Karima: Welcome to our first ever episode of RWN's "The Hot Seat"
Jill: But our studio is not ready yet!
Daijahv: So we'll be broadcasting live from Hotel Rosa, a quaint but unfinished hotel right in the middle of Bridgeport.
I'm Karima!
Together with Jill
and Daijahv we'll be your hosts.
Jill: Freedom couldn't join us today. She had a little accident on her way to the airport, she slipped on a banana peel and fell and maybe broke a leg or two, so she missed her flight
Daijahv: And Qui's studying very hard for her exams
But never fear, the three of us have enough crazy to make up for the other two!
Karima: And for the next fifteen minutes we'll keep you entertained, so grab a comfy chair, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, and stay tuned to The Hot Seat!
[Ad Break]
[Ad Break]
Karima: We are back and!
Daijahv: A few weeks ago we announced Seaweedy is RWN's Featured author for the month of July and we asked readers to post questions to her.
Jill: The response was rebelliously phenomenal!
Karima: Instead of doing a plain text Q & A session, we decided to have a live interview with our first ever Featured author!
Daijahv: So ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for:
Jill: SEAWEEDY!
Karima: Yay!
Daijahv: Woot! Woot! Woot!
Jill: Come closer (beckons to Seaweedy), we don't bite, unless you ask us to!
Seaweedy: Hi *waves shyly*
Karima: These are for you, from all of us at RWN!
Seaweedy: Wow, thank you and thanks for having me on the Hot Seat!
Daijahv: Don't thank us yet, we might be having you for breakfast *crazy grin*
Jill: And if there's enough of you left over, we'll warm you up for dinner *rubs hands together*
Seaweedy: Eeek! I thought Daijahv's the only one into gore and guts!
Daijahv: It's contagious *evil laugh*
[Ad Break]
[Ad Break]On falling in love with writing:
Jill: When did you start writing?
Seaweedy: I played around with writing little stories when I was in third grade so it has been something I have been interested in for a long time. But the Sims truly gave me the outlet I was always looking for.
Karima: How long have you been writing Sims stories?
Seaweedy: I started writing Sims stories in early spring of 2010, about a year after I started playing the Sims for the first time (I started with Sims 2 based on a friend's recommendation but I never made stories until Sims 3.) My very first stories no longer exist because I accidentally deleted the screenshots. They were pretty clunky but the Notorious Crew were my first subjects.
Daijahv: What was your first story? And was it outside of Sims?
Seaweedy: I completed stories in my mind but was never able to finish them on paper. I took a creative writing class at Columbia University in NYC. The professor was very mean and though I produced a few stories in that class, I did not save them and the whole experience was a little traumatizing. I find the Sims story-writing community so much more nurturing and responsive.
Jill: Is anything you write ever based off of personal experience or something you've witnessed?
Seaweedy: I have yet to write anything I would refer to as autobiographical but that will change when the Pet expansion comes out. I am really looking forward to writing a tribute or memorial about my beloved dog that died last September.
Karima: Can you relate to any of your characters? How? Why?
Seaweedy: I live vicariously through the Notorious family--from time to time I would love to be evil in some way but it really isn't in me. So it is fun to turn them loose and create their adventures.
On Inspiration:
Daijahv: What inspired "I've had a Hole in my Heart For So Long"?
Seaweedy: The line is from a song called Candy. It is duet between Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson (of the B-52s). She sings the line and it is heartbreaking and it just stuck in my mind. Also, I love old black and white foreign films from the 50s and 60s and I wanted to capture that same feel with this story.
Jill: What inspires you to write comedy/humor in a Sim community full of serial and legacy writers?
Seaweedy: I love reading all the serious stories that Sims writers produce but the game does have a lot of very funny stuff that happens so I like to take advantage of those humorous situations.
Karima: How do you come up with your stories in the Sims?
Seaweedy: Most of my best ideas come to me when I am driving. I am certainly concentrating on the road but something about being alone in the car and listening to music inspires me.
Karima: It's that time again when we have to take an ad break!
Jill: But we'll be back!
Daijahv: in the meantime, you can keep yourselves busy with this custom made poster, specially created for Seaweedy.
[Ad Break]
[Ad Break]
Daijahv: Welcome back. We still have our featured author in the Hot Seat!
On the different genres:
Karima: What genre do you enjoy the most?
Seaweedy: I'm not sure if I could choose one genre over another, I read such a variety of books. I often gravitate to biographies because I am really fascinated by what motivates people to do the things that they do.
Daijahv: You usually write longer stories. Was it easy for you to transition to a stand-alone, 1 shot story like your contest entry, "I've had a Hole in my Heart For So Long"?
Seaweedy: I had the idea in mind for "I've Had a Hole In My Heart For So Long" for quite awhile, once I discovered that I could use black and white images. I knew I wanted it to be abstract and once I found the rhythm of the story, I was able to convey the character's feelings in just a few lines per image. It was actually a delight writing something a little shorter and I want to attempt this format again in the future.
Jill: The last chapter of Notorious was the funniest thing I've ever read! Do you enjoy writing comedy, and do you plan to do more of it in the future?
Seaweedy: I do love comedy and I find the Sims themselves to be very funny. The new prank feature totally lent itself to something I wanted to do for awhile in my legacy, which was focus on a character as a child. I hope to continue to interject comedy into Notorious because I think the humor tempers their evilness.
On future projects:
Jill: Do you plan on making a sequel to the Drama Club?
Seaweedy: I am definitely writing an epilogue for Lana and Greer of the Drama Club. I am currently transferring the storyboard version to a blog and I do really like those characters. I am considering writing about Lana's life as a young adult but I have a couple of other stories I want to pursue first.
Karima: I was wondering if you are ever going to write a follow up of Notorious.
Seaweedy: I am currently writing a series for the fourth generation of Notorious--I've added 2 parts and plan to conclude in the next one to two episodes.
Daijahv: And do you write outside of Sims?
Seaweedy: I experimented with poetry and prose but until I discovered Sims story-writing, I was never fully committed to anything. Something about combining the images with the words, and being able to create (or borrow) the characters and settings myself makes the whole experience so much fun. Being a part of such an interesting community is also part of the thrill for me--I admire so many writers of this genre and I am enjoying being a part of it.
On the Sims 3 and writing:
Daijahv: What prompted you to illustrate with Sims?
Seaweedy: My closest friend introduced me to the Sims. We would text pictures we would take on our phones of our computer screens back and forth and then one day I decided to take the plunge with Create-A-Story because I wanted my friend to see what was happening in my game and at the same time, I had just discovered the Legacy Challenge. She loved the stories. But I have to admit, seeing the amount of views I got right from the start--not many but more than just my friend--well, that was addicting! The thought that someone across the country or across the world could see what I was creating is so neat.
Karima: What is your favorite expansion?
Seaweedy: I love them all; I don't think I could choose just one. I really love this game and everything about it, even with all the glitches. I have a feeling the Pet expansion will be my favorite--I cannot get another pet at this time so the idea of having Sims pets makes me very happy.
Jill: How often do you play Sims? Do you ever get to just play or is it primarily for story purposes?
Seaweedy: I try to play Sims once a day, even if it is just a short period of time. I have a couple of games that I just play for fun but when it is time to write a story, I can play for several hours over a week or so before I get everything I need.
On her life outside of Sims:
Daijahv: What's it like where you live? (Some of us may stalk you, so we don't want an address, just a general idea)
Seaweedy: After many years as a city-dweller--NYC, Atlanta, Minneapolis--I settled back down in the very staid suburb I grew up in. Also, I live in the most conservative state, in my opinion, in the Southern US, South Carolina. People here are a little obsessed with morality which I find constricting. It is also very hot! Which is a good excuse to stay inside and play Sims!
Karima: What do you do when you're not simming or writing?
Seaweedy: Work. I started a new project in June and I am working around the clock, it seems. But I have a handful of very close friends and I do try to get out and see them when I can.
Jill: What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite author?
Seaweedy: Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. It is so absurd and I feel that way about life. We only really get a short time on this planet and I think it is important to see the humor in the human situation and the darkness as well as the light. Which reminds me, I need to re-read it.
Thanks y'all, again, I've said it repeatedly but I could not be more honored to be featured!
Daijahv: And to show our appreciation of your awesome-tastic talents, the mods have put together a little something, something for you!
Jill: This is our way of saying thank you for all the wonderful stories you've given us, for being an inspiration in the community and for plugging all our stories in The World of Sims (that was a fantastic idea you came up with, by the way)
Karima: It's not much, but you get the drift!
Seaweedy: It's not a bomb is it? Just kidding
Seaweedy received:
Fabulous Flapper hair from the Sims 3 store:
As well as an in-game t-shirt:
Karima: Sadly, we have come to the end of the show!
Jill: The seat's not hot anymore
Daijahv: And we've run out of our fifteen minutes of fame!
In Unison: But it's been Rebelliously Awesome having Seaweedy on the show.
Guys and Girls, keep your eyes peeled, next month, it could be you on The Hot Seat!
