The Art of Sims Storytelling

"Nory_05;14341695" wrote:
There are dedicated places where this is ok. It's a place where you submit your writing, and they will destroy it line by line. But even they don't do it in a hurtful manner, and whoever submits there, knows it's going to happen. They get line edits, advice and critique. So that's cool and all, but when someone just posts a sim story on their own blog, i don't see why it's needed. If i don't like someone's blog or story, i stop reading it, cuz "ain't nobody got time fo that!"

I think most SimLit writers are doing this for fun (correct me if I'm wrong). I don't see why line-by-line edits and tear-apart critiques are necessary. I appreciate constructive criticism and feedback but if you're going to tear me a new one, I probably won't let the comment through (not that I've had this happen yet). I think it's sad that people are out there attacking SimLit for the sake of attacking it.

Honestly, what I love about the SimLit community is how different we are and how unique our writing styles are but it's the Sims games that bring us together. I don't think we really need people out there tearing other people's stories down. I've been writing my whole life in multiple different spheres (non-fiction, blog, fiction, etc) and I can still appreciate someone else's story that's not as detailed or deep as mine or whose writing style is different. But I agree with you @Nory_05 if I don't like someone's blog or story (i.e. writing quality, topic, style, etc), I simply stop reading it.

@MedleyMisty I don't understand why someone would do that - be constantly vicious and critique you up the wazoo, especially if you didn't ask for it. That seems so unfair and takes the joy out of writing. I say to those kinds of people: if you don't like someone's writing style, get over it, stop reading, and move on. Sheesh! What's wrong with people? I wonder how many of them are actually established paid editors in real life or gifted writers themselves so they actually have some credence. Don't they have anything better to do with their time?

@RipuAncestor Thanks. I actually get some of my best content when I let things "just happen" in game and then work in a write-around. Something like that happens in one of my upcoming chapters for Kassiopeia Fullbright: The Lost Legacy.

"MedleyMisty;14343610" wrote:

So...hey, that's a topic we could talk about in this thread! Does other people's work ever make you feel insecure about yours? If so, how do you handle that feeling?

I've been writing for years as I've said before, but I don't consider myself a professional writer. I've pretty much always had day jobs and I haven't published anything seriously. I hold myself to a certain standard with my writing, but I don't expect everyone else to have the same standard or to even like my way of writing. When I first started out writing SimLit, it was on a dare from the one and only person I know IRL who plays The Sims. It started out as a pet project and so I didn't take myself or my writing too seriously in the beginning. KCLKF obviously evolved from there and I see several points where things took a more serious turn, several points where I thought to myself: oh hey, I could really make something out of this! Reading other people's writing gives me an idea of what's out there (i.e. what people are looking for, how others write their stories, ideas for my own, things I should/should not be doing, etc) and allows me to support the SimLit community. I have a few people I follow that easily have 30-50+of comments per post and hundreds of followers/readers. It's a little intimidating, but mostly awe-inspiring. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more comments and readers, but I'm okay with growing slowly.