Diary Writing Tips

[1234]

Just something random that I personally need help on (in case I ever actually take one of my ideas and turn it into a diary before the next idea comes along).

 

How do you get in character for promo's? Reading through many diaries I gain a strong sense of how each character speaks very quickly, however when I sit down and try and do it myself I just end up with the same generic voice and speech pattern for everyone.

 

I am just wondering if anyone has any method for getting that sense of understanding how a wrestler talks, or if it just comes naturally to you.

[Bigpapa42]

Just something random that I personally need help on (in case I ever actually take one of my ideas and turn it into a diary before the next idea comes along).

 

How do you get in character for promo's? Reading through many diaries I gain a strong sense of how each character speaks very quickly, however when I sit down and try and do it myself I just end up with the same generic voice and speech pattern for everyone.

 

I am just wondering if anyone has any method for getting that sense of understanding how a wrestler talks, or if it just comes naturally to you.

 

One thing I will sometimes do it find comparative characters. It could be a real wrestler, or an actor, or a specific character. So when you write it, you write in with that character in mind. Read it over afterward - maybe even out loud - and see if it "fits".

 

If I was trying to find a "voice" for Tommy Cornell, I would probably look to British actors. Find someone with similar characteristics to what I want in Cornell. I could pick a base ike Turkish from Snatch, or maybe Clive Owen from any number of different flicks.

[jhd1]

Just something random that I personally need help on (in case I ever actually take one of my ideas and turn it into a diary before the next idea comes along).

 

How do you get in character for promo's? Reading through many diaries I gain a strong sense of how each character speaks very quickly, however when I sit down and try and do it myself I just end up with the same generic voice and speech pattern for everyone.

 

I am just wondering if anyone has any method for getting that sense of understanding how a wrestler talks, or if it just comes naturally to you.

 

When I was writing my USPW diary the catchphrase would start things off for me. I'll have an idea of mannerisms and attitude from their gimmick, but once the catchphrase is nailed down you can work around that to form the rest of the promos. In the SWF it's more about character - Rich Money has a lot of money related phrases in his promos, Faith's got a Texan drawl, Marc DuBois likes to talk about himself, or at least turn the conversation topic back to himself etc.

 

Sometimes I will use real-life inspiration like BP. In the SWF, I wanted John Greed to be a darker Jake Roberts, so I watched a bunch of his promos on Youtube. A lot of people write Sam Strong as Hulk Hogan, and Jim Force like the Ultimate Warrior.

 

Some workers, like you say, will be generic for a while and eventually they will start to gain a voice (or they'll end up getting the sack for being boring!). One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of what people say in promos (at least nowadays) is fairly generic. Not every sentence needs to be 100% Christian Faith through and through.

 

In fact, you could write one promo and change the smallest feature and you've given it to another character. Christian Faith might drop a few g's from the end of words, and call everyone 'son'. Emma Chase, however, might just add emphasis (through italics) to words that accentuate just how right she is. Finally, Vengeance might break up his sentences more (with ...), spitting his words out in a deliberately slow, menacing way.

[1234]

One thing I will sometimes do it find comparative characters. It could be a real wrestler, or an actor, or a specific character. So when you write it, you write in with that character in mind. Read it over afterward - maybe even out loud - and see if it "fits".

 

If I was trying to find a "voice" for Tommy Cornell, I would probably look to British actors. Find someone with similar characteristics to what I want in Cornell. I could pick a base ike Turkish from Snatch, or maybe Clive Owen from any number of different flicks.

 

When I was writing my USPW diary the catchphrase would start things off for me. I'll have an idea of mannerisms and attitude from their gimmick, but once the catchphrase is nailed down you can work around that to form the rest of the promos. In the SWF it's more about character - Rich Money has a lot of money related phrases in his promos, Faith's got a Texan drawl, Marc DuBois likes to talk about himself, or at least turn the conversation topic back to himself etc.

 

Sometimes I will use real-life inspiration like BP. In the SWF, I wanted John Greed to be a darker Jake Roberts, so I watched a bunch of his promos on Youtube. A lot of people write Sam Strong as Hulk Hogan, and Jim Force like the Ultimate Warrior.

 

Some workers, like you say, will be generic for a while and eventually they will start to gain a voice (or they'll end up getting the sack for being boring!). One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of what people say in promos (at least nowadays) is fairly generic. Not every sentence needs to be 100% Christian Faith through and through.

 

In fact, you could write one promo and change the smallest feature and you've given it to another character. Christian Faith might drop a few g's from the end of words, and call everyone 'son'. Emma Chase, however, might just add emphasis (through italics) to words that accentuate just how right she is. Finally, Vengeance might break up his sentences more (with ...), spitting his words out in a deliberately slow, menacing way.

 

Thanks for the advice. Using real people as inspiration is definately a good idea, which makes me feel a bit stupid for not thinking of it before.

 

I have already thought that Dunton Hall will be a cross between Alan Sugar and Vince McMahon. Just got to try and make that combination work .

 

And just a comment towards:

 

"One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of what people say in promos (at least nowadays) is fairly generic. Not every sentence needs to be 100% Christian Faith through and through."

 

That is definately something that made me feel slightly better about my attempts to write promo's, and for the large parts I know what I write will be generic. The problem is in my current idea I have two characters who are pretty much the complete storyline focus to begin with (including a pre-game/backstory event), and I don't want to turn people off with generic dialogue before I even get down to my first booked show (To be honest it isn't a segment with room for catchphrases or anything, but I want to start off with a strong character identity).

[jhd1]

The problem is in my current idea I have two characters who are pretty much the complete storyline focus to begin with (including a pre-game/backstory event), and I don't want to turn people off with generic dialogue before I even get down to my first booked show (To be honest it isn't a segment with room for catchphrases or anything, but I want to start off with a strong character identity).

 

Obviously given that I don't know who your characters are I can't be too specific, but go with the last paragraph of my earlier reply. Replace catchphrases with the structure or direction of the sentences. Is Character A an arrogant, confident youth? Have him repeat 'I' a lot, or speak in the third person, i.e.

 

"I hear you people talk about Character A, I hear you talk about my personality, my attitude, but you don't talk about my talent. Well Character A is here to stay."

 

Perhaps Character B is the legendary face, in which case the 'people', the fans, are the main 'focus' in his promos, i.e.

 

"Look, Character A, every week you come out here and run your mouth. Well I'm tired of it, and most importantly of all, these people are tired of it. The fans that come to see this PROMOTION don't pay their money to see some 20 year-old rookie shooting his mouth once a week."

 

There are no catchphrases, but you've immediately given A and B their own characters based on who they view as the most important person/s. The use of phrases also help give a character a background. It's a bit cliche, but saying 'that bloody thing' usually cements a character as being English. Likewise, starting a sentence with 'son' gives the impression of an older character.

 

As I said earlier, punctuation can be a big part of this. Really long sentences without punctuation give the impression of a rambling, perhaps energetic individual. Lots of ellipses gives can either indicate deliberation (i.e. trying to select the right word) - useful for more psychological workers who use few words, but important words, to get their meaning across - or it can be a forceful, angry way of speaking, in the sort of way Sid Vicious would cut a promo. His sentences were often only a few words long, and there would be gaps, but it definitely let you know he was a bit unhinged!

[Bigpapa42]

Mannisms are a key component, I think. Put it this way - a real world diary could probably capture a Hogan promo decently just by having him constantly use "brother", or having Flair punctuate everything with a "woo", or the Ultimate Warrior by spewing nonsensical gibberish. Those are not their only mannerisms, obviously, but they are key ones that stand out. When you are trying to find the voice for a given worker, the mannerisms can be little phrases they always use (not necessarily catch phrases, per se) or the way they deliver things.

 

I like what jhd1 mentioned about his version of DuBois always talking about himself - I think what a worker tends to talk about (how they approach things) can be just as important as the other mannerisms. The heroic Cena-esque babyface tends to always make everything about the fans. A self-serving heel (like Jericho) might constantly refer to their legacy.

 

Personally, I find keeping track of a ton of stuff can be tough if you have a decent-sized roster. This is where keeping documentation can be helpful. Whether its a notebook, Word documents, or one big spreadsheet, anything that can make for a handy reference when you are writing is likely to be a boon.

[1234]

Obviously given that I don't know who your characters are I can't be too specific, but go with the last paragraph of my earlier reply. Replace catchphrases with the structure or direction of the sentences. Is Character A an arrogant, confident youth? Have him repeat 'I' a lot, or speak in the third person, i.e.

 

"I hear you people talk about Character A, I hear you talk about my personality, my attitude, but you don't talk about my talent. Well Character A is here to stay."

 

Perhaps Character B is the legendary face, in which case the 'people', the fans, are the main 'focus' in his promos, i.e.

 

"Look, Character A, every week you come out here and run your mouth. Well I'm tired of it, and most importantly of all, these people are tired of it. The fans that come to see this PROMOTION don't pay their money to see some 20 year-old rookie shooting his mouth once a week."

 

There are no catchphrases, but you've immediately given A and B their own characters based on who they view as the most important person/s. The use of phrases also help give a character a background. It's a bit cliche, but saying 'that bloody thing' usually cements a character as being English. Likewise, starting a sentence with 'son' gives the impression of an older character.

 

As I said earlier, punctuation can be a big part of this. Really long sentences without punctuation give the impression of a rambling, perhaps energetic individual. Lots of ellipses gives can either indicate deliberation (i.e. trying to select the right word) - useful for more psychological workers who use few words, but important words, to get their meaning across - or it can be a forceful, angry way of speaking, in the sort of way Sid Vicious would cut a promo. His sentences were often only a few words long, and there would be gaps, but it definitely let you know he was a bit unhinged!

 

Get out of my mind!!!!

 

That Character A is pretty much the idea one of the characters is going for. (A custom created character, so I have pretty much a blank canvas for mannerisms).

 

Whereas the message you have for Character B is about what I want, except it's an authority figure, not a legend. And this one is Dunton Hall who, let's just say has good reason to hate Mr. A.

 

And I have said it before but I will say it again. Thanks jhd and Bigpapa, you have both given very useful advice.

[Eidenhoek]

I'm excellent (though i haven't been able to convert too much on these forums) at dialogue in writing. It's because, in part, I'm an actor (I've been in a couple dozen shows over the years. School plays and such, I mean.).

 

I find the character, the personality, and...talk. Literally talk. Out loud. Conversations if I have to.

 

Insane? Maybe.

 

Helpful? ...I hope so.

 

Guys with stronger personalities (see Big Smack Scott in my defunct diary) are a bit easier. Ones that are more toned down? Maybe it takes awhile to think about it. But it's still supposed to be a natural flow, and I eventually get it to flow.

[James Casey]

One thing that occured to me when I was writing a recent show was that blending characters together can help. Yes, you can write characters as almost pallete-swaps of Hogan, Taker et al, but mixing things up a little can give them a truly unique voice.

 

For example, in my mind 'my' Rich Money has the erudite arrogance of CM Punk but also the swagger of WCW-era Steve Austin. Jack Bruce is babyface Hulk Hogan in the ring, filtered through Spinal Tap.

 

In 10 Simple Rules I picked up Joe Sexy and Enforcer Roberts for their overness and struggled a little with their characters - well, Roberts was easy enough. Joe became a 50s Vegas rat, somewhere between Frank Sinatra and James Cagney.

 

And mannerisms work. Whether it's the pause Rock puts between 'millions' and 'and millions' or Rip Chord's mangling of metaphors, they do make for a distincitve voice. Focus them all in a single person and you get Self's Edd Stone, the memetic loon who turns the least little action into something you'll get a half-dozen comments about

 

Just remember that if you have a cast of thousands, you won't have time (and don't really need) to make everyone an individual. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try - nothing wrong with a scene stealing cameo, after all - but unless someone's going to be drawing you money you probably shouldn't put too much effort into deepening their character beyond mildly generic face/heel. Your company needs the solid unknowns to allow the flashy characters to stand out. It might not be the best use of their abilities, but it's your company and you can only give so much time to so many people. Spread your focus too thin, and no-one will stand out.

 

*

 

If you really want to practise, though, write out what would happen if your guys had an interview for a job. When the interviewer gets to the "So, why do you think you'd be suitable for this role?" bit, start riffing as your character. Scenarios like that (taking an exam, a driving test, at the dentists, on a blind date) can give you perspective on who a character is and what they do.

[Guest codey]

Quick formatting question:

 

I'm trying to shrink my manager pictures down to about half size. When I'm putting the post together, I click on the picture and shrink it down to 85x85, but when I submit the post it just returns to the normal size. I'm wondering what I have to do to get the resize to stick, because I think that looks a lot better that having the old w/ between pictures.

[BHK1978]

Quick formatting question:

 

I'm trying to shrink my manager pictures down to about half size. When I'm putting the post together, I click on the picture and shrink it down to 85x85, but when I submit the post it just returns to the normal size. I'm wondering what I have to do to get the resize to stick, because I think that looks a lot better that having the old w/ between pictures.

 

If you are using Photobucket they usually ask you if you would like to replace the original with the newly shrunk picture. Just click on that and it should replace them with the newer size.

[Guest codey]

Alright, thanks!

[Stennick]

What is the average words per write up for a show? I tend to be very wordy. I want to describe everything I possibly can to the reader but this isn't a book its a dynasty and nobody wants to spend an hour reading a show on here. So on average where are most peoples words per show at?

[Guest codey]

This just popped in my head (mainly because I just did it), but if you have an idea, write it down immediately if at all possible. I do this all the time. I'll be laying in bed, trying to force myself to sleep when I think about a cool way to end a match or line from a promo I want to write, and then I fall asleep, wake up, and don't remember a thing. Now, I'm not saying jump out of bed and write, but do your best to commit it to memory.

 

I write my shows in the order the segments begin. I start with the opener and finish off with the main event. I ALWAYS do this. Others might write angles first or write based on storylines, but this works best for me. I tend to forget stuff. Anyway, as I was writing I think the third out of twelve or so matches for my next show, I came up with a good ending to the main event. Knowing that I wouldn't write that for a couple of days, I hit enter a few times and typed the end and just the end up write then and there so I wouldn't forget. Even if you can't remember everything you want or you just have the basic idea, type that out. Something like "Person A talks about Person B, gets personal by bringing up past familial issues" works fine.

 

I guess the main point is that our first ideas are often our best and the most easily expanded upon, so it's important for you to write them down and keep them on memory.

[angeldelayette]

<p>I wasn't sure where to put this, so I decided to try putting it here and see the response that I get.</p><p> </p><p>

I was wondering if anyone would mind if I set up a Diary of the Month nominations thread for the month of July? I know we didn't have one in June. I'm not entirely sure what is going on at the moment with it. But it was always a fun part of things for me. However, I don't wish to step on anyone's toes either.</p>

[TLLK]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="angeldelayette" data-cite="angeldelayette" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="19216" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I wasn't sure where to put this, so I decided to try putting it here and see the response that I get.<p> </p><p> I was wondering if anyone would mind if I set up a Diary of the Month nominations thread for the month of July? I know we didn't have one in June. I'm not entirely sure what is going on at the moment with it. But it was always a fun part of things for me. However, I don't wish to step on anyone's toes either.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> No! Wait until my dynasty will be eligible!</p><p> </p><p> Just kidding. I'm all for it. Go ahead.</p>

[Frootloop]

This probably isn't the right place for this, but can somebody check out my new diary and give me some tips/pointers? (either here, in a PM, or on the diary itself?)

http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?t=510841

also, thanks for all the tips posted here, everybody!

[Fleisch]

The one thing I think is #1 for diary writing is (and I don't know if it's already been said) BE ORIGINAL. I've read some diaries where the same characters get pushed or used in the same way. I really get into a diary if I've not read that wrestler X gets into a feud with wrestler Y in 2 other diaries. This doesn't take away my enjoyment if the reason for the feud is unique, but if it's a rehash of a storyline elsewhere it kind of makes me lose interest. ie: Randy Orton and Christian for the title... seen it on TV so really don't want to read about it in a diary, unless there's a different storyline behind it and not just "over the title".

[LordJaguar]

Here's a question....how long should one wait after posting a prediction Card until posting a new show? I'd hate to wait 3 days and end up on page 9 with 0 predictions but at the same time I'd hate to post too soon and get no feedback...

[Hashasheen]

Here's a question....how long should one wait after posting a prediction Card until posting a new show? I'd hate to wait 3 days and end up on page 9 with 0 predictions but at the same time I'd hate to post too soon and get no feedback...

 

I'd say wait 5 days.

[ZMAN]

Anyone have ideas for what kind of catastrophic event could cause all worker and tv contracts to become terminated for all of north america?

[LoNdOn]

Anyone have ideas for what kind of catastrophic event could cause all worker and tv contracts to become terminated for all of north america?

 

The death of interest in professional wrestling?

[James Casey]

Stock Market crash

Benoit-esque incident

Major steroid revelation hitting several major companies at once

Mexico-style draft

Major accident taking the lives of all company owners at a professional wrestling expo

Revelation that the mob has had it's fingers in wrestling since day one (where, for example, did Eisen and Cornell get their money from?)

[JackKnifed72]

Anyone have ideas for what kind of catastrophic event could cause all worker and tv contracts to become terminated for all of north america?

 

 

 

This what we used for our four corners multi-player:

 

 

Behind the scenes, in the months leading to this big event, was something even bigger in the making... unhappy with some, according to the wrestlers involved, unreasonable and inhuman terms in their contracts, a large group of wrestlers from both top American companies, WWF and WCW, joined forces and sued their employers. And a few weeks before the highly anticipated debut of Nitro a decision was made on their case, a decision that shocked the entire world of wrestling and sent ripples across all of USA... a decision that from one day to the next has changed the wrestling business forever; all workers signed to written contracts with either WWF or WCW, be it wrestlers, managers, announcers, referees, road agents or something else, were declared as free agents, with their contracts being declared illegal and void! Furthermore, also as part of the lawsuit, it was determined that no company could hold copyright over names used by their performers - meaning that characters and tag team names now follows the wrestlers, not the promotions!

 

Suddenly being without a single employee, WWF and WCW now faced competition from not only each other but from other sides as well: having closely followed the trial, lurking prepared to strike in the shadows in hope that the trial would end the way it did, former American Wrestling Association owner and multiple-time world champion Verne Gagne returned to the wrestling business with new investors, re-establishing AWA and gunning for several former WWF and WCW stars! But he was not alone, as Jeff Jarrett, son of United States Wrestling Association owner Jerry Jarrett, launched an ambitious promotion of his own, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. With his father Jerry closing doors on USWA, the two were ready to put all their focus and funds into TNA.

 

 

 

of course it is trademarked and you will owe us $1.00 everytime you use it

[crayon]

Anyone have ideas for what kind of catastrophic event could cause all worker and tv contracts to become terminated for all of north america?

 

Governmental legislation.

 

Somebody/persons do something bad with wrestling being tied into it and suddenly there's a huge outcry that wrestling needs to be banned, and in a knee-jerk reaction the bigwigs outlaw it, forcing everyone to pack up shop