I am happily married with many cats, and my job is taking pictures and tours of rental properties for the company website. Which yes, that means I take pictures and write captions at work and then come home and do it for fun.
I started writing Sims stories in Sims 2. I had a lot of starts, but the star rating system did not mix well with my perfectionist and neurotic traits. 😉 So the downrating would kill my creative impulses. Also there were long bouts of WoW.
I’m currently balancing WoW and writing and hey, who knew – hate secrets don’t have the same effect as downrating.
I feel like Valley accomplished everything I wanted to do with the Sims game as a storytelling medium, so now I am writing full text mostly. I may still occasionally do Sims projects though, but nothing as intense as Valley.
Update: I do love Surreal Darkness, but it’s on a much slower update schedule and it’s meant to be low-stress. So it is still less intense than Valley. 😉
In the Valley of the Sun 
I really love ur story, ur pics are amazing and ur graphics are even better. What kind of computer do u have, haha. But i think out of all the stories i have read this is my favorite it is the most interesting and the most original. Keep writing u have a real talent at it
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Aww, thanks. 🙂 My computer is a Gateway and I’m using a GeForce 8800 GT video card.
I do plan to keep writing. And again, thank you for reading and commenting.
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I have a gateway, too! And I love your story, but it sort of scares me if I read it at night.
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Aww, thanks. 🙂 And yeah, I do tend to write creepy stuff.
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haha just what i was thinking! thats why i read in the morning 😛
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Hi!
Just stumbled upon your stuff while looking through my friend’s list on Livejournal. No, I’m not creepy. Ok, maybe a little bit creepy. But I also read some of your stuff and it’s awesome. I hope it’s ok for me to hang around, plus I have to watch your kittens get older. I’m hoping you live really far away from me so I am not tempted to become the owner of a cat again. I will probably add you as a friend on Livejournal, I saw that you are rather open to that idea. My name is Debbie and my LJ username is Fyremaven. I’ve been there about 11 years. Nice meeting you!
Deb
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I am a little bit creepy! 🙂 And I added you back before even seeing this, and I see that you rescued a horse! 🙂 I live in Charlotte, North Carolina – is that far away?
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you’re amazing! really inspiring too!
did you come up with the story from start to finish or do you just make it up as you go along?
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Sort of both. 🙂 I have a general idea in my head and sometimes I’ll get inspirations for a sequence and write out a few notes, but it’s not like I have the whole story written down and it does grow and evolve as I go along. I actually write the captions in the caption box under the pics on Photobucket and then copy and paste them over.
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Your story is the first REAL story I’ve seen using sims3 and I’m very impressed.
I wanted to thank you for advertising this tale at simstorytellers (on LJ, I’m a lazy mod there). Have you done a simstorytellers interview before? If not, I think you should. I’m pretty sure you’d be the FIRST sims3 writer featured (and it would be well deserved).
I’m going to send a note to the simstorytellers mod who handles the interviews and drop your name. She likes to keep a list of potential interviewees. I’m not sure what her schedule is like (as far as interviews go and all that) but I’m sure she’ll like having another good writer to add to the pool of potential interviews.
Thanks for the good read.
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No, this is the first story I’ve done on a blog and shared on LJ – all my Sims 2 stuff was on the exchange.
Thank you so much! 🙂 That’s wonderful, and really makes me all blushy and happy. 🙂 I’d be even more effusive if I wasn’t so hungry that I had a headache, lol.
But really, it does mean a lot and I am really really grateful.
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This story is creative from the start and I’m sure the end. This story and characters have given me a different look on things I love I can imagine what will happen and something totally different happens! This story has provided its readers and I with an emotional response that is continuing and growing. This story is clever, engaging, and supenseful and I hope that I can continue to smile with each update.
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This story is so wonderful. It’s really different than most Sim stories I read, I enjoy it a lot more.
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Thank you. 🙂 I am very very tired at the moment so don’t really have the energy or ability to think for detailed replies, but I wanted to let you know that I saw this and appreciated it. 🙂
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I am so intrigued by this story that I keep checking my blogroll just to see if you’ve updated! I am totally on the edge of my seat right now, waiting to see what happens to Lilith next!
Awesome work you have here. The effort put into your images is outstanding, and your prose is just mind blowing. I swear by Jason and his trash-can digging abilities, that I will telling everyone to come read this story!
“On my honor, and to all trash-can diggers out there! This is a must read!”
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Awww, thanks. 🙂 As it turns out yesterday I took a break from all things Sim and explored other bits of the internet, but I think that was good for the story overall – it got me away from my stats page and prevented burnout and also gave me perspective, as I read things by really really good writers and realized that I’m not all that.
My mother is coming today, but when she leaves this afternoon I will get started on the next update.
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I’m enjoying this so much…I have to fight the urge to read it for days…to give you time to get a couple chapters in…otherwise I feel teased…LOL! It’s great! Thanks!!
My attempt, that pales in comparison…
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Thank you! 🙂 I’m also enjoying quite a bit. I’m just home for lunch now, but I’ll check out your blog this afternoon.
Oooh, it’s been so long since I had Froot Loops.
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I’ve never played WoW but I hear it’s all the rage.
Just came across your blog from a link on another Sims 3 Site. I am still trying to get my own S3 blog up but I am stuck on the name!
I really love the title of your blog. Very mysterious.
You had a lot of starts too? I share the same problem, had too many starts in S2. I am hoping to commit to something for S3, but I am still working on that.
I’ve only read a small bit of your work to date but what I’ve read has me hooked. I am intrigued. Looking forward to reading more when time allows.
Mind if I add your link when I eventually get my blog up to scratch?
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Of course I don’t mind. 🙂
It took me a few tries to find the title. I have another blog registered on here named Legacy of the Dead, lol. I might still use that for an actual legacy after Valley is finished.
Yeah – my first Sims 2 legacy actually had quite a few chapters, but after Legacy 9 or so they were very very spaced out. Then I tried another legacy and got three chapters in. Then there was one chapter each of an apoc, an OWBC, and a normal story. So yeah. But it’s been two months today since I started this blog and I do think I’m going to see this one through to the end. 🙂
And I’m scared a lot of people stop after Meeting. I promise it gets better after that. 🙂
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Wow! The story is awesome! I don’t really like scary stories though, but I never knew that scary stories can be written in the Sims 3 as well… never tried it though…
You are an amazing author. If you become famous one day, I’m buying your book 😉
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Thank you! 🙂 Actually the one posing hack that I know of for Sims 3, the chaos mod painting, lends itself to scary stories very well with options for starting fires and floods and killing and ghostifying Sims.
And after I finish Valley and rest for a bit, I do plan on taking the characters and themes and basic idea of the story and seeing if I can turn it into a full text story. 🙂
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I just wanted to stop by and say that I’m still following this. The TS3 forums are so screwed up right now I didn’t know where my post would end up.
Suspect was awesome. I don’t know how you have time to write with all the comments that you reply to.
I’d love it if you’d critique my story. It’s nothing like advice from a great author. Chapter One is not that good IMO but I think I have gotten better. If you don’t have time I understand.
http://ricslady99.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/1719553-the-trouble-with-susie-chapter-1-and-2
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Hi! 🙂 Yeah, the Sims 3 forums are all messed up.
Thank you! I wasn’t very sure about this one, so that’s good to hear.
As for how I have time to write – no kids and a very understanding and lovely husband who does all the housework. And a great job with regular 8-5 on weekdays hours.
I’ll see about a critique – generally I don’t like to do that because I just don’t like to go around pointing out things that are wrong and I’m always afraid of hurting people’s feelings. I could point out the things that are good, though. 🙂
Really I think my writing advice to others would boil down to “Use your own words and your own voice.”
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LOL, I like hearing the good stuff 🙂
I posted a link to you story in my forum. I love it so much I had to share.
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Geez, I hate typos. That should have been your story!
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Hi again, just wanted to ask you a question if I may, I noticed that all your posts are cleverly ‘introduced’ if you like by one picture, and then once you click on it, it opens the whole post, can i ask how you do this? As normally you would just see the whole post sort of thing…Im a wordpress user and I would love to be able to do this with my posts! Sorry to be cheeky! (you know I LOVE your blog :)) x
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Under the HTML tab there’s a button labeled “more”. Just click it wherever you want the link to the rest of the post. It’s like an LJ cut, but easier.
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Thank you so much, really appreciate you taking the time to help! 🙂 Hope this story never ends!
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I really like this story! Can you link to my legacy please? I linked to yours.
http://spectrumlegacy.wordpress.com/
thanks!
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Great story! This is brilliant!
I do have a question for you though. How did you get to see inside their places of work? Lilith in the office with her boss, and Jason, too… when they go to work (or school or inside any building other than a house) when I play, they just disappear, and even if you click on them, you can’t see what they are doing, just their plumbob on the building.
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Thanks. 🙂
I built those sets. Shannon’s office and the hallway and the breakroom were in the backyard of Lilith’s house, and Jason’s office has a save file all to itself and is just a small building on a residential lot.
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Oooo… I see! I was very confused by that. Thanks for the reply!
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My WoW account is still active unfortunately. I… must… cut… it… off… COMPLETELY!
Great story!!! Looking forward to more!
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It’s a cool game. Nothing wrong with still playing it.
Thanks. 🙂 Got 9 pictures done for the next update last night, and will hopefully finish it tonight or tomorrow.
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ok I sound so weird and clueless right now, but Im making a sim story and I want to know how you get the tabs up above because I dont have them on mine, and how your story starts from begining to end. My blogs go backwards. lol. Sorry If i sound dumb, its just I didnt know where else to ask. And BTW, your story is amazing. I am addicted.
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The tabs are pages – you can add pages just like posts.
Huh…oh, do you mean the story index and the links? Because if you just scroll down the front page, mine goes in reverse order too. The story index is a page with a list of links, and I can’t get the code to copy and paste without working no matter how many *’s I add, but basically I add the links to the bottom of each post as well.
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thank you so much for the reply. I actually was up late last night messing with the options on here ( I am new to blogging) and I probably should have done that to begin with before. lol. anyways, thanks so much & also thank you for inspiring me to write again.
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If you have any more questions, feel free to email me at medleymisty@gmail.com. For one thing, I could properly copy and paste the codes in an email.
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I do not know whether or not you still read Sim Secret (and I would not blame you a bit if you didn’t because it really is a sewer sometimes), but there is one that I thought you should see. It isn’t a love secret, but you should definitely look at it, I think it was a nice gesture from someone, even if their initial action was rotten.
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I decided to not go there anymore, but someone has told me about that and I do plan to reply later. Thank you. 🙂
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I want to ask you something; and don’t worry, you actually DO have a choice, here.
I want to know if you will read something of mine. I have just been writing it as of late, and I kind of want some feedback. It’s not really your style of writing, I’m sure. And if you do try to read it, and it’s awful just stop. Tell me that it’s not your thing.
I only have about 50 pages, but I could email them to you, if you want to read them. If you don’t that is ok. But let me know, definitely!
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Oh, of course! My email address is – listed in this post, lol. I’m down for it. 🙂
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Well, I sent the paper to you, and when you get it, just let me know! Thanks so much for doing this!~
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I did get it, and I will look at it soon. Thank you for sharing it! 🙂 Can’t wait to read it.
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Your writing style is amazing. I’m seriously in love with this blog.
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Awww, thank you! 🙂 I do plan to continue writing, but I’ve found at the moment there’s this great big hole in my heart where Valley used to be and I need to let it heal some first, I think.
I will be writing more here eventually, though.
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I loved this story, I came expecting a legacy and got something completely different and way WAY better! I have only just realised that there are lots of players out there who write sims stories. It never occurred to me before this to actually go looking for stuff to read! All I usually do is just play Sims and play some more. You have kept me away from my legacy most of the day, well done!!
Wow, it kept me guessing right up til the very end. Sooooo good! Hoping there is more of your work elsewhere …. ??
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It did start out as a legacy, long ago. Changed and took on a life of its own along the way. 🙂
And yeah, there’s a whole community of people who write sims stories. A good place to start if you want to check out more is the simstorytellers community on LiveJournal.
Thank you! And as for more of my stuff – there is my Sims 2 stuff. None of it was ever finished and the majority of it is a comedic legacy, but hey. Here’s the link.
http://thesims2.ea.com/mysimpage/uploads.php?user_id=134089&nstart=1&asset_type=story
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Good read. Also, is the sim in your avatar going for an Andy Samberg ‘Jizzed in my pants” look? : D
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Thanks!
And my avatar is just Seth being Seth and making a crazy angry face at Bella’s ghost. 🙂
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Great story. I had to read the whole thing, I couldn’t stop. Love the semi-leave-it-to-you-to-decide-what-happened ending. Have you put anything out since?
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Thank you! 🙂 Well – there’s Gunky. https://medleymisty.wordpress.com/10/ Hopefully I’ll have the next update out in a couple weeks. It’s comedy and sort of choose your own adventure.
And there’s also https://medleymisty.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/10-01/ which I should have 10.02 out in a few days. It’s the story of Seth as a 15 year old and is full text, no pics.
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Hi. I’ve been reading your story’s for a while now and I just want to say that they are great! 🙂 Also, I was wondering how you do the Continue Reading >> thing where it brings you to the rest of the story? Just wondering, thanks.
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Awww, thanks. 🙂
At first I thought you meant the links to the next post, but then I realized you meant the more tag. Which is so much easier than a LiveJournal cut, btw. 😉
I write my posts under the html tab, which has different buttons than the visual tab. So click on the HTML tab, click on the button that says “more” wherever you want the cut to be, and it’ll insert the code for you.
If that doesn’t help or you have any more questions, let me know or you can email me.
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4 cats? You’re my kind of person lol. I have quite a number of pets which were once all strays. I don’t have the heart to turn away an innocent little thing looking for somewhere to be loved. I always mean to take them to the shelter where I live that doesn’t ‘put down’ animals but in the end I grow too attached.
I’m still a WoW player. I stopped playing for a while but got back into it when several of my online friends asked for me to come back. One of them actually bought me the new expansion and another one paid for my game time. How could I refuse?
Sims 3 is working as a ‘story-telling medium’ for me as well right now. I’ve just begun reading your story but I’ll be keeping up with your blog. 🙂
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That’s why the Pets EPs are my least favorite, and why I haven’t gotten the Sims 3 one. The strays and the deaths of dog and cat shaped pixels really bother me.
Yep, you couldn’t refuse that. Mists of Pandaria comes out Tuesday, right? It’s tempting, but we probably won’t go back.
Yeah, Sims 3 rocks. I took a long break after Valley and wrote mostly full text, but this week I’ve started a new Sims 3 story. With Lilith as the main character again. 🙂 And it’s participatory, with readers having input into the plot.
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-I get all Sims 3 expansions and absolutely hate seeing any of my pixel animals die. Luckily, with a story, I can keep them alive forever! Muahaha! It’s just like in movies, I can’t stand to see the animals die. So any animal that takes part in one of my stories will be living a long happy life.
-I already have the Pandas expansion on pre-order >.< I'm addicted, I admit it.
-I will definitely be looking into your next story! I can't wait to see if Lilith looks the same or if you changed her up some. Clever idea having the readers participate!
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That’s good. 🙂 I get all depressed and cry for days after reading a story where an animal gets hurt or dies.
Nothing wrong with addiction.
Oh, Lilith has the same clothes and hairstyle. Her eyes look a little different though, for some reason. *whistles* 😉
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Really enjoying your story, I wish I had the time to read it all in one go but that is never the case haha.
I’m also 31, very much a Capricorn and neurotic seems to be a trait I have had for a long time but recently just discovered it. I thought I was just a bit silly, but then started reading the story of a neurotic sims and felt deeply connected. I’m still silly though.
Best of luck in your writing. If you get publish please let us know, I’ll definitely be checking out your book 😉
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I’m sorry it took me so long to reply to this – I’ve been busy.
I’m 32 now! I just haven’t updated this yet. Shhhh. 😉 I’m Sagittarius myself, and I am deeply neurotic, lol.
Oh I will! I sent a text-only Seth story off to a writing contest, and I’ll hear the results in June. If it wins, it’ll be published in a literary magazine and I’ll definitely be posting here to tell people about it. If it doesn’t win – I’ll send it out to other magazines. 🙂
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Wow that is amazing, and you have the right attitude. Never give up!! I wish you luck, you certainly have the talent. 🙂
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I am in sunny Southern California, so thankfully…YES! We currently are cat-less but are long time cat lovers and your kittens were way too cute. I’m sure some new loving families will come forward to claim them when they are big enough to go. My current menagerie includes two horses (they don’t live with us as we live in the suburbs), some hen chickens (sounds weird but even here we are allowed 5 chickens, no roosters), an old lady australian shepherd that we rescued 10 years ago, and two bunnies (one slated for neutering as soon as he is 6 months old.) In the 80’s we actually owned lots of cats as we were involved in cat shows and cat activities, my kids grew up going to cat shows several weekends a year. After my adult career kicked off (registered nurse in an ICU) there wasn’t much time for showing cats so we neutered the remaining ones and kept them as pets…as of now we haven’t had a cat for about 4 years.
Very nice to meet you and thank you for adding me back. Looking forward to reading quite a lot of your awesome writing fare.
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Would you ever do a legacy challenge with Sims 3? I’ve read this story countless times.
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Hi! Sorry for not replying sooner. I was out of town this weekend.
Sims 3 is very laggy and clunky for me, even on this relatively new computer, and at the moment I am not interested in a legacy. But the interest can always change, and it’s true that it’s been a while since I’ve done the housekeeping stuff to make Sims 3 run better. So I guess….it’s not impossible, but it’s not very probable any time soon.
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