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#202
15th Sep 2015 at 3:25 PM
Posts: 4,776
Thanks: 1 in 1 Posts
Story Title: Anne Arbor
Genre: Fantasy
Round Element: The Final Battle
Word/Picture Count: 2,779 Words / 19 Pictures
Synopsis: The Garrets are a family of sorcerers living in Anne Arbor, a town that's well known for its rich history with the supernatural. Like every family, they've had a lot of problems that they've been able to bounce back from. But how well will they be able to stick together in wake of a terrible tragedy?
CHAPTER 5: PASSING THE TORCH
- Micah’s POV
Trent’s recovery was faster than any of us expected it to be. Doctor Amaru said it was because of his new werewolf blood…we didn’t like to think about that.
It’s been a few days now and he’s finally starting to do more than lay around, feeling sorry for himself. He’s still far from cheerful but at least now I can convince him to walk around the hospital and just talk to me for a few hours….even though I’m the one who does most of the talking. Oh well, his spirits should be lifted after the “surprise” we have for him today. We’d all been so caught up in worrying over him since he’s been here that we’d almost forgotten about the one silver lining in this whole situation. I checked the clock on my phone. The “surprise” should be here any minute now.
“Am I even supposed to be outside?” Trent asked
“I don’t see why not. The doctors said you should spend your recovery time walking around the hospital. I’d assume that means the courtyard too.”
“I guess” he sighed
“So…did you check out the new Fairy Tail chapter yet?”
He shrugged “No.”
“Oh…well did you read any new manga chapters?”
“Not really. But I’m sure you’ll tell me about them all to try and start a conversation.”
I let out a small chuckle “Is it that obvious?”
“Painfully” he groaned “I know you’re just trying to be nice but I really don’t feel like talking. Can I just go back to my room?”
“Nope. We can sit in silence for as long as you want but I’m supposed to keep you here.”
“Why?”
“Just wait for it….”
Almost right on cue, Tani came floating down from the sky, landing daintily in front of us.
“Hey” she greeted us with a smile
“Hey” Trent answered
I could tell from the warm sensation on my crest that Tani’s presence was already enough to lift Trent’s spirits some. Good to know. If she’s here then the surprise isn’t too far off.
“So…how you doing?” She asked nervously
“About as well as anyone who’s had a week this shitty.” He chuckled
“Yeah…but don’t get too down. The team already misses you. I know it hasn’t been that long but practices really aren’t the same without you.”
“They…miss me? None of them mind that I’m….you know…”
“There are a few concerned parents but nobody on the team thinks of you any differently. We checked the schedule for the rest of the season. None of our games are on the night of a full moon so everything should be fine.”
For the tiniest fraction of a second, you could see Trent’s face change to reflect the tears he was holding back. The crest on my back grew even warmer. At this point the surprise wouldn’t even matter. Tani was doing a good job cheering him up on her own.
“So I…never really got the chance to thank you for saving me.” She said “The way you threw yourself in between me and that guy was really brave.”
Trent threw himself in front of a werewolf to save this girl? Jeez, I knew he had a crush on her but I didn’t think he’d do something like that.
“That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was.” He said, sheepishly
“Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I've been trying to tell you that for years. Jumping in a werewolf’s path to save someone is cool and all….but it’s also really stupid.” I teased him
Trent rolled his eyes at me and looked back at Tani “I guess…I just…couldn’t let anything happen to you. Not after seeing what he did to Malik and Logan. If you died too, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself.”
Tani smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I didn’t even need my crest to know how he felt. His whole face turned red as he tried to choke out the right words to say to her after that.
“I..uh…I…uh…and you…and…..” he stammered
“Hey, Romeo! That’s your cue to kiss her back!”
The sound of his voice was powerful enough to snap Trent out of whatever stupor that Tani’s kiss put him in. As the color started to drain from his face, my crest was rapidly shifting between warm and cold…..it was kind of annoying. He slowly turned his head to where the voice was coming from, almost like he was afraid.
“Yo!” Logan greeted him
“Tearful reunion in 3….2….1…..” Malik said
“Oh..oh my God….” Trent gasped “What’s going on?”
Tani placed her hand on his shoulder as breathing became heavier “We were gonna wait until you got out of the hospital to tell you but we figured making you wait any longer would be cruel.
At this point, Trent was hyperventilating, trying his hardest to hold back tears. It was like his brain couldn’t process what he was seeing.
Malik rolled his eyes “Dude, just let it out.”
As soon as Malik finished that sentence, Trent let out a loud sob and ran to his best friend, practically tripping over himself the whole time. He wrapped his arms around Malik, in one of the most powerful bear hugs I’d ever seen, and began crying hysterically into his shoulder.
“Easy there, man” He said, patting Trent on the back
“I…I…I thought I lost you guys. I thought you died because….because of… me.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. We were a little too good at playing dead, I guess.” He laughed
“But…how…I saw him kill you both!”
Logan sighed and pat Trent on the head “I’m a vampire. Malik is a Djinn. It hurt like hell and it took a while for us to be able to move again but it’s gonna take more than a werewolf to kill either of us.”
He’s right. In the daytime, vampires may be just as fragile as the rest of us. But at night, their accelerated healing kicks in and the only ways to kill them are by either stabbing them in the heart or beheading them. As for Djinns….well I’m not entirely sure if they’re even capable of dying. If there is a way to kill them, it sure as hell isn’t blood loss.
I watched Trent and his friends embrace, in what could only be described as the world’s most sickeningly sweet reunion. We actually didn’t find out until yesterday that Logan and Malik were alive. We were torn between telling him right away (what Aries wanted) or to wait until he got out of the hospital, as a sort of “Welcome Home” gift (what Brandon wanted). Regardless of what we decided on, we knew it would make Trent’s mood do a total 180°. This won’t be the end of his depression, I’m sure. But at least he’ll have his friends to help him through it.
- Brandon’s POV
Now that all of the preparations were made for Trent’s return home tomorrow, there was just one last loose end that I needed to wrap up…or rather…one that Aries and I had to wrap up together.
There it sat. Mom and Dad’s last will and testament. I know in most cases, a person’s will is a piece of paper, read to their next of kin by a lawyer. But, as I’m sure you’re aware of at this point, Sorcerers do things a little differently. A dead sorcerer’s will is a magical object that allows their spirits to return from the afterlife for exactly 60 minutes. There was some business that Aries and I had to take care of with them. We figured we’d spend as little time as possible wrapping things up and then we’d give the rest of the time to Micah and Trent.
I sighed “Are you ready?”
“Are you? You’ve been shaking ever since I found the thing.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Aries and I each held one hand out toward the will, embedding our combined magical energy into it. The will glowed bright as two wisps of white smoke danced around the room. The wisps grew larger and began to take tangible forms as they rested on the seats across from us.
And there they were. Sitting right there in front of us, as if they’d never died. Mom gave her usual warm smile to the both of us. Dad, also as usual, smiled at Aries and then scowled at me. I sighed. This conversation was not going to be pleasant. All I could do was pray that, through some miracle, they haven’t been watching over us this whole time.
I cleared my throat “Uh…hi Mom. Hi…Andy.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at me “Boy, do I have a lot to say to you.”
Shit. They have been watching.
“Lets get the obvious out of the way first.” Dad continued “The answer is ‘no’. The two of you will not be your brothers’ legal guardians.”
“But Daddy….” Aries started
“I agree with your father.” Mom said “You’re both still so young. You have each have lives that you need to live; lives that can’t be weighed down, raising two boys. The both of you should be off following your dreams, finding your soul mates, starting your own families. Your dedication to Micah and Trent makes me so proud to be your mother. But you need let your grandparents take it from here.”
“I’m already living my dream.” I argued “The boys won’t get in the way of that.”
“And if we add the money you left us with Brandon’s salary, we’ll have more than enough to keep the house.” Aries chimed in
“Absolutely not!” Dad stood up “Aries, all you need to worry about is finishing school and becoming a Healer like you’ve always wanted. And you! I already trusted you to take care of them once and now my little boy is a monster!”
Ouch. For some reason that one hurt more than anything else he’s ever told me. I didn’t even have a comeback for it this time. He was right. He trusted me to keep everyone safe and now Trent is cursed for the rest of his life.
Suddenly, my crest grew hot….like scorching hot. Like somebody was angrier than they’d ever been. But that was impossible. Dad was dead; I shouldn’t still be able to feel his emotions. But it wasn’t Dad, was it? I looked over at Aries. She was…shaking. And she looked absolutely pissed.
She slammed her fist on the table, tears welled up in her eyes “Do NOT blame him for what happened! Not when this is all your fault! Brandon’s done all he could to both protect us and bring your murderer to justice, and you won’t even thank him? You’re just gonna make him take the blame for cleaning up your mess? So what if Trent’s a werewolf? Do you know what he’d be if it weren’t for Brandon? Do you know what we’d all be if it weren’t for him? We’d be dead!”
“Aries…” he started
“Your wife is dead because of you! Your children are orphans because of you! And you have the nerve to scold Brandon? It’s been ten years, Dad. And you’re dead. It’s time for you two to stop hating each other.”
We all stared in awe at her. Aries had always been a “Daddy’s Girl” so to hear her go off on him like that was….amazing. And even more amazing was that, it seemed to actually have an effect on him.
He sighed “You’re right. This was my fault. I’m sorry….I’m really sorry Brandon.”
And for the first time in over ten years, he did the unthinkable. He stood before me with open arms. He can’t possibly want me to….
“Bring it in, boy. This is the last time we’ll get to do this.”
It felt weird, hugging him for the first time after so long. Almost like a dream. It made me feel like a kid again. When we were still at odds but we at least didn’t hate each other. I sat down after our embrace, feeling a lot better about…well…everything.
“Well that was touching and all but let’s not forget why you two summoned us” Dad said “Your mother was right. You two need to go live your own lives. “
“Dad, they’re two teenage boys who can practically take care of themselves. Really, all they’d need us to do is pay the bills and go grocery shopping.” Aries laughed “They’re not babies. It’s not like they’ll take up all of our time.”
“I don’t know….” Dad started
“I want you to promise us you’ll tell your grandma and grandpa to come check in on you all once a week.” Mom said
“So does that mean you’ll let us keep them?”
“For the time being” Dad said “Consider this a trial. We’ll be watching you. Turn off the will to save what little time we have left. In one year, turn it back on. Bring your brothers and your grandparents with you so you can’t just lie and say we gave you our blessing. If you prove us wrong in a year’s time, the boys are all yours until they’re 18.”
Aries got up and wrapped her arms around both of our parents
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, you won’t regret this”
“I know we won’t, honey.” Dad said “Make us proud. Both of you”
ONE MONTH LATER
It’s been a month since Trent was bitten. And with the full moon right around the corner, we’ve decided to take the doctor’s advice and take him far away from civilization. Our old vacation spot should suffice.
Of course, we aren’t just gonna leave him stranded on a deserted island by himself. So every month we’re gonna have a little….family vacation.
“Is the camping trip really necessary?” Trent asked “You could just drop me off here before nightfall.”
“I said you wouldn’t be alone in this and I meant it” I said
“Yeah…I just feel bad because you all have to take off from work and school because of me.”
“One day out of every month won’t kill us” Micah said “And some of those days might fall on weekends so….yeah”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right…thank you”
Over the past month, Trent’s slowly been turning back into his old self. He still has the occasional bout of self-loathing but they’re becoming even more few and far between. Hopefully this whole werewolf thing won’t be anything more than a monthly annoyance and our lives can go back to normal.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The sun was going down and the moon would be up any minute. As we stood at the beach, waiting for the change to happen, I could feel the fear from all three of my siblings. It was…overwhelming. I’ve seen werewolves before. I’ve fought them. This was just another walk in the park for me. I hadn’t even thought about how terrified everyone else would be; especially Trent. It’s one thing to see a werewolf. But to actually become one…to know you’re about to change into a feral beast with no control of your actions…it was depressing. I could feel every last drop of his anxiety pulsing through me.
“I…I’m sorry.” Trent apologized “I know you guys must be feeling like crap because of me.”
I walked forward to comfort Trent but he pushed me away
“Are you crazy!? The moon will be out soon. You can’t be near me.”
“Trent, I’m not afraid of my little brother.”
“You should be.” He muttered
Before he could protest any further, I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into one of the most sincere hugs I’d ever given someone. It soon turned into a group hug as Micah and Aries joined in. My shoulder became wet with tears as Trent stopped trying to break free.
“We’re in this together, bro.” Micah assured him
“And we always will be” Aries said
There we were. The children of a crime boss; one cop, a seer, a werewolf, and the product of said boss’ affair with a circus clown. All of us on a deserted island, hugging like we’d never see each other again. I just realized how weird this whole situation is; or how weird we’d look to anyone seeing this out of context. Well screw them. This is Anne Arbor, where weird is normal. And if this little adventure of ours was an indicator of anything, then our lives were about to get a lot more….”normal”
Ron: That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was.
Harry: Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I've been trying to tell you that for years.
Welp...here we are. The end of the story (for now, anyway. Don't ask when. I'm not sure when you'll hear from the Garrets again or how often but I'm definitely not done with Anne Arbor). I'd just like to take this moment to say that it was a honor being a part of this contest. It's really helped me out in many ways, as an aspiring screenwriter (I know it doesn't make much sense since this kind of writing isn't exactly the same as writing a script so just take my word for it. This helped A LOT)
Thank you, Qnshr5. This contest was an amazing and much needed creative outlet. Thank you to all of the other writers. Your entries were a joy to read. And thank you to the voice actors that I assigned to my characters. It was actually really fun, trying to figure out which actor should voice which character. Just in case anyone cares:
Brandon - Travis Willingham
Aries - Kate Higgins
Micah - Jesse Mccartney
Trent - Logan Grove
Andy - Christopher R. Sabat
Miranda - Brina Palencia
Staine - Mark Hamill
Titania "Tani" - Cherami Leigh
Logan - Zach Callison
Malik - Regina King
The Receptacle still lives!
Genre: Fantasy
Round Element: The Final Battle
Word/Picture Count: 2,779 Words / 19 Pictures
Synopsis: The Garrets are a family of sorcerers living in Anne Arbor, a town that's well known for its rich history with the supernatural. Like every family, they've had a lot of problems that they've been able to bounce back from. But how well will they be able to stick together in wake of a terrible tragedy?
CHAPTER 5: PASSING THE TORCH
- Micah’s POV
Trent’s recovery was faster than any of us expected it to be. Doctor Amaru said it was because of his new werewolf blood…we didn’t like to think about that.
It’s been a few days now and he’s finally starting to do more than lay around, feeling sorry for himself. He’s still far from cheerful but at least now I can convince him to walk around the hospital and just talk to me for a few hours….even though I’m the one who does most of the talking. Oh well, his spirits should be lifted after the “surprise” we have for him today. We’d all been so caught up in worrying over him since he’s been here that we’d almost forgotten about the one silver lining in this whole situation. I checked the clock on my phone. The “surprise” should be here any minute now.
“Am I even supposed to be outside?” Trent asked
“I don’t see why not. The doctors said you should spend your recovery time walking around the hospital. I’d assume that means the courtyard too.”
“I guess” he sighed
“So…did you check out the new Fairy Tail chapter yet?”
He shrugged “No.”
“Oh…well did you read any new manga chapters?”
“Not really. But I’m sure you’ll tell me about them all to try and start a conversation.”
I let out a small chuckle “Is it that obvious?”
“Painfully” he groaned “I know you’re just trying to be nice but I really don’t feel like talking. Can I just go back to my room?”
“Nope. We can sit in silence for as long as you want but I’m supposed to keep you here.”
“Why?”
“Just wait for it….”
Almost right on cue, Tani came floating down from the sky, landing daintily in front of us.
“Hey” she greeted us with a smile
“Hey” Trent answered
I could tell from the warm sensation on my crest that Tani’s presence was already enough to lift Trent’s spirits some. Good to know. If she’s here then the surprise isn’t too far off.
“So…how you doing?” She asked nervously
“About as well as anyone who’s had a week this shitty.” He chuckled
“Yeah…but don’t get too down. The team already misses you. I know it hasn’t been that long but practices really aren’t the same without you.”
“They…miss me? None of them mind that I’m….you know…”
“There are a few concerned parents but nobody on the team thinks of you any differently. We checked the schedule for the rest of the season. None of our games are on the night of a full moon so everything should be fine.”
For the tiniest fraction of a second, you could see Trent’s face change to reflect the tears he was holding back. The crest on my back grew even warmer. At this point the surprise wouldn’t even matter. Tani was doing a good job cheering him up on her own.
“So I…never really got the chance to thank you for saving me.” She said “The way you threw yourself in between me and that guy was really brave.”
Trent threw himself in front of a werewolf to save this girl? Jeez, I knew he had a crush on her but I didn’t think he’d do something like that.
“That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was.” He said, sheepishly
“Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I've been trying to tell you that for years. Jumping in a werewolf’s path to save someone is cool and all….but it’s also really stupid.” I teased him
Trent rolled his eyes at me and looked back at Tani “I guess…I just…couldn’t let anything happen to you. Not after seeing what he did to Malik and Logan. If you died too, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself.”
Tani smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I didn’t even need my crest to know how he felt. His whole face turned red as he tried to choke out the right words to say to her after that.
“I..uh…I…uh…and you…and…..” he stammered
“Hey, Romeo! That’s your cue to kiss her back!”
The sound of his voice was powerful enough to snap Trent out of whatever stupor that Tani’s kiss put him in. As the color started to drain from his face, my crest was rapidly shifting between warm and cold…..it was kind of annoying. He slowly turned his head to where the voice was coming from, almost like he was afraid.
“Yo!” Logan greeted him
“Tearful reunion in 3….2….1…..” Malik said
“Oh..oh my God….” Trent gasped “What’s going on?”
Tani placed her hand on his shoulder as breathing became heavier “We were gonna wait until you got out of the hospital to tell you but we figured making you wait any longer would be cruel.
At this point, Trent was hyperventilating, trying his hardest to hold back tears. It was like his brain couldn’t process what he was seeing.
Malik rolled his eyes “Dude, just let it out.”
As soon as Malik finished that sentence, Trent let out a loud sob and ran to his best friend, practically tripping over himself the whole time. He wrapped his arms around Malik, in one of the most powerful bear hugs I’d ever seen, and began crying hysterically into his shoulder.
“Easy there, man” He said, patting Trent on the back
“I…I…I thought I lost you guys. I thought you died because….because of… me.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. We were a little too good at playing dead, I guess.” He laughed
“But…how…I saw him kill you both!”
Logan sighed and pat Trent on the head “I’m a vampire. Malik is a Djinn. It hurt like hell and it took a while for us to be able to move again but it’s gonna take more than a werewolf to kill either of us.”
He’s right. In the daytime, vampires may be just as fragile as the rest of us. But at night, their accelerated healing kicks in and the only ways to kill them are by either stabbing them in the heart or beheading them. As for Djinns….well I’m not entirely sure if they’re even capable of dying. If there is a way to kill them, it sure as hell isn’t blood loss.
I watched Trent and his friends embrace, in what could only be described as the world’s most sickeningly sweet reunion. We actually didn’t find out until yesterday that Logan and Malik were alive. We were torn between telling him right away (what Aries wanted) or to wait until he got out of the hospital, as a sort of “Welcome Home” gift (what Brandon wanted). Regardless of what we decided on, we knew it would make Trent’s mood do a total 180°. This won’t be the end of his depression, I’m sure. But at least he’ll have his friends to help him through it.
- Brandon’s POV
Now that all of the preparations were made for Trent’s return home tomorrow, there was just one last loose end that I needed to wrap up…or rather…one that Aries and I had to wrap up together.
There it sat. Mom and Dad’s last will and testament. I know in most cases, a person’s will is a piece of paper, read to their next of kin by a lawyer. But, as I’m sure you’re aware of at this point, Sorcerers do things a little differently. A dead sorcerer’s will is a magical object that allows their spirits to return from the afterlife for exactly 60 minutes. There was some business that Aries and I had to take care of with them. We figured we’d spend as little time as possible wrapping things up and then we’d give the rest of the time to Micah and Trent.
I sighed “Are you ready?”
“Are you? You’ve been shaking ever since I found the thing.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Aries and I each held one hand out toward the will, embedding our combined magical energy into it. The will glowed bright as two wisps of white smoke danced around the room. The wisps grew larger and began to take tangible forms as they rested on the seats across from us.
And there they were. Sitting right there in front of us, as if they’d never died. Mom gave her usual warm smile to the both of us. Dad, also as usual, smiled at Aries and then scowled at me. I sighed. This conversation was not going to be pleasant. All I could do was pray that, through some miracle, they haven’t been watching over us this whole time.
I cleared my throat “Uh…hi Mom. Hi…Andy.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at me “Boy, do I have a lot to say to you.”
Shit. They have been watching.
“Lets get the obvious out of the way first.” Dad continued “The answer is ‘no’. The two of you will not be your brothers’ legal guardians.”
“But Daddy….” Aries started
“I agree with your father.” Mom said “You’re both still so young. You have each have lives that you need to live; lives that can’t be weighed down, raising two boys. The both of you should be off following your dreams, finding your soul mates, starting your own families. Your dedication to Micah and Trent makes me so proud to be your mother. But you need let your grandparents take it from here.”
“I’m already living my dream.” I argued “The boys won’t get in the way of that.”
“And if we add the money you left us with Brandon’s salary, we’ll have more than enough to keep the house.” Aries chimed in
“Absolutely not!” Dad stood up “Aries, all you need to worry about is finishing school and becoming a Healer like you’ve always wanted. And you! I already trusted you to take care of them once and now my little boy is a monster!”
Ouch. For some reason that one hurt more than anything else he’s ever told me. I didn’t even have a comeback for it this time. He was right. He trusted me to keep everyone safe and now Trent is cursed for the rest of his life.
Suddenly, my crest grew hot….like scorching hot. Like somebody was angrier than they’d ever been. But that was impossible. Dad was dead; I shouldn’t still be able to feel his emotions. But it wasn’t Dad, was it? I looked over at Aries. She was…shaking. And she looked absolutely pissed.
She slammed her fist on the table, tears welled up in her eyes “Do NOT blame him for what happened! Not when this is all your fault! Brandon’s done all he could to both protect us and bring your murderer to justice, and you won’t even thank him? You’re just gonna make him take the blame for cleaning up your mess? So what if Trent’s a werewolf? Do you know what he’d be if it weren’t for Brandon? Do you know what we’d all be if it weren’t for him? We’d be dead!”
“Aries…” he started
“Your wife is dead because of you! Your children are orphans because of you! And you have the nerve to scold Brandon? It’s been ten years, Dad. And you’re dead. It’s time for you two to stop hating each other.”
We all stared in awe at her. Aries had always been a “Daddy’s Girl” so to hear her go off on him like that was….amazing. And even more amazing was that, it seemed to actually have an effect on him.
He sighed “You’re right. This was my fault. I’m sorry….I’m really sorry Brandon.”
And for the first time in over ten years, he did the unthinkable. He stood before me with open arms. He can’t possibly want me to….
“Bring it in, boy. This is the last time we’ll get to do this.”
It felt weird, hugging him for the first time after so long. Almost like a dream. It made me feel like a kid again. When we were still at odds but we at least didn’t hate each other. I sat down after our embrace, feeling a lot better about…well…everything.
“Well that was touching and all but let’s not forget why you two summoned us” Dad said “Your mother was right. You two need to go live your own lives. “
“Dad, they’re two teenage boys who can practically take care of themselves. Really, all they’d need us to do is pay the bills and go grocery shopping.” Aries laughed “They’re not babies. It’s not like they’ll take up all of our time.”
“I don’t know….” Dad started
“I want you to promise us you’ll tell your grandma and grandpa to come check in on you all once a week.” Mom said
“So does that mean you’ll let us keep them?”
“For the time being” Dad said “Consider this a trial. We’ll be watching you. Turn off the will to save what little time we have left. In one year, turn it back on. Bring your brothers and your grandparents with you so you can’t just lie and say we gave you our blessing. If you prove us wrong in a year’s time, the boys are all yours until they’re 18.”
Aries got up and wrapped her arms around both of our parents
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, you won’t regret this”
“I know we won’t, honey.” Dad said “Make us proud. Both of you”
ONE MONTH LATER
It’s been a month since Trent was bitten. And with the full moon right around the corner, we’ve decided to take the doctor’s advice and take him far away from civilization. Our old vacation spot should suffice.
Of course, we aren’t just gonna leave him stranded on a deserted island by himself. So every month we’re gonna have a little….family vacation.
“Is the camping trip really necessary?” Trent asked “You could just drop me off here before nightfall.”
“I said you wouldn’t be alone in this and I meant it” I said
“Yeah…I just feel bad because you all have to take off from work and school because of me.”
“One day out of every month won’t kill us” Micah said “And some of those days might fall on weekends so….yeah”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right…thank you”
Over the past month, Trent’s slowly been turning back into his old self. He still has the occasional bout of self-loathing but they’re becoming even more few and far between. Hopefully this whole werewolf thing won’t be anything more than a monthly annoyance and our lives can go back to normal.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The sun was going down and the moon would be up any minute. As we stood at the beach, waiting for the change to happen, I could feel the fear from all three of my siblings. It was…overwhelming. I’ve seen werewolves before. I’ve fought them. This was just another walk in the park for me. I hadn’t even thought about how terrified everyone else would be; especially Trent. It’s one thing to see a werewolf. But to actually become one…to know you’re about to change into a feral beast with no control of your actions…it was depressing. I could feel every last drop of his anxiety pulsing through me.
“I…I’m sorry.” Trent apologized “I know you guys must be feeling like crap because of me.”
I walked forward to comfort Trent but he pushed me away
“Are you crazy!? The moon will be out soon. You can’t be near me.”
“Trent, I’m not afraid of my little brother.”
“You should be.” He muttered
Before he could protest any further, I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into one of the most sincere hugs I’d ever given someone. It soon turned into a group hug as Micah and Aries joined in. My shoulder became wet with tears as Trent stopped trying to break free.
“We’re in this together, bro.” Micah assured him
“And we always will be” Aries said
There we were. The children of a crime boss; one cop, a seer, a werewolf, and the product of said boss’ affair with a circus clown. All of us on a deserted island, hugging like we’d never see each other again. I just realized how weird this whole situation is; or how weird we’d look to anyone seeing this out of context. Well screw them. This is Anne Arbor, where weird is normal. And if this little adventure of ours was an indicator of anything, then our lives were about to get a lot more….”normal”
Ron: That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was.
Harry: Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I've been trying to tell you that for years.
Welp...here we are. The end of the story (for now, anyway. Don't ask when. I'm not sure when you'll hear from the Garrets again or how often but I'm definitely not done with Anne Arbor). I'd just like to take this moment to say that it was a honor being a part of this contest. It's really helped me out in many ways, as an aspiring screenwriter (I know it doesn't make much sense since this kind of writing isn't exactly the same as writing a script so just take my word for it. This helped A LOT)
Thank you, Qnshr5. This contest was an amazing and much needed creative outlet. Thank you to all of the other writers. Your entries were a joy to read. And thank you to the voice actors that I assigned to my characters. It was actually really fun, trying to figure out which actor should voice which character. Just in case anyone cares:
Brandon - Travis Willingham
Aries - Kate Higgins
Micah - Jesse Mccartney
Trent - Logan Grove
Andy - Christopher R. Sabat
Miranda - Brina Palencia
Staine - Mark Hamill
Titania "Tani" - Cherami Leigh
Logan - Zach Callison
Malik - Regina King
The Receptacle still lives!
#203
19th Sep 2015 at 3:31 AM
Posts: 218
This contest has been more fun than I think I've ever had with a sims contest, at least in the last 5-6 years or so, and I'm not ready for the fun to end! Let's play a game!
Any outtakes/trivia/deleted scenes from your stories you'd like to share? I KNOW you have them...
Avalanche almost didn't get written at all. It's much darker than the work I usually do, and has existed as an idea for years without ever manifesting. I originally planned to do a sci-fi comedy for the contest, and got most of the first round written, but this story came back and said "It's my turn - write me."
Kosta and Delaney have a pretty dysfunctional relationship in the story, but in my game, they're great. There's an earlier version of them running around in a different neighborhood; they're married with five children. Kosta's look received only minimal tweaking before I started on pics for the story, but Delaney got a complete makeover to make her look more "alien."
Massaud's sister, Aaliyah Kosalim-Horn, was intended to play a major role in the second half of the story, but got cut. She and Henry were originally divorced; when I realized I wouldn't be able to integrate her character after all, I made him a widower instead to give him a more personal connection to Avalanche.
Dana and Henry Junior were supposed to have much bigger roles in the story. Their parts were reduced because the selection for steampunk/Victorian-style clothes for teen males is pretty much nonexistent. Couldn't very well have them running around in outfits like these. Do you SEE Dana's shirt? Ursula Sørensen would have MURDERED him.
Any outtakes/trivia/deleted scenes from your stories you'd like to share? I KNOW you have them...
Avalanche almost didn't get written at all. It's much darker than the work I usually do, and has existed as an idea for years without ever manifesting. I originally planned to do a sci-fi comedy for the contest, and got most of the first round written, but this story came back and said "It's my turn - write me."
Kosta and Delaney have a pretty dysfunctional relationship in the story, but in my game, they're great. There's an earlier version of them running around in a different neighborhood; they're married with five children. Kosta's look received only minimal tweaking before I started on pics for the story, but Delaney got a complete makeover to make her look more "alien."
Massaud's sister, Aaliyah Kosalim-Horn, was intended to play a major role in the second half of the story, but got cut. She and Henry were originally divorced; when I realized I wouldn't be able to integrate her character after all, I made him a widower instead to give him a more personal connection to Avalanche.
Dana and Henry Junior were supposed to have much bigger roles in the story. Their parts were reduced because the selection for steampunk/Victorian-style clothes for teen males is pretty much nonexistent. Couldn't very well have them running around in outfits like these. Do you SEE Dana's shirt? Ursula Sørensen would have MURDERED him.
"Passion makes no accommodation for self-preservation."
Test Subject
#204
19th Sep 2015 at 12:41 PM
Posts: 6
Outtakes
Here are some of my fun outtakes. The General had just interrupted one of the Councils evening, which was apparently eating a bowl of cereal.
Karen had just found Zak who at the time was her suspect, and decided to take matters into her own hands.
Karen had a nightmare and Zak rushed in to calm her... which was going to lead to their first kiss and well this happened after.
Serzia was guarding the back entrance to the computer shop in-case Derazy escaped, and watched a rom-com while she waited.
This bee, wouldn't leave the tunnel scene, it really wanted to be a part of the story. Dam bee!
#205
20th Sep 2015 at 12:01 AM
Posts: 4,776
Thanks: 1 in 1 Posts
Well since we're all sharing:
This story (that I've been planning years before this contest) was almost VERY different from what you've seen. The overall premise was the same. An estranged family of sorcerers coming together after a tragedy. But that's where the similarities end. Most of the changes I made were to make the story more exciting for the contest. Differences between this and the original draft include:
- Brandon was not a cop....and his name wasn't Brandon...because he was a woman. A single mom to be exact. I forgot her name so for the sake of the conversation, let's just call her Brandy. I'm actually not sure why I changed the gender of my MC. It just sorta happened when I was remaking the family for this story.
- Trent was Brandy's son and I'm pretty sure his name wasn't Trent. But we'll still call him that for now.
- Micah didn't exist. Brandy had a brother but he was older and a widower with two children....actually now that I think about. His son was a seer so I guess Micah kinda did exist. He was just a 10 year old half-black boy and Brandy's nephew instead of her brother.
- Aries' wasn't nearly as high strung and responsible as she is now. She also wasn't half black. She was white and blonde. She and her counterpart were both studying to be mystic healers but the original version was A LOT more of your stereotypical care free hippie.
- Brandy was estranged from her recently deceased mother instead of her father. I hadn't figured out where the father is so let's just assume he died a long time ago.
- Neither of Brandy's parents were infamous crime bosses. Her mother died of natural causes. I actually have photos of her funeral.
- Trent would still end up becoming a werewolf, but it was a random accident rather than the result of someone's revenge plot. Kid sneaks out to hang out with his friends in the woods, random werewolf happened to be there, shenanigans ensue.
- Brandy's niece (the daughter of the older brother that I mentioned earlier) was definitely gonna be my favorite character to write if I had gotten around to writing this story. The little girl was evil. She starts out as just your stereotypical spoiled, materialistic, air headed "Mean Girls" type of character....except she's like 10.
But she starts to show her true colors during a story arc that I planned where her father dates a snobby woman who treats the rest of the family like shit. She's so dead-set on getting this woman out of their lives that her personality undergoes a drastic change from spoiled brat to...well....Wednesday Addams. The change is actually a little disturbing when you consider that this arc would end with her getting away with murder....using her cousin as the weapon. Long story short, all of her plans to get rid of the woman fail and her father was dropping hints that he was gonna propose to her soon. The little girl would basically trick the woman into going inside the basement, where they keep Trent during full moons. I'm...pretty sure you can use you guess what happens next.
Since I plan on continuing Anne Arbor at some point in the future, expect to see this girl in some way, shape, or form because.I really think I'd have a lot of fun writing her.
I wish I had pictures to show you all of this early draft but my screenshots may or may not have been deleted in a failed attempt to make my game run faster (that's become a bit of a problem for me now. The Sims 3 is still good for storytelling but actually playing the game has become a chore)
The main characters of Anne Arbor are loosely based on the Batfamily
- Brandon (Dick Grayson/Jason Todd) : He has Jason's attitude (without nearly as much psychological torture) and Daddy issues. But I'd say he's more like Dick in that he's the oldest child, he's a cop, and he may not always get along with his family but he still values them more than anything. That and they both had to take up the responsibilities of the father after he died.
- Aries (Barbara Gordon) : Brandon's right hand and confidant (though in this case, they're siblings. As opposed to Dick and Barbara who've been on/off love interests) though she's a lot more timid and wall-flowery than Barbara.
- Micah (Tim Drake) : The smart, introverted, voice of reason; often dealing with things that nobody his age should have to deal with. Usually the one who has to keep the family from constantly being at each other's throats. Usually ends up fighting with the youngest member. Speaking of whom....
- Trent (Damian Wayne) : Remember how I said they're all loosely based on the Batfamily...well this one is the LOOESEST. Aside from being the youngest, not always getting along with the middle child, and also having to deal with things that somebody his age shouldn't deal with; the two couldn't be any more different. Trent is at least still a normal kid. Damian's not even close to normal and was a borderline sociopath at one point. In fact he'd probably die of boredom if he and Trent were forced to hang out.
The Receptacle still lives!
This story (that I've been planning years before this contest) was almost VERY different from what you've seen. The overall premise was the same. An estranged family of sorcerers coming together after a tragedy. But that's where the similarities end. Most of the changes I made were to make the story more exciting for the contest. Differences between this and the original draft include:
- Brandon was not a cop....and his name wasn't Brandon...because he was a woman. A single mom to be exact. I forgot her name so for the sake of the conversation, let's just call her Brandy. I'm actually not sure why I changed the gender of my MC. It just sorta happened when I was remaking the family for this story.
- Trent was Brandy's son and I'm pretty sure his name wasn't Trent. But we'll still call him that for now.
- Micah didn't exist. Brandy had a brother but he was older and a widower with two children....actually now that I think about. His son was a seer so I guess Micah kinda did exist. He was just a 10 year old half-black boy and Brandy's nephew instead of her brother.
- Aries' wasn't nearly as high strung and responsible as she is now. She also wasn't half black. She was white and blonde. She and her counterpart were both studying to be mystic healers but the original version was A LOT more of your stereotypical care free hippie.
- Brandy was estranged from her recently deceased mother instead of her father. I hadn't figured out where the father is so let's just assume he died a long time ago.
- Neither of Brandy's parents were infamous crime bosses. Her mother died of natural causes. I actually have photos of her funeral.
- Trent would still end up becoming a werewolf, but it was a random accident rather than the result of someone's revenge plot. Kid sneaks out to hang out with his friends in the woods, random werewolf happened to be there, shenanigans ensue.
- Brandy's niece (the daughter of the older brother that I mentioned earlier) was definitely gonna be my favorite character to write if I had gotten around to writing this story. The little girl was evil. She starts out as just your stereotypical spoiled, materialistic, air headed "Mean Girls" type of character....except she's like 10.
But she starts to show her true colors during a story arc that I planned where her father dates a snobby woman who treats the rest of the family like shit. She's so dead-set on getting this woman out of their lives that her personality undergoes a drastic change from spoiled brat to...well....Wednesday Addams. The change is actually a little disturbing when you consider that this arc would end with her getting away with murder....using her cousin as the weapon. Long story short, all of her plans to get rid of the woman fail and her father was dropping hints that he was gonna propose to her soon. The little girl would basically trick the woman into going inside the basement, where they keep Trent during full moons. I'm...pretty sure you can use you guess what happens next.
Since I plan on continuing Anne Arbor at some point in the future, expect to see this girl in some way, shape, or form because.I really think I'd have a lot of fun writing her.
I wish I had pictures to show you all of this early draft but my screenshots may or may not have been deleted in a failed attempt to make my game run faster (that's become a bit of a problem for me now. The Sims 3 is still good for storytelling but actually playing the game has become a chore)
The main characters of Anne Arbor are loosely based on the Batfamily
- Brandon (Dick Grayson/Jason Todd) : He has Jason's attitude (without nearly as much psychological torture) and Daddy issues. But I'd say he's more like Dick in that he's the oldest child, he's a cop, and he may not always get along with his family but he still values them more than anything. That and they both had to take up the responsibilities of the father after he died.
- Aries (Barbara Gordon) : Brandon's right hand and confidant (though in this case, they're siblings. As opposed to Dick and Barbara who've been on/off love interests) though she's a lot more timid and wall-flowery than Barbara.
- Micah (Tim Drake) : The smart, introverted, voice of reason; often dealing with things that nobody his age should have to deal with. Usually the one who has to keep the family from constantly being at each other's throats. Usually ends up fighting with the youngest member. Speaking of whom....
- Trent (Damian Wayne) : Remember how I said they're all loosely based on the Batfamily...well this one is the LOOESEST. Aside from being the youngest, not always getting along with the middle child, and also having to deal with things that somebody his age shouldn't deal with; the two couldn't be any more different. Trent is at least still a normal kid. Damian's not even close to normal and was a borderline sociopath at one point. In fact he'd probably die of boredom if he and Trent were forced to hang out.
The Receptacle still lives!
#206
21st Sep 2015 at 4:47 AM
My favorite outtake:
I was trying to get the picture of the Lord Emperor implanting the monitoring device. I got them both posed, lined up the shot, and the Lord Emperor started thinking about wanting to become the Emperor of Evil.
I thought I had headlines off... so I turned them off again. Nothing changed. Ok, let's leave it unpaused for a while...
They are obviously off because nobody has a plumbbob. But that thought balloon is still there....
Then I get a pop-up. Connor wants to invite Amara out on a date. Oh, good. I'm going to need him, and I forgot which silly spot the game decided to put him when it gave everybody in that household a job. I sent Amara on the date so she could drag him back to the lot, and since Vladimir was still not shutting up about Emperor of Evil I switched to her to find out where Connor was. It's 2:30 in the afternoon, so I'm sure he's going to be someplace inside, right? Wrong! He was passed out, smoking, in the park. She cured him with the moodlet manager, which woke him up. He freaked out, announced that he had to leave now, and ended the date. Then he had the gall to complain that this was the worst date ever. (Ironically, I have a vampire in Sims 2 who thought that being saved from death was a Dream Date, although the saving had to happen by beating the Grim Reaper in his "which hand" game. )
And after all that, and Antoine dying of hunger on the lot because I had forgotten to either put a fridge in or make motives static, the Lord Emperor was STILL reminding me that he wanted to become the Emperor of Evil. So I took the picture with him in it anyway. Then I used Master Controller to make him Emperor of Evil long enough to quit without saving.
I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
I was trying to get the picture of the Lord Emperor implanting the monitoring device. I got them both posed, lined up the shot, and the Lord Emperor started thinking about wanting to become the Emperor of Evil.
I thought I had headlines off... so I turned them off again. Nothing changed. Ok, let's leave it unpaused for a while...
They are obviously off because nobody has a plumbbob. But that thought balloon is still there....
Then I get a pop-up. Connor wants to invite Amara out on a date. Oh, good. I'm going to need him, and I forgot which silly spot the game decided to put him when it gave everybody in that household a job. I sent Amara on the date so she could drag him back to the lot, and since Vladimir was still not shutting up about Emperor of Evil I switched to her to find out where Connor was. It's 2:30 in the afternoon, so I'm sure he's going to be someplace inside, right? Wrong! He was passed out, smoking, in the park. She cured him with the moodlet manager, which woke him up. He freaked out, announced that he had to leave now, and ended the date. Then he had the gall to complain that this was the worst date ever. (Ironically, I have a vampire in Sims 2 who thought that being saved from death was a Dream Date, although the saving had to happen by beating the Grim Reaper in his "which hand" game. )
And after all that, and Antoine dying of hunger on the lot because I had forgotten to either put a fridge in or make motives static, the Lord Emperor was STILL reminding me that he wanted to become the Emperor of Evil. So I took the picture with him in it anyway. Then I used Master Controller to make him Emperor of Evil long enough to quit without saving.
I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
#207
21st Sep 2015 at 10:57 AM
Last edited by Qnshr5 : 21st Sep 2015 at 11:57 PM.
Posts: 293
Hello everyone! I am behind in getting all the scores and everything together. I wasn't able to sit down and judge most of them until the weekend as I had a busy week. I will try to get them out later today, but it may not be until tomorrow. It will be less than 48 hours! It is worth the wait. Not only will you have comments on your round 5, but judges have also given their thoughts on your stories overall. BTW, LOVE the outtakes/bloopers/drama-horror "making of..." you've posted. These are great!!! :lovestruc
EDIT: Scores will sooooo not be out until tomorrow. I've got round 5 taken care of, but still need to finish the final scores section. I forgot about the tech I have at my fingertips and spent a lot of time calculating with a calculator instead of simply letting the spreadsheet do it for me. So, now my brain is overflowing with math & memory loss and I'm taking a break that will likely last until tomorrow morning!
Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
EDIT: Scores will sooooo not be out until tomorrow. I've got round 5 taken care of, but still need to finish the final scores section. I forgot about the tech I have at my fingertips and spent a lot of time calculating with a calculator instead of simply letting the spreadsheet do it for me. So, now my brain is overflowing with math & memory loss and I'm taking a break that will likely last until tomorrow morning!
Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
#208
22nd Sep 2015 at 9:53 PM
Posts: 293
Round 5 & Final Scores!!!!
ROUND 5 SCORES
Below you’ll find your final scores for both Round 5 and the Contest. In the spoilers is the averaged score rounded to the nearest decimal of each of the main criterion and the judges comments which are mixed up so they aren’t in any order. (If you add these points up they will not equal your final score as they are rounded up averages. Please see the Scores Breakdown for raw points.) For a breakdown of the raw points from the judges plus averages, click here for the score sheet: Scores Breakdown
Please note that while the scores on the spreadsheet are listed as per the contestant list, the judges have again been mixed so they do not reflect the list on the first post.
If you have any issues, questions or concerns with your scores or feedback, please PM me. Do Not Contact the Judges! You do not know which judge did what so speak with me privately.
Fantasy Genre Scores
Round 5 Scores
1. Bre814 | 2. Ghost sdoj | 3. lil bag2 |
---|---|---|
77.8 | 92.2 | 98 |
Main Criteria Averaged Scores
Bre814, “It’s All in the Eyes”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10.3 | 13.7 | 16.7 | 15.7 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 5 | 77.8 | n/a | 0 | 0 | 77.8 |
How does Trevor know anything about Sara? Previously, the two of them said they didn't know much about the witch. The end felt a little rushed and anticlimactic though I am glad that everyone is getting their happy ending.
There were a couple of inconsistencies that detracted some from the ending. Devon referred to Kris as a "human," but no one corrected him. And I'm certain they would have. Kris and Wendy ended up in a romantic clinch, but in the first chapter, we were told that she wanted to attract guys so much that she worked out everyday and even bleached her hair blonde. I think it would have been more believable if there had been indications along the way that she was discovering new feelings for Kris.
The scene where Kris mourns Wendy's death was very well done. You took your time with it. I liked the pauses in actions, the uncertainty over what move to make next (call the police, go after Sara, do nothing...) After this first part, the rest of the story is extremely rushed. I agree with Devon that the confrontation with Sara & retrieving Wendy's soul was too easy (and too fast). I absolutely love the last two sentences.
There were a couple of inconsistencies that detracted some from the ending. Devon referred to Kris as a "human," but no one corrected him. And I'm certain they would have. Kris and Wendy ended up in a romantic clinch, but in the first chapter, we were told that she wanted to attract guys so much that she worked out everyday and even bleached her hair blonde. I think it would have been more believable if there had been indications along the way that she was discovering new feelings for Kris.
The scene where Kris mourns Wendy's death was very well done. You took your time with it. I liked the pauses in actions, the uncertainty over what move to make next (call the police, go after Sara, do nothing...) After this first part, the rest of the story is extremely rushed. I agree with Devon that the confrontation with Sara & retrieving Wendy's soul was too easy (and too fast). I absolutely love the last two sentences.
Ghost sdoj, “Between Two Worlds”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12.3 | 17.7 | 17 | 15.7 | 8.7 | 8 | 5 | 83.8 | n/a | 4 | 4.3 | 92.3 |
I really enjoyed the twist in your ending. Mom was very crafty. I can see that it was necessary to a point, but I felt as though there might have too much exposition in this last chapter. The maps were interesting, but the information could have been abbreviated some.
There wasn't much of a necessity for the large amount of planning a route into/around the palace since Amara would end up using invisibility to cover herself. Studying the guards, how many were where, when to go to which room turned out to mean nothing since we didn't actually see Amara sneak in or risk discovery. If you spend lots of time and detail on telling about something, ensure that it pays off by showing the experience. The whole conflict started off as, and was really, between her parents so it was very appropriate that ultimately it will end with those two whenever mom catches dad! This time no pawns or minions involved!
I think I would have preferred no maps. All that information felt like an overload, especially when Amara started summing it up verbally to us. I liked the twist and thought it was well thought out but the conversation between the three in story got a little convoluted.
There wasn't much of a necessity for the large amount of planning a route into/around the palace since Amara would end up using invisibility to cover herself. Studying the guards, how many were where, when to go to which room turned out to mean nothing since we didn't actually see Amara sneak in or risk discovery. If you spend lots of time and detail on telling about something, ensure that it pays off by showing the experience. The whole conflict started off as, and was really, between her parents so it was very appropriate that ultimately it will end with those two whenever mom catches dad! This time no pawns or minions involved!
I think I would have preferred no maps. All that information felt like an overload, especially when Amara started summing it up verbally to us. I liked the twist and thought it was well thought out but the conversation between the three in story got a little convoluted.
lil bag2, “Anne Arbor”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13.7 | 18.7 | 17 | 19.7 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 5 | 93 | n/a | 0 | 5 | 98 |
I liked how you tied in the initial conflict between father and son and resolved it here. It was a soft, slow ending that is a lot like the first chapter in its pacing. The very last scene with the Garret kids on the island felt like one chapter in their lives had concluded, but another was opening. You could end the story there or continue it in a sequel, and either would feel right.
Oh yay! Everyone lives! Or at least the kids. I'm a little upset that Trent and Micah weren't given the chance to weigh in and see their parents one last time. And that last bit; a circus clown! I was wondering if that might ever crop up. It did feel more like an epilogue than a final chapter but, hey, sometimes epilogues are needed!
Your story was engrossing. I was captivated with the Anne Arbor you revealed to us. I found myself invested in Brandon by the 5th paragraph, and his family by the end of the first chapter. You did an excellent job developing your characters. They were enchanting while still being relatable - their lives were fantastic, and yet still believable. And your use of dialogue was spot on. Excellent writing.
Oh yay! Everyone lives! Or at least the kids. I'm a little upset that Trent and Micah weren't given the chance to weigh in and see their parents one last time. And that last bit; a circus clown! I was wondering if that might ever crop up. It did feel more like an epilogue than a final chapter but, hey, sometimes epilogues are needed!
Your story was engrossing. I was captivated with the Anne Arbor you revealed to us. I found myself invested in Brandon by the 5th paragraph, and his family by the end of the first chapter. You did an excellent job developing your characters. They were enchanting while still being relatable - their lives were fantastic, and yet still believable. And your use of dialogue was spot on. Excellent writing.
Fantasy Scores
Final Contest Scores:
Final Contest Scores:
1. Bre814 | 2. Ghost sdoj | 3. lil bag2 |
---|---|---|
74.96 | 88.02 | 95.54 |
Main Criteria Averaged Final Scores
Please Note: The scores are taken from the final averages of each round. They were added and divided by 5 (the total rounds). The scores will give you an idea of how you did overall in the contest, the big picture if you will. Instead of averaging all the bonus points or splitting them into #1 & #2 (since points weren’t the same in their total amount each round), you will see the amount of points you earned out of the total amount possible in the entire contest (your total points of out 40 possible points. EX: 24/40). Judges have also given their thoughts on your story as a whole which you’ll find below the scores.
Please Note: The scores are taken from the final averages of each round. They were added and divided by 5 (the total rounds). The scores will give you an idea of how you did overall in the contest, the big picture if you will. Instead of averaging all the bonus points or splitting them into #1 & #2 (since points weren’t the same in their total amount each round), you will see the amount of points you earned out of the total amount possible in the entire contest (your total points of out 40 possible points. EX: 24/40). Judges have also given their thoughts on your story as a whole which you’ll find below the scores.
Bre814, “It’s All in the Eyes”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10.76 | 13.16 | 14.3 | 14.28 | 8.02 | 7.74 | 5 | 73.26 | n/a | 8.5/40 | 74.96 |
Kris is a quiet, reflective character (vs the bold, active type) which is not the kind of lead that you often see in stories. They're harder to write since they don't jump to action the moment trouble stirs & think before they act. Kris is well done as this personality and she's refreshing as a character. But remember that quiet/reflective doesn't mean inactive. She needed conflict throughout the story to force her to act and for her to grow. Whether she fails or overcomes the conflict, the ending would better reflect her growth when it comes to stepping up for those she loves & not being a doormat to those who don't care about her because we would have seen her struggle.
The story built up nicely but the latter half felt a little deflated. It can be hard to keep the momentum going in a story. Make sure to be consistent throughout and reread previous chapters to make sure you don't contradict yourself. Congratulations on finishing!
What I like about this story was that Yin approached Kris in the first place, because he needed to warn her about the witch, and to offer his assistance. But there was the witch, already messing with Kris' life. I liked that spooky coincidence. Also, I liked seeing that Kris was able to take care of the witch without some guy doing it for her. I think you did a really good job with your dialogue.
The story built up nicely but the latter half felt a little deflated. It can be hard to keep the momentum going in a story. Make sure to be consistent throughout and reread previous chapters to make sure you don't contradict yourself. Congratulations on finishing!
What I like about this story was that Yin approached Kris in the first place, because he needed to warn her about the witch, and to offer his assistance. But there was the witch, already messing with Kris' life. I liked that spooky coincidence. Also, I liked seeing that Kris was able to take care of the witch without some guy doing it for her. I think you did a really good job with your dialogue.
Ghost sdoj, “Between Two Worlds”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12.44 | 15.82 | 15.46 | 16.1 | 8.94 | 8 | 5 | 81.74 | n/a | 31.4/40 | 88.02 |
I liked the humor injected in so many scenes. There was some good timing, great dialogue, and funny moments. I think you did a good job bringing together a diverse group to work against a common enemy.
You did a good job of keeping up with the requirements as well as pushing through with all the issues you had. Sometimes you bit off a little more than you could chew but I'd 100% rather see too many ideas than boring cliches. Glad you made it to the end!
This was a great ensemble cast. I loved how each character in Amara's circle played pivotal roles in the plot. The lightheartedness and comic timing made it fun to read. However, there was way more mythos than a short story can contain. Most of the issues with the story was that you are so detailed and your world is so big that you simply needed more space to explore and tell the story. I could easily see this story expanded into a novel or series.
You did a good job of keeping up with the requirements as well as pushing through with all the issues you had. Sometimes you bit off a little more than you could chew but I'd 100% rather see too many ideas than boring cliches. Glad you made it to the end!
This was a great ensemble cast. I loved how each character in Amara's circle played pivotal roles in the plot. The lightheartedness and comic timing made it fun to read. However, there was way more mythos than a short story can contain. Most of the issues with the story was that you are so detailed and your world is so big that you simply needed more space to explore and tell the story. I could easily see this story expanded into a novel or series.
lil bag2, “Anne Arbor”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13.72 | 17.34 | 16.94 | 18.2 | 9.48 | 9.38 | 5 | 89.98 | n/a | 27.8/40 | 95.54 |
I think you really met the challenge head on. The thing that stuck out the most for me, among every chapter, was your fantastic dialogue. You were able to really give voice to every single character and keep the interactions between them real. It's been a joy reading each chapter.
This story was really a family drama and you never lost sight of that allowing the fantasy aspects to enhance the plot not take it over or cliche it. In your A/N you said you're an aspiring screenwriter and your study of that form shows in your dialogue as it carries the story along, develops characters, and doesn't waste words.
Your story was engrossing. I was captivated with the Anne Arbor you revealed to us. I found myself invested in Brandon by the 5th paragraph, and his family by the end of the first chapter. You did an excellent job developing your characters. They were enchanting while still being relatable - their lives were fantastic, and yet still believable. And your use of dialogue was spot on. Excellent writing.
This story was really a family drama and you never lost sight of that allowing the fantasy aspects to enhance the plot not take it over or cliche it. In your A/N you said you're an aspiring screenwriter and your study of that form shows in your dialogue as it carries the story along, develops characters, and doesn't waste words.
Your story was engrossing. I was captivated with the Anne Arbor you revealed to us. I found myself invested in Brandon by the 5th paragraph, and his family by the end of the first chapter. You did an excellent job developing your characters. They were enchanting while still being relatable - their lives were fantastic, and yet still believable. And your use of dialogue was spot on. Excellent writing.
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Science Fiction Scores
Round 5 Scores:
1. blatant07 | 2. Freelala | 3. elphaba2 |
---|---|---|
88 | 110 | 0 |
Main Criteria Averaged Scores
blatant07, “Darkness Falls”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12.3 | 16.8 | 17 | 16 | 8.7 | 8 | 5 | 84 | n/a | 4.3 | 0 | 88 |
The kissing scene with Blakely and Zach was natural and believable. I liked that the Banished were given a chance at redemption. Nice touch.
Wow, you packed a lot of punch into that final chapter. I do feel as though the recruitment of the Banished was a little too easy. I also found Derazy's cooperation and pardon of her crimes, especially that she had killed people so close to our protagonists much too convenient. I wish you'd built up her redemption more as I really don't understand her motivations for the sudden change of heart. That said, I think that this was your best chapter of them all.
You found your stride with this chapter and it's your best one! Everything was laid out plainly and the conflict & stakes continuously mounted. Your twist with the L.R.T., the very thing the Master wants, being the destruction of the enemy was a good one. Kidnapping & forcing the Banished who wanted to stay on Earth to fight, and then having them do a 180 & fighting without resistance or motivation was strange, however.
Wow, you packed a lot of punch into that final chapter. I do feel as though the recruitment of the Banished was a little too easy. I also found Derazy's cooperation and pardon of her crimes, especially that she had killed people so close to our protagonists much too convenient. I wish you'd built up her redemption more as I really don't understand her motivations for the sudden change of heart. That said, I think that this was your best chapter of them all.
You found your stride with this chapter and it's your best one! Everything was laid out plainly and the conflict & stakes continuously mounted. Your twist with the L.R.T., the very thing the Master wants, being the destruction of the enemy was a good one. Kidnapping & forcing the Banished who wanted to stay on Earth to fight, and then having them do a 180 & fighting without resistance or motivation was strange, however.
Freelala, “Avalanche”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 100 | n/a | 5 | 5 | 110 |
Blown. Away. I'd always kind of suspected that not everyone would make it out alive but I'm rather sad that Kosta died. Not so much Conrad/Avalanche. That seemed fitting. You pulled everything together so brilliantly. That kissing scene in the reactor room is stunning. As for Kosta's eyepatch, I really had to look for the difference. I don't think I would have noticed otherwise.
I'm so glad you used Conrad/Avalanche's POV in this chapter to bring everything full circle. You are not afraid to maim and kill off your darlings and it made for a realistic, bittersweet ending. It was a good roller coaster ride of ups & downs, defeats & victories. A great unpredictable adrenaline rush and satisfying end.
This story was one of the best I've read on the internet. It was like watching a high-budget action movie, and I love those.
I'm so glad you used Conrad/Avalanche's POV in this chapter to bring everything full circle. You are not afraid to maim and kill off your darlings and it made for a realistic, bittersweet ending. It was a good roller coaster ride of ups & downs, defeats & victories. A great unpredictable adrenaline rush and satisfying end.
This story was one of the best I've read on the internet. It was like watching a high-budget action movie, and I love those.
elphaba2, “Isolation”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus 1 | Bonus 2 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Science Fiction Scores
Final Contest Scores:
Final Contest Scores:
1. blatant07 | 2. Freelala | 3. elphaba2 |
---|---|---|
77.82 | 103.5 | 56.92 |
Main Criteria Averaged Final Scores
Please Note: The scores are taken from the final averages of each round. They were added and divided by 5 (the total rounds). The scores will give you an idea of how you did overall in the contest, the big picture if you will. Instead of averaging all the bonus points or splitting them into #1 & #2 (since points weren’t the same in their total amount each round), you will see the amount of points you earned out of the total amount possible in the entire contest (your total points of out 40 possible points. EX: 24/40). Judges have also given their thoughts on your story as a whole which you’ll find below the scores.
Please Note: The scores are taken from the final averages of each round. They were added and divided by 5 (the total rounds). The scores will give you an idea of how you did overall in the contest, the big picture if you will. Instead of averaging all the bonus points or splitting them into #1 & #2 (since points weren’t the same in their total amount each round), you will see the amount of points you earned out of the total amount possible in the entire contest (your total points of out 40 possible points. EX: 24/40). Judges have also given their thoughts on your story as a whole which you’ll find below the scores.
blatant07, “Darkness Falls”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11.08 | 14.28 | 14.56 | 15.02 | 7.9 | 7.58 | 5 | 75.48 | n/a | 12/40 | 77.82 |
You grew each chapter and your willingness to try to incorporate the feedback you received is vitally important for anyone wanting to improve. You stuck through even with the constructive criticism and that, to me, is the most commendable of anything you could have done. Also, it's mean to not let us at least know if Racaba survived.
At first, the story was a bit shaky in what it was about (scouting a planet, a war, the Banished), but you were able to bring the story lines together nicely. You consistently improved every single chapter and your ending packed a punch. Your pictures were distinct in their depictions of earth, the Volthana, and Zireha. I could always tell the settings apart based on background & wardrobe. Good attention to detail there.
I've always like buddy cop shows, even the ones where there are hints of romance between the two principle characters. I think you might have fun developing these two characters. Talk about diverse backgrounds! Good job.
At first, the story was a bit shaky in what it was about (scouting a planet, a war, the Banished), but you were able to bring the story lines together nicely. You consistently improved every single chapter and your ending packed a punch. Your pictures were distinct in their depictions of earth, the Volthana, and Zireha. I could always tell the settings apart based on background & wardrobe. Good attention to detail there.
I've always like buddy cop shows, even the ones where there are hints of romance between the two principle characters. I think you might have fun developing these two characters. Talk about diverse backgrounds! Good job.
Freelala, “Avalanche”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14.56 | 18.68 | 18.74 | 19.6 | 9.76 | 9.74 | 5 | 96.02 | n/a | 37.3/40 | 103.5 |
This story was one of the best I've read on the internet. It was like watching a high-budget action movie, and I love those. Your screenshots were beautiful - well composed, colourful, and full of interesting details. Your characters were larger than life, and we could well believe that millions depended on the success of their mission. You kept your story moving, and brought something new with every chapter. Excellent work.
While I wasn't always sure of the POV choices each chapter, you made them work in the end each time. Questions of right/wrong, good/evil when it comes to oppression and rebellion were handled by the main characters in thought provoking ways where no one in their group was completely right or completely wrong. This was a strong story from beginning to end. The world felt very real and the pictures were absolutely gorgeous.
Honestly, you've kept me enraptured this entire time. I read your story for the first installment of this contest but you far surpassed yourself this time. Your pictures could have told the story themselves, just as your words didn't rely on the pictures. I would love to read even more from you in the future. Are you writing a book? :D
While I wasn't always sure of the POV choices each chapter, you made them work in the end each time. Questions of right/wrong, good/evil when it comes to oppression and rebellion were handled by the main characters in thought provoking ways where no one in their group was completely right or completely wrong. This was a strong story from beginning to end. The world felt very real and the pictures were absolutely gorgeous.
Honestly, you've kept me enraptured this entire time. I read your story for the first installment of this contest but you far surpassed yourself this time. Your pictures could have told the story themselves, just as your words didn't rely on the pictures. I would love to read even more from you in the future. Are you writing a book? :D
elphaba2, “Isolation”
Creativity (15) | Character (20) | Story (20) | Atmosphere (20) | Genre (10) | World Building (10) | Presentation (5) | Total | Deductions | Bonus Pts/Total | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7.74 | 10.66 | 11.1 | 11.37 | 5.94 | 5.8 | 3 | 55.68 | n/a | 9.1/40 | 56.92 |
We all enjoyed your story and hope you are able to finish it one day, even if only privately. It’s a wonderful story worth completing. Thank you for what you shared with us.
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Congratulations Round 5 Winner!
Freelala! With a perfect 110!!! ... Wow... Excellent job!
Freelala! With a perfect 110!!! ... Wow... Excellent job!
Final Contest Standings
6th Place: 56.92 -- elphaba2!
5th Place: 74.96 -- Bre814!
4th Place: 77.82 -- Blatant07!
3rd Place: 88.02 -- Ghost sdoj!!
2nd Place: 95.54 -- lilbag2!!!
1st Place: 103.5 -- Freelala!!!!
Three cheers for Freelala! Congratulations to all on a job well done! Thank you everyone for sharing your creativity with us and giving us such wonderful stories to enjoy this summer! It’s been a pleasure. :lovestruc
6th Place: 56.92 -- elphaba2!
5th Place: 74.96 -- Bre814!
4th Place: 77.82 -- Blatant07!
3rd Place: 88.02 -- Ghost sdoj!!
2nd Place: 95.54 -- lilbag2!!!
1st Place: 103.5 -- Freelala!!!!
Three cheers for Freelala! Congratulations to all on a job well done! Thank you everyone for sharing your creativity with us and giving us such wonderful stories to enjoy this summer! It’s been a pleasure. :lovestruc
Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
#209
22nd Sep 2015 at 10:24 PM
Posts: 3,720
Thanks: 27190 in 66 Posts
Congratulations everyone! It's been so much fun reading your stories and seeing them develop week by week! You all did a great job and I'm so glad that you chose to participate.
*runs around to assign achievements and ribbons*
*runs around to assign achievements and ribbons*
Heaven Sims | Avendale Legacy
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
#210
22nd Sep 2015 at 11:41 PM
Great work, everyone! Thank you for giving me a good summer's read, and congratulations for a job well done.
#211
23rd Sep 2015 at 1:42 AM
Thank you for a fun contest, and thank you to everybody for your wonderful stories. Congratulations Freelala.
I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
#212
23rd Sep 2015 at 4:00 AM
Posts: 218
Oh man, I shouldn't have looked at that just before going back to work. I had a client ask why I was shaking so much.
Thank you to everyone who made this contest possible. This was a story I've wanted to tell for a long time, and one way or another I knew Sims was going to be my outlet for doing so. I've really enjoyed these stories; it's always a joy to see the creativity in our community and the fantastic work that gets done when we come together like this. Time for a party!
"Passion makes no accommodation for self-preservation."
#213
23rd Sep 2015 at 6:31 PM
Posts: 4,776
Thanks: 1 in 1 Posts
Congratulations Freelala! You truly deserved the win. And congrats to everyone who participated.I'm so happy I decided to enter this contest and I can't wait for any more that might come up in the future (though whether or not I continue to use TS3 for my stories is still up in the air. It's the best one to take great pictures but it runs soooo ridiculously bad on my computer. It's actually made me think about moving Anne Arbor to TS2)
The Receptacle still lives!
The Receptacle still lives!
#214
23rd Sep 2015 at 8:21 PM
Posts: 4,776
Thanks: 1 in 1 Posts
Quote: Originally posted by lil bag2
Well since we're all sharing: This story (that I've been planning years before this contest) was almost VERY different from what you've seen. The overall premise was the same. An estranged family of sorcerers coming together after a tragedy. But that's where the similarities end. Most of the changes I made were to make the story more exciting for the contest. Differences between this and the original draft include: - Brandon was not a cop....and his name wasn't Brandon...because he was a woman. A single mom to be exact. I forgot her name so for the sake of the conversation, let's just call her Brandy. I'm actually not sure why I changed the gender of my MC. It just sorta happened when I was remaking the family for this story. - Trent was Brandy's son and I'm pretty sure his name wasn't Trent. But we'll still call him that for now. - Micah didn't exist. Brandy had a brother but he was older and a widower with two children....actually now that I think about. His son was a seer so I guess Micah kinda did exist. He was just a 10 year old half-black boy and Brandy's nephew instead of her brother. - Aries' wasn't nearly as high strung and responsible as she is now. She also wasn't half black. She was white and blonde. She and her counterpart were both studying to be mystic healers but the original version was A LOT more of your stereotypical care free hippie. - Brandy was estranged from her recently deceased mother instead of her father. I hadn't figured out where the father is so let's just assume he died a long time ago. - Neither of Brandy's parents were infamous crime bosses. Her mother died of natural causes. I actually have photos of her funeral. - Trent would still end up becoming a werewolf, but it was a random accident rather than the result of someone's revenge plot. Kid sneaks out to hang out with his friends in the woods, random werewolf happened to be there, shenanigans ensue. - Brandy's niece (the daughter of the older brother that I mentioned earlier) was definitely gonna be my favorite character to write if I had gotten around to writing this story. The little girl was evil. She starts out as just your stereotypical spoiled, materialistic, air headed "Mean Girls" type of character....except she's like 10. But she starts to show her true colors during a story arc that I planned where her father dates a snobby woman who treats the rest of the family like shit. She's so dead-set on getting this woman out of their lives that her personality undergoes a drastic change from spoiled brat to...well....Wednesday Addams. The change is actually a little disturbing when you consider that this arc would end with her getting away with murder....using her cousin as the weapon. Long story short, all of her plans to get rid of the woman fail and her father was dropping hints that he was gonna propose to her soon. The little girl would basically trick the woman into going inside the basement, where they keep Trent during full moons. I'm...pretty sure you can use you guess what happens next. Since I plan on continuing Anne Arbor at some point in the future, expect to see this girl in some way, shape, or form because.I really think I'd have a lot of fun writing her. I wish I had pictures to show you all of this early draft but my screenshots may or may not have been deleted in a failed attempt to make my game run faster (that's become a bit of a problem for me now. The Sims 3 is still good for storytelling but actually playing the game has become a chore) |
I FOUND THE PICS! Behold: What Anne Arbor almost was
The Receptacle still lives!
#215
23rd Sep 2015 at 11:28 PM
Posts: 218
Oh daaaang...that burning scene is intense!
"Passion makes no accommodation for self-preservation."
#216
24th Sep 2015 at 1:56 AM
Posts: 41
Heyyy. Congrats to Freelala and to all of you who finished, you guys are great. I'm trying to catch up on all of your stories but I hope you guys know you're awesome.
Sorry I kind of vanished. School, moving, health issues, financial aid problems, and a number of other things have consumed my life at the moment. I wish I had been able to finish but... Yeah. It did not happen. So sorry for not filling you in on that.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the fun contest, I really enjoyed it for the time I participated. And thanks to all the judges for your helpful comments and encouragement, it really makes me want to give this story another go when I have the chance.
Sorry I kind of vanished. School, moving, health issues, financial aid problems, and a number of other things have consumed my life at the moment. I wish I had been able to finish but... Yeah. It did not happen. So sorry for not filling you in on that.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the fun contest, I really enjoyed it for the time I participated. And thanks to all the judges for your helpful comments and encouragement, it really makes me want to give this story another go when I have the chance.
#217
24th Sep 2015 at 4:11 AM
Posts: 4,776
Thanks: 1 in 1 Posts
Quote: Originally posted by Freelala
Oh daaaang...that burning scene is intense! |
Yeah, looking back at these pictures, part of me regrets not going through with this story.
The Receptacle still lives!
#218
24th Sep 2015 at 3:39 PM
Posts: 3,720
Thanks: 27190 in 66 Posts
Quote: Originally posted by elphaba2
Heyyy. Congrats to Freelala and to all of you who finished, you guys are great. I'm trying to catch up on all of your stories but I hope you guys know you're awesome. Sorry I kind of vanished. School, moving, health issues, financial aid problems, and a number of other things have consumed my life at the moment. I wish I had been able to finish but... Yeah. It did not happen. So sorry for not filling you in on that. Anyway, thanks everyone for the fun contest, I really enjoyed it for the time I participated. And thanks to all the judges for your helpful comments and encouragement, it really makes me want to give this story another go when I have the chance. |
I hope that those real life issues are getting easier for you, especially the health and financial ones. Those can be tough, especially combined with the other stuff you mentioned.
I'd love to read your story if you post it elsewhere to finish it!
Heaven Sims | Avendale Legacy
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
#219
26th Sep 2015 at 5:21 PM
Posts: 293
Thank You All
@elphaba2 Glad you're ok! Sorry about all the stuff going on in your life. Why everything seems to pile one on top the other all at once, I'll never know. I second heaven, I'd love to read your story if you finish it, too. @lilbag2 Don't regret the story you submitted. It was very good. However, now that you can, you could rewrite it from whatever angle you choose. You could even do some kind of mash up of the two stories. lol. idk. But you're free to re-create the story as your heart sees it. I really do believe that all the stories in the contest, with room to breath and grow, would be phenomenal after a rewrite.
@tsyokawe, @heaven I know I thank you two every round, but I want give a public shout out and thank you to our judges. There's a lot to consider and keep up with in this contest. It's not easy being both objective and thoughtful, but you rose to the challenge graciously. Thank you so much for taking the time and putting in so much effort.
@Everyone: I want to thank everyone who participated-- contestants, judges, even readers & lurkers! This is a big contest with a lot to it and it can be easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated, but I'm happy that we all kept out wits about us and everyone came together (no one was rude, all were helpful), and created something(s) beautiful. I had a wonderful time and it wouldn't have been possible without all of you! :lovestruc So, keep writing! Keep taking pictures! Keep playing with your imagination! And, keep leaving a creative legacy behind you (no matter the role you choose)! Love you guys! Have a great autumn or spring in your neck of the worldly woods!
Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Who Posted
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