Sims talk: funny sims dream and possible story recap

[strangetomato]

Last night I had a dream about cheating on my SO with some guy I recently found attractive. While we were trying to work out the logistics of it all (damn "woohoo" dreams never really work out for me that way), my SO walked in and caught us in the act. Then, to determine how serious the situation was, I checked his relationship panel.

*blinks*

Umm, what? That can't be a good sign...

In other news, I'm thinking of doing up a story recap, since it was recently suggested by Petchy as something that might help potential newcomers to the story, as it grows ever more complicated and unwieldy by the update, to the point where even I occasionally need to be reminded of my own plot points (no, really...). The problem is, I'm feeling way too lazy to do it. There's just so much of it to summarize at this point, and it feels like a chore (and honestly, part of me feels like they should just read the back chapters if they want in on the story, but I know how daunting it must be, and I want to be welcoming instead of being a dick about it).

Also, how should the summary even be organized? Should I do it by character? By plot arc? By household? I have no idea. I'm okay with some of the plot points being mostly forgotten and dropped, since I now see them as questionable missteps, and maybe rehashing it all will just draw attention to all the plot holes? Should I just go ahead and draw attention to them so we can all laugh at them? Again, I have no idea what to do.

Any suggestions? Do you think I should do this? I already have a bit of a chapter-by-chapter summary in the story directory, but that doesn't cover all the little details. Do people really need to know these details? Is there anything you, personally, are confused about? Lay it on me, dear readers and friends.

Comments

[petchy-14.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I had no idea that it would entail so much work for you D: My bad! (LOL)

you see, most of the time, a reader can simple pick up the story and just read the chapter or two, because your writing is *so* versatile and natural, its simple to just go along with the flow. However, sometimes as one does this, you can feel a smidge left out of he "plots" so to speak - I mean, its easy enough considering (as you said yourself before) S,HWC doesn't *have* a main plot. it does, however, bumbles along, which is what makes it so popular! - and the character developments. It gets even more difficult when characters appear which aren't actually in the game - your own creations, or offspring that have occurred in your playing - because it just goes a liiiiitle confuzzling xD

Maybe, you could post some handy links in the chapters to the main "plots" and to "biggies" in the characters - I mean, if you posted a link in "Chapter XXX.IV" that included characters which first appeared in Chapters "X.V" and last appeared for a reason in chapter "XX.II" then a link would suffice instead of rewriting it all out, CMD?

I agree that you shouldn't really need to rewrite the *whole thing* out - that is just silly - but.. I dunno, Maybe a little summary of the main characters that can be archived and updated when something *major* happens and a little note at the end of chapters? *shruggles*
I'm ~terrible~ at putting my ideas into realistic and practical proportions, aren't I? *smiles*


If the whole thing is just too overwhelming for you, then don't worry. I'm sure that most new members would just reread it all anyway - I've read most of it.. But I still keep up with the current affairs! *grinz*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed that you somehow managed to compliment me and say my story "bumbles along" in the same sentence. :P All in all, it's a pretty honest assessment of the story, I think.

I like the idea of linking to relevant chapters at the beginning of new chapters. I'll probably start doing that. As for the characters, I think I'll do a separate character profile update at some point (in theory, anyway... we'll see how it goes).

I'm looking at the maybe doing up some timelines for the major plots as a compromise from a complete recap. Sim time and aging can be odd, but at least that would show when everything has been happening and it'll show it all in one easy to understand format.

I'm sure it's not hard to pick up. I tend to rehash all the major conflicts and relationships quite frequently. Someone who hasn't read from the beginning will miss some little things, but I think they'd be okay overall.

[petchy-14.livejournal.com]

What Chapter are we on now.. 32.5? Right. Ok then. I just wondered because on my Re-starting/Reading streak, I'm just at Chapter Seventeen. LOL

I found that your directory of sim-stories were really helpful, so thanks for that! *smiles* You updated it recently, methinks? *grinz*

~


Yea, I agree with you that all major things are relooked at and so newer readers get a feel quite quickly - its how I got hooked! - but as I said, new characters and/or your own spin on the game means someone who hasn't been here since the beginning is slightly out :) It would be nice to also have sort of a World-check IYGWIM. Kind of a brief overhaul of what is in the story, and what isn't - like how Pleasentview was described as a TV program, not a neighboring village, for an example! LOL, I loved that dream sequence!!

You just work on it as you feel like it, Its probs me just overreacting because I started a story on the middle page and not at the start :)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

What does IYGWIM mean? I sort of like the idea of going through all the "what if?" scenarios the game sets out and specifying which direction my version took. Like who won the fight between Johnny and Tank, etc.

Pleasantview is both a town and a soap opera based on the town. :P Just so you know. It's explained as such in the chapter which introduces Beau for the first time.

Heheheh. Dirty Dream sequences are fun.

That's what you get for starting in the middle. *tsk, tsk*