Make writing a novel more worthwhile?

[Marvin Kosh]

Given that novel-writing consumes a great deal of Sim time, and doesn't help with maintaining mood as painting or playing the piano does, and basically has a fairly low yield money-wise, I was thinking of maybe tweaking it a little.  However, I haven't found anything that looks tweakable.  Has anyone else, maybe?

[Ancient Sim]

I would love to see this provide FUN, in the same way as painting a masterpiece does.  Surely if a Sim enjoys writing and wants to write, they would gain pleasure from it?  I gain an enormous amount of pleasure from writing, otherwise I wouldn't do it, so it seems silly that Sims can't if they're that way inclined.  I'd also love to see some way they could give their novels a title, maybe even have them available to buy by other Sims, but we'd need an expansion pack for that.  Would be a great expansion pack actually, The Sims 2 Creativity, or maybe The Sims 2 Fame & Fortune.  They could write blockbuster novels, paint masterpieces, create new culinary delights, that sort of thing, and become famous.  I'd like that.

[veilchen]

That's one thing I can't understand either. Why doesn't writing novels provide fun? I agree, writing is fun and seeing your work take on shape and form is very fulfilling. I do tend to obsess over my papers, but even that is fun to me. My writings do not have as wide an audience as yours Ancient (not even close), but there's nothing more elevating than people telling you they enjoyed your essays, papers, stories etc.

G.

[Oddysey]

Yeah. Writing is fun, even if you're just messing around with it. For me, anyway.

It'd make sense if a novel made more money than a painting, but it doesn't. Annoying.

[J. M. Pescado]

It'd make sense if a novel made more money than a painting, but it doesn't. Annoying.

I'm not sure that even necessarily applies in real life. After all, really valuable paintings are sold to people with more money than sense, but novels have to be sold in volume to peasants, and the only one getting really rich is your publisher.

[Oddysey]

Well, yeah. But I guess I'm talking game logic here.

There was something on the BBS a whlie back about sims with more memories writing more valuable novels . . . don't think it's true, but it might be interesting if it actually worked like that. Hmm.

[Darkstormyeve]

I bet "Mrs Harry Potter" is doing quiet well.

[J. M. Pescado]

Well, yeah. But I guess I'm talking game logic here.

There was something on the BBS a whlie back about sims with more memories writing more valuable novels . . . don't think it's true, but it might be interesting if it actually worked like that. Hmm.

I'm sure it would make a pretty boring read even if they did have a lot of memories. I mean, who wants to read the memoirs of a celebrity chef, helpfully entitled, "1001 Ways To Burn Cereal"?

[Oddysey]

I'd read that. After all, at least a few of them are probably applicable to things other than cereal.

[J. M. Pescado]

Okay, bad example. I guess there's always somebody who's enough of a loser to buy anything.

[Oddysey]

I wouldn't *buy* it, just borrow it from the library. Or maybe just read it there.

[veilchen]

I bet "Mrs Harry Potter" is doing quiet well.

I saw a news item about the author of the Potter stories. I didn't pay much attention, but I did hear the word 'millions', that I am sure of. Personally, I have never read any of those books, nor have I watched any of the movies, but I couldn't say exactly why. I'm just not attracted to either, for no apparent reason.

G.

[Marvin Kosh]

The whole novel writing thing is kinda half-baked anyway.  Not only do you not have a working title for it while it's being written - that is unless you have the novel progress bar running, you have no idea whether you're working on a novel or not - you don't get to go and do signings if it draws a following, which for Popularity Sims is kindof the whole reason to write in the first place.  You can't, for example, write a series of books, because your novels don't have a name or a theme or anything so there's no chance of your publisher calling you up to do a sequel ;-)

Of course, by the time Maxis get around to revamping these parts of the game, it'll be time to book a skiing holiday in hell :-P

I think I would like to see some kind of mood effect for Sims who are writing, even if it's not always positive.  Writer's block is a frustrating thing, you know.

[Oddysey]

If they put those bits in the game, considering the track record, it will be the skiing holiday in hell.

As for Harry Potter, the early ones are merely decent. Starts to pick up in the later books. Sixth book is good. I don't read much fantasy, mostly because I find it tends to get rather repetitive, but I find the Harry Potter world quite interesting.

[Darkstormyeve]

I bet "Mrs Harry Potter" is doing quiet well.

I saw a news item about the author of the Potter stories. I didn't pay much attention, but I did hear the word 'millions', that I am sure of. Personally, I have never read any of those books, nor have I watched any of the movies, but I couldn't say exactly why. I'm just not attracted to either, for no apparent reason.

G.

I'm the same. I have never read them either. I have seen the films and will maybe get around to reading them for something to do (when I retire one fine day). I may have seen the same thing as you on the author. It was recent and probably some show about the release of her latest book. People were lined up for ages in the book stores here the day it came out. Funny thing is, I remember our local computer store having the same problem with the release of The Sims 2.

[veilchen]

Gad, wasn't that the most awful ep ever? Vacation and then unleashed. Neither was a bad idea, what became of that is another matter alltogether.

As for fantasy, if I feel like reading fantasy, I just read my daughter's books. She has books by such people as Douglas Adams, Ann McCaffrey and so on. I must admit that I even like her early fantasy books by someone named Avi and a series about rats that go out on quests, save their village and other such things. I forget by whom those were, something like Redsomething or other.

However, since you say they are readable I might check one of the later ones out next time I go to the library.

That's exactly what that was Stormy, the latest book-release and the lines of people waiting in line to get their books signed.

G.

[Oddysey]

Redwall. Those books are deeply silly.

[veilchen]

Well, since she was around 10 or 12 years old when she got the books, it was good enough for her then. Yes, they are silly, but as far as children's books go, I've seen far worse, that's why I started to write my own stories for my kids. And besides, after reading a psych-book on abberant personality disorders and psychopathology, those are just the right kind of books to get the knots in your brain untied :D

G.

[Oddysey]

Yep. I listened to them on tape, whilst on a road trip. Good way to "read" fairly light books like that. Relaxing.

"Abnormal Psychology: A Guide to Misdiagnosing Your Friends"

[witch]

I'm quite good at self-diagnosing when reading psychology books or articles. It's amazing the number of psychoses I discover I have. 

[PresentTense]

I know what you mean witch, everytime I read about something in my course I always manage to convince myself I have that disorder.

"Hmmm...ADHD...so THAT'S why I cant concentrate in class. Well, either that or the lecturer is boring me by speaking in a monotone voice that can send even a insommiac to sleep."

[J. M. Pescado]

I'm quite good at self-diagnosing when reading psychology books or articles. It's amazing the number of psychoses I discover I have. 

Oh, I do that all the time. Then I snicker at the complete ridiculousness of it. Why, if I really had that many problems, I'd have been locked up by now. Except for the fact that insane asylums aren't really good at holding people who escape calmly.

[jrd]

They're better than you think, only we call it 'congress' now.

[Jane]

Perhaps it could be both more worthwhile and more realistic -- if the amount you were payed scaled based on how many novels you'd written. The first novel could be worth almost nothing-- a few hundred, say-- but each successive novel could be worth more, as your sim builds his literary reputation. By the time you've writte 4 or 5, they could start being worth more than paintings; by the the time you've written ten, they could be worth exponentially more.

[Kitiara]

I bet "Mrs Harry Potter" is doing quiet well.

I saw a news item about the author of the Potter stories. I didn't pay much attention, but I did hear the word 'millions', that I am sure of. Personally, I have never read any of those books, nor have I watched any of the movies, but I couldn't say exactly why. I'm just not attracted to either, for no apparent reason.

G.

I'm the same. I have never read them either. I have seen the films and will maybe get around to reading them for something to do (when I retire one fine day). I may have seen the same thing as you on the author. It was recent and probably some show about the release of her latest book. People were lined up for ages in the book stores here the day it came out. Funny thing is, I remember our local computer store having the same problem with the release of The Sims 2.

When the series started a was a co-manager in a book store. I am an avid reader, but avoided Harry Potter on principle. At some point the store started a Harry Potter Fan Club. No one wanted to host it, I got stuck with it. I read the books. They were good. I got addicted. I am now reading them to my kids as bedtime stories.  Laugh at me all you want, I am a 31 year old mother of 3 and I like Harry Potter. Of course, there is some hope for me, I haven't even bought the 6th one yet (although I will eventually, no doubt about it).