First topic message reminder :

Assignment Five

The Seven Stages of Grief


-Stage One: Denial-


Ok, in fear of more and more people dropping out, I'm going to go ahead and start the big finale. This is where the poetry comes in!! Over the next seven assignments, you will be required to turn in a picture and corresponding(meaning explaining the picture) gothic poem that represents each one of the seven stages of grief. Now, I'm not going completely along with the list of stages...I've picked and chosen the ones that I feel will work the best for this competition. Also, even though these assignments coincide, your pictures don't have too. I'd like to keep these pretty open, but one guideline is that I don't want any cutesy-pie pictures! I would prefer it if you'd stay on the serious side for these last assignments, since grief is a serious thing! Make it your goal to make people cry!

Anywho!! So, here's stage one: denial! Each contestant will be required to submit a photo and corresponding poem that represents denial. Again, this is wide open, but try to keep it serious. Have fun and be creative!

-About the Poetry-

To make it a little easier, I don't care if you write the poetry yourself, or if you use someone elses, just give credit to the original author please!

I suggest you look up gothic poetry online for inspiration and to really get the idea of what it is.

Also, here's a Gothic Poem Generator if you're having trouble....also if you want a good laugh...


-Rules-

1. Please only post ONE picture.

2. No copying!

3. Editing is allowed, but PLEASE keep it to a MINIMUM!! Really, the only editing allowed is stuff like cropping, lighting, stuff like making the pic black and white or sepia...stuff that anyone can do with a basic program. Basically, anything that changes the tone/atmosphere of the pic is ok. Also, if there's something like a bald spot that some of the CC hair has at certain angles, then you can fill it in. But that's it! As for editing that's not allowed is stuff like adding/transposing backgrounds or objects. Basically, if it's not in your game or can't be done in your game, then it shouldn't be in your picture! (CC is considered part of your game, so it's ok, duh. lol) This competition is designed to push the limits of your creativity, so use it!

4. No changing models. You must use the one you entered! You can, however, change her hair, clothes, makeup, traits, everything but her face/body(including skintone).

New!(for the seven stages of grief only) You are allowed to change your model's face to look more sad (in CAS). I know sometimes it's difficult to get a good picture when you're model looks too happy.

5. Other sims are allowed in the picture, just make sure your sim is the main focus.

6. Remember to keep it Gothic!


Breaking the rules may lead to elimination. You have been warned!
I've decided to not disqualify anyone, just eliminate them, when they have broken the rules...unless someone drops out or doesn't show, then they will just have the lowest score. With the rate that people have dropped out, it seems unfair to disqualify people.

If you have any questions about the rules, don't hesitate to ask.



-Models-

Lucille Donovan - KelleD014

Lilith Noir - SweetBaby

Ebony Flame - Bubby189

Lemiko Samura - ChicagoStorm

Kira Gray - LyrianFleur

Jamie May - Toblie

Arabesque Van Albrecht - CeleSeraphym

Despair Ruine - estrellalin

Umbra Willow - RepulsiveDesire1


Good luck!!


-Deadline: 4:00am PST (Los Angeles time) on Thursday, April 1st!-


If you need an extension, don't hesitate to ask!


-Judges-

Akasha O'Connell(me)

awesome_phoebe

anettesb


-Scoring-

?/10 - How well this stage of grief was represented.
?/10 - Creativity
?/10 - Overall (picture and poem together)


-Example-

This has been the hardest assignment so far for the writing. I think my poem is waaaay too long and not goth/depressing enough. I don't know what to do! It took me a long while to write it, but it doesn't flow like everyone else's. I know not all poetry has to be the same (and that goes for gothic poetry also), but this is just...I don't know. Like my belly button lint wrote it...

I just got so carried away with it and I'm really apprehensive about the length and tone. I'll be posting it in a bit...but should I whittle it down or something?

Dammit!

I must agree with you. This is by far the most difficult assignment, especially for writing. I absolutely obsessed over every word in my poem, and I've been second guessing myself as to whether mine is "denial" or "goth" enough :/

I, personally, don't want you to whittle it down. I can't wait to read it, and I'm sure it will be amazing!

Okay...let me just say that I really, really apologize for the length - I had no idea it ran so long, and it didn't seem TOO bad until I posted it here. I'm REALLY sorry -- it just got away from me... SS, if you need me to chop it I will.


Arabesque Van Albrecht - Denial




A swath of ivory silk and lace
Shrouds a porcelain expression of
Quiet and sleep
Slumber softly now dear child
You wail a silent song they slight,
Lie in delicate form that only
My eyes bear witness
I pray
Slumber softly now my Anna Rose
Not in cold and dark and death as they would tell me
They utter words
Savage
And heartless
As to tear my bleeding heart asunder
What sin have I wrought to suffer such an
Unimaginable fate?
Existence without you, beloved Anna Rose,
Unbearable
Unthinkable
Unfathomable
Lo, I would sooner rake the knife 'cross
Cold indifferent skin and bleed
Than accept such circumstance
Rather drift the searing ashen antechambers of
Purgatory than
Bask in radiant life on a barren earth in a
Spoiled house
Near a
Bare, dead cradle

Let them whisper venomous words
And deliver the baleful eye
Let them clad themselves in fine black mantles bespeckled with
Tears that fall for a fallacious ending
In unfounded grief,
Heavy quietus looms in an ominous cloud, a mirage
Needless bereavement
Impertinent sympathy
Nonsensical condolences for a
Perfect babe that rests not in the arms of a
Covetous God
But here with we who gave her life
In malevolent banter they opine:
"He giveth and He taketh away,
That which He bestoweth in earthy grace
Be remit to Heaven in one breath
Borrowed for now
Then relinquished in twilight embers and dust"

You and I alone, my perfect Anna Rose,
Rest here in this
Hidden country,
A perpetual bond untainted by
Suffering, by morose, by this thing they call
Death
Leave this place grim reaper, and collect an aged soul
My innocent has gasped but a pittance of breaths in this
Short life
Tiny feet have never grazed bare ground,
Glistening eyes have yet to ingest this striking world
Plummet into the black eclipse of
Hell and leave us be
Compel them, O Lord, to see my mortal Angel as I do
Not dead, but asleep!
Merely slumbering in her soft warm cradle
Not fodder for slithery creatures
'Neath the ground
Skin that might touch linen finery
Not rot in dank and sodden mire
Briny tears trail in joy and mirth
Not their piercing endless bitter sorrow

Entombed in suffocating Silence
and Still,
This burial a fait accompli it would seem
Never will I affirm such destiny, blind, complacent
Compliant
Obedient
Nay could Divine God need you
More than I
They suggest it is delusion
A mind broken
Wrecked
Ruined
A soul despaired
Disconsolate
Comatose

These implications would ring true
If not for your
Helpless cry this morn
One that only I can now hear
One that I alone will forever know

As they wrenched you, frigid and rigid
From my arms that night
So shall I seize you from the Almighty's hands
And hear no more of
This business of Death

Slumber softly now my Anna Rose.

(the pic looks really dark here for some reason... )

that is super fantastic, wow, i almost shed a tear. Well done.
and the picture wow. all i can say.

*jaw drops to the floor*
*wipes tear*
*picks up jaw off of the floor*

WOW WOW WOW

wooooowwwww cele! :'( that is amazing!

Thanks guys You wouldn't believe how glad I am to be done with that...really hard to write about.

thats so sad. the way you wrote it though makes it believeable that the child really isnt dead, they are just somewhere else. where did you get the cradle?

I think that cradle is from Sims Lumani or whatever the name of the place is.

Are scores going to be posted here?

Wow Cele. Speechless poem. You should submit that into a contest.

Your shot is amazing...Its like the 'relatives' are left in the dark and grieving while only Arabesque has this 'hope/denial' about her daughter. Your lighting helped show that off.

Hey guys, so looks like Estrella either didn't see the thread, or just didn't show. Also, I haven't heard from Anette in a really long time...sent her emails and she didn't answer, so I'm gonna assume that she's too busy to judge. So, it's just gonna be me and Phoebe from now on.

Anywho! Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll have the scores up as quickly as I can.

Thank you so much Chicago! I still apologize for submitting the whole thing -- I should've chopped it up just for the contest (and kept the rest in a file somewhere). I PROMISE not to make anymore that long! It literally ran away from me, and I swear I've never been so glad to be finished with anything. My mom lost a child before I was born (3 days old), and I couldn't stop thinking about how hard that must've been on her when I was writing this & making the pic...tough territory -- I haven't even gone back & read it since I posted it, not once.

SS, I'm sorry to hear that Anette won't be judging anymore -- she was always positive to everyone and was a really good judge (not that YOU guys AREN'T positive, but really good judges are fairly rare it seems).

that was beautiful. so tragic.. you dont need to be all sucideal and angst to be goth.. (thats more of an emo thing anyway lol) it just has to be dark. and i think that was definitely dark and very emotional. awesome job

Cel wrote:

Thank you so much Chicago! I still apologize for submitting the whole thing -- I should've chopped it up just for the contest (and kept the rest in a file somewhere). I PROMISE not to make anymore that long! It literally ran away from me, and I swear I've never been so glad to be finished with anything. My mom lost a child before I was born (3 days old), and I couldn't stop thinking about how hard that must've been on her when I was writing this & making the pic...tough territory -- I haven't even gone back & read it since I posted it, not once.

SS, I'm sorry to hear that Anette won't be judging anymore -- she was always positive to everyone and was a really good judge (not that YOU guys AREN'T positive, but really good judges are fairly rare it seems).

I had to go to a place in my past too that I didn't care to relive but I did, and now with Guilt I have to go there again. Won't be easy. Congrats everyone.