Story Writers - Thoughts?

LOL Josh. I'd kinda like to see a more bloggy way of presenting stories, so that readers can post comments that do not have to be seen by those who just wanna read the story. To be honest I frequently give up reading because I get sidetracked by all the "chatter".

Sorry SB but I lost the plot of PDL less than half way through ... though I still enjoyed to read items as standalone posts, liking them simply for the prose.

But hey! I'm just weird ...

 

What would this new system look like, Josh?

 

Wow, Mirelly. I had no idea. I guess that's because when I upload chapters I'm always anxious to see how they're received. I think the same may be true for SBW, which is why I always make a point of posting a comment to her stories, letting her know directly that I'm enjoying the story. The same with Chee-Z, whose stories make me laugh out loud every time. It's applause.

However, I really, really don't want to discourage anyone from reading. If comments are in some sort of side bar (not sure how it would work,) it may, in fact, encourage more feedback from new members and 'lurkers' who are otherwise too shy to participate. I'd LOVE to know that others besides SBW, Sacha and Michelle are reading my stories.

Josh, my experience with forums is rather limited. This is the only one where I post. I have visited others, but not for long, and thought they all looked alike. I'm open to new ideas and willing to go along with what's best for everyone. I can't stop myself from writing, and your forum and the sims game add up to the most fun I've had in years.

I've had only two concerns with our current setup.

1) Occasionally, someone shows an interest in my older stories, and they're hard to find.

2) Pictures. I rely heavily on them to add interest. I hate to delete pictures from the older stories (see concern #1) and although I've deleted huge numbers from my older non-story posts, I'm running out of space (>90% used up now.) The Gallery has unlimited space but I'm not sure how I could organize story pictures over there. They'd all be in a muddle together.

Does this help?

 

I'm curious to see what Josh has in mind as well.

There have been times when I've wanted to share my stories with people from other forums or with my online friends, but in order to share the pictures they have to join WorldSims (which isn't too much of a problem, 'cept the ones that are a little too shy to join). If there was a system that would allow the writer to embed the pictures within the story, so that the picture will correspond with the text (like on the Exchange or blogging systems). I also have a problem with picture space. I end up cutting a lot of pictures out of the story and pick only five to share per post. Maybe even having video embedded would be neat, a la YouTube...

The comments being separate from the story is a good idea as well. I've seen that system on blog websites (I'm familiar with it since I lurk on 1up.com...). I like the idea that Lynet proposed, having the comments in like a sidebar form.

 

Actually inserting pics into the body of the text isn't problematic at all. If they are put into the gallery you are provided with the image's dimensions, file size and URL. Keep the dimensions down to 800 by 600 (or for preference 640 by 480) and the file size to around 50Kb and all you need then is the picture insertion button, clicking which pops open a box for you to insert the URL ... the pic button is even available with the quick reply feature ...



you just need to make sure to put each pic on its own line ...

Actually the gallery also supplies the pic's URL already embedded inside the requisite BB code so you don't even need to use the button.

Doing this is much easier if you use a browser that supports tabbed browsing such as AOL, Firefox or the latest Internet Explorer (is it 7? ), because you can have the gallery open on one tab and the story on another so you flip between one and the other, copying & pasting URLs to your heart's content.

If I were working seriously on a pictorial story I think I would first upload all the pics to the gallery then create the body of the story by adding all the pics at once and then inserting the text above, between and below the pics afterwards. It would all be a matter of what the writer finds easiest, I suppose.

I'm rambling again, aren't I? Maybe that should be my signature ... except that wouldn't encourage my rarer moments of pithiness and acerbity both of which are best served in bite sized chunks ...

 

And all I had to do was ask.

I'll have to experiment with this. Thank you for the how-to.

 

Ah I see. And I was afraid I was gonna have to use Photobucket.

 

Ayup. That could work.

 

That sounds intriguing...I like the idea of each installment, or "chapter" having it's own page, followed by comments. That way, if people just want to read the story, they can just keep flipping through the pages, and they can ignore the comments on the bottom. But for the writers (who gain instant gratification) and those of us who do a lot of socializing in the comments, they are still readily available, without having to go to a separate page.

I've been toying with the idea of starting my own humble story thread, but maybe I'll wait a little bit...

PS - It would be nice if you were able to port some of the classic older stories over to the new Story section, but I suppose that would be technical nightmare...Maybe at least a Sticky with links would do the trick...

 

Classic? What a wonderful word, Sacha. PDL, of course. But maybe..I,Sim, too? I'd be thrilled with a sticky.

Are there any from before that? Worldsims has been around for a few years longer than I've been a member (since the original Sims, I believe.) Were there stories running? Are there archives? Or has the change in hardware (and such stuff) over the years prevented saving ancient posts and pictures? Just wondering if there's a "library." Forums are so ephemeral.

Hmmm...EphemeralForum.com... *scribbles notes on back of envelope...oops, I ought to pay that bill...*

 

Well of COURSE I, Sim, and Ironsides, and even Dear Emmy! Then there is PDL (All three parts!) and the story thread that SBW had before that one - I forget the name of it - but it was the one for the neighborhood that blew up! And let's not forget the Chee-Z stories - OH - and the Dagmar Diaries. Then there was BabeWithBrains' Curtains Up and Person123's Laura Bones and Mirelly's The Penfield Follies...

WOW...We have a LOT of talented people on this here forum!

 

No really ... please forget the Pennfield Follies

I have a large chunk of Ironsides in Word format ... but I'll deny it if Lynet decides to sue me Seriously the only reason I don't have all of it is that it just takes too darn long to find the narrative chunks and paste them together. I like to read at a sitting. I don't mind serials too much but I prefer a full english breakfast (Lincolnshire sausages, cripsy bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, fried potatoes, black pudding, fried eggs, a fried slice, lots of freshly squeezed orange juice, gallons of hot, strong tea in a big brown china tea pot all follwed with lots and lots of hot buttered toast and marmalade ... and I wonder why I struggle to stay under 13 stones (180lb in US or 36Kg in metric) ...

PS I am 5' 10" but I still have nightmare about my dress size becoming a telephone number

 

All this, Sacha and Mirelly, takes my breath away.

I believe SBW told me that she posts "on the fly," meaning she doesn't write it out ahead of time. She logs in, and writes as it comes to her. Dear Emmy started out that way, but it was too hard for me to continue like that.

Everything I've written since then, including the pictures, are stored on my computer in separate files. (OK, once in a while I posted directly and don't have a chapter saved.) I doubt, anyway, that this stuff I've saved would be useful for anything outside of the Sims community or this fansite because there are far too many inside jokes...things that bring a smile of recognition only to those who play the game (like Errol telling Ironsides to go park himself next to the mailbox in order to recharge his battery. The instruction is nonsensical unless you play with the Sims robots.)

But, since I have all that on file, it would be possible for me to reload the stories in a new forum, sans comments, pictures embedded via the gallery. And the original post could then be deleted.

I don't know if this would be of any value to Josh or not. I'd probably kind of like the job. I could correct some misspellings and grammar.

You know, when it comes to Sims movie making, I'm in awe of what's been done and can be seen on other fansites, but as for written stories for sims, I haven't seen anything better than what you can find here. I think Sacha is right. Worldsims has a lot of very talented people.

 

Mine? Really? The ending is terrible because I lost my Bones family right in the middle of it, and I was planning to have a much more complicated plot involving Laura's parents. *sigh* Anyone remember them? The loony ones?

I've been working on some story ideas for a while now, but I never considered turning them into sim stories so we could read them here. Mainly I've been worried about copyright issues--is there a way, Josh, to make it so no one can copy & paste stories? I know it might sound a little ridiculous that someone might come to WorldSims for story ideas, but I'm kind of paranoid and there are hazy dreams of getting published (someday...) in my mind.

 

Oh, don't worry about copyright, love.

I'm not utterly sure of the situation in the US (where it appears to be de rigeur to "assert copyright" on manuscripts and even on the title pages of the published product) but broadly speaking copyright exists the moment you have strung two words together. Copyright (or intellectual property rights) come into existence with the creation of the work and the work does not have to be complete, or even ever finished, in order for the copyright to begin existence. Copyright is not made by anyone and needs no affirmation, declaration or registration. It just is. However it is up to the copyright holder to uphold his or her rights by recourse to law. But that's a whole other issue ....

As such it is only actually worth anything if the "product" has a desirable value. For example I would imagine that BMW's slogan: "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is copyright protected but then since everyone knows it relates to BMW cars and to no others, pirating it is only to BMW's and not the pirate's benefit so no one is apt to complain unless you are also making money out piracy ... if you see what I mean.

Various literary types have sought to claim that there are only 5, 7, 9 or 69 possible plots in fiction ... the number varies according to whose list you consult. Even if you came up a with totally original plot, copyrighting it (the plot) would be impossible ... simply because it would have had to have come from somewhere (eg personal experience) and the chances that you were the only person ever to have such an experience is zilch ... how could you prove it?

It's what you do with the plot that is copyrightable. So write away on the web, dear. No one can legally steal your words from you, but they may borrow your plots as you, undoubtedly, will borrow from others.

Meanwhile .... It's interesting to Google literary plots

I liked this site
and this one

 

I should print this out and show it to my husband. I have a book I've long thought of trying to sell but when I mentioned it to my husband he got all worried about someone at an agent's office stealing it for their own. After I got up off the floor from laughing so hard, he said he was serious and that I should copyright it first. It's hard enough just trying to draft a synopsis :yuck: , which is really where I've lost the Big Mo. Maybe I'll get around to it when I retire. (BTW, my husband won't read my book. I think he's afraid he won't like it and will hurt my feelings. He could be right. )

I love the links, Mirelly, especially the first one. Are you sure you didn't write it?

 

I'm going to have run to save the spaghetti sauce from burning but I'd guess that Romance is numero uno. I try more for adventure/action (?) which is a challenge because sims won't go to war or murder each other. There is also Humor and Drama. I think the sims lends itself to those areas easily enough.

I'm not sure how any of mine would be described. Maybe I should go reread Mirelly's links to types of plots and get back to you on that. Maybe Humorous Adventure.

I guess, Josh, that since you spend so much time keeping this forum up and running, and answering technical questions, and taking exams and doing school papers, etc., that you don't have time to read any of the stories.