Carl's Sims 3 Guide - Skills, Traits, Careers, Rewards, and Lifetime Wishes for Ambitions and World Adventures

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The Sims 3: Writing Guide - Learn to Be a Great Writer

Write Books and Become a Master Author

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Sims 3 Writing Guide  |  Good Traits for Writers  |  List of All Book Types Sims Write
Writing Challenges, Opportunities and Wishes
Writing a novel in a beautifully decorated room in the Sims 3

This Sims 3 Guide was originally written for the PC and Mac versions of the game, but also will help owners of the console versions - PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Please remember some info or numbers may have changed.

Learning the Writing Skill is a great way to make money in the Sims 3. You can expect a steady stream of Royalty checks later in your Sim's career. Writing is also the primary skill of the Journalism career track. The opportunities and wishes associated with Writing are very easy to complete, so it's a nice career to choose for stay-at-home Sims who need lifetime reward points. Writing can easly be the career of your household breadwinner. It is, in fact, one of the easies ways to make money in The Sims 3.

Writing Skill Self-Employment Table
The Sims 3 Ambitions brought us the ability to label Sims self-employed in any of the money-making professions. To register as self-employed, simply gain a level in the skill and head to city hall. Here are the levels for this skill:

The Sims 3 Writing Self Employment Career
LevelJob RankNeeded to LevelBonus
1Fan Fiction Drafter$75-
2Small-Time Scribe$400-
3Tabloid Typist$1000-
4Paperback Pauper$2500-
5Work-for-Hire Wordsmith$5000$500
6Pretentious Poet$8000-
7Ghostwriter$12000$1500
8Prizewinning Author$19000-
9Fiction Fantastico$30000$2500
10Blockbuster WriterMax$5000

Getting Started as a Writer
All that you need to get started writing books in the Sims 3 is a computer. It doesn't even have to belong to your Sim, as you could use the computer at the public library. Certainly, you'll want to own your own computer if you intend to pursue writing seriously, but if you just want to try it out this is an easy way. How to write: click the computer and select write. A list of novel types will appear. All the books you can write, based on writing skill level, will be listed here.

An Even Earlier Start - Toddler Sims 3 Skill Books
Toddlers can learn intro writing skills by reading Bluish Eggs With a Side of Pastrami, Frank I'm Not, and Oh the Destinations You'll Briefly Visit.

Learning Writing in the Sims 3
The best way to learn writing is to be write novels. You can also send your Sim to a writing class at the business building in town. I never use refine writing skills, because the Sim could be working toward that wonderful 25 total book mark. Refine may actually increase the rate at which your Sim learns writing though, so if your Sim is only a level or two away from writing a particular type of book, you could use it.

Practice makes perfect. The best way to raise writing is to skip the refine writing skills and go straight to hammering out Novels.Making Money with Writing
You should be able to make a nice living for your Sim with writing. If you choose some of the traits on this page, they'll be even better. Money from writing comes from turning in chapters (really just like a bonus) and in the form of Royalty Checks. Royalty Checks come once every week, for six weeks. The money is deposited noon every Sunday automatically.

The earnings from a book are primarily based on the diffulty rating of that book. Looking at the list of novel types you can write, more simoleon symbols under the expected royalty column means more money. The harder books will also take longer to write, but are generally the best route for profitability. I recommend every Sim write four of each type of book so they can later specialize in vaudeville or children's books, while still working toward the prolific author writing challenge's completion.

Writing Specialization: Choose a Book Type
The first type of novel that you make five books of will be your Sim's writing specialization. Writing masteries can change, but you'd have to write more total novels of another type to change it. If I wrote twenty-five non-fiction novels, I'd have to write 26 of another book type later to change my specialization.

A beautifully decorated room will keep your Sim happy, and help them write better books.Writing Efficiently for more Hits and Best Sellers
Keep your Sim's mood up while writing. Try to have fun up to the point that the Sim is having a blast to help with this. Also consider the room's ambience. A stereo can provide a boost to mood, even better if you take the care to change the station to their favorite. Decorate the writer's room as well so they'll be happy with their environment.

There are lots of factors that can boost the odds that your Sim writes a best selling book: mood, genre experience (number of books written for that genre), how many books the author has read, etc. Yep, reading books helps, so bookworms should definitely take this into consideration. There are plenty of wish opportunities for books read, so this will help get those lifetime reward points.

Profit Per Page
simone23 at our forum pointed out to me that I had some old info here. Masterpieces were never the best to write on a profit-per-page basis. Vaudeville and Children's books outperform them, so these are the two most profitable book types to choose for your writer.

The Sims 3 Skills
AlchemyAthleticCharismaCollectingConsignmentCookingFishing
GardeningGuitarHandinessInstrumentsInventingLogicMartial Arts
MixologyNectar MakingPaintingPhotographyRidingScienceSculpting
Social NetworkingStreet ArtWriting






Comments (10)

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angie says...
"Think about it: When's the last time you saw a trashy novel on the best seller list?"

Uh... almost every week? just sayin'.
21st September 2012 3:40pm
Rae says...
so true..
Admin:
Sure seems to be now, anyway. Might edit that out :P
24th September 2012 10:43pm
Brooke says...
I just bought the game and am trying to become a writer, but the game won't allow me to click on the computer itself when I bought it and put it on a desk, so I can't improve the writing skill :/ Help?
29th January 2013 8:53am
Ryan says...
@ Brooke:
It could be because there is no chair in front of your computer. It happened to me once. Also, make sure it's a chair that's appropriate for a computer. Loungers and coaches won't work.
31st January 2013 1:14pm
Kayla says...
I am pretty impressed with this website, since it is handwritten. But coud you tell me how you got this info?
Admin:
I played the game and took a lot of notes for every page on the site. I've written about 15 game walkthroughs, this is the first I wrote in-depth on.
11th February 2013 6:32pm
Marie says...
I have The Sims 3 for Wii, and I bought a computer, but there is no "write" option. :/
12th February 2013 2:20pm
charlii says...
yes i have the same problem...ive bought both a laptop and a computer and neither have the write option..can anyone help?? x
6th March 2013 7:08am
Anastasia says...
You cant have the writing skill in the Sims 3 for wii. How I know? I have the game for the Wii AND the pc with some expansions I bought. :)
15th March 2013 3:35pm
Greg says...
How is Masterpiece not the most profitable book. Money per page is 6 and 1/6 where as vaudville is like 4.5 and childrens is around 4 as well. I'm a little confused.
19th April 2013 12:25pm
lunchbox says...
Easy, Children's Books are shorter, therefore you have more of a possibility to crank them out faster. This makes them more profitable.
7th May 2013 9:26pm
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