How do you write effective storylines?

[NinjaBadger4k]

Everyone, how do you write effective storylines?

 

Wrestling sometimes isn't as simple and straight forward as 'Wrestler A has beef with Wrestler B' and voila we have a storyline.

 

Sometimes we have a Wrestler A has a beef with Wrestler B - But then Wrestler C has an issue with Wrestler B but doesn't directly fight him because Wrestler D wants revenge on Wrestler C etc etc

 

What way do you book these types of storylines? Do you book them as separate feuds with two wrestlers as major roles and two wrestlers as minor (then reverse the roles in the other storyline)

 

Or.. do you book this as one giant storyline?

[jean-vic]

I think the hardest part is finding a reason to make workers feud in the first place. Beyond that, I find it quite simple to make a story flow. It almost takes on a life of its own and I merely guide it.

[Irish Wolf]

<p>This is why I like over the top products. Lucha Underground. Wrestler A wants an ancient artifact, wrestler B looks to avenge their parents, wrestler C just wants to prove they're the best in the world, wrestler D serves a dark master and looks to make sacrifices in his name. I don't have to just worry about wrestler A said something bad about wrestler B so no they must fight I have a wide range of stories to choose from.</p><p> </p><p>

This is why I book EMLL in the C-Verse. A crack in the multiverse, undead monsters, demons, time travellers, superheores, that one normal dude who has no clue what's going on. The minor titles are rings of power everyone wants to possess. So much damn fun and the stories just tell themselves.</p>

[welshlewis91]

<p>The way I have always done it even before AEW was a thing I Used a record system I write down all workers names and alter their record match by match so i always have a reason for a match to take place. As far as writing a story goes I write the whole run to the next PPV in bullet points before I start ill paste what's on my notes for one I'm doing now. (Sorrf if it doesn't make sense I get it)</p><p> </p><p>

(mix 2 story lines bucks vs ftr /kenny and adam)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

(what i want)</p><p>

heel turn</p><p>

heart breat</p><p>

outstanding friendship</p><p>

dont make it obvious </p><p>

swerve in storyline</p><p> </p><p>

matches (kenny ad adam in round robin)</p><p>

.Kenny does great</p><p>

.adam doesnt win any in tounament</p><p>

.whilst both are in round robin tag titles cant be defended</p><p>

.bucks want match with FTR</p><p>

.after FTR knows tag titles are temp dormant they buy time and decline only fight bucks in title match</p><p>

.adam supports his friend kenny during league</p><p>

.adam upset his chance at no 1 contender is gone for long time (he lost number of matches record is bad)</p><p>

.tag titles need to be defended so kenny pulls out of the league to be a friend to adam</p><p>

.tag title match page and kenny V FTR </p><p>

. Bucks interfere so FTR win titles so bucks get their match against ftr</p>

[welshlewis91]

added. I add fine detail during the segments but I work in those bullet points so I always have a direction so I dont book myself into a corner

[praguepride]

<p>When it comes to TEW the best advice for storylines is to work backwards. </p><p> </p><p>

WWE is the easiest example so let’s use that.</p><p> </p><p>

Start at Wrestlemania. Look at your line up and figure out what you want your next year’s wrestlemania card to look like. Who are the top draws? Who are your hot baby faces and heels? Who do you want to give the push to? Who do you want to put on the cooler?</p><p> </p><p>

Once you figure out that out work backwards and fill it in. Just like a wrestling match you’ll have some false finishes. WWE does this all the time by having the two guys feuding in a 3-way match or tag team match so while they get to face off it isn’t true closure. If one of them is the champion then give the other one some big wins. A royal rumble win is often given to someone in a hot feud for example. These are your highlight matches, the key points in the storyline building up to your big finale.</p><p> </p><p>

Finally once you’ve figured out those high points the rest is filler. The TV shows will have them cutting angles, backstage brawls, interfering and getting DQs etc. You’re teasing the fans and building up that heat but it’s all just a tease and you don’t give the fans a proper match, it’s all to build heat up for the main event PPVs. </p><p> </p><p>

Now you have a rough idea of one storyline. Rinse and repeat and look for opportunities for storylines to intersect if you want to get fancy. </p><p> </p><p>

As for figuring out WHO to put into feuds there are couple of options</p><p> </p><p>

1) Top draws. If you need the ratings look at your main event, pick two capable performers and let them go at it. The start of feuds are also a good time to change up gimmicks or do a turn. Also the end of a storyline is a great place for a turn as well. How many times does a face and heel go all out and at the end of the match the face offers up a handshake and the heel accepts it. Bam, face turn. Or the heel offers a handshake and the face drops a finisher instead. Bam, heel turn. </p><p> </p><p>

2) Who needs the push? Ideally you’ve got some talented midcarders who are gaining a bit of momentum and popularity and are ready for a push. Having a midcarder feud with a main eventer is universial for a big push up the card. </p><p> </p><p>

3) Who can help out the most? On the flip side if you have a main eventer who can’t really perform well in-ring (Hogan, Goldberg etc.) then it can help them feud with people who can drag a stellar performance out of anyone. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

Finally how do you set them up? There are a million ways. Heel starts interfering in a match. A misunderstanding backstage. There is a wild brawl and someone ducks so the workers accidentally clock each other. A tag team match goes sour. Fighting over a manager or a belt or a title (Who is the real king of the ring? King of hardcore?) Have a “mastermind” heel instigate it by insinuating A is better than B. </p><p> </p><p>

If you need inspiration look at the default C-Verse database and read through the storylines that have been pre-written.</p>

[Zero]

When it comes to TEW the best advice for storylines is to work backwards.

 

WWE is the easiest example so let’s use that.

 

Start at Wrestlemania. Look at your line up and figure out what you want your next year’s wrestlemania card to look like. Who are the top draws? Who are your hot baby faces and heels? Who do you want to give the push to? Who do you want to put on the cooler?

 

Once you figure out that out work backwards and fill it in. Just like a wrestling match you’ll have some false finishes. WWE does this all the time by having the two guys feuding in a 3-way match or tag team match so while they get to face off it isn’t true closure. If one of them is the champion then give the other one some big wins. A royal rumble win is often given to someone in a hot feud for example. These are your highlight matches, the key points in the storyline building up to your big finale.

 

Finally once you’ve figured out those high points the rest is filler. The TV shows will have them cutting angles, backstage brawls, interfering and getting DQs etc. You’re teasing the fans and building up that heat but it’s all just a tease and you don’t give the fans a proper match, it’s all to build heat up for the main event PPVs.

 

Now you have a rough idea of one storyline. Rinse and repeat and look for opportunities for storylines to intersect if you want to get fancy.

 

As for figuring out WHO to put into feuds there are couple of options

 

1) Top draws. If you need the ratings look at your main event, pick two capable performers and let them go at it. The start of feuds are also a good time to change up gimmicks or do a turn. Also the end of a storyline is a great place for a turn as well. How many times does a face and heel go all out and at the end of the match the face offers up a handshake and the heel accepts it. Bam, face turn. Or the heel offers a handshake and the face drops a finisher instead. Bam, heel turn.

 

2) Who needs the push? Ideally you’ve got some talented midcarders who are gaining a bit of momentum and popularity and are ready for a push. Having a midcarder feud with a main eventer is universial for a big push up the card.

 

3) Who can help out the most? On the flip side if you have a main eventer who can’t really perform well in-ring (Hogan, Goldberg etc.) then it can help them feud with people who can drag a stellar performance out of anyone.

 

 

Finally how do you set them up? There are a million ways. Heel starts interfering in a match. A misunderstanding backstage. There is a wild brawl and someone ducks so the workers accidentally clock each other. A tag team match goes sour. Fighting over a manager or a belt or a title (Who is the real king of the ring? King of hardcore?) Have a “mastermind” heel instigate it by insinuating A is better than B.

 

If you need inspiration look at the default C-Verse database and read through the storylines that have been pre-written.

 

 

This is the perfect post I feel like.

[Bigpapa42]

Great post, PP.

 

It can be easy to lose sight of the reality that wrestling is, fundamentally, a pseudo-sport. Storylines are, fundamentally, feuds. If you think about it that way, there doesn't need to be a big huge backstory to every story you tell. Rivalries and feuds in real sports are very often rooted in two people (or teams) wanting to prove who is "better".

 

Sports Entertainment can feel like it muddies this, because its less pseudo-sport. But even if you focus more on the characters in SE, the basics can still be the same core idea. When companies lose sight that fundamental competitive nature of wrestling, that's where things often start to decline into wrestlecrap.

[praguepride]

Think of the storyline as a wrestling match. Start out slow as they feel each other out, have one side get advantage, then the other. Have a couple of false finishes and then the big blowoff and finish it.

[BrokenCycle]

http://markwaltermath.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/1/9/22190816/robert-mckee-story.1-206.pdf