# Depictions of writers in popular culture



## Chilari (Oct 25, 2012)

Now this might be a bit out of date, since Sims 3 came out a while ago, but whenever I create a new household one of them is creative and becomes a writer. I do this every time even though the way the game handles it is quite frustrating: writing enough in one genre unlocks a new genre, as if to become a fantasy writer you first have to write a lot of bad sci fis. Also the writerly Sim always manages to finish every novel, and they all sell. Half the time they're instant hits or bestsellers. While this is very satisfying for my Sim's bank balance, it's quite annoying to contrast the reality with the Sims world. If Sims 3 had it right, the characters would discard the first three novels begun, complete but fail to publish the next two, and only the next one would sell; and it would be another five books before one became a hit (unless you pick the lucky trait for them).

At the same time it annoys me that the game treats writing as work - the Sim's happiness meter goes down as if they were working, and I have to make them paint (!) or play computer games to bring it back up again. In reality most of us write because we enjoy it, and would consider writing something that increases our happiness meter. I consider both writing and painting on a par in terms of enjoyment, so it never made sense to me that Sims don't like writing even when they have the bookworm trait, but love painting.

Where else have depictions of the life of a writer in games, films or TV shows been vastly inaccurate? And where have they been particuarly good? What do you wish was true about being a writer that's really nothing more than a game mechanic or narrative tool?

Edit: oh and I would always name the science fiction books my sims wrote "Captain Starr and the [Muse song title]" so Captain Starr and the Supermassive Black Hole, Captain Starr and the Knights of Cydonia, Captain Starr and the Plug in Baby etc. I had a system for fantasy novel names too but I can't remember what it was.


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## Penpilot (Oct 25, 2012)

I do think of writing as work, but work that I love.  

As for bad writer portrayals.  There was a movie based on a Stephen King book, Dark Half I think, where a writer gets the first ten pages of the first draft to a novel done and his wife says everything is perfect characters etc. Um... One it's ony the first 2500 words approximately. It's hard to tell much of anything to a novel in only 2500 words. 

Good writer portrayals hmmm. Sean Connery in Finding Forrester. 

I wish first drafts were final drafts too like in the movies. Type The End and it's off to be sold as a best seller.


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## Steerpike (Oct 25, 2012)

I believe highly successful writers treat it like work. You sit down and write during your 'work' day, whether you feel like it or not, even if you hate the idea of typing another word that day. If you only write when you feel like it you're more of a hobbyist than a professional writer. I believe all of these people writing love doing it but that doesn't mean you feel like it at any given time. The people I know who write for a living, with no other source of income, treat it like they would any job.


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## Chime85 (Oct 25, 2012)

I agree with the what you are about the Sims 3 interpretation of writers. Somehow you can become very rich in the space of an afternoon (in real life time) just by penning anything your sim fancies. As you say, the publishers inthe Sim world just accept it without any wait time, checking or any other form of red tape. However, I suggest you write a negative article about one of your Simf friends, it's funny when they read it.

Although, I stumbled across this a few weeks back and couldn't resist:








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