Dynasty writing tips

[CQI13]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Historian" data-cite="Historian" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51920" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I think they're using Doc Droid (that seems to be the most common).<p> </p><p> It looks like they are using Google Slides or a similar power point style presentation and exporting it as a PDF.</p><p> </p><p> Here is a link to devilb0y's <a href="http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2470018&postcount=311" rel="external nofollow">TCW Diary</a> that uses the PDF style so you can see what I mean.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Holy EXPLETIVE DELETED! That is one sexy presentation. The writing style I'm testing out right now does not lend itself to that, but dang does that look good.</p>

[arwink]

This is probably going to get me **** but I'll try to infuse a little positivity to this take.

 

So...err...as someone who made their living as a writer long before I discovered TEW and still writes a dynasty for fun, I largely disagree with everything about this take.

 

Not least because the assumption that your hobbies need to be improving and worthwhile has sunk more writing careers than anything else I've come across. And writing for a living is a very different thing to vision most people have, involving a lot more running-of-a-small-business than anyone assumes.

[Devilb0y]

Just when I start to feel good about how mine look, I have to see one of these ones. lol

 

Holy EXPLETIVE DELETED! That is one sexy presentation. The writing style I'm testing out right now does not lend itself to that, but dang does that look good.

 

Haha, I'm flattered that mine got used as an example. But honestly, it really isn't that hard. I just essentially create a power point presentation and then save it as a PDF and upload it to Docdroid. There's very little graphical work on my side beyond figuring out a general layout and colour scheme I'm going for.

 

And the main reason I moved from the traditional style of HTML formatting in a forum post (the kind Historian does) is because I want to have my diary backed up somewhere and it's much easier to back up a single PDF than a bunch of html. I like the traditional look just as much as this newer kind though . Presentation is just the icing on the cake anyway, it's the writing and the characterisation that I tend to read diaries for.

[Erock]

So...err...as someone who made their living as a writer long before I discovered TEW and still writes a dynasty for fun, I largely disagree with everything about this take.

 

Not least because the assumption that your hobbies need to be improving and worthwhile has sunk more writing careers than anything else I've come across. And writing for a living is a very different thing to vision most people have, involving a lot more running-of-a-small-business than anyone assumes.

 

I don't have any dynasty specific tips because I haven't written any in forever. Just tuning in as another person who writes for a living to say that anything you're writing is important to developing skills, and dynasties require a whole bevy of them. If you can write a good dynasty, there is absolutely value beyond these forums.

 

EWR/TEW were how I found out you could write on the internet as a kid. And now I've written myself into a career path on the internet. TEW helps out with some of the business skills, too, lol.

[Rhysrob]

Can someone give a high level idiots guide to how they put together their shows? (I'm the idiot...)

[arwink]

Can someone give a high level idiots guide to how they put together their shows? (I'm the idiot...)

 

I'm not the most prolific dynasty writer, but I'll give it a go. My current dynasty isn't quite a neat fit for this, given that it's the first one I've written in a long while where I wasn't working to TV schedules, but you'll see enough echoes of what I'm talking about here if you go check out NYCW: The Tri-State Hustle in the relevant forum.

 

Right, then. High level: I tend to set up two long-term planning tools before I start a dynasty, and they get updated every couple of weeks worth of in-game booking.

 

TOOL 1: ROSTER PLAN

 

A roster list that contains all the details I've established about a particular wrestler (theme songs, signature moves, size and weight, imgur link to cut-and-paste for graphics). This list also includes a note about the thing I want to get over every time they appear, and a set of strengths to play too (great braweler, awesome promo, ring general) and weaknesses to avoid.

 

The last two are important to me because it makes writing their matches and angles easier, and helps figure out the best way to book them. For example, it's one thing to say "I'd like to get Happy Elmore over in NYCW", but another thing to focus on "Happy Elmore is trying to transcend his past as USPW job guy" while listning his USPW overness, relatively strong high-flying abilities, and good sellig as strengths to play with.

 

The first tells me what I'd like to do, but the second tells me how. I know what Elwood going to say in promos, but also guides the kind of opponents he gets booked against--lots of wins against lesser guys, and hard-fought losses against the top guys he'll eventually need to beat as he overcomes his past and steps up to be a NYCW main-eventer.

 

It also helps book the underneath guys in a way that keeps them relevant--if the thing that I'm trying to get over about Charlie Corner is his role as a YouYube livestreamer who captures candid moments backstage, it doesn't really matter if he's losing every match. He's basically "Number One Announcer" era Funaki.

 

It even helps find a use for seemingly useless lumps where you start out wondering why they have a spot on the roster. Devastating Don is basically NYCW's worst long-term talent and useless in the ring, but he's a surprisingly useful when you focus on giving him promo time to be gross, ambush people with his finisher, and then lose matches to transfer heat to the winner (also, this works *so much better* in 2020 than it did in pervious editions, because short angles and attacks can give guys prominence even if they aren't building overness).

 

All this tends to live in a word document.

 

TOOL 2: STORYLINE/LONG-TERM ANGLE LIST

 

This is the part where I do the classic pro-wrestling "pick your big moments and work backwards" booking, but it tends to emerge from the big roster list.

 

I tend to make three sets of notes in the details section of a storyline. The first tells me the overall gist of the storyline (New York Doll wants to tear Elwood down about his past), the major historical beats (Elwood beat Doll on his debut, Doll is taunting him, Doll wins second match dirty), and the eventual blow-off I'm working towards (Elwood beats Doll in a Texas Death Match).

 

Tracking beats is the important thing for me here--I'm generally looking to track the major transition points where the dynamic between the various members will typically change and the types of angles/matches need to shift to avoid repetition. In this instance, the "Doll wins dirty" beat means the dynamic for the next few show shifts from Doll running down Elwood in promos to Elwood campaigning for a match.

 

I work off an assumption of six-to-eight storylines at a time, and they get ranked into three tiers.

 

TIER ONE storylines get a major progression every episode. There are typically only two of these, usually attached to a major title.

 

TIER TWO storylines are divided into odd and even, which largely represents the weeks when they'll get a focus spot on a weekly show. So ann "odd" storyline will get an angle/match on weeks 1 and 3, getting maintained on the even weeks with short promos (2 minutes or less) and recaps. I'll typically run 4 to 6 of these, depending on how much show time I've got.

 

TIER THREE storylines are the low-key stuff that will get maybe 1 major beat per month, and otherwise sustain themselves through short backstage promos or in-ring performances. Stuff like "X & Y keep meeting in three-man matches and costing one another wins," or "Charlie Corner keeps trying to draw his tag-team partner into his YouTube clips." These will bubble along until they build up enough heat to justify moving the folks involved up to a tier 2 storyline for a stretch.

 

Writing this up, I realise it seems like an insane amount of set-up before I ever book a show, but it tends to make my life easier to have this in place.

 

BOOKING A SHOW

 

I tend to think in one-hour blocks when booking shows, and the assumption that four major things will happen in each hour. Three of those things will be matches (about 45 minutes worth), and the fourth will likely be a major angle (brawl, in-ring confrontation) lasting about six minutes.

 

Shorter angles (2 minutes or less) get packed around the edges of those four segments, providing buffers, and take up the other nine minutes devoted to angles

 

The two things I look for straight off are the main event and the major storyline development that will happen on the show, as these will typcially get two or three shorter promos to build everyone's momentum leading up to the change. These will typically provide the spine of the show. For a two hour show, I'll usually add a second ongoing thread focused on midcard guys, particularly if I've got a lot of stables (for example, two stable guys fighting in the opening match, leading to a brawl, leading to a larger confrontation beween stables in the semi-main event).

 

The next things I book are the guys/storylines that are predominantly match focused. Often these make up at least one segment an hour, and in a two hour show will have very different focuses (typically a monster or submission specialist squash in hour one, and a cruiserweight/tag/Six man match in hour two).

 

I'll typically have a rough structure in place that I work to. This breakdown by Matt Murphy is a decent baseline and breaks down to six major beats to hit:

 

• FIRST MATCH: Decent midcard match between established talents who'll deliver a good rating.
  
• SECOND MATCH: Rookie you're building versus experienced veteran
  
• THIRD MATCH: Upper Midcarder/Main Eventer defeating an lower card opponent to speed things up before intermission.
  
• FOURTH MATCH: Change of pace (Cruiserweights, women's division, hardcore)
  
• FIFTH MATCH: Upper card clash/tagteam--you want a combo of star power and competence here.
  
• MAIN EVENT: Your big clash that will bring people back next week.
  

 

The major angles get slotted in around that, and I figure on at least one short backstage segment between each match/angle.

 

I basically run down the storyline list and fill that structure. For example, the Doll/Elwood story doesn't need them to be fighting one another right now, but I want them to be picking up wins over undercard guys to build up their momentum. So Elwood gets a bunch of matches in spots one, three or five, and Doll gets to snipe at him in promos and sneak attacks. Once Doll gets his dirty win, it's more important that he gets some wins and Elwood does the promos.

 

Maybe once a month, I'll put them into a ring together outside a pay-per-view/big show, and that will typically be in service of another angle (the World Champion and Challenger need tag-team partners, for example).

 

WRITING MATCHES

 

I'm not a big level of detail guy in match write-ups, so I'm generally trying to nail down a dynamic, some major beats based on match structure (again, Matt Murphy has a really good write-up of things to look for).

 

This is where all the pre-dynasty work with the roster plan pays off, because I can take any two guys and know what they're trying to get over in the ring:

• Elwood isn't just wrestling to win a match--he's trying to show he belongs.
• Corner is a guy with split focus, as interested in his YouTube hits as he is performing in the ring, which means there's a really obvious reason he's losing beyond being a rookie.
  
• Doll is a vicious punk with something to prove, and he'll unleash hell against anyone he deems inauthentic or fake-wrestling.
  

 

This tells me not just what they're trying to do, but how they might lose while still selling the thing I'm trying to get over. Elwood will let his desire to prove himself lead him into taking big risks he shouldn't against major opponents, while Doll will focus on pain over winning a match and pay the price for it.

 

RANDOM STUFF

 

Focus on 6 to 8 guys--I might know what I want to get over about 95% of my roster, but the lions share of my focus is going to go to 6 to 8 guys. They get the big wins, remain the focus of the major angles, and get protected to insure they're a really big deal. Everyone else is largely there to serve the project of getting these guys over. Typically four of these names will be permanent fixtures--your top two singles wrestlers and tag-team--while the other four are cycled in and out of focus as you're building up challengers.

 

Build one or two new/lower card talent at a time--There's time when that's not possible, due to talent raids and such, but generally speaking don't rush the development of your hot prospects and young guys. Look to move one or two of them into your focus group of eight and drop one of the guys who are getting stale back.

 

Let Your Talkers Do the Recaps instead of the announce team--a technique blatently stolen from Paul Heyman, who has a long history of letting guys who were good on the mic take on the role of hyping other matches. Whether it was James Mitchell in ECW, Ken Kennedy in Heyman's OVW run, or the Street Profits in his most recent run with RAW, Heyman's fond of letting performers get over by talking up the show's storylines.

 

Simple Motivations/Angles for the Undercard--the thing I'm trying to get over for my undercard will often be things like "trying to earn a permanent spot on the roster," "rookie trying to pull all the peices together," or "a good wrestler working a bad strategy." They're going to losing a lot, but having something like this gives me a detail I can sneak into match write-ups and mark the point where their status has changed and wins are a lot more likely.

 

Void, Strategy, and Tactics--Even with all the preplanning, there is usually a lot I'm figuring out about the wrestlers as I write. Knowing how they act is enough to get me working on stuff, but I'll typically look for their void (aka the bad thing that happened in their past and causes psychological pain they're trying to cover), their Strategy (the personality trait they use to cover up their void), and the tactics they use on a day-to-day basis.

 

To take a guy I'm in the process of working out, Andrew Harper, I've got a pretty clear tactic from his write-up in the game--he likes putting people through tables. If I'm building around him long-term, I want to start getting a sense of why he chose that tactic and what it tells us about who he is.

 

And so I start building up layers--he does it as a mindgame, to psych out opponents, which means there's something in his past that drove him to trying to outthink the opponents he can't outwrestle (strategy). He does that because his ambition was thwarted early on, and his trainer made it clear hed never be a top guy because he lacked the physique and star quality (void), which matters because...

 

Well, that's something I'm still working on, but it'll be some pre-wrestling thing that Harper started wrestling to cover up (because "becoming a wrestler" is pretty much a strategy for covering a void in and of itself). But if I've got Harper long-term, and I want him to go face after a long run as a heel, this stuff gives me the details I need to keep his charater consistent--he's still trying to cover the same void, but using babyface tactics instead of heel ones. He's still trying to prove himself by outsmarting opponents (strategy) to show he can be a top guy depsite his trainer's assessment, but he can do so by outhinking heels and not falling for familiar tricks. Even better, when it's time to transition him to heel again, all I've got to do is hit his void hard and show how his current tactics are failing (a face Harper who loses a world title match with this particular void is likely to go into a major tailspin).

 

It's also really useful to me because I enjoy doing behind the scenes stuff and this give sme details to write about and speculate on in those sections.

 

Persistence matters--I'm crazy slow on the update front compared to a lot of writers and typically post on Australian time (aka when the vast bulk of the northern hemistphere is sleeping), which means I'm rarely the first guy people think about in terms of dynasty writers. Even so, I still have a small core of readers who'll show up because I've been around for a while and one wrote a fairly lengthy Dynasty that covered a year or two of HGC, which means they're familiar with what I've done and recognise my style. When you start out it can feel like you're writing into a void, but sticking with things long-term usually matters more in terms of finding readers than being good right from the get-go.

 

Not sure if any of that helps, or whether I've gone too high level/not high level enough. It's the first time I've really tried to lock down a process for TEW.

[Dave E Mac]

What a fantastic write up. This will help so many people.

[Wonk]

Fantastic work, Arwink. Thank you.

[hecatomb]

Great post, arwink. I haven't even read the full thing yet -- just literally scanned it for 20 seconds and said "oh that's a good idea" to myself several times.

[Historian]

That's a fantastic write up, arwink. I echo a lot of what arwink had to say. He really gave a break down that is excellent and really captures a lot of my own process [though my show breakdown is different from his -- and that's not a bad thing -- it's just different]. I want to reiterate having a plan and persistence/consistency. I've had a couple of fairly successful diaries from a readership and community awards standpoint and I attribute a lot of that success/being well-received to the fact that I tend to be consistent and persistent. I have a fairly quick turn around (or used to, my turn around isn't as quick as it used to be) and I think that has helped. I also have kept the stories moving even if there isn't a lot of feedback. The feedback comes (and it can go) because readers have lives and schedules and stuff as well and they might not always have a lot of time to pop on and comment, but they'll still read. So don't give up if it feels like you're not getting a lot of initial feedback. People will read it and they'll comment or give feedback or participate or whatever it is that you're looking for.

 

The only other thing that I really think is important:

 

Have your voice. It's a cliche writer kind of piece of advice, but even on shows or in a diary I say write what you enjoy. I enjoy narrative pieces, so I tend to write them. I don't enjoy writing matches move for move so I don't do that because it's not fun for me. Writing a diary should be fun. Writing the shows should be fun -- even if some of it can be a little tedious. It's a hobby after all, something you're doing for fun in down time. So if there is a style of wrestling you like, write it. If three other people are doing a diary based on the company you want to do -- still do yours. Have fun with it. Let your imagination run wild. Tell the wrestling stories you like or want to tell or would want to watch.

[BHK1978]

Have your voice. It's a cliche writer kind of piece of advice, but even on shows or in a diary I say write what you enjoy. I enjoy narrative pieces, so I tend to write them. I don't enjoy writing matches move for move so I don't do that because it's not fun for me. Writing a diary should be fun. Writing the shows should be fun -- even if some of it can be a little tedious. It's a hobby after all, something you're doing for fun in down time. So if there is a style of wrestling you like, write it. If three other people are doing a diary based on the company you want to do -- still do yours. Have fun with it. Let your imagination run wild. Tell the wrestling stories you like or want to tell or would want to watch.

 

This right here is a fantastic piece of advice.

 

When I did my first diary on here, a long time ago, people would do these insane match write-ups. It would be move for move and they would be paragraphs long and that tended to be the rule not the exception. Most people wrote that way.

 

I tried to and failed misreably at doing that. I am not good at match write-ups and I dislike doing them. If I am being honest I dislike reading long match write-ups as a reader as well. I kept on trying to write like that and it just was not working and it made writing far less enjoyable. But at the time that was how everyone seemed to write so I thought if I was going to get readers that was what I had to do.

 

Finally, I gave up doing match write-ups that way. It made things easier and it was far more enjoyable to write.

 

For me I like to focus on the angles and interviews as they are far more important to the show. Matches tend to be the same all of the time. To paraphrase Ole Anderson, "What's so great about Ric Flair? Once you seen one of his matches, you've seen them all because he wrestles the same damn match all of the time."

 

Which to an extent he is right. Wrestler's tend to do the same stuff in every single one of their matches and as a write it gets mundane writing the same thing over and over again.

[HarmonyOfDissonance]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Historian" data-cite="Historian" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51920" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>That's a fantastic write up, arwink. I echo a lot of what arwink had to say. He really gave a break down that is excellent and really captures a lot of my own process [though my show breakdown is different from his -- and that's not a bad thing -- it's just different]. I want to reiterate having a plan and persistence/consistency. I've had a couple of fairly successful diaries from a readership and community awards standpoint and I attribute a lot of that success/being well-received to the fact that I tend to be consistent and persistent. I have a fairly quick turn around (or used to, my turn around isn't as quick as it used to be) and I think that has helped. I also have kept the stories moving even if there isn't a lot of feedback. The feedback comes (and it can go) because readers have lives and schedules and stuff as well and they might not always have a lot of time to pop on and comment, but they'll still read. So don't give up if it feels like you're not getting a lot of initial feedback. People will read it and they'll comment or give feedback or participate or whatever it is that you're looking for.<p> </p><p> The only other thing that I really think is important:</p><p> </p><p> Have your voice. It's a cliche writer kind of piece of advice, but even on shows or in a diary I say write what you enjoy. I enjoy narrative pieces, so I tend to write them. I don't enjoy writing matches move for move so I don't do that because it's not fun for me. Writing a diary should be fun. Writing the shows should be fun -- even if some of it can be a little tedious. It's a hobby after all, something you're doing for fun in down time. So if there is a style of wrestling you like, write it. If three other people are doing a diary based on the company you want to do -- still do yours. Have fun with it. Let your imagination run wild. Tell the wrestling stories you like or want to tell or would want to watch.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> As someone who has written diaries in the past (never on this site), and occasionally wants to try to get back into it, this and Arwink's write up up above are both 100% fantastic suggestions.</p><p> </p><p> I would also like to add, don't be afraid to try new things. If the way you've been writing doesn't resonate, or it loses it's luster, try something new, it won't hurt to try it, and worst that happens is that it doesn't fit for you either and you try something else, or even take a couple days off from writing in general.</p>

[bshooter1994]

Dynasty Writing

 

Hey everyone as someone who has played TEW for a few years now, I have a hard time staying consistent with booking when I play solo games would anyone want to do "booking team" or work together to book and write a dynasty. I think it would be fun and kinda realistic to work together with people and bounce ideas off of others instead of just doing whatever is convienent.

 

Message me any interest.

-Bshooter1994

[Makhai]

This right here is a fantastic piece of advice.

 

When I did my first diary on here, a long time ago, people would do these insane match write-ups. It would be move for move and they would be paragraphs long and that tended to be the rule not the exception. Most people wrote that way.

 

I tried to and failed misreably at doing that. I am not good at match write-ups and I dislike doing them. If I am being honest I dislike reading long match write-ups as a reader as well. I kept on trying to write like that and it just was not working and it made writing far less enjoyable. But at the time that was how everyone seemed to write so I thought if I was going to get readers that was what I had to do.

 

Finally, I gave up doing match write-ups that way. It made things easier and it was far more enjoyable to write.

 

For me I like to focus on the angles and interviews as they are far more important to the show. Matches tend to be the same all of the time. To paraphrase Ole Anderson, "What's so great about Ric Flair? Once you have seen one of his matches, you've seen them all because he wrestles the same damn match all of the time."

 

Which to an extent he is right. Wrestler's tend to do the same stuff in every single one of their matches and as a writer it gets mundane writing the same thing over and over again.

 

I mean, I get it. But I want to read the big matches. TV matches I get, they're mostly just filler, that are meant to get guys some screen time, or to let them learn in front of a crowd.

 

But It literally hurts me to see people type up these wonderful builds, and then end it all with "John McCloud pinned Riley Jaggoff in 11:43 with a McCloud Nine it got a 92." and they clearly spent more time on the formating than they did the match. What is the point of the build if it's not to give me a show?

[CQI13]

I mean, I get it. But I want to read the big matches. TV matches I get, they're mostly just filler, that are meant to get guys some screen time, or to let them learn in front of a crowd.

 

But It literally hurts me to see people type up these wonderful builds, and then end it all with "John McCloud pinned Riley Jaggoff in 11:43 with a McCloud Nine it got a 92." and they clearly spent more time on the formating than they did the match. What is the point of the build if it's not to give me a show?

 

I haven't done one in a while, but working on a game currently which I *might* turn into a dynasty if I can just set some time aside for it.

 

What I normally do is write them as a jaded wrestling critic.

 

Did an angle truly bomb? "What were they thinking with this?" and then give a brief synopsis. "These guys in masks came out and said something about wanting to take over. They look like jobbers."

 

Did a match overperform? Bring up the build, some of the big spots. Maybe foreshadow the next angle, or write in the injury. "X teased his finisher on the steps early on, but Y reversed and X ate the steps in the end. Looked nasty, not sure if he'll be OK from that." (Obviously there would be more to it than that).

 

Did a match underperform to the point it was awful? Treat it as a bathroom break from the critic's perspective. It's a really fun way to critique the booking while not detailing every move.

 

And I do think that as you get more invested in the game and the characters start coming to life more, the insight during the matches can be even more precise.

[Dave E Mac]

I mean, I get it. But I want to read the big matches. TV matches I get, they're mostly just filler, that are meant to get guys some screen time, or to let them learn in front of a crowd.

 

But It literally hurts me to see people type up these wonderful builds, and then end it all with "John McCloud pinned Riley Jaggoff in 11:43 with a McCloud Nine it got a 92." and they clearly spent more time on the formating than they did the match. What is the point of the build if it's not to give me a show?

 

In my dynasty I wrote doing long match descriptions burnt me out quickly. For undercard matches I kept it to bare bones. For main event or matches that had a level of importance to them I wrote a bit more. And ppv was a decent write up for each match. But I found the process of writing a match quite a tricky one. In the end I used to find matches in real life that represented what I wanted and would find websites that had written them up and would take large chunks of that.

Personally I don’t take a lot of pleasure in writing of matches and also find it hard to do. It became a lot of “then wrestler A done and a head lock and wrestler B reversed it.” I found it hard to be that creative.

[Self]

I found matches a lot easier to write when I realised the moves don't matter.

 

Every match tells a story, and generally the framework of the story is the same. Babyface shines. Heel gets heat. Babyface overcomes adversity with a comeback. Finish. What makes the story interesting are the personalities and fighting styles. How does Ricochet/Otis/Shorty G shine early? How does AJ/Roode/Khali unfairly turn the tables and what does he do to pile on the pressure? How does the babyface adapt and overcome that specific challenge? Finish. Sometimes these elements can be one sentence each.

 

I love the repetition. Jack DeColts comeback and shine are identical every time, but the fun element is how the villain deals with that, and how in turn Jack overcomes. And it changes from heel to heel, each villain creating a new challenge. Like wrestling should be.

 

It's not that I dont mention moves, but they dont matter. Matches are there to present character (strong, agile, unorthodox, fun loving) and tell a story.

[Dave E Mac]

I found matches a lot easier to write when I realised the moves don't matter.

 

Every match tells a story, and generally the framework of the story is the same. Babyface shines. Heel gets heat. Babyface overcomes adversity with a comeback. Finish. What makes the story interesting are the personalities and fighting styles. How does Ricochet/Otis/Shorty G shine early? How does AJ/Roode/Khali unfairly turn the tables and what does he do to pile on the pressure? How does the babyface adapt and overcome that specific challenge? Finish. Sometimes these elements can be one sentence each.

 

I love the repetition. Jack DeColts comeback and shine are identical every time, but the fun element is how the villain deals with that, and how in turn Jack overcomes. And it changes from heel to heel, each villain creating a new challenge. Like wrestling should be.

 

It's not that I dont mention moves, but they dont matter. Matches are there to present character (strong, agile, unorthodox, fun loving) and tell a story.

 

Ha I wish I could take as much pleasure in writing the matches as you do. It would make writing a dynasty that bit easier!

[Makhai]

In my dynasty I wrote doing long match descriptions burnt me out quickly. For undercard matches I kept it to bare bones. For main event or matches that had a level of importance to them I wrote a bit more. And ppv was a decent write up for each match. But I found the process of writing a match quite a tricky one. In the end I used to find matches in real life that represented what I wanted and would find websites that had written them up and would take large chunks of that.

Personally I don’t take a lot of pleasure in writing of matches and also find it hard to do. It became a lot of “then wrestler A done and a head lock and wrestler B reversed it.” I found it hard to be that creative.

 

That's the mistake, then. Stop thinking about the moves, and start thinking about what needs to happen in the match for you to get to your climax.

 

"The match starts off cagey, as both men don't want to take any fatal risks until the crowd grows restless and [babyface] finally rushes forward, but only finds the end of a boot, allowing [Heel] to take control of the action. The crowd tries to get behind [babyface] but he's cut off time and time again.

 

As [Heel] sets him up for the dreaded Heart Punch, it looks like an early shower until he's taken out by an alpaca out of nowhere! [babyface] fires up, his animal kinship driving him forward. Call of the Wilds, Boot to the face, alpaca assisted splash, 1-2... not quite. [babyface] can't believe it and spends too much time in shock. [Heel] retakes control after a fiendish low blow. Allowing him to powerslam the alpaca in devastating fashion.

 

All hope seems to be lost [Heel] sets up with an arm ringer into a whizzer combo that leaves the babyface helpless... but the crowd erupts. Stunned he drops [babyface] and turns to see... Bisco the Hound limping down the ramp!

 

The dastardly [Heel] sensing a means of pouring salt into the wound laughs inviting the loyal pooch, who he injured when he defeated [babyface], into the ring." The announcers beg the ref to stop the match before something happens that can't be undone, as [Heel] milks the crowd and stomps his fallen opponent to make sure he's not a factor.

 

The wounded pooch stands determined after struggling to get in under the bottom rope. [Heel] encourages the doggo to take his best shot, with a growl and a bark he hobbles across and leaps, but he's crashed to the canvas with a dastardly axe handle and the crowd laments in unison. The dog landing hard enough that he may be a goner.

 

For a brief moment, all hope is lost. But suddenly, [babyface] revives from the dead, the cry of his faithful companion fills him with rage allowing him to find a third wind, and he rises to stare daggers through [Heel].

 

They trade punches until [Heel] lands his best shot, and his opponent stands unphased... Fear crosses his face, but he throws another in defiance, and it's blocked... terror fills his face now as [babyface] shoots him into the ropes, Call of the Wilds. 1-2... 3. And at 25:21 [babyface] reclaims his World Title!

 

But as he checks on his fallen allies, did he win the battle, at the cost of the war?"

 

How many moves was that? Took me about 5mins to write. Again, moves aren't the thing. And a wrestling show with no big climax match, isn't a wrestling show, IMO.

[CQI13]

<p>Something else I forgot to add, which goes along with Makhai's post (but can go the opposite direction).</p><p> </p><p>

If a match or a segment is good/great, show it in the write up. Don't build a storyline for 6 months or a year only to give the result from the game. Throw in your opinion as a booker, something...to make it special.</p><p> </p><p>

On the other hand, if you built a match up and it bombed (Lesnar vs Goldberg at WM XX), then don't make it seem like a great match in the write up.</p>

[Dave E Mac]

That's the mistake, then. Stop thinking about the moves, and start thinking about what needs to happen in the match for you to get to your climax.

 

How many moves was that? Took me about 5mins to write. Again, moves aren't the thing. And a wrestling show with no big climax match, isn't a wrestling show, IMO.

 

I appreciate the response and think what you wrote is great.

 

The more I play TEW the more I realise I'm like Vince McMahon. My booking is I'll ram who I like down your throat till you marks agree with me. And with a dynasty writing I'm like Vince and don't really care too much what happens in the ring, thats like a minor side in the world of wrestling for me!

[Levinux]

I've always tried to give PPV matches a decent write up, even if 4-5 sentences but it's not my strong suit. I like to focus on the angles and storylines for those segments. Dialogue is something I've been working to improve for my next dynasty.

 

Have fun with it. Don't stress over length and what to include. Write what you want to write, take feedback into account and go from there. Most of all, as many have said, do it for you.

[Jaysin]

I've always tried to give PPV matches a decent write up, even if 4-5 sentences but it's not my strong suit. I like to focus on the angles and storylines for those segments. Dialogue is something I've been working to improve for my next dynasty.

 

Have fun with it. Don't stress over length and what to include. Write what you want to write, take feedback into account and go from there. Most of all, as many have said, do it for you.

 

Don't sell yourself short, I enjoy your dynasties quite a bit.

[Jaded]

I found matches a lot easier to write when I realised the moves don't matter.

 

Every match tells a story, and generally the framework of the story is the same. Babyface shines. Heel gets heat. Babyface overcomes adversity with a comeback. Finish. What makes the story interesting are the personalities and fighting styles. How does Ricochet/Otis/Shorty G shine early? How does AJ/Roode/Khali unfairly turn the tables and what does he do to pile on the pressure? How does the babyface adapt and overcome that specific challenge? Finish. Sometimes these elements can be one sentence each.

 

I love the repetition. Jack DeColts comeback and shine are identical every time, but the fun element is how the villain deals with that, and how in turn Jack overcomes. And it changes from heel to heel, each villain creating a new challenge. Like wrestling should be.

 

It's not that I dont mention moves, but they dont matter. Matches are there to present character (strong, agile, unorthodox, fun loving) and tell a story.

 

Self's match write-ups are my absolute favourites, and this is why. But also wanted to say that the arwink post is incredible - definitely one of the best things I've ever read on here.

[Jaded]

Also, just read Makhai's sample match and that's excellent too. I'm not someone who enjoys writing OR reading lengthy matches which are mostly moves, but something like that is fantastic.