You got teased.

[strangetomato]

 

A slight change of direction is in order. I lost my in-progress saved Semagic file for Chapter 32 (very frustrating, as I had ditched my back-up version, like an idiot), but I was blocked really badly anyway. The loss made me not want to write on that at all for a while, so I decided to do something entirely different for Chapter 32. It came together pretty quickly. It's a bit of an aside, but it will explain a little more about a certain mystery, at least from one side of it.

And yes, I've decided to use witches (and not just faeries). Changed my tune on that one, didn't I?

Comments

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

And yes, I've decided to use witches (and not just faeries). Changed my tune on that one, didn't I?

You sure did! :D

(But that's cool! I'd love to see your take on them :)

And I'm sorry you lost your writing progress. I understand that feeling, as I've been having a hard time writing my current chapter for a long time (hence my current Sims 3 side project... I'm such a procrastinator!)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's typical. :P I often come around to things that I really have no time for in the beginning. It's not going to be a really big part of the story, but I've found a way to work them in (and it'll be familiar to you, since you did something similar).

I think all our talk of the mess of Sims 3 canon and the Kaylynn nonsense is what finally won me over to it. I had to try to make that make sense, and I think I have (relatively, that is... I'm not sure if any of it really makes sense).

Sometimes the best thing for blocked writing is to switch to something else. It keeps the creativity flowing. I have to say that the thought of re-writing the work I had done is not appealing at all. :X It'll probably be better for it, in the end, but boy is that a drag.

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

Who could it be? I'm assuming that it'll be a Maxis Sim, and guessing that it would be Samantha or Kimberly Cordial would just be guessing something too obvious and I don't think you'd go for it then.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not necessarily a Maxis sim, since I use a mix, but you might be right. You'll find out soon enough.

I don't know... a lot of the things in my story are the most obvious way to take the suggested plot, in my opinion. I don't think I really go out of my way to twist things and be creative with the canon (well, maybe sometimes, or I'll go with things inspired by random game events). I usually just pick the low-hanging fruit.

So, yeah... sometimes I like obvious.

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see what you mean. J/R/O is something of an obvious thing in the game — Ripp and Johnny are friends, Johnny and Ophelia are a couple, and — doesn't Ripp have a crush on Phi? The difference is in the beautiful way you've written them.

If I ever get a chance to start on my story, there will be a good mix of obvious things and my own liberties, or things that free will / ACR inspire.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's right. I think it's set up to be something of a love triangle, at the very least.

And thank you. ^_^ It's very encouraging to hear the word "beautful" applied to something I've created.

I think that's a good way to approach it, for sure. Some people enjoy really flipping things around, but I've always liked trying to make sense of the story as it is set out by the game. It's always good to add your own flavour, and unavoidable too. After the starting point, it really does become your game and your version of the events.

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

It really is unavoidable after the start, yes, especially when you want to go beyond that first generation. The kids of the original characters (and grandkids, etc.) really have to be your own. Even Brandi Broke's third child, who always looks the same because he only has Brandi's genetics, is written differently in the many incarnations I've seen him in.

You're a role model, I'll say :) Strangetown and LFT will probably derive at least lightly from you (I've got plans for Tank and Ripp, though, that I played out in a game before, so they'll be different, but you're helping me with drawing Johnny and Ophelia into that). That, along with a play I helped my alma mater's junior high put on (which had aliens in it).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's what I like about the game, and what makes it a little different from fanfiction. It is sort of like that, but only as far as the initial set-up and interpreting that through the bios and memories. After that, it's all fair game.

It's nice. We do have something of a shared canon to relate all these stories together, but it's less rigid, and there's less reason to argue over the details.

I'm flattered. ^_^ I certainly don't mind if you borrow details. I think we all do that when someone does something that strikes a chord with us, and it's not like it will be the same anyway. Even if we all wrote a version of the exact same plot and characters, it would be different.

The different takes on the aliens is always interesting. It's an area where there's an opportunity ti bring in your own creativity, since the game is pretty vague about it.

[(Anonymous)]

It's totally Veronaville! Squee, I love Veronaville. Phi/Bottom forever!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Well, I hate to disappoint, but it might not be (though there will be a chapter set there coming up at some point).

Seriously, the Phi/Bottom thing (*snicker* is Bottom on the bottom?) amuses me. I think Phi has more than enough love interests as it is.

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

This teaser is gorgeous. I love it! I love the witches, as you know. They're so useful. :P

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thanks. ^_^ The witches ARE rather useful when you're playing. I'm all about that throne of light (or darkness... but honestly, I've only ever had one or two evil witches).

[bakememuffins.livejournal.com]

Teaser! I love teasers!

Maybe it's Bella? Or Titania? Or the Cordial sisters?

I love witches, cause I can use their magic to burn townies :p

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Me too. I think maybe I just like making teaser pics. I should do that full time. :P The story will be JUST teasers.

All of these are good options (though Titania is a faerie, not a witch... not that the details makes a huge different in-game).

I haven't exploited the evil side of the witches much yet. I'm honestly the simmer with the softest heart, because I have a hard time with harming and killing those townies. The cowplant always upsets me a little when it claims a victim, even though it is sort of fun too.

[bakememuffins.livejournal.com]

Titania has that charm though, so I think the witch thing kinda suites her.

Ah, then maybe I'm the most cruel simmer :p
Well I don't use them to kill townies, just to kill playables that I hate. Playables that mess with my sims.

[petchy-14.livejournal.com]

Ooooo, Witchery and Sparkles!
Witch teaser is whichingly teasing the whitchery teased eyes. :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Everything is better with ~sparkles~. :P Now I'm wondering if I good make an infallibly good witch who is also a vampire, and thus create a Twilight-style vampire. All sparkly and stuff.

Well said. XD

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

And it's such a pretty teaser too! Sorry you lost your text though :/

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Those magic effects are so pretty. It's a shame not to use them.

Losing all that work makes me quite angry. I hate retracing my steps. I'm sure it'll come out alright in the end, but I need some time away from it.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Damn. Sorry about your writing loss. Those always piss me off too (and give a big "why the hell am I even doing this?" damper).

But magic will make it better!!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Ugh. It's awful. I hate the idea of doing the same work over, but maybe I should think of it as "editing" and convince myself it will make myself a better writer (anything to keep going, right)? Yeah, that's it...

(I was in a damper last week anyway, so this would have been really bad if it happened just a little bit sooner, but I was feeling a little better before I realized this had happened. It still sucks, but I'm in a better frame of mind to deal with it now.)

I agree. Some sparkly magic will make it all better.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

I'm excited. I'll have sparkly magical funness in my game soon *crosses fingers*.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, right... I do remember seeing you post on that. That's very cool. It's exciting to get new sim stuff.

I'm a big fan of Apartment Life. It's a great EP. Between that and M&G Stuff, you get the shiftable paintings and the quarter tile placement, which are both very useful.

Also, freezer clock! I don't use it nearly as much as I could, but it makes posing fun, and not at all an excercise in futility. Get those new OMSPs and you're good to go.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

The freezer clock has me excited. I might LIKE posing pictures if it wasn't such a damn hassle.

And the more than one item on a wall has me nearly giddy. Why that didn't come with OFB, I'll never know (or with FT, who hangs only ONE potholder per wall section, come on!).

And (this amuses me) the toddlers being able to sleep in pet beds has me very pleased. Yes, you know all my toddlers will be using pet beds from now on.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I still have to be in the right mood to enjoy posing. If it feels like a chore, it turns me off. The freezer clock makes it far more enjoyable, though, and much quicker and easier.

Personally, I only hang one potholder per WALL. You hang more than that? *snicker*

I'll bet. You were even doing it BEFORE that EP came out.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

I tried doing one of those challenges at the newish sim posing community (can't even remember the name) and it was NO fun. (you have to make a little story using no words, I can't go wordless).

*snort* Oh, my house is COVERED in potholders. The really cheap-o ones you can make on that little kiddie plastic loom thing (shit, what was that thing called--you could string these little cloth loops over the loom and make shitty potholders. . .).

You know what I mean (smartass). *snort* For sim stores, one potholder per wall was EpicFail.

If I had real kids (perish the thought) they'd sleep in dog beds.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've considered trying out one of those challenges too, but I'm not a huge fan of the three prompt structure. I have to try to tie those three words together in some sort of cute way? Meh. Doesn't really do it for me.

Still, I might give it a shot one day if one strikes my fancy. I do like the concept of the comm (I'm okay with wordless from time to time).

I hang one potholder per HOUSE. *snicker* I have many houses. (That's a lie, of course. I have zero houses.)

I love those hooked rag potholders! I have a rug I made that way out of old tee shirts (I'm a hippy somethings). I made the loom thingy myself.

What's that you said? Kids in dog beds? Eating the dog food?

*dials social worker*

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

*talks around foot in mouth*

Those really CHEAP little kiddie potholders? The ones that don't even protect you from heat when you try to use them? The ones your mom acted like she LOVED when you gifted her with them? (the old t-shirt rug sounds cool though, just like the rugs made from old bread bags)

The real laugh is, the social worker doesn't care if the kiddies eat pet food. As long as the brat's not hungry, that's all that matters. (and what child hasn't eaten pet food? mmmm, tender vittles!)

[autumnparanoia.livejournal.com]

So... does this mean we'll actually get a new chapter sometime soon?

*crosses fingers*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's the idea. ^_^ It's not coming along quite as quickly as I thought it would when I posted this, but it'll be coming soon.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Indeed.

Jenny would make a wonderful good witch. Right now she has her "Mom magic" so that would be a natural progression.

That'd be a twist, wouldn't it? ;)

(Heheheh... it's actually FRANCES. Just kidding, but that would be so funny.)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's exactly why it would be funny.

Frances doesn't actually believe in anything (whether god, simkind, or the supernatural) enough for that, and he's already stated his dislike of illusions, so I'm sure he'd be just as sceptical of "real" magic.