Tuesday, 13 March 2018

The Smallwood Family Legacy Generation One: A Sims 4 Story

The Smallwood Family Legacy: A Sims 4 Story


 Chapter Thirteen: Interlude, The Life & Unlife Of Lady Beatrix Smallwood.

Tuesday, 6 March 2018

Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award


I have been nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award by the amazing TheYayToast, who writes a wonderful story called Death's Bride which you should really check out! I won't give away much about it but what I will say is, if you like mystery and the supernatural then this is for you! So thank you for choosing me, I really am honoured! <3

The rules are:

  • Thank blogger(s) who nominated you for a blog post and link back to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
  • Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog

Well I haven't really got 11 people that I can nominate, although I have been around for a long time, I am fairly new to the updated forums and most of the friends and co-bloggers I have known have dwindled sadly. But I do have two particular ones who I have followed since I first signed up to The Sims 3 community and they are:


Not only is she a friendly and kind person, she is also extremely creative. She is a great builder and you will often find her stories are based around renovacy challenges. But my favourite story is The Key of My Heart! It has romance, it has hardship, it has everything! You really should take a look!
Another wonderful friend who is not only supportive, but very talented! The Love Legacy is amazing, I even had the honour of contributing one of my Sims 3 legacy characters to it, which was great fun, I love crossovers! The Loves are such a great family, you will be hooked immediately!

So here are my answers to the questions I was given:


1.) What inspired you to start writing your story?

I'm really a Sims 3 gal at heart and I have been writing using illustrations from it since 2011, so when The Sims 4 came out I wasn't really sold on it and it took me a veeeerrrry long time to warm to it. But lag and crashes on the older game were getting me down and being the sims lover that I am, I thought I'd try my hand at writing a Sims 4 legacy, especially after toddlers were added to the game (I loooove them). So I now have The Smallwoods! Yay!

2.) Describe your process. Do you play and then write a story around that? Or vice versa?

Both really, it depends on whether I am writing a story from my weirdo brain, or writing a legacy. If an idea comes to me for a story I will write it down and take shots around it, and if it is a legacy I take the shots and write around them, I interpret what I think is going on.

3.) Who is your favorite character from your stories? Why?

Well gee that's like choosing a favourite child lol! No, I have two actually and they are from my Sims 3 stories. 

The first is Cody Von Strunkle from "The Shylife of...A Legacy of Sorts", when Cody was born, I was kinda meh about him, his older brother Spencer was a looker and he was my fave to take over as generation 7 heir. But then Cody grew up and he had those gorgeous purple eyes he inherited from his great-grandmother Dawn, who was made for me by a really amazing friend, Tru Sims! He won the heir poll and I was smitten! And although his son and heir was named after an object of my affection, Cody was...and will always be...my favourite Von Strunkle!

The second is Master Dexter Maloney of "Love Drunk" & "Love Drunk 2.0" because I created him, I invented him, and my goodness is he a flawed man child pretty boy...but he's my flawed man child pretty boy! He is based on someone special to me, and if he were real I would so marry him and wrap him in bubble wrap feeding him cupcakes all day long! And the way he adores his little "freckles", Lainie the love of his life, is just precious! They are just too cute together.

Oh gosh I am gushing and that was so long winded sorry *blush*! Next question...

4.) You can choose one of your characters to bring to life. Which character and why?

Dexy! Because see above! Flawed so psychology graduate me can try and fix all his broken pieces, cupcakes, facial hair, blue eyes, tattoos, guitar playing weirdo with the voice of an angel...kaching! Pass me the bubble wrap!!!

5.) Sims 4 Townies: Marry, Kill, WooHoo. Which townie would your Simself marry? Who dies? Which would your Simself have a woohoo with?

Marry: Caleb Vatore! Vampire, great hair, hot! Just yum! Plus he makes my Trixie happy so bonus points for that and taking on his deceased friend's child too! He's also very good with his sister Lilith! Mega Brownie points for Mister Fangy of Wolfsbane Manor!

Kill: Demetrius Higa! I encountered him as my simself when I first got the game and holy guacamole was he a grouchy drunk who later came to my marital home and verbally abused my son who was a child at the time! Always had a drink in his hand, nasty nasty lol!

WooHoo: If I can't choose Caleb again, then I shall say Mortimer Goth. There's just something about him that would make any sim go weak at the knees. Perhaps an encounter in a cupboard at the karaoke bar? Bella need never know! ;)

6.) Are there any plotlines that have changed drastically since you first thought of them? What caused the change?

Yes loads! Sometimes I will think of a plot and then rethink so as not to offend or upset anyone, or at least I did at the beginning. I am getting a little more adventurous in my old age, and if I think it is essential to the story I will put it in, no kid gloves this is life!

Love Drunk started as a summary of 40 chapters in a notebook, and a lot of it was altered as I went along but the skeleton of the story always remained; little aspiring chef catches the eye and heart of aspiring musician and artist who lives in the same apartment building, and so the "will they or won't they" begins. Here is an example of how my vision changed, Ashton and Erin were never supposed to get together until the very last chapters, in fact she was not supposed to appear until late on in the story as a main character. She was always a minor one supporting the appearance of batty Selina who was crazy about Ashton's brother Dexter. And Roxy was never supposed to join the band Sweet Cacophony, it was always supposed to be Charlotte's brother Rob until a friend came up with the idea of a girl joining an all male rock band. 

I am so sorry I am rambling again, eek! 

7.) Are you a builder or a maker? Do you prefer to build houses or make Sims?

I am a TERRIBLE builder! I am most definitely a maker of sims! I have made a celebrity sim in both Sims 3 and 4, I have tweaked him so many times over 6 years, even made his tattoos, and I am still not completely satisfied with him hence the reason I haven't shared him! I'm an extreme perfectionist! I must admit though, last night me and my friend made a cool house and we were rather proud of it so we uploaded it to the gallery, I want to build so badly, I'm just not that great!

8.) What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?

I love thinking up the plot, imagining the poses for the story, and I love making the characters that are in my head and putting them into the game to see them moving around. It's so satisfying!

9.) What part of the process do you find the most challenging?

Waiting around during a legacy save, there are some things I just don't screenshot because they are kind of boring. And also when I have an idea in my head, it sounds amazing, but then when you put it in writing it's not so much. Back to the drawing board is the worst, as all I ever want is for my stories to be good...perfectionist! *shrug*

10.) What is one thing that you want to see in Sims 4? (Seasons, Occult Types, etc.)

Definitely witches, werewolves and mermaids! I loved the Supernatural expansion, absolutely loved it! Magic, super powers and all that jazz! I would love to have a witch in the Sims 4, one who married a werewolf and they had cute little furry children with lightning bolts coming out of their fingers! :D Oh and a unicorn, I NEED a unicorn! <3

11.) Write something about yourself that readers might not know. (A surprising hobby, favorite food, etc.)


I love to bake cakes and crochet! I'm happy doing the simple things in life, I crochet blankets and hats and I bake and decorate birthday cakes for people and sell them. I'm a stay at home Home Economics teacher! @_@


So here are my 11 questions for my nominated friends:


  1. When did you first start playing The Sims?
  2. How many versions have you played, which version is your favourite and why?
  3. What element of the game do you enjoy the most?
  4. Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
  5. Would you be honest if someone asked you how many hours you actually played the game?
  6. Do you have a special sim that you do not share with the community? (I do lol)
  7. Are any of your characters based on people that you know personally?
  8. If you could be any of your characters, who would you be and why?
  9. Out of all of your sims characters, be it from a legacy or a story, which one hurt the most to say goodbye to?
  10. If you could re-write any of your stories, what, if anything, would you change?
  11. Have you ever introduced The Sims to any friends and family, if so did they share your love for the game? 
These questions will self-destruct in 3...2...I'm just kidding! I had a blast answering my questions, I hope you do too! xLJx