#echoweaver

I already wrote a post about how the Vampires SMP story stimulated a writing muse for me that I thought I might never get back. I've done a lot of soul searching about fanfic as a creative outlet compared to more socially respected art forms. I've decided I don't want to try to live in the hell of professional publishing, but I still struggle with what to say to my peers when they ask what I write, and the answer is that I write novels set in a world of gay vampires based in Minecraft that they've never heard of. I am proud of this work. It's the best I've ever written. I think it can be appealing outside this niche fandom. I just don't know how to have that conversation.

I'm also discovering that I like writing fanfiction better than completely original settings. Fanfic is filled with story hooks and ideas in canon that each of us can play with and take in different directions. I love looking at VSMP fics and seeing what Abolish's org is or who Louis is.

It never occurred to me in all that soul searching that the community I write in might take my work away from me.

Then the AvidMC bomb dropped. It's done irreparable damage to VSMP fandom in general, and my novels feature his character. But the drive to eliminate the character came from the fans, and it was accepted that fan creators would make their own decision about what to do with their art. The character is not the creator. The creator is gone. My work is now tainted by bad associations with a creator I don't support, but it's my art that is very important to me. I'm still writing it, and I've weathered the storm with enough readers that I don't feel like I'm shouting into the void.

Today, I found myself holding my 15yo daughter while she cried. She has written one chapter of long-form VSMP fanfic with a plot that includes v!Majorscythe. VSMP inspired her to the most ambitious fiction she's attempted to date, and now she's faced with giving it up

This can't be what we want for the fandom

Unlike the last crisis, Jack Pyroscythe and Maddie Milkberry are not manipulative dirtbags using lies to damage and control other creators. From everything I've seen, they look like very good people. Pyroscythe's a great storyteller. I'm less familiar with Milkberry's work. There seems to be some real, heartfelt trauma at the center of this boundary change. My heart goes out to them. I want to support them. I don't want them to suffer.

But I think we need to have a serious discussion about what is appropriate for creator boundaries. Before now, romantic fan works involving Pyroscythe's characters were endorsed and even encouraged by the creator. His situation has changed, but ours has not. Animatics can take weeks or months to finish. Long form fanfic can take years.

There are very few fandoms where creators could expect what Pyro and Maddie are expecting. I submit that it is crossing a line that should not be crossed. I am a devoted reader of some unfinished v!Pyro long-form romance fics that have been in process since the SMP concluded. I don't know what the authors are going to do with this new boundary. I'll be honest -- I support them in continuing to write. I will read them if I'm the only reader left, and I would continue to write my stories if it were me.

Our art is ours. It is inspired by works by these content creators, but it is not owned by them. As a fan community, we need to be able to create without the fear that a creator will suddenly tell us we can't have it anymore.

Fandom is an ecosystem. Content creators create. We fans get excited and make inspired art and share it with each other. That generates buzz and more attention on the work of creators. We want the ecosystem to be healthy, and for that to be true, fan activities must also be respected. Our feelings don't stop when a creator does an about face, no matter how understandable the creator's situation is.

I'm left wondering if this is a safe fandom to engage with at all. I don't think MCYT wants that for its fans.

@echoweaver !!!

No point in being anonymous about it ;)

Thanks for the ask! Anonymity is not required of course :)

8. What about your story are you proud of?

I'm proud of the story as a whole. It's still going strong after 8 (!!) years. I'm always especially moved when I hear from people who could relate to the characters in similar real life situations. This is why I started a Sims-blog in the first place. Playing Sims is a pass-time. But sharing stories is giving something back to the world.

9. What about your story are you looking to improve on?

I wish I were better at writing Scottish English. This has bothered me since the beginning, but it's just beyond my skill-level as a non-native writer of English. Although I said I wouldn't go overboard researching for this story, there's always room for improvement in this direction. From reading 'Marriage' at least I learned that longer speeches in perfect Scottish accent are as difficult to read as they are to write.

Thank you for thinking of this blog, and dropping off a sunflower! The feeling is mutual! Coraleye made another thank you-bouquet to say thank you 💐

After a sponge bath, FroAnhke is the first to change into her new spring clothes.

With her hair untwisted and pulled into a puff, she helps Integrity grind wildflowers for flour, sugar, and oats (as I had not yet edited @anitmb's hunting mod food processor to process @echoweaver's harvestable wheat into flour).

FroAnhke's year 3 spring outfit goes through a couple of tweaks before she appears the way she does in her sim profile, and her alternate outfit (seen here) is tweaked again once I found a more suitable top. There are going to be a lot of little tweaks and re-tweaks of outfits and lot remodels. It would seem my design skills have to adjust between modern and period piece games, and I'm still rusty.

Three other family members, Trovinte, Assiduous and Pride, also change into their new spring outfits after washing up for the evening.

I didn't choose to do the makeovers in batches. Assiduous and Pride made their own outfits. FroAnhke made her and Trovinte's. Ru's outfit was also completed at this time, but I thought he'd hold off on changing into it until he'd finished Shocc's. Justice and Integrity had started their outfits, but not finished them, and FroAnkhe ended up finishing Integrity's outfit for them.

After FroAnhke and Integrity finish up grinding, Integrity heads over for some play time before dinner, while Trovinte catches up with his wife.

Then Ru finishes cooking and the family convenes in the dinning room. The rest of the Isol Isle sims will have to wait one more day before they change into their fresh gear.

Holy crap. I remember this story. I didn't make the connection until I saw "Taz" and "Adia." It looks like you stopped posting about these characters 2017 and started up in September? Or did I totally space this?

​Hello again!! I remember you!! :)

I posted the original story from June 2016-September 2018 (Adia’s death posted in January 2017).

A LOT has changed for me IRL in the 4 years since I originally stopped posting, and about a month ago I was feeling nostalgic and decided to start things back up again! (Really, I just wanted a chill gameplay save to actually play the Sims, but then things kind of spiraled, as they do.)

@echoweaver Here's all the testing on the objects that have the edited repair animations. (I think I got them all.)

The shower repair animation starts with a stretch then pops in place. When the animation cycles she sinks then pops back.

All the seated animations go through the chair (but I think you know this). The counter stool animation is the one that is offset the most.

The sink repair animation is stretched in places and then she pops back when it cycles. (again, I think you know this. lol)

The wall tv repair, the sims arm is going through her body.

Vampires SMP was a work of art. I'm hanging out in this community and tracking MCYT because of it. The emergent themes about being a monster layer on top of each other in a way that just shouldn't be possible in improv. I'm not going to get over it anytime soon.

It's also, by design, a massive, interlocking collaboration. You CAN'T pull AvidMC's character out without wrecking major storylines by half the creators -- most of whom, and I think this is really important -- were AvidMC's targets and victims in this ordeal.

The story matters, and those creators really matter. These performances are a highlight of a lot of their careers. All this flailing to get away from AvidMC and canceling/restructuring of fan works that involve him is also striking against all these other creators who AvidMC already hurt.