The joys and pains of writing (and thread to share them)

UGHHHH That sounds like an absolute nightmare, and in the middle of an inspiration / motivation struggle too. That sucks a lot I'm so sorry XC

If my Sims don't stop flirting autonomously with random people I WILL cry. Let's hope hooking MCCC up to prevent autonomous flirting will fix it...

Zeph If MCCC doesn't do the trick for you, there is also Stop Random Flirting mod by Aariancya, which is the mod I am using for this issue. It's been working very well for me.

queenofmyownfantasy I also find myself thinking about my characters pretty much all the time, even when I really should be thinking about something else (like work, or driving, or what someone is saying to me in a conversation, just to name some random examples 😆). And sometimes I even find it hard to actually work on writing my story, because my mind is drawn to thinking about scenes with my characters that aren't part of what I am trying to write. Sometimes future scenes I might use, but often completely off the path alternative plot-line scenes that won't even work with the story-line I chose to write.

EvilBnuuy I really can relate to your fear of "ruining" the story with a bad ending. I am already feeling this pressure myself with my story, and I'm not even anywhere near the ending yet. I am often afraid that in my enthusiasm, I am making everything so complicated that ultimately the story won't even make sense to my readers. You've been working on Divided intensely for a long time, so I imagine this feeling can be even stronger for you at this point, especially when things in real life outside your control are wearing you down.

It can be really difficult to end a long and complicated story well. Many TV shows as well as many book series have had trouble sticking the final landing. Wrapping up all the plot threads, giving things a satisfying climax and finale, while still staying true to the tone, world building, suspense, and character growth that has long been established... is really, really hard to do. Even full time professional authors, and big productions with plenty of money and help have struggled, and failed, to do it well. Divided has involved so much artistry and effort. Great writing, excellent character design, gorgeous screenshots... It's about as big production as simlit gets. And you're just one person, doing all the work of a full team of creators. In your spare time. For no pay. If you feel like it's not worth it to you anymore, I think all of us understand, because we are all in the same boat, and we know it.

I have really enjoyed your story, and I would love to see you finish the project to your satisfaction. Good endings don't have to be happy, or even wrap everything up completely. Mostly, good endings just feel like they fit the characters. If you stay focused on your characters, as you have been all along, I think whatever ending you choose will feel right. But you don't owe me (or anyone) any specific ending, or even any ending at all. It's okay to do whatever is best for you. Because you, as a person, matter more than what you create.

Ah yes my favourite writing trick: sleeping on it!

Thank you, as well. 

As for the offensive/inoffensive debate, I'm thinking about the plot for the next story. It's my own concoction, which is why it's giving me anxiety. I started Hansel and Gretel to prove to myself that I could finish making a SimLit story. I think I can write, as long as I sort of know where I'm going, but knowing where I'm going is part of the issue.