Little Tips on RPing

[Smarky Smark]

Credit to E-fed Knights for creating this kickass tutorial set. Be sure to look there for detailed information at www.efedknights.com .

CONTENTS

Post 1- Dialogue when RPing a promo/segment
Post 2- The Basic Promo
Post 3- Understanding the Character

[Smarky Smark]

Dialogue when RPing a promo/segment

Extracted from "How to Write Dialogue" by Marc Abrigo @ efedknights.com

A good dialogue writer is someone who's able to put voices on paper. They should be able to craft a story and help move it along not just with actions, but with the words of their characters. It isn't enough for Johnny “The Dream” Extreme to just “talk” – in this day and age of role-playing, especially in a fed like TFWF, you have to make your wrestlers sound as compelling as possible. Their voices and musings have to virtually leap off the screen. Now, how do you do that? Well, in order to learn to talk, you gotta know how to listen.

LISTEN.

Take time out of your day to listen to people speak. You'll find that more often than not, a conversation isn't made up of declarations and statements so much as reactions and questions. When trying to receive and give out information, people are always making sure that the other person or people understand what they're trying to say. There has to be a logical flow in the tone and structure of the conversation, and the characters are your best tools. In other words, strive for reactive dialogue. The characters should be talking TO each other, not AT each other. It's an art form to be able to make people believe that the characters they're reading about are actually listening to each other. For example, if a character who's usually quiet is babbling on for a long time, the other character should react accordingly. Are they surprised? Impressed? Weirded out? Same as if the character usually talks up a storm, but decides to stick with short, clipped statements. Dialogue is more than just the words – it's how they're presented, how they're interpreted, and how they're reacted to.

Good characterization = good dialogue.

If you want good dialogue that doesn't come across as forced, you have to know how your character sounds. For example, the way Jayden Knight talks is pretty much exactly how I sound in real-life. I didn't want JK to come off as too “star-studded” when I created him, because he was based off of me. He had to be grounded in reality as your typical cocky, funny, “South Park” fan – the kind of guy who you know plays X-Box Live and reads comics in addition to performing as a pro-wrestler. I didn't see a whole lot of that kind of gimmick in wrestling when I first started e-fedding (oddly enough, the Motor City Machine Guns = JK), so I had to rely on myself. Everything, from his pop-culture references, to his less-than-perfect grammar, to the fact he says “fuck” practically every other word feels real to me because it IS real to me.

With Dorian Wong on the other hand, I knew the way he talked had to be a significant departure from my everyday college vernacular. He had to come off as charismatic, intelligent, and most of all, theatrical. Every sentence he forms has to sound like it's a painting, each word a calculated brushstroke. So, in order to get into the proper mindset, I looked into different sources – namely “V” from the “V For Vendetta” graphic novel, Jigsaw from the “Saw” movies, and numerous characters from Shakespearian literature. Get into your character's head by getting inspired. If you read and listen to enough sources, you will eventually find your character's voice. And it's not just certain words or slang, either. It's how you use them that makes their charactertization shine.

Take this sentence: “Where were you? I've been waiting.” Kinda vanilla, but if your characters aren't “average,” they shouldn't speak that way. Now let's see how JK and Dorian would say the same thing.

JK: “Now where the fuck have you been, Flash? I've been sittin' on my ass for like, three fuckin' hours.”

Dorian: “And so he returns. I assume you wanted me to pen my memoirs while I waited?”

Furthermore, characters should sound different with different people. That's just how we as humans are -- no one is a hundred percent real with people 24/7. Maybe your character has a mentor and has a tendency to ask questions passively when they're with them, as opposed to their best friend who they're constantly joking around with. Does your character swear as much when he's with his girlfriend/wife than he does with his manager/tag partner? Keep that in mind. It adds layers to a character and very subtly tells the reader what they're about.

Shut the fuck up.

For the most part, I can't stand long-winded diatribes in RP's. Nine times out of then, they get overly complicated, repetitive, and worst of all, boring. Dialogue is supposed to be about getting your message across, not how much of the message you can squeeze out at any given time. When it comes to your character talking, even in a monologue, less is always more. Any credit I get, it's because of that – knowing when to shut up, because when the same themes or subjects are addressed for too long or too often, any “punch” within the good lines gets diluted. I'd much rather read a character who can make me go, “Holy fuck, THAT'S a burn,” with five lines than someone who takes three quarters of a page to basically say the same thing.

Read your stuff out loud.

I really can't stress this enough. Read your “conversations” over once you're in the next section of your RP. If the dialogue you wrote doesn't roll off the tongue, it ain't dialogue, Jack.

So that's it. Hopefully after this, you can compel all of us with your character's next big interview. See you on the RP board, sucka.

[Smarky Smark]

The Basic Promo

Extracted from "The Basic Promo" By Adam Mann of efedknights.com


So, we all know that the "in-ring promo" tends to be a dirty phrase in most of the e-fed world nowadays. Be it, because of the genuine evolution of the game, or the general lack of knowledge of exactly where the game itself, came from -- we need the in ring promo -- because that is what the game is about. We pretend to be wrestlers, and while a good story can be told, we can't forget about the 'on-air' aspect of what we are trying to accomplish here.

The venue:

This is as important as your character. Some feds take the time to look up an arena and post it with the show, others have their 'home arena', sometimes naming it the "Random Letter Combination Arena." The most important thing is to make sure you know where you are. There's nothing more embarrassing than cutting a promo on a guy in an arena thousands of miles from where the show is actually billed to take place. With gas prices, it's just not viable, man. It just isn't.

The props:

Yes, there are props. Sometimes they're the ropes, the mats -- the ring, itself. Sometimes they're the barricades, the cameraman, the crowd, and even the ramp. We have to remember that there are people and things there, aside from your character. When writing, interact with these things according to your alignment. Otherwise, it will seem as if your wrestler is floating in a vast nothingness with a whole lot to say -- and no one there to listen.

Remember your alignment:

One thing your have to be aware of, is your stance on things happening around you. A heel will have heat with the crowd. He will mock them, and they will mock him. They WILL get to him, unnerve him, make him want to walk, just so he isn't made fun of; all the while, acting as if he knows that they will miss out on something if he walks out.

If you are a face, the crowd will cheer. They will pop for certain parts of your dialogue, but remember to make sure they aren't going wild and blowing the roof off constantly. Stop and have them listen. There's nothing worse than stage direction that reads like this:

"The crowd gets louder at his statement. The crowd gets even louder. The crowd is blowing the roof off now..."

It just reads as being very robotic.

Remember, it needs to be on television:

Try to remember that this type of promo IS supposed to be on television, and in front of a crowd. Now, your language is up to the person grading it, but take into mind that certain words and visual content aren't allowed on some TV stations. Also, keep it realistic. It's one thing to 'trick the crowd' when you are in some sort of back room or outdoor scene -- you can easily explain it as camera tricks or something like that. While in front of the crowd, however, you cannot use that excuse, so supernatural situations and the like should be done carefully and along the lines of reality.

I know it's a game, but if the fed itself tries to remain realistic, it's up to the RP'er to continue that on an individual level.

Selling, it's a good thing:

Remember, guys: a heel is allowed to say and do things a face can't, and vice versa, but please, for the love of god... SELL, SELL, SELL! What I mean by this, is if your opponent does a promo where he blew up your house, don't, under any circumstances, act like it didn't happen. As poor an effort as that will take -- to say he blew up your home -- it takes even less skill to just act as if it didn't happen.

I understand that this can occur without permission, and may make you a bit angry, but use it to your advantage. Being the guy who blew up your place of residence, he would, in all logical minds, be a heel. So go with that notion. Another bad idea is to say something along the lines of, "Haha, I fooled you! That wasn't my house... it was your mother's..." or ANYTHING like that in ANY similar situation. It's just as bad as pretending it didn't happen.

In closing:

Be in the right place, for the right show, it helps. Trust me. Remember that there is an arena, full of people, props, ropes, and cameras around you. Interaction with these things is essential. Keep it in the realm of reality, even if we are pretending to be wrestlers. Sell the current situation -- be it from last week's show, or your opponent's promo. Keep everything "canon," on a logical, linear timeline. Finally, make sure it is all in line with your character's alignment as well. There is nothing more disappointing than a face killing his opponent's kid for shock value.

These are my thoughts on what make a good "in-ring promo." And dven if most people find them outdated, they work, and work well when done the right way. Remember this is, after all e-wrestling.

[Smarky Smark]

Understanding the Character


Extracted from "Understanding Your Character" By Cliff Imig



When coming up with this TFWF article thing, Marc was smart. You see, he needed the best of the best. So, when the topic of finding somebody to properly explain the in's and out's of thinking like your character came up, he needed a writer with god-like skill. That's why when he came to me and begged me to do it. I mean, after all, who better than the greatest storyteller in the history of literature? I gladly accepted the task.

First step to understanding a character is actually making a character you can understand. A lesson in life: it's easier to do something willfully than to force yourself to do something. Now, in life we all know there are lots of cases where there is no choice but to take the latter. But, in e-fedding there is no excuse. Remember, this is a game and the main goal is to have fun. Writer's block isn't fun. The easiest way to prevent writer's block is in the earliest stages. So, my point is make a character you like. Make a character you can actually imagine yourself writing for (and for a lengthy amount of time). Make a character that fits your style and personality. Trust me, trying to force a character that doesn't come naturally to you isn't fun. I personally learned this lesson the hard way with Vinchenzo, my first and only attempt at a cocky cruiserweight face. Let's just say the less said, the better. But the story is pretty simple. I went with a poorly-developed character that didn't fit my style or abilities and ended up burning myself out really, really quickly. Trust me on this, it helps out in the long run.

Now, as for people who already feel they can't go anywhere with their character: do not fret. There's always room for change. If you aren't satisfied with your direction, then you can always speak to your fed head about it. If you feel there's any reason why your character is being hindered or there is some reason that you can't RP to your fullest, then there's no reason not to try to adapt a different direction. There's no reason to sit down and waste your time on something that you know is going nowhere, right? After all, better RP's don't just benefit yourself but also benefit your opponents and the fed in general.

Next step is to go through the finer details, such as motive. I feel it's a very important part of your character to have a believable motive. I mean, he can't just wake up today and say, "I'm going to be a wrestler. No idea why, but I'm gonna do it!" There has to be some sort of reason. Is it for money? For glory? A childhood dream? Family legacy? Addicted to road life? Boredom? I mean, what exactly is this man willing to endure insane lengths of pain and suffering for? It helps a lot with your character in trying to explain why he makes the decisions he makes. The more deep the motive, the more compelling the actions. I mean if you have a character that wants to rip off his opponent's face, there has to be a reason for it -- not just because he doesn't like him.

Another important detail is subtlety. One thing I really think everybody should have for their character is the details that nobody else knows about, the things that aren't really relative to what is said in their RPs but things that influence why they make decisions. I believe fully in the concept of a character should be fully capable of lying or flat out being ignorant, especially for heels. It's very important to have your character want to lead people into a direction, but often it's not always the direction of the truth. On that token, I also think it's extremely important to say things of what your character means through actions and not just words. The easiest way to obtain these details is to just keep your mind open, and whenever something you like comes up, keep note of it and save it for potential use. Good ideas might come at the weirdest of times. I suggest you save them because they might come in handy. On the other side of the coin, another thing that's good practice is being willing to throw good ideas away. Sounds kind of odd, but a lot of times you can't force things to work in certain contexts and storing a good idea in your head and trying to go out of your way to make it work takes effort away from coming up with good ideas that just work naturally.

Your character should be human. Plain and simple. Supernatural powers and magic are stupid. It never works. I repeat, it NEVER works. Also, I believe flawless characters are pointless as well. I think that all characters, heel and face, should have flaws, whether they be physical, psychological or whatnot. Every character should have their moments of victory and also their moments of shame -- it just makes it more interesting to follow. Case in point, and this is one of the top rules, make your characters imperfect, always. One good practice is to make your character do whatever he can to hide or avoid those faults. Albeit, I'm assuming that's rather obvious.

Please keep tabs on your character's backstory. I hate it when people just completely rewrite their backstory or make huge drastic changes that don't make sense. Worse yet, the people who do this most are the people with the most complex backstories. Look, if it's so complicated that you can't manage it don't make it.

Have your character interact with fans as heavily as possible. It isn't so nessecary early on when you're trying to set the basic tone, but it's something that should be a part of it. Remember, this is a wrestling-based writing game and if you're not going to utilize such things, there's really no point. Make your character a wrestler, okay?

What does this all add up to? Depth. The most important thing there is. Our world is big and complicated, so should the world your wrestler lives in. He should always have flaws and always have strengths. There should always be a truth and there should always be his viewpoint and those two things should be able to differ. Most of all, you should know all of this. You should know who your character is and how he reacts to your environment. You need to think like your character. You need to be your character. You need to be able to sink yourself into his skull. If you don't, you immediately have a disadvantage and won't be able to 'bring him to the next level'.