Thought for the day: Sim stories are like serial comics

[strangetomato]

Remember how I said I thought sim stories were more like graphic fiction than novels or movies? No? Well, I did. I think they're often sometimes like television shows too, in their serial nature, but the format speaks more to the comic medium (if we're talking about text and image sim stories, and I am).


The latest issue of Bitch magazine came in the mail today, and I was reading the review of Alison Bechdel's The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For (a GREAT read, in my opinion - you should check it out). At the end of the review, they quote her as saying, "A comic strip, like life, is a novel that never seems to get anywhere." It really reminded me of sim stories, especially mine. They just soldier on, perhaps with an end in mind, perhaps not, and that's just what I like about it. That's why I enjoyed DTWOF too. I came to really feel for the characters, and I was content to see them going through their day to day dramas, or even just cooking dinner (laced with politics, which makes it even more interesting). With sim storytelling, I'm writing (and playing) instead of reading, but I enjoy the feeling of following a set of characters as they gradually grow. Is it the same for you when you play and create? Or read, for that matter?

Of course, if I'm going to compare my story to a specific comic, I'd probably lean more towards Strangers in Paradise, which does have a plot, but it's really not nearly as important as the ongoing development of relationships between the characters. I love that series, but it's introspective to a fault, just like S,HWC is. It's obviously something I enjoy. In fact, when reading SiP, I often find myself going "yeah, yeah... crime stuff, plot... where's the next scene where the talk about that awkward kiss they shared?" Yeah, I may have a problem (I'll look into getting the help I need). SiP even ocassionally features pages and pages of lyrics, which is something a lot of us sim storytellers indulge ourselves in (it's super indulgent in the most teenagery kind of way - I know this, but still I just can't resist at times).

Anyway, I just wanted to share my musings. Feel free to add your own two cents or three.

(Is this what they call a meta? A baby meta, maybe?)




 

Comments

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw you use the word, and also some other people, but I've never fully understood the meaning. I know what meta means, but I've always assumed it could refer to any reflection of the fandom or medium you're using (based on that site, which has so many different topics). Self-referential would make sense, but maybe any analysis of simming and sim-related things could also be called that?

I have no idea. I need someone to define it for me.

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me neither, actually. I just went off what I saw other people using it as. I have ideas for those sort of things all the time, but I never type them up.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I get most of that urge to self-analyze my stuff out while I respond to comments. After replying to a lot of them, I'm usually all meta-ed out.

[leskuh.livejournal.com]

I'd always imagined meta to be any sort of like... analysis? Trying to get to a deeper understanding of things by talking about it? IDK. I agree with Strange that at least the LJ definition of it doesn't have to be self-referential.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=meta

I'd go with second definition maybe?

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