READ THIS FIRST - Rules for Stories Updated 12/2021

[Pam]

Updated: December 2021 By the Staff

Quick Links:

Rules for Stories
How To Create Chapter Links
Blogs for Stories
Alternative to Blogs
Story References
Story Thread Setup Example


Rules for Stories

These rules are for all Sims 4 and Sims 3 stories posted on this forum. They have been put together for the members of our Forum who wish to write their stories to share with everyone.  Please be sure to follow them faithfully when posting a story.

1. First and foremost All regular Forum Rules apply for any and all stories.

Photos

2. Limit images to no more than 25 photos per post. The preferred size for the Forum is no more than 800 in width in .jpg or .jpeg format. for quicker image loading.

Jpg files are more web friendly for those with limited or bad internet, it helps with bandwidth and prevents overwhelming the forum's display engine as well as other forum resources.

The forum loads the photos per thread, so for example if you view a thread with a lot of photos and pages, using 800 width jpeg-format images places less of a burden on our forum.

If you upload the photos to the forum using the attachment feature, images will be downsized to a smaller size. See this link - http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26583.0#post_EP for more details.

Please do not use PNG or other large image types. Learn to change file types here to be more friendly to mobile users and reduce the size of your images. This speeds up not only uploading your images to the image host of your choice, but also smaller files save bandwidth, disk space, and helps the forum load more smoothly and faster.

Please do not complain about the use of thumbnails on the forum. - If the complaint is found, it will be removed, and a warning will be given.

Some posters choose to use thumbnails to help post photos in the forum. This helps the lag that image-heavy posts can put on and do have on the bandwidth.

Hosting a lot of photos per post can put a real drag on the forum's resources.

Forums to this day aren't really made to host a lot of photos. The default attachment limit on our forum is 4 files. We use a mod to help take care of that, but the mod has its limits of what it can do.

This is why it's encouraged to use an image hosting site to help lessen the lag that image-heavy posts have.

Story Content

3. This forum is a family-friendly forum. All stories must remain within that limit.           
    a. All stories must not contain any graphic, sexual, violent or overly morbid behavior or foul language.
    b. If stories deal with sensitive subject matters, please give some kind of warning message. Like reader's discretion advised. Out of respect for readers.

4. Abandoned and failed stories will be moved to the Stories Graveyard in order to keep clutter on the main story’s boards to a minimum.  If you have failed at your Dynasty or legacy, please indicate such in the title of the story so that the staff will know to move the thread to the graveyard. 

- Any story that has not been updated by the author/original poster in or around 6 months will be moved to either the Sims 3 or 4 Story Graveyard.
 
Fonts

5. For readability, try not to make your stories too noisy with large characters and loud colors. That's important if you want people to follow your stories.

Listen to the staff if they tell you that you're overdoing it.

The guideline is that all fonts should be black and no larger than 12pt for the body of the story and 18pt for any headings. Use of bold, underline and italics is fine, but please do not use anything else, including all capitals. See below for new allowances for font types.

We're trying to keep the Forum tidy and consistent.  This means no glow, no shadow, and no marquee text. Some of our members have eye sensitivity and certain colors can cause strain on the eyes.  Also, please do not make the font smaller than the default 10pt. That makes it harder for some to read.

Going forward as of September 2021, it's fine for members to center chapter titles and headings, but other text and all screenshots should be left justified.

Photos and the story are to still be left-justified. EX:

Chapter Headings

Photo
Story

Members can use the font size 12 only for the story. This is to allow easier reading for our members that have sensitive eye problems, etc.

The following font types will be accepted if preferred:

Arial
Verdana
Times new roman
Georgia
trebuchet

6. ** Please note: If your story is written on a blog and you don't keep us up to date on new chapters, your thread regarding your story will be moved to the graveyard as well after or around 6 months.

The author may revive a story at any time by sending a pm request to one of the staff. 

Completed stories will be moved to the board just for completed stories.

7. Always ask another author's permission first before using their characters or swap shop content in your story.  Complaints from the creator will result in your story being moved to the graveyard.

8. All stories must be the author's original content.  No copying or plagiarism of others' plot lines will be allowed.

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How To Create Chapter Links

We encourage writers to add chapter lists to their stories. It helps readers know when there has been an update and helps make it easier for readers to jump straight to the most current chapter.

Create Story Chapter Links
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,1318.0.html#post_Chapter

Attach and Insert Photos into Posts
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26583.msg443597#msg443597

Sharing Photos on the Forum
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=22892.msg403211#msg403211

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Blogs For Stories

If you find you like writing stories and would like more control over writing, editing the photos and text of your stories, and such, we invite you to create

a blog at Wordpress.com, blogger.com (Free), or another website and then share the link with the forum. If stories deal with sensitive subject matters, please give some kind of warning message. Like reader's discretion advised.

How to start a WordPress Blog
https://en.support.wordpress.com/five-step-blog-setup/

Blogger Help Center
https://support.google.com/blogger#topic=3339243
LOL,  I saw something that neither one of us caught. I was supposed to center "chapter heading" LOL. Now it's fixed. I think it looks good.

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Alternative to Blogs

You can use image hosting sites to store your photos. This will help lessen the bandwidth and resources the photos take up on Carl's site.

For example, using Imgur to host your photos.

Photo Sharing Using Imgur.com
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=30847.msg492876#msg492876

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Story References

For reference, below are links to stories that are nicely written and have good formatting:

Sims from Stardew Valley
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=27106.0

Kyleighs Immortal Dynasty
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=29571.0

Dreamweaver Immortal Dynasty
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=1847.0

The Moons of Jupiter Dynasty
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=4712.0

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[pallyndrome]

About the rule of 25 screenshots per post, does that mean 25 images the size of normal screenshots, or 25 screenshots no matter how big or small?

[Asleep]

Ergh. Sorry, two of those quotes I know are mine.
I'm really sorry, I'll try to stop making frivolous posts from now on.

[CandyHeartedSim]

I agree, I find it incredibly boring to be reading a Story, and having to go through lots of pages of comments. I will try to keep my frivolous comments at Bay.

[Pam]

About the rule of 25 screenshots per post, does that mean 25 images the size of normal screenshots, or 25 screenshots no matter how big or small?

25 of the final image.  For example, if you're talking about putting pieces of more than one screenshot into a single image, that would count as one screenshot/image for the post.

Ergh. Sorry, two of those quotes I know are mine.
I'm really sorry, I'll try to stop making frivolous posts from now on.

I wasn't trying to single out anyone, Simstar.  You're not the only one by far.  Those were just the first quotes I saw and grabbed as examples.

[Seabody]

Regarding rule number 3, if we use little or no screenshots (like I do frequently), do we have a particular max font size, or is it 12pt for any update?
And regarding Screenshots, if we have, for instance, 35 Screenshots we would like to share, can we do a 25-screenshot post, then another 10-screenshot post?
And how exactly is a frivoulous post defined? Is it simply a post along the lines of "Yay! Naomi got married!"? Would a non-frivoulous post be something like, "I like Naomi's hair. Where did you get it?"

[Pam]

Regarding rule number 3, if we use little or no screenshots (like I do frequently), do we have a particular max font size, or is it 12pt for any update?

If it's primarily a text story, then stay with the default 10pt font.

And regarding Screenshots, if we have, for instance, 35 Screenshots we would like to share, can we do a 25-screenshot post, then another 10-screenshot post?

No, you'd need to trim down the screenshots you want to use.  35 screenshots to tell one piece of a story is too much.  There's likely some duplicates or near duplicates that you can cut out.

And how exactly is a frivoulous post defined? Is it simply a post along the lines of "Yay! Naomi got married!"? Would a non-frivoulous post be something like, "I like Naomi's hair. Where did you get it?"

Where have you been while I've been fussing about frivolous posts for the past 2 months?  Your examples are pretty much correct.  Asking a genuine question of the author is fine, but don't just tack on a question so that you can make a post.  What I'm trying to fix is when we have 3 or 4 pages of pointless comments between updates by the author of the story.  It becomes quite cumbersome and ultimately is bad for the Forum overall.

[pallyndrome]

Seabody, if you want to show more screenshots, try decreasing their size on a program like photoshop, and combining 4 smaller shots into one normal size shot. See my story (link in signature) for examples.

[TheChronicR]

I'm so sorry. I know that I am one of these people and that my story threads are filled with frivolous comments. :facepalm:

I am limiting my screenshots to around 20 per post for abour four months already. Lately you may have noticed - I am making rather 'question-oriented' and long comments on others' stories. I believe this is not considered frivolous, right?

Another thing I am doing with my legacy, I post an update, wait some time, people post comments (of course if they choose to), then I come when there are a few comments already, quote each comment in my reply, answer the questions in the same reply too, and then go ahead and update the story in an new post. Maybe it is a double post, but at least I make only two posts a day. So far so good. I hope it's okay.

[Pam]

I'm so sorry. I know that I am one of these people and that my story threads are filled with frivolous comments. :facepalm:

I am limiting my screenshots to around 20 per post for abour four months already. Lately you may have noticed - I am making rather 'question-oriented' and long comments on others' stories. I believe this is not considered frivolous, right?

Another thing I am doing with my legacy, I post an update, wait some time, people post comments (of course if they choose to), then I come when there are a few comments already, quote each comment in my reply, answer the questions in the same reply too, and then go ahead and update the story in an new post. Maybe it is a double post, but at least I make only two posts a day. So far so good. I hope it's okay.

Like I told Simstar, I'm not trying to point fingers.  It's just something that needs to get under control.

I appreciate your effort to make long and question oriented comments.  Just remember that adding more words doesn't necessarily remove the frivolous aspect.  And if you really do have a question, ask it.  However, don't think up questions just to leave a comment. 

The way you're doing with your legacy is fine.  I don't consider it double posting and your update will be easier to read if it's in its own post.

[Natsuko]

Thanks for posting this Pam. I tend to make some frivolous posts also, so it's good to know this. I'll try harder not to that in the future.

I've been using italics and 12 point font size in my stories. Is that okay? Because personally, its easier to read for me because I have failing eyesight. But if you want, I could change that and remove the italics.

[Pam]

I've been using italics and 12 point font size in my stories. Is that okay? Because personally, its easier to read for me because I have failing eyesight. But if you want, I could change that and remove the italics.

Your font choice is fine.  I use that for my stories, too.

[Ausette]

Would compliments be considered frivolous? If I see something I like, it's going to be hard to restrain myself from gushing over it. I'm guessing things like "Awwwww so cute! :3" would be inappropriate, but would "Your characters are hilarious and I'm really enjoying the plot" be acceptable to post? I understand the need to keep the forum clean, but encouragement is probably what keeps a lot of people going.

[Pam]

Would compliments be considered frivolous? If I see something I like, it's going to be hard to restrain myself from gushing over it. I'm guessing things like "Awwwww so cute! :3" would be inappropriate, but would "Your characters are hilarious and I'm really enjoying the plot" be acceptable to post? I understand the need to keep the forum clean, but encouragement is probably what keeps a lot of people going.

True.  It's a fine line we're treading.  Just use your best judgement and be aware of the frivolous problem.

[RubyLovesSims]

Good to know you got the rule set together Pam! Also, would a comment like this be considered frivolous?

"I'm so glad you decided to re-start. I really enjoy reading your Dynasty!"