contest and posting their original post elsewhere. Those are some very interesting questions and perspectives you shared about Simlit and images and what the definition of simlit actually is. I don't have all the answers, but I like that you brought them up. Your post did not sound critical at all, and I appreciate your feedback.

@Dollyllama108 Thank you for all of your comments. Regarding the commenting, I was thinking if I did the contest in a magazine form (so possibly publishing the previous winning entries on my a site I create) I could ask people to fill in a form when submitting and tell me which post they commented on from any previous contest (so this wouldn't be a requirement for the first contest). Also thinking about reducing it to just one comment. I'm not set on this and not even sure if I'll do the contest yet, but those are my preliminary thoughts after hearing people's feedback. Another option would be to just encourage people to like and comment but not make it a requirement. While I do want to avoid the "me me me" sentimentality I see from a lot of people on the internet and in social media, I know that sim writers, as a group, are generally a pretty giving group of people. Let me know if you have any further thoughts on this.

@Katrinasforest See comment above to dollyllama regarding the comment requirement and let me know what you think. That's good to know about your reader/editing background, and I'll definitely keep you in mind for judging. Working on a fantasy magazine sounds so interesting! Thank you, also, for the heads up on FictionRatings.com as I hadn't heard of that site before.

@Dollyllama108 I have not read that series, thanks for the link I will definitely check it out. Text only is fine with me, as I said. I think though as @katrinasforest shared (thank you by the way for your view on the definition of SimLit) it should clearly have some reference to the Sims worlds so the reader knows it's SimLit and not just a regular story about anything, anywhere in the world.

@NyteRose Ah, okay, so they do censor links. I had no idea. I wonder why some are and some aren't, that doesn't seem right or fair. Although, I've noticed the stories I've read that weren't censored have toned down the NSFW images quite a bit lately. Perhaps they were warned? *shrugs*

@QueenofMyshuno Okay, thanks for the clarification on commenting. Understandable about forum-friendly vs. the opposite when posting here on the forum or links. I wonder if there ever has been a guideline written about what defines a story as SimLit. Perhaps somewhere on the SimLit board here on the forum. I personally think katrinasforest nailed it.

Hi, sorry I'm late to the party! I like the idea of a story challenge using an item as a prompt. I am reluctant to comment as i cannot promise I'll be able to take part. My own simlit/story blog is on a hiatus due to lack of time to write or even play the game. I do enter the msssc but my stories are always rushed due to rl time constraints. So i wouldnt want to commit to something and then wind up letting anyone down. I would be happy to pop by and read any entries as i do enjoy reading the tales this talented bunch come up with.

I wonder though if only having judges outside of the community would be detrimental to the contest as it takes away the need to read each others stories and having readers that understand and appreciate the content as simlit and not just a story is important. So guest judges from the community would be a great idea.

The idea seems solid enough but I wouldn't be able to commit to anything like this on a regular basis.

Thank you for adding your comments, @Charliimai and @darkchadmeister. :smiley: I'm planning on going forward with this, so stay tuned. Happy simming!

Okay you guys, I have awesome news! I've decided to go forward with this project. Rather than starting a contest, I've opted to create a literary magazine specifically for The Sims 4. Since I've been publishing my own work in literary magazines for years, it's a world I'm familiar with. I'm working on the website and submission guidelines now. I'll let you know when the magazine is open for submissions.

"QueenofMyshuno;c-17401226" wrote:
Okay you guys, I have awesome news! I've decided to go forward with this project. Rather than starting a contest, I've opted to create a literary magazine specifically for The Sims 4. Since I've been publishing my own work in literary magazines for years, it's a world I'm familiar with. I'm working on the website and submission guidelines now. I'll let you know when the magazine is open for submissions.

Oh, that's so cool! Good luck!

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