#{ also re: the first question— technically my native tongue should

[abstractreign]

3, 5, 21 and 23 for the roleplay writing habits meme! ( → @purificr )

( → roleplay / writing habits !! )

Are you proficient in any language outside of your native tongue? Do you write characters that speak multiple languages?

{ i'm not sure if i'd consider myself "proficient" at it, but i do know Filipino/Tagalog enough to understand conversational forms of it both written and spoken— though not enough to write or speak in full sentences. besides that, i don't really know any languages outside English, which is my first, and what i'm most fluent in.

i do have a lot of original characters who are bilingual to multilingual — a couple of them downright polyglots — but i've yet to roleplay most of them.

joshua here understands written English fairly well along with spoken, more "formal", (loosely North American) English, and is able to speak it somewhat; but he's less knowledgeable with more colloquial forms of it, as well certain variations or dialects of it.

( → rest of answers below the cut !! )

What time of day are you most productive with regard to writing?

{ as my sleep schedule just keeps shifting over months, it's not so much a certain time of day as much a certain time after waking up or before falling asleep. i find that nowadays, in spite of actual times of day or night, it's usually easier to write after i've been awake for a few hours. i'll likely have eaten something by then, so it's easier for me to focus and actually come up with actual words and coherent thoughts.

If a reply isn’t coming easily do you draft it for later, delete and start over, chat with your writing partner for help, or something else?

{ usually i do some combination of the three and more! i actually don't usually get to writing replies straight away, so as to avoid placing a weird pressure on myself for something that's meant to be a hobby; but i don't often find myself finishing replies in one sitting still when i do get around to writing them, especially the longer the word count is.

if i'm really having trouble, or need to clarify something, i'll poke my partner, of course, and occasionally i will scrap writing just to start fresh, but on top of those—

whenever my mind draws a complete blank, i'll do this thing where i'll just start writing my muse doing and saying things that they absolutely would never ever do in response. not only is it really fucking funny a hundred percent of the time, it provides me with a lot of clarity as to what my muse would do in response to a given situation. it's a real good way for me to shake off any built-up pressure and come back to the core of my muse's character.

(also it's doubly? funny to just imagine joshua storming in, yelling at me to stop writing him fortn/te dancing, and finally cooperating with me long enough for me to write a reply)

What subjects / genres do you find yourself becoming the most passionate about when you’re writing?

{ i think it's apparent just how much of a huge sucker i am for comedy and for inserting comedic elements into my writing in general— which is especially fun to do with joshua, whom i'm more than used to ragging on out of endearment and entertainment. (i've been lovingly roasting this everloving shit of this pisshead for nearly eight years now, and i am not letting up anytime soon.)

that being said, i do enjoy a hefty serving of drama and angst as well! while i haven't gotten to write much of them with joshua here yet, i absolutely look forward to getting to do so in the future with a couple of the plots i've been working towards for a bit now.

i figure what i enjoy about both genres and writing them is just how well they lend themselves to exposing and exploring character flaws, consequences of decisions, and so on. there's something inherently humbling— and thus endearing, human about them when done right, and that's the kind of writing i strive for.

[shadowsong26fic]

4, 6, and 9 for the writing questions.

4: what time of the day/night do you like to write?

I’m admittedly a bit all over the place for this one, lol. Uh, I’m not good at mornings just in general, so I basically never write then. I work in an office job, so I sometimes write stuff at spare moments/downtime during the day, if I have any. I used to do even more of that, back when I worked an 11-8 shift in a call center where we got much less call traffic during the last two hours of the day. Most of The Promises of Angels was written on notepads during those shifts, and typed up later.

Other than that, I write a fair amount in the evenings. Sometimes I’ll go to a coffee shop and try to just write for a couple hours, but I also do a lot when I’m technically supposed to have gone to bed. Which is why you’ll see me post stuff stupid late a lot/after midnight my time.

6: hardest/easiest character to write for?

It actually depends? And it’s changed over the years–back when I first started writing SW fic, Obi-Wan’s head was hard for me to get into, but now he flows pretty well. …in fact, I think at this point I actually write from Obi-Wan’s POV more often than anyone else’s??? Also, for Precipice, it’s sometimes hard to write Padme chapters. Not because her head/voice is hard for me to get into, but because figuring out what her plot threads should be tends to be harder than any of the others. But that’s also a pretty Precipice-specific issue, since I haven’t had that problem in other fics that feature her (i.e., Distaff, These Three Remain, The Devoted, Deja Vu, miscellaneous one-shots; etc.)

In terms of non-POV (Precipice) characters, Saw was a pain in the ass to write, which is probably part of why Arc Six took so long. I’m also anticipating Han and Lando will be difficult when I get to the point where they’re involved. Uh. Leia tends to be easier for me to write than Luke, but that might be because she’s a little more active in terms of Plot at this point in the story. Luke will have more to do in future arcs, and it’ll probably balance out a little better then. Though I’ll admit that he took longer than Vader when I was writing The Phoenix, so who knows. (Incidentally, writing Vader before he has Luke’s existence as a primary motivator has been hard for me in the past. Which is the main reason why Masks stalled, I think…)

In terms of easiest characters to write, Anakin’s always been pretty smooth going. Rex and Ahsoka, too (apart from, again, the last Precipice arc where they were mostly dealing with Saw who is a Problem for me). Oh, and Hondo. I haven’t done a whole lot with him (yet), and I don’t think I could do his POV very easily, but he is a delight and fairly easy for me to write as a secondary/non-POV character in a scene.

9: what tv shows, books, or movies inspire for this verse, if any?

…you know, leaving aside the obvious (Valdemar AU), I’m not sure that any of my SW fanfic is really inspired by any other media? At least not directly. Well, apart from Dr. Naar being loosely based on Doc Cottle from BSG, and probably some other expy characters like that. Oh, there’s that one bit in The Devoted which was basically ‘today, Ahsoka will be playing the role of Parker from Leverage’ in my head. But in terms of overall plots/concept/etc., I’m not sure that I can pinpoint to any specific inspirations for the bulk of my SW fic/AUs. Which is not to say that they’re not there, it’s just that they weren’t deliberate/I can’t specifically say ‘yeah, this was inspired by that other thing’ if that makes sense?

A lot of my original fiction started out that way, though (meaning, fanfic concepts that I then filed the serial numbers off of, so to speak). The Farglass Cycle is loosely rooted in Avatar: the Last Airbender; Lux, while not so much directly inspired by anything, draws on some concepts from Native Tongue, and given that it’s the Apocalypse in SPACE, there’s some influences there from SPN/JCS/etc.; Untitled Intrigues Story started life as basically a Supernatural/Borgias fusion/AU; and my untitled First Contact novel technically has some BSG roots (in that it started out as “hey something like 2000 people are unaccounted for and potentially got left behind on New Caprica, what happens if they managed to survive and contact was re-established with them millennia later when interstellar travel is rediscovered”), and also probably has a lot of CJ Cherryh influence (because she’s…like…first-contact and what follows is her Thing and I read a lot of her stuff).

I’ll also say that I read a fair amount of history, so there are certain characters/situations/etc. that are heavily inspired by that. In my SW fic, in other fanfic, in my original fiction…all over the place.

(Also, this is really only tangentially related, but when I was writing The Devoted, one of the things I was thinking about was how to–like, given the setup, it’s basically inevitable that there’s gonna be some parallels to and influences from Rebels, so I was kind of actively trying to make it not just ‘let’s do Rebels BUT with PT characters instead,’ and I think I did pretty well? Eh, not necessarily for me to judge XD. But, yeah, that was in my mind as I was working on it.)

Ask me writing questions!

[angelinarecs]

Stargate SG-1 Rec - *Updated*

More Stargate fics! Because I can never get enough of this show. You can find my full rec list here. 

Organized by pairing (or gen), and then alphabetized by title. Summaries (which have been copied from their respective stories) and descriptions are provided. Notation at the end of the description indicates if a story is completed or a WIP.

Gen

Arachne’s Chase - “Sergeant, fire in short bursts. We don’t have many rounds, try to make each shot count, okay?” Sam looked him in the eyes; she was totally calm. Uncertainty had gone now; she knew what she was fighting. She wasn’t too sure on their odds of surviving, but then that wasn’t anything new. “You can do this, Sergeant.” She watched as his face set in a determined expression. It wasn’t a face suited for ferocity but she gave him credit for trying. Drama/Adventure. Sam and Walter get stuck off world trying to hold their own against giant spiders. Walter keeps freaking out and Sam just wants to get home. A good look at both Sam and Walter’s characters as well as a decently written action scene. One-shot.

Fortitude - This was written for a LJ Sam Carter Ficathon, and deals with the first mission for Sam after her encounter with Jolinar. Adventure. Sam tries to prove her mettle in the field, both to herself and her teammates. She fails to take care of herself and follow orders in the process. A good look into what must have been a trying first mission after everything that happened with Jolinar. One-shot.

Infirmary After - Sam’s turn to concentrate on breathing. Enough time passed that Janet was wondering if she’d even answer, wondering what she’d do if there was no answer. “Embarrassed,” Sam said at last, her voice too low to carry much beyond the bed. “Ashamed. Not so much that it happened - I really did get my head around that years ago, played it over and over and over until I desensitized myself to the possibility - but that they saw. That it happened in front of… of… That they’re never going to look at me again without thinking of it.” Drama. Compelling and hard-hitting, this story doesn’t need to be graphic to touch on the horror and also high likelihood of being raped in the dangerous world of SG1. The trauma is dealt with well, both from the Sam’s perspective and from the perspective of the team unable to stop it. This story should be commended for showing that a plot dealing with trauma does not need to be graphic to be shocking. One-shot.

Keeping Score - Sam is good at staying alive. Adventure. Sam remembers her past as she fights to stay alive and make it until her time finds her. One-shot.

Talking Strategy - TAG to The First Commandment. Friendship. After the death of Jonas Hansen, the guys try to get Sam to open up about her past with him and work through the funk she fell into. Some really lovely team moments in here. One-shot.

The Blue-Jello Metaphor - They were all eating Jell-O out of the long dessert glasses. She had her usual, the blue raspberry vivid and bright. The boys all had red Jell-O. She looked beyond them to the other tables. Every single person in her line of vision had red Jell-O. She glanced up at the dessert case along the food line. There sat the other glasses of blue. She knew that if she turned the other direction and looked at the other half of the cafeteria, there’d be more red Jell-O. She was the only blue. She stared down at her cup. She was always the only blue. Surrounded by a sea of red. Humor. This story gives an endearing and humorous look at a disgruntled Sam as she tries to navigate Air Force, team, and dating life as a genius scientist. I find this to be a good character sketch and really love the team dynamic portrayed. One-shot.

The Knife’s Edge of Madness - Alternate ending to Desperate Measures: What if Sam had managed to escape on her own without the team finding her? Angst/Drama. Trapped with few memories in the aftermath of Jolinar’s death, Sam finds herself sheltered in a hospital officially as a Jane Doe. While I don’t normally like stories about amnesia because the plot lines are often absurd and the handling of amnesia is almost never medically or psychologically accurate, this story manages to have a plausible explanation for the tramautic memory loss and explores several issues in memory retrieval and concepts of identity accurately and compellingly. This examination gives the reader a fascinating view of Jane coming to accept she’s Sam and relearning the whole process with her. One-shot.

The Most Wonderful - SG1 aren’t exactly where Jack wants them to be for the holidays. Gen. Set in early seasons, so it smells like original team spirit. Angst. Jack and Teal'c are left to save Sam and Daniel after they are trapped on an alien planet. Jack just wants to get home for Christmas. One-shot.

Under Fire - “She blinked up at him. “What happened?” she murmured.

“You tell me. One minute you’re doing a favorable impression of GI Jane, the next you were face-first in the dirt,” the Colonel said.“  Adventure/Drama. Carter and most of SG1 are injured offworld and have to struggle back to the gate, holding their own against three-foot, carnivorous lizards and other Jurassic threats. Set early in SG1’s history, the story explores team dynamics as well as providing a good inner monologue for Sam as she struggles to reconcile her skills and gender in a male-dominated world. The audience follows along through Sam’s POV, learning little bits and pieces about the situation as Sam does. Very good use of In Medias Res too. Overall, just a really well conceived, written, and executed story. One-shot.

Undertow - “Samantha Carter,” she managed to spit out, along with a mouthful of blood. Her tongue probed the gash inside her cheek and she was grateful to find no loose teeth. “Captain. United States Air Force. Service number 456731479 .” She couldn’t remember the question, but she knew this was the right answer – the only answer she had.“ Adventure/Hurt/Comfort. Carter and the team are captured offworld and Sam is being questioned/tortured after captors believe her to be a Goa'uld. The story is told from Sam’s POV and is as disjointed as he drugged thoughts would have been. Very well executed overall. One-shot.

Unsuspecting Universe - Two teammates alive, seven Jaffa dead. And one Captain Samantha Carter with a junked up weapon, and a glitter in her eye that boded badly for the universe. Adventure/Drama. Sam saves the team again with a McGyvered weapon and a little bit of luck. Jack is concerned that the universe will never be the same again. A fun look at Sam’s technical and tactical skills in the field. One-shot.

With Great Power - And what would you call me, a Tau'ri woman who can use the weapons of the gods? she challenged, power coursing through her until her whole body felt like static electricity was firing along every muscle and nerve fiber. No content to warn for. Adventure. BAMF!Sam has to get the boys out of trouble. The rest of the team are left to pick up the pieces, and their teammate, when it’s all over. An interesting look at the interaction between Sam and the ribbon device. One-shot.

Sam, Daniel Friendship

Eroding Away the Mountains - “If she’s learned anything over the past five years, over all the years of her life, it’s that the universe never pauses for you to catch up. Whatever happened yesterday, tomorrow will still come, because even time loops don’t last forever, and she has responsibilities that can’t be ignored. So she’ll go back to the Mountain, her lab, and a job she loves, even when it hurts.” Friendship. An exploration of Sam and Daniel’s friendships through a series of hikes. I really enjoyed that the friendship was built organically over time and that the loss of Daniel resonates with reader almost as much as it does with Sam. Bonus team interaction as well. One-shot.

Reckless - “This was the Sam that always surprised Daniel. Not the scientist or the soldier, but another person all together. Someone defined by an edge of recklessness that she normally hid underneath her levelheaded exterior.” Adventure. The gang is captured and Carter leads a minor revolt to save them. Sam-centric, but told from Daniel’s POV. This use of POV is a really creative character exploration for both Carter and Daniel. One-shot.

West - They gave her food and water and drew her a map to the city of Reata far away, where perhaps she could find the men she sought. “Stargate. Chapa Hi?” she said, so perhaps it was a farewell. “Chapa Hi,” they said in return, and sent Thaywood-ware-thees on her way with their best wishes. Adventure. Seperated from her team, Carter is stranded offworld where she doesn’t speak the language. She travels from town to town, continually getting sent further west, in search of her team and the Stargate. One-shot. Story is deleted! 

Sam, Teal'c Friendship

A Star At Dawn - While rescuing natives from a threatening volcano, SG-1 is caught in an avalanche. Angst/Drama. Teal'c is buried and Sam is injured. It’ll take both of them working together to live through the night. A welcome look at the friendship and bond between Sam and Teal'c, especially in the wake of losing Daniel and O'neill. One-shot.

The Working Hour - “I suppose you think I’m pretty weak.”

Teal’c looked up and realized she been watching him watching her. He shook his head. “No. I do not think you are weak. You have a warrior’s heart and a quick brain. You fought well, and you prevailed. That is not weak.” Adventure. Set early Season 1, Carter and Teal'c are stranded offworld and injured. Cue Carter being badass and Teal'c trying to reconcile his past as Apophis’ First Prime and his new role on the team and coming to trust a woman. I really enjoyed the writing style and the interaction between Sam and Teal'c. One-shot.

Sam/Janet (yay for underappreciated ships!)

Ten-Thousand Suns - Sam is trapped in the rubble after an earthquake collapses a building on an alien world. Hurt/Comfort. Janet and a team of specialists try to keep Sam alive long enough to free her from the rubble. For her part, Sam is just trying to keep it together as she fights for her life and fights for the realization of those that she loves. Featuring underappreciated ships that actually make a lot of cannon sense and ascended!Daniel. One-shot.

Jack/Sam

Camelot Episode Tag - What was Sam thinking at the end of Camelot? And what happened next? Sci-fi/Angst. The story follows Sam directly after the Ori arrive through the supergate and her recovery from free-floating in space. Bonus Married!jack/sam. One-shot.

Going Under - Set in Season 3. SG1 visit an alient planet, but their attempts at a meet and greet go wrong. Captured, seperated from the Colonel and under dire threat, they must find Jack and make their escape. Team fic, with S/J elements, but strictly within canon. Adventure. A planet-of-the-week story featuring BAMF!Sam, awesome team dynamics, and some hinted Jack/Sam. This story handled the adventurous and perilous atmosphere along with the friendship and working relationship of the team. Complete.

Patience - Patience may be a virtue, but it can also get you killed. Hurt/Comfort/Drama. Things have been tense between Jack and Carter lately and Jack suggests some time off for the overworked scientist. When Carter doesn’t show up to work the next day, Jack figures she took him up on his offer. Little does the team know that Sam is trapped in her car just outside Cheyenne Mountain. A story with Sam in peril and Sam getting herself out of peril. Also hints of Jack/Sam. One-shot.

Remember Days of Gladness When Sorrow is at Hand - “For the thousandth time that week, Sam felt her eyes prick with tears. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but all three of her guys could be ridiculously sweet sometimes.” S8 post-Threads fic. Canon S/J with a side of teamy goodness. Friendship/Romance. Carter is still grieving over the loss of her father and still coming down from defeating the replicators. Her team surprises early one morning with helping hands to give her the dream home she always wanted. Jack and Sam also have some nice, if awkward, conversations. One-shot.

Three Wishes - Mistaken for a genie, bashed on the head and captured along with Sam, Jack wakes up with wishes in mind… Friendship/Adventure. Poor Jack is just trying to get through their latest missions, and Sam is just trying to get both of them home. Fun Jack/Sam friendship and/or pre-relationship. One-shot.

Tumbling Down - “Hours later, Sam is leaning against the window, letting the cool glass leach the heat from her face, with Cam’s hand resting lightly on her left thigh. Across the booth Daniel is slumped back, third cup of coffee in his hand and Vala draped half-asleep against him… Atlantis is wonderful and it’s the command step her career needs, but sometimes she misses her team so much it hurts. She doesn’t known if it’s better or worse to know they’re still exploring the universe together without her.” Friendship/Romance. An episode!tag for SGA Trio. Sam returns Earth to heal after breaking her leg in the Pegasus Galaxy, her team and Jack take care of their injured teammate. Sam revisits some memories of her time on SG-1 and muses on the life - and relationships - she built and left behind. One-shot.

[greeksouvenirsbyaz]

replies

thank you all who have left comments and likes on my new story.

declarations-of-drama replied to your post “first replies to Greek Souvenirs”

I still haven't gotten around to taking this story to bed, but I am looking forward to when that happens :)

And I am really looking forward to having your voice added to this story too! Thank you so much for being there!

gaiahypothesims replied to your photo “Yet, being the predator Andreas couldn’t simply give up. He felt...”

Beautiful indeed!!!

Thank you dear! It is a great compliment coming from the creator of Jonah and other hunks that often make me drool! :)

lifeasasim replied to your post “first replies to Greek Souvenirs”

I am no where near perfect ;_; but thank you... that's very sweet of you

You mentioned perfection first :) -- but just look at your Sims and scenes and the reception they get in Simblr... I wish I can reach your level someday!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “To let his soul pair up with his body, he paused. next >”

Is this a sim-self story in any way? Or a fantasy of a sim-self sort of thing I wonder? :D Excited to finally start this now :)

It is both, indeed. 

Pretty much like Laurent D’Allegro from The Last Canvas is my alter ego for the everyday situations, Andreas should be my alter ego for my traveler persona. But he will also often hold opinions contrary to mine (from the start, he dislikes Greece and its ruins, while I have always loved it, even before setting foot there), which only makes it more fun to write about.

Some things that will happen to him have happened to me, so in a way this story is confessional, but in other ways it will be a fantasy too -- and I shall not make it clear which is which, though I will always answer questions on that, I think ;)

And I am excited and thankful to have you here!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Car, train, subway, airplane, bus, boat. If souls indeed existed, his...”

What a fantastic description of travel.

It turned out nice, did it not? Thank you. There shall be several other comments on traveling or tourism along the story.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “A lot less anxious than usual, too. Otherwise, he would have already...”

Oh how wonderful, to be young like that with the world at his feet and the highest of hopes for the year ahead. I love him already :D

And he loves having you here already :)

This is pretty much my own state of mind when I first arrived in Greece in my twenties, on a sabbatical year just like Andreas ;)

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “With your back to the port where you’ll arrive, take the street on the...”

wonderful - i will permalink this page on my favorites to carry on from here. Sounds like anything could happen!!!

And many things will happen!!!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “21 years. It had taken him that long to return to Greece. And he never...”

I get the sense of self-exploration and a rich tide of ancient, anthropological enigmas is about to wash over me as Andreas opens up to us and we learn him. I love your writing.

Thank you for saying that! Sounds like you listened to the writer’s voice behind the character, for I am still deciding about Andreas’ intellectual depth... I wanted to make him, at least until this point in his life, very focused on his studies and career -- meaning he has been reading technical books and interested mostly in Law only. Quite boring, if you ask my opinion, but Andreas has led such a boring life until now... He is opening up like you say, though.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “From the portico of whitewashed arches drawing a series of gentle...”

Perhaps he is joyous at the thought of all that AZ just described: The promise of freedom and unburdened travel ahead. I am almost jealous of Andreas and his great opportunity before him :D

(That was answering @simblu lol

Yes, you read it perfectly -- that is exactly what he is feeling at the start of his sabbatical year -- and again, pretty much what I felt at the start of mine, too!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “He found himself nearly screaming in outrage, instead. Yet, he...”

This reminds me of the time I went to London with my German friend Karin who spoke very little English - a beggar approached us in the subway and she yelled "FUCK OFF" at him!!! I was so shocked but she said it didn't matter to her because it wasn't her language. . . I would normally ignore them too but I do give to people I see who are not begging and need it - like I saw a guy eating garbage - so I gave him every penny in my pockets lol x

not lol - but - you know what I mean

Thank you for sharing that story with me/us. It is indeed a problem when we are speaking a foreign language -- we are not really aware of the volume of our words and expressions, or how they are taken by locals and native speakers... I have had my own experiences with beggars, and it is always different since it is a person to person interaction after all. Andreas too will have different experiences and reactions.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “What right had the Greek beggar to invade his privacy, to interrupt...”

Oh Andreas, so naive and young. EVERY port has beggars my lad, don't let it bring it down, or affect the thoughts you had a moment ago x

Though closer to his 30s (7yo when he first went to Greece, returning 21 years later), Andreas is still young and naive, yes. It is also his first solo travel, like I said. All of a sudden he has to make his own decisions on spot, and have personal, unfiltered interactions, without mama and papa to mirror. Though Andreas is normally reserved, he is very open on a moment like this, when he has officially just arrived at the first destination of his sabbatical year, and therefore events affect him a little bit more intensely than they should...

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Do not listen to them. Mute their voices. Don’t let the sound of...”

Parents can really suck sometimes

Especially one’s own parents, right?

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Drachmas.  That’s the word the old man repeated in his babbling. In a...”

Interesting how he perceives Greek as sounding like bullets! What is his native tongue? Did I miss that?

I must say this is my own perception of Greek language that I express through Andreas. 

And I still haven’t mentioned what his native tongue is because I was not sure -- but it is German. I am just afraid of making yet another foreign character and making him sound improbable or even offend the German Simblr community :/

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Unfortunately, Andreas hadn’t exchanged much money, and had no coins...”

Oh!!! Brilliant! I Love the idea of it not being modern day!!! And I think this answered my question about his nationality? Now I can choose German, or American traveller! :D

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “The old man had extended a calloused hand of fingertips darkened by...”

So Andreas is German? Do I need to go back and re-read?

You see, one of my most intense vacations in Greece happened in the late 90s, so I wanted to bring that into this story... 

I pondered about making Andreas either Austrian, German or Swiss, but in the end I chose German, having visited the country a few times, having even lived there for some months, having had German friends and even frequent German guests over.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle – or should it be only mosaics in...”

Ugh! Just walk on and get your mood back boy!! COME ON!!!

No, Andreas insists on his right to stay where he is and enjoy the moment without being annoyed or invaded! Anyway, his bag is too heavy for him to carry it any further.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “When a boy porter swiftly turned around the corner, like some...”

What a great scene! I love the work you've put into this - it looks so authentic!!

I have adapted this set from an existing world, Simtorini. If you look at their pictures, I have removed the central lot with the temple/garden and replaced it with the arcade where Andreas stands and meets the scammers. It is a beautiful world (with glitches in it, I must say), originally @nilxis gorgeous Sa Pineda (which is flawless, of course). 

I want to make this story as authentic as possible, to really recall that wonderful feeling of vacationing in Greece! I’m glad you enjoy it!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Please, take my bag… And me… away from here!” Between imperative and...”

"NO HE WON'T!" Come on Andreas, speak up for yourself

I second that --  Come on Andreas, speak up for yourself! You no longer have mommy and daddy to speak for you!

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “No!” Andreas replied immediately, with a vehemence quite unlike...”

Foot-In-Mouth achievement unlocked!

Indeed. Haha, I had to Google Foot-In-Mouth  to understand what it meant! :D

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Having never traveled solo before, yet yearly with his parents until...”

He's quite a sensitive soul bless him x

Andreas has led such a protected life until this point, each step well planned before him... It is quite a personal challenge to go on a sabbatical year with only his first ten days secured -- but Andreas does want to change and open up! We’ll learn more about this process in his life.

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “I’ll give you double, if you take me.” Andreas baited. His plan was...”

He's gonna do a runner!!

That’s what Andreas wants from the boy -- but will he get it?

declarations-of-drama replied to your photo “Andreas only realized how intensely and for how disrespectfully long...”

Indeed!

I could probably have left this image without text -- but I love describing what is not seen. 

[ieltscuam]

TIPS FOR IELTS SPEAKING

1. Timing And Scoring

It’s an excellent idea to memorize the timing of the speaking part of the exam, as well as how it is scored. There are three parts to the speaking section:

Part 1: Interview: The interview will last 4-5 minutes. This is supposed to be a relatively easy, introductory section. The examiner will likely ask your name, where you’re from, how you like to spend your free time, why you’re studying English, etc. Tip: It will be easy to give “yes” and “no” answers in this section, but do your best to give longer responses. Example: “Do you enjoy learning English?” “Yes (keep going!), I think English is a difficult but enjoyable language to learn, and it’s very practical.”

Part 2: Long Answer: In part 2 you will be given a topic about which you must speak uninterrupted for 1-2 minutes. This tends to be very difficult for most students. Tip: You will have one minute of prep time. Don’t try to write out complete answers, just make notes and improvise from them. You will sound more natural this way and you’ll be able to map out your entire response.

Part 3: Discussion: In this part of the test you will discuss a topic with the examiner for 3-4 minutes; again, a difficult section. Tip: If you have the chance to make a point through a personal anecdote, this will show you are comfortable and make your conversation more unique.

The scoring is much more quickly understood: there are four sections that all carry equal weight in grading (that is, each section counts for 25% of your grade): Pronunciation, Fluency and Coherence, Grammar, Vocabulary. A balanced skill set will yield the highest score. You should think about reading over this fantastic post on IELTS listening tips, as understanding your examiner is of the utmost importance.

2. Fluency Over Vocabulary

While fluency and vocabulary technically carry the same weight in grading, it’s better to be fluent and fluid than to spend several seconds thinking of the best word. Your overall impression will be much stronger if you speak fluidly and only hunt around for a great word once or twice. Chances are that if you keep talking, your next chance to speak will yield a strong vocabulary word.

You might also consider brushing up on your accent with this acclaimed course on English pronunciation.

3. Avoid Monotone

You know the way beginners talk when learning a new language: a slow, flat monotone. Nothing is less impressive and more yawn inspiring. Even if you speak perfectly, a bland tone can make you sound less fluent than you really are. Adding some range to your tones will make you sound more fluent, interesting and accomplished.

4. How To Buy Yourself Time

It would be rare for someone to go through an exam and understand everything. Even if you do understand everything, you may need some extra time to formulate your responses. In part 2, this is not applicable because you have time to take notes and, since you’re required to talk without pause, you will have no excuses to buy yourself more time. But in sections 1 and 3 there are a few tactics you can employ:

The examiner might ask, “What was your favorite part of growing up in Paris?” While some tips out there would recommend repeating the question, I find this tactic obvious and not very flattering to one’s ability to understand a language. Instead, you can make a compliment about the nature of the question and achieve the same time-buying effect: “I’ve never considered that before, but it’s an interesting question.” This is more natural and it will allow you to not, literally, take the words out of your examiner’s mouth.

You may also not understand something. If the examiner uses a word or phrase you don’t understand, don’t panic. Be honest and demonstrate your ability to respond naturally to such a situation: “I’m not acquainted with that expression, could you please elaborate?” or “I never came across that word before, would you mind clarifying?” or even “I’m sorry, but could you please explain what you mean?”

5. How Much To Speak: 2 Rules of Thumb

First Rule of Thumb: There are two basic, unspoken rules when it comes to how much you should speak during the speaking section. The first is to speak as much as possible; the more and the greater variety of language you use, the better. You don’t want to talk incessantly and repeat yourself just for the sake of talking, but you should try to speak as much as possible within reason. As long as the conversation is lively and interesting, you can’t talk too much.

Second Rule of Thumb: If you aren’t the talkative type and you aren’t worried about talking incessantly about unrelated things, another rule of thumb is that you should talk more than the examiner. So if the examiner asks you a one sentence question, try to respond in at least two sentences (and so on and so forth).

If you haven’t yet decided between the IELTS and TOEFL, confer with this great blog post on what you need to know about both.

6. Throw Away Your Prepared Answers

If you’ve gone through the trouble of preparing answers to different questions, throw them away. Part of speaking fluently is speaking spontaneously, and the examiner will immediately know if you’re regurgitating responses. This will drastically hinder your score as the examiner cannot count these as answers because they are nothing more than memorization. The key is to be relaxed, have fun using English and respond directly to the questions asked. Plus, there’s nothing worse than trying to make a prepared answer fit a question that is just slightly different.

7. What To Do When You Make A Mistake

It happens to the best: mistakes. Even when you’re speaking your native tongue sometimes the wrong words come out. You might be talking too quickly or just accidentally say the wrong word. If you are able to quickly and fluently correct yourself, go for it. This will show the examiner than you are conscious and in control (and, of course, that you know the correct answer).

NOTE: If you don’t know how to correct yourself smoothly, don’t worry about. Just keep going. If you try to correct yourself and can’t, now you’ve turned your average tongue-slip into a prolonged disaster.

8. Vocabulary Tips

#1: Like I said in my introduction to this post, you can’t go back and revise your spoken responses. This is particularly relevant to vocabulary, as many students just write down easy words in the IELTS writing section and then change them once they’ve finished writing the essay (if you need help with the writing section, too, check out this IELTS Writing course on how to score a Band 7 or higher). But in speaking you should have a few really strong vocabulary words at your disposal.

#2: Your opinion is very important in the speaking section, so learn words and phrases that allow you to express yourself. You don’t want to say “I think” in the exact same way every time. Learn things like, “I feel,” “I like,” “I prefer,” etc.

9. Match The Grammar In The Question

This is a simple trick that can help you stay on track during your response. Pay attention to the grammar the examiner uses when he or she asks you a question. This is particularly true of verb tenses. To re-use one of our questions from above, the examiner might ask, “What was your favorite part of growing up in Paris?” This is in the past tense (“was”), so you would not answer, “My favorite part is . . . ” Matching the grammar will help you avoid simple mistakes and you can quickly learn the basics with this introduction to English grammar course (or if you think you’ve got what it takes, this course for advanced English grammar).

10. First Impressions

Make a good first impression by showing up presentable. It is basically an interview, so act, dress and prepare accordingly. Make sure you’ve showered, brushed your teeth (breath mint) and dressed appropriately. You should also sit up straight (but not uncomfortably straight), make eye contact with the examiner, engage causally but energetically in conversation and speak at a natural pace. While this alone won’t give you a high grade, it’s infinitely better than breathing foul air into your examiner’s face. A strong first impression will go a long way and this five-star course can help you make a powerful, professional first impression that lasts.