Q&A with Raerei

Cathytea is one of the best Simswriters out there that I know who can capture the heart of a sim. Her Goofy Legacy has some of the most memorable sims I know (the Royal Llama Tamer!) and she’s got loads of other stories that showcase a love a literature and a deep questioning of self and life. Through her, I found the rest of the sims blogs I read.

She nominated me for the Leibster award and I’m honored, but I realized that the only blogs I read are ones that I found through her, and they’ve all be nominated. I’m not able to pass this award on which is one of the main purposes of the award. (I’m also not a fan of chain letters even ones done in good spirits.) However I enjoyed getting the chance to know the writers behind the sims, so to speak, so here are my answers to her questions.

 

1. What do you find most gratifying about sharing your Sims’ stories?

Some of it is that it gives me an excuse to play Sims as much as I want and not feel guilty about “wasting” time. “I have to play, I need to post something on my blog.” But also it gives me chance to slow down the game (somewhat) and appreciate the now. I don’t have a lot of problems doing that in real life, but I tend to rush through games. Sharing the story gives them time to exist outside the game and become more rounded as characters.

 

2. What’s a moment you had when you’re playing Sims (and/or writing about it) that helped you to understand life better?

This is a very Cathytea-type question and I’d like to say I’ve had an epiphany moment when playing. Or that a particular sim taught me a valuable lesson. Or while writing I suddenly realized something about myself. But that hasn’t happened yet. It’s more likely to happen when I’m writing and reflecting on the characters than when I’m playing. I’ll keep an eye open since I do think that there’s a bit of me in every one of my sims. The potential is there.

 

3. What’s one thing you’ve read that has changed your way of experiencing or understanding life?

I’m a voracious reader, although it’s mainly science fiction, fantasy, and mystery books so you have to dig a little more to find learning that you can apply to *this* reality. There have a been a few books that have changed my way of looking at the world. If you’re ever interesting in what I’m reading, I have a goodreads account. But here are three authors that come to mind who I know have changed my life.

• Anything by Oliver Sacks for teaching me that the mind is a fragile, fragile thing and it’s a miracle that it works at all (Try “Hallucinations” or start at the beginning with “The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat”).
• Octavia Butler’s “Dawn” – for giving me an outsiders view on the human condition.
• Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series, especially the Winds trilogy which taught me that evil doesn’t think of itself as evil.

 

4. How do you manage to keep up with reading all the blogs that you read?

Sadly I don’t. I tend to read a bunch all at once just before bedtime or during my lunch break and then forget for a couple weeks. It’s better if the blog is on wordpress, then it keeps track of where I’ve left off when I come back to it. I’m getting good about using the blog reader here.

 

5. What’s your favorite part about blogging?

I love the fact that I’m writing again. After years of writing, working full time gave me little energy at the end of the day. By writing about my Sims, I’m writing again and the other stories are returning as well (At least that’s my hope).

 

6. Describe your favorite walk or a favorite place outside where you like to go to relax.

If I’m going somewhere to relax it’ll be with a book. Perhaps at the nearby lake? But really any shady spot in the warmth with a book. (I burn too easily so I can’t relax in the sun often).

 

7. What music inspires you?

I’m not good with music as I tune it out very quickly, but I like bouncy cheerful songs, even if their subject is depressing. Song with singable lyrics are also preferred and as a product of my misspent youth, I can sing along to many musicals.

 

8. What do you hope to express in your Sims stories?

I’ve been thinking about this one for a couple days now. At first I couldn’t think of an answer, then I felt like I should be writing with intent in mind, but today it came to me. I hope I am expressing an alternative look on reality. The sims are real people, in the sims world, I hope that I am giving them a chance to show what their life is like, their losses, their loves, their triumphs. Although they may be “just” a game, to them this is reality and by looking at their lives, I hope we can better understand and cope with our losses, loves, and triumphs. (I think the same way about all book characters).

 

9. What’s one of the funniest things that has happened to you or your Sims while Simming?

I think the funniest thing that happened so far was when I forgot that real time doesn’t match Sims time. It was Friday both in the game and in real life and I was playing the game. I was really happy because my sim’s birthday was Monday and the new Get to Work expansion would come out then so he’d get to enjoy the new careers…Yeah.

 

10. What inspires you to continue Simming and blogging when you think about stopping?

The other stories I read. When I started reading What are you even doing, I knew I needed to try the ISBI challenge someday. I just get so excited about other stories that I want to see what happens in my own as well. And when I think about how much I love other people’s stories, I hope that there’s someone who likes my stories and my characters as well.

Lastly, for anyone that’s made it down here, one question for you: Why do you blog? Isn’t that so 2004?