Learn everything there is to know about the full-fledged writer career in The Sims 4 with this handy guide we have for you.
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Writer Career In Sims 4: Monetize Your Writing Skill!
If you have a Sim who is good with written words and loves books, Writer Career is a perfect pick for them. This is one of the base game career tracks and has two distinct branches Sims can specialize in once they complete level 5. Both rely on the writing skill equally, but each branch has a secondary skill. For the Author branch, this is the logic skill, while the Journalist branch is all about learning Charisma. Let’s see how to make the most of it!
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Ideal Mood, Compatible Traits And Aspirations
You’ll want to keep your Sim inspired from the start to the end of the career because this is the ideal mood for advancing and mastering the writing skill. The best personality trait they can have is Creative since it will get them randomly inspired. Sims with the Bookworm trait can get inspired when analyzing books, and are prone to reading books autonomously, which blends so well with the theme of the career.
Lot Traits can make a difference, too. Fast Internet lot trait gives a 50% boost to writing skill gains, while Home Studio will help Sims produce written content of higher quality, plus get 10% writing skill gain. The most compatible aspiration is Best Selling Author, as completing it requires writing books and learning the writing skill, which your Sim will do naturally as they progress in the writing career. All creative aspirations give Sims the Muser bonus trait, which boosts skill gains when Sims feels inspired.
So, What Can You Expect From The Career?
To join the Writer Career, get your Sim employed via the Business app on the phone, or from the Career menu in the bottom right corner of your screen. Although your Sim is expected to read and write at home to get promoted, this is a rabbit hole career, which means they will have to go to work, and read, and write books or articles in their free time. However, every book your Sim writes can be profited from and published for royalties, which will grant extra simoleons aside from their earnings. Most reward objects in the career give an inspiring mood, so do place them in your home to get that inspiration flowing! Now, onto promotion tasks and rewards!
Beginner Levels
Your Sim is starting their career journey as a Writer’s Assistant and a book lover, and their daily promotion task on the first two levels is to just read books. From level 3 to 5 their focus shifts to writing books, which they can do on the computer or the Milton Word Processor that’s unlocked at level 2. Before they specialize, they will need to reach level 5 writing skill, but they will need to max it for both branches later on.
| CAREER LEVEL | SALARY (HOUR/DAY) | SCHEDULE | PROMOTION TASKS | REWARDS |
| 1. Writer’s Assistant | $25/hour $200/day | Sun-Mon, Wed, Fri, 11AM-7PM | Read Books | / |
| 2. Blogger | $32/hour $256/day | Sun-Mon, Wed, Fri, 11AM-7PM | Read Books, Level 2 Writing Skill | – $407 – Milton Word Processor |
| 3. Freelance Article Writer | $38/hour $304/day | Sun-Tue, Thu, 9AM-5PM | Write Books, Level 3 Writing Skill | – $509 – Still Life with Apple and Pitcher and Books and Bottles and Flowers! – Pitch Story Idea Social Interaction |
| 4. Advice Columnist | $44/hour $352/day | Sun-Tue, Thu, 9AM-5PM | Write Books, Level 4 Writing Skill | – $611 – The Thinker |
| 5. Regular Contributor | $50/hour $400/day | Mon-Wed, Fri, 8AM-4PM | Write Books, Level 5 Writing Skill | – $703 – An Open Book Framed – New CAS Parts |
Author Branch
Sims who join the Autor branch will be dedicating their time to writing books, maxing their writing skill, and learning logic. Although rewards will support their creative endeavors by making them inspired, this branch, unfortunately, has no special interactions or abilities to have fun with. However, since promotion tasks are rather simple, you’ll find it relatively easy to reach the highest career levels.
| CAREER LEVEL | SALARY (HOUR/DAY) | SCHEDULE | PROMOTION TASKS | REWARDS |
| 6. Short Story Writer | $60/hour $480/day | Wed-Sun, 1PM-9PM | Write Books, Level 7 Writing Skill, Level 2 Logic Skill | – $956 – Antique Tomes |
| 7. Novelist | $115/hour $805/day | Sat-Sun, Wed-Thu, 1PM-8PM | Write Books, Level 8 Writing Skill, Level 3 Logic Skill | – $1243 |
| 8. Fan Favorite | $202/hour $1010/day | Sat-Sun, Wed-Thu, 12PM-5PM | Write Books, Level 9 Writing Skill, Level 4 Logic Skill | – $1808 – Nom de Plume Quill Pen |
| 9. Bestselling Author | $296/hour $1480/day | Tue-Wed, Sat, 12PM-5PM | Write Books, Level 10 Writing Skill, Level 5 Logic Skill | – $2421 – The Muse |
| 10. Creator of Worlds | $465/hour $2790/day | Tue, Sat, 12PM-6PM | Write Books. Go to Work! | – $2885 – Unlocked Door of Perception – “Writer’s Den” styled room |
Journalist Branch
Journalists have to be quite charming, so learning the charisma skill, and maxing writing will be essential for advancing in the branch. Their daily task will be to write articles on the computer. However, to gather information, your Sim will need to converse with others and interview them. Interview About Life and Interview for Story socials are specific to this branch and will help your writer get to know townies and their personality traits enough to create a juicy story. Once they are done interviewing, they can then Write a Positive or Negative Article about the Sim interviewed and get paid for it. Be mindful of what you choose, since this can affect their relationship with that Sim.
| CAREER LEVEL | SALARY (HOUR/DAY) | SCHEDULE | PROMOTION TASKS | REWARDS |
| 6. Page Two Journalist | $56/hour $448/day | Mon-Fri, 8AM-4PM | Write Articles, Level 7 Writing Skill, Level 2 Charisma Skill | – $956 |
| 7. Front Page Writer | $83/hour $581/day | Mon-Fri, 8AM-3PM | Write Articles, Level 8 Writing Skill, Level 3 Charisma Skill | – $1562, – Antique Writer’s Desk |
| 8. Investigative Journalist | $145/hour $1015/day | Mon-Thu, 9AM-4PM | Write Articles, Level 9 Writing Skill, Level 4 Charisma Skill | – $2031 – The Where Should I Go? Ball |
| 9. Editor-in-Chief | $189/hour $1323/day | Mon-Thu, 9AM-4PM | Write Articles, Level 10 Writing Skill, Level 5 Charisma Skill | – $2844 – Antique Typewriter |
| 10. Scribe of History | $287/hour $1722/day | Mon-Thu, 10AM-4PM | Write Articles. Go to Work! | – $3697 – Deep Thoughts Bookcase – “The Newsroom” styled room |
Writer Career Or Freelance Writing? What Is The Difference?
The Writer Career is not to be confused with Freelance Writing, which is an entirely different career from the base game. Sims who join the Writer Career have to go to work and meet daily promotion tasks to advance like it’s done for all rabbit hole careers. Sims who join the Freelancer career and choose writing as their freelance niche are self-employed and work from home by taking and completing gigs.
Those in the Writer Career will need to write books and articles, while Sims who work as freelancers will need to complete various writing tasks, from proofreading to ghostwriting, all while meeting due dates. Both require improving writing skills, but they offer a different gaming experience.
Wrapping It Up!
Most career rewards in the Writer career are decorative items, furniture, some bonus simoleons, and CAS parts. Reach level 10 in either branch, and you’ll also get a styled room. While the career itself doesn’t pay much, your Sim can always resort to publishing content and get more money that way, since they will need to write to get promoted anyway. Happy simming!