How to flesh out and individualise matches - an outline
May 21, 2020 23:15:48 GMT -5
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Post by scottyadams on May 21, 2020 23:15:48 GMT -5
Yo, so - I figured I'd drop a piece here for people who might wish to reference this, as well as acquire insight into how I approach the task of match writing, as well as character presentation. One of the key aspects when it comes to ensuring your fed is as well-presented and individualised as it possibly can be.
Especially when it comes to the diverse range of wrestlers you have in the fed.
Mind you, this is mainly an outline of how *I* approach writing matches; is not intended to be a 'one size fits all' kind of deal.
Feel free to take components from this and modify it to fit *your* personal style. Alright, let's get into this now, shall we.
First and foremost - you wanna try and stray away from simply writing "x does y move, then z does y move" as it reads monotonously and honestly feels extremely dry to those reading it. Almost as if it was 2 robots writing, which for the most part, isn't the case.
They are human characters, engaging in combat and should be written as such. Selling a move is an important tool here, as it showcases the pain and agony that a wrestler goes through when a move is delivered to them. Or even when delivering a move in certain situations and enables the reader to feel the pain.
Feel the impact of the move that was just delivered; adds immediate realism and substance to the match. Something as simple as a grimace or a wrestler struggling back to their feet can tell a lot about the match; sell its intensity to the reader. Causing them to become invested right away.
Psychology is important in wrestling.
That applies to matches as well and allows you to personalise and tailor the matches to each individual character. Make them feel like the match was crafted for them - rather than feel uniform and just with other names placed in depending on who's in a match. Kind of like copying & pasting. You want each character to feel unique. Each writer to be able to feel as if they are in the match. That they *are* their character.
Which leads us to point number 2.
Presenting the character in the match. For this, you *will* need to reference the rps and bio sheet of the characters, so that you can acquire an understanding of who they are; what makes them tick in the ring. Their strengths, their weaknesses. Any prior injuries they may have suffered. Their alignment. Their overarching dominant styles (and sub-styles).
All of these need to be incorporated into the match, in order to provide the most engaging and immersive experience you possibly can for those who compete in your company, or any company you write for.
Which ties into the psychology point but personalises it further by using traits and ailments specific to that character.
No two wrestlers are the same, even if they wrestle the 'same' style. There are intricate nuances that can be used and seen in bios and histories, which make each character unique.
Point 3 is similar, however, it's more about the alignment aspect and using that to engage the audience. We all know wrestling at its root is about good v evil. Face v heel. However, you can make face v face work - though this is reliant on how the characters portray themselves and their worldviews.
Like, two people can share an alignment but also have different perspectives and layers to *how* they go about portraying their alignment.
These micro-conflicts can be tied into matches as well and used as a device to construct an engaging match up, even when circumstances may not give that appearance.
Use the nuances and individualised aspects of the characters to your advantage and you'll find there are a lot more depth and individual character to your matches.
Part 4 is about the structure and pacing of the match. As in, how do you wish to build; portray the match. Do you want a back and forth 'classic' match? A squash? Or a match where it's evenly portrayed, but one character is also a step ahead of the opponent? The build of the match depends on which character you're looking to put over (or the winner) and how you wanna ensure each individual is portrayed.
This also relies on you first having an idea of how you want to finish the match first - after all, in order to get to your destination, you *must* first know where the destination is. Otherwise, the match will not have any rhythm or flow to it.
Which is something you truly need if you're gonna have a match worth reading. Flow and rhythm are what makes the match tick and fit into the grander scheme of the show. Or even of the characters involved in general.
A rule I personally follow is - a match is just like an RP, only done in the ring and as a fight. Many of the same principles that you follow when writing rps, applies to matches as well. Once you follow those, you'll have a grasp on how *you* wish to structure the match and all the elements within. Each with their own, unique variables.
For now, this is all I have for this as a basic outline. If you have any questions or want a deeper dive into this, lemme know and I'll answer when I can. Hope you all enjoy this.
Especially when it comes to the diverse range of wrestlers you have in the fed.
Mind you, this is mainly an outline of how *I* approach writing matches; is not intended to be a 'one size fits all' kind of deal.
Feel free to take components from this and modify it to fit *your* personal style. Alright, let's get into this now, shall we.
First and foremost - you wanna try and stray away from simply writing "x does y move, then z does y move" as it reads monotonously and honestly feels extremely dry to those reading it. Almost as if it was 2 robots writing, which for the most part, isn't the case.
They are human characters, engaging in combat and should be written as such. Selling a move is an important tool here, as it showcases the pain and agony that a wrestler goes through when a move is delivered to them. Or even when delivering a move in certain situations and enables the reader to feel the pain.
Feel the impact of the move that was just delivered; adds immediate realism and substance to the match. Something as simple as a grimace or a wrestler struggling back to their feet can tell a lot about the match; sell its intensity to the reader. Causing them to become invested right away.
Psychology is important in wrestling.
That applies to matches as well and allows you to personalise and tailor the matches to each individual character. Make them feel like the match was crafted for them - rather than feel uniform and just with other names placed in depending on who's in a match. Kind of like copying & pasting. You want each character to feel unique. Each writer to be able to feel as if they are in the match. That they *are* their character.
Which leads us to point number 2.
Presenting the character in the match. For this, you *will* need to reference the rps and bio sheet of the characters, so that you can acquire an understanding of who they are; what makes them tick in the ring. Their strengths, their weaknesses. Any prior injuries they may have suffered. Their alignment. Their overarching dominant styles (and sub-styles).
All of these need to be incorporated into the match, in order to provide the most engaging and immersive experience you possibly can for those who compete in your company, or any company you write for.
Which ties into the psychology point but personalises it further by using traits and ailments specific to that character.
No two wrestlers are the same, even if they wrestle the 'same' style. There are intricate nuances that can be used and seen in bios and histories, which make each character unique.
Point 3 is similar, however, it's more about the alignment aspect and using that to engage the audience. We all know wrestling at its root is about good v evil. Face v heel. However, you can make face v face work - though this is reliant on how the characters portray themselves and their worldviews.
Like, two people can share an alignment but also have different perspectives and layers to *how* they go about portraying their alignment.
These micro-conflicts can be tied into matches as well and used as a device to construct an engaging match up, even when circumstances may not give that appearance.
Use the nuances and individualised aspects of the characters to your advantage and you'll find there are a lot more depth and individual character to your matches.
Part 4 is about the structure and pacing of the match. As in, how do you wish to build; portray the match. Do you want a back and forth 'classic' match? A squash? Or a match where it's evenly portrayed, but one character is also a step ahead of the opponent? The build of the match depends on which character you're looking to put over (or the winner) and how you wanna ensure each individual is portrayed.
This also relies on you first having an idea of how you want to finish the match first - after all, in order to get to your destination, you *must* first know where the destination is. Otherwise, the match will not have any rhythm or flow to it.
Which is something you truly need if you're gonna have a match worth reading. Flow and rhythm are what makes the match tick and fit into the grander scheme of the show. Or even of the characters involved in general.
A rule I personally follow is - a match is just like an RP, only done in the ring and as a fight. Many of the same principles that you follow when writing rps, applies to matches as well. Once you follow those, you'll have a grasp on how *you* wish to structure the match and all the elements within. Each with their own, unique variables.
For now, this is all I have for this as a basic outline. If you have any questions or want a deeper dive into this, lemme know and I'll answer when I can. Hope you all enjoy this.