Writing

Writing is another personalized skill that is deeply involving but also rewarding. Sims who learn the Writing skill unlock a world of possibilities when they sit down to the computer. Naturally, the Bookworm Sim has a jump on this skill thanks to the relevant trait. But any Sim with time and dedication can become a bestselling author.

Acquire by: Attend Writing Class, Read Writing Book, Practice Writing at Computer

Development tools: Computer, Books

Available Ages: Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Elder

Development Benefits

Once the Writing skill has been acquired, Sims have several new interactions at the computer. The Refine Writing Skill is a good way to continue developing the skill. No novels come out of this activity—just skill development. Once a writer reaches level 2 of the skill, they can start writing novels. Write Novel is one of three interactions available once this level is reached. While writing a novel, a Sim continues to develop the Writing skill. When the Sim pushes back from the computer, the development is added to the Skill meter. Continue Writing Novel and Scrap Current Novel are two more interactions that affect a novel-in-progress. A scrapped novel tosses out an incomplete work but the skill development remains.

Various novel genres are unlocked as the skill is further developed. The higher the genre in the skill tree, the more it is worth when published. Here are the genres, the levels required to unlock them, and the reactions they can cause it their readers:

Novel genres Unlocked by Writing

Novel genres unlocked by Skill Level

Caution

You can only work on one novel at a time. If you want to start a new novel in a newly unlocked genre, you must scrap the current novel.

Royalties

While a Sim writes a novel, they regularly submit chapters to an agent and get a small stipend. It’s enough to live on, but nothing extravagant.

Once a novel has been completed, though, the royalties start rolling in. When the novel is finished, the Sim is immediately told if the book is good or not and if it is a success.

The amount of royalties is listed, as well as how the amount will be paid out. (Typically, royalties are paid over the course of several weeks with lump sums dropped into the household account at a specific time on a specific day.)

The royalty amount is decided by: level of Writing skill, desirability of the genre (check the Skill Journal, which also tracks the number of books written and the amount pulled in so far), and a certain degree of randomness. The author’s traits can also affect the amount of royalties paid. Here are the traits that boost the profitability of specific genres:

Good Sense of Humor Sims can write humor books at level 2. Hopeless Romantics can write romances at level 5. And to write a children’s book, Sims must have level 6 of the painting skill.

You can only work on one novel at a time. If you want to start a new novel in a newly unlocked genre, you must scrap the current novel.

Every novel has a chance of becoming a Hit, Best-seller, or total Flop. Flop books are worth only half of a normal book. Hit books are worth double the value of a normal book. Best-sellers are worth triple a normal book’s value.

Skill Challenges

Speed Writer: Speed Writers are so prolific that they’ve earned §15,000 in royalties. Speed Writers write much faster than normal writers.

Prolific Writer: Prolific Writers have written at least 20 books in their career. They are so well known that they tend to write far more Hits and Best-sellers than their counterparts.

Specialist Writer: Writers must pen at least five novels in a specific genre to be known as a specialist. Such specialists write far more Hits and Best-sellers in their particular genre than most.

Hit books and Best-sellers provide more Fun to readers than normal or Flop books, no matter the relationship between the reader and the author.