Sunshine Blogger: Makplay’s Questions

Pegasus143/Makplay (Mackie) nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! What an honor! Pegasus writes MakPlays, which is filled with stories I love.

You can find my acceptance and my nominations on my Sunshine Blogger page.

Here are Makplays’ questions for her nominees:

1. What’s the best part of writing SimLit for you?
   I love that it’s a unique art form: it allows me to tease out themes and find ways to explore aspects of living that I might not uncover if I were writing straight fiction. I love that it encourages me to observe and to think: I spend a lot of time watching my Sims, noticing patterns, looking for surprises, and creating meaning. All these skills transfer to life, when I’m lucky, so I feel that through writing SimLit I’m better able to understand other people and the patterns and surprises of my life.
2. And the worst part?
   For me, the worst part, which I often need to guard against, is when I become so immersed in the game or the story that I think about it all the time and feel removed from other aspects of my life. I’m happiest when I achieve balance, and when I am fully engaged with all the aspects of my life, including other hobbies, my two jobs, daily tasks, and relating with friends and those I share my life with. Right now, the romance with Sims 4 has worn off, so it’s no longer consuming to me, and while I greatly enjoy playing and writing Sims 3, it’s not overly engaging either. So I’m pretty happy with the balance I feel now.
3. How did you first find out about SimLit?
   Back when I was playing The Sims 2, I used to love reading Candi and ephemeraltoast’s stories: I couldn’t believe how good they were and that they were available to us to read for free! We didn’t call in SimLit back then, but it was literature nonetheless!
4. What’s one part of your day that you always look forward to?
   I love when I first step into the garden in the morning.
5. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
   Not a thing. I find something transformational in accepting life exactly as it is, and every foible of mine, every mistake, has been an opportunity for learning.
6. How did you find The Sims (insert the appropriate number here)?
   I discovered The Sims 2 through their ad campaign that presented Simmers’ own movies. I loved one in particular, which showed a Sim throwing a stick for a dog, and soon an entire pack of dogs was chasing that stick through the desert. That ad campaign showed me that the game was flexible and open-ended.
7. What’s one thing that you would describe as beautiful?
   I have to choose two because they’re related: middle C played on the D string of my cello, and the deep magenta of a petal on a cosmos flower.
8. Is there anything interesting about you that other people don’t know?
   I never know what other people will find interesting–is that interesting?
9. What’s one thing that almost always motivates you?
   I’m motivated by feelings: if I can feel that something will resonate within me and make my heart feel peaceful and full, then that will motivate me.
10. Favorite SimLit- or simming- related memory?
    I love the excitement of reading the short stories each month for the Short Story contest. I love reading your stories, especially, Mackie, and I was so excited and proud when you and I received the “Dedicated Creativity” award for entering stories for each month for the first year!
11. What’s one thing that always makes you smile?
    When I pull into the driveway of my home, and I see the line of boxwood along the walkway beneath the window, and the three mesquites shading the front yard, and blooming Mexican butterfly bush with sulfur butterflies hovering over it, I have to smile–I’m home!