Does Your Log Matter?

[Cmdr JFarrington 0]

I remember when I first began simming - back in the dark ages, of course - I often wondered if the logs I wrote mattered. As a novice (read: No0b), they were stilted and mostly stupid (yeah, well, some still are), but the CO said I had to write if I wanted a promotion. Did I want a promotion? You betcha! So I wrote.

 

It's been ::whistle:: years since I wanted a promotion, of course. And I'm sure there are many here who are in the same boat (pun not intended). But I still write logs. Why?

 

One answer is that I do it because I love writing. I enjoy embellishing the plot, developing my characters, and fleshing out other parts of the ship, yadda, yadda.

 

But there is another really big reason why I write, one that is often overlooked.

 

A player asked me recently, "Is anyone ever going to read this? Anyone besides my CO, and maybe a few members of my crew?"

 

The resounding answer is yes!

 

When new people come through the academy, especially those in the academies I frequent (which are most of 'em, btw, whether as GM or undercover), I always ask what games they are drawn to and why. Many new players say they're drawn to a certain game because of the player logs.

 

So, yes! Your logs are important, not only to your own character development but to people looking for new sims.

 

Log on!

[V'Roy 0]

What rolls down stairs

Alone or in pairs

And over your neighbor's dog?

 

What's great for a snack

And fits on your back?

It's Log, Log, Log!

 

It's Log, it's Log,

It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.

It's Log, it's Log,

It's better than bad, it's good!

[Crash Calestorm 0]

Hear hear! I fully agree with Commander Farrington that logs are very important! You just never know who will take notice of a Sim because of crew stories.

 

Along the same subject line, here is an excerpt from an answer I'd given to a newbie about logging:

 

I’ll be honest when I say I learned a lot with regard to writing stories and logs here at STSF.

 

You could check out some sort of Literary/Comp site, but the best advice I can give you from a Player perspective is to keep any character writings believable, and lay them out as if it were Real Life for lack of a better term.

 

Typically, character logs directly follow or are the result of plots that happen in the chats, and most Players continue whatever their characters were doing in chats, or continue on with a log series that takes place alongside the chat action. The logs can be short or long, wherever your imagination takes you.

 

Write the character and the logs out as you yourself would handle the situations that you are creating, because you are a pretty good guide for your own character, you know logically what you and they can and can’t do. Just keep it real and you'll do well with any sort of writing.

[Cmdr JFarrington 0]

And speaking of logs...

Writers and editors among us should relate to this, from Non Sequitur Comic Strip:

 

[V'Roy 0]

Hey! Why was my "Log from Blammo!" taken out but the lyrics were OK to leave in?