How do you plan your storylines?

[Patty O'Green 0]

Do you do your angles "week to week" and just operate on the short term. Or do you plan out months worth of stuff for an angle and go from there?

 

Why I ask I do not know.

[Guest SP-1]

When I was active in storylines, I usually winged it. More or less completely. Which is why I'm still amazed at how awesome the Goblin storyline was. And I usually hate my own writing.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Depends, really. Sometimes I get big ideas as I go, sometimes I try to plan ahead. The Crystal angle wasn't mapped out detail for detail, but the rough idea of it was in place last winter.

[Papacita 0]

I clicked long term, but I'm kinda in the middle, I guess. Like with Panther/Bryte/Tina, I had pretty much everything from Living Anglelously to the post LTP HD planned out for months, but with everything else, a lot of what I did (especially toward the beginning) was on the spot. Generally though, I do tend to have a lot planned out a head of time, because once I get an idea in my head, my mind just starts running.

[Phoenix Fury Legdrop 0]

Usually, I get a basic outline of things for about three-four months ahead of time, and plan every detail for that month at the beginning.

 

Outline-wise, I got my plans up to March 2005 already.

[Patty O'Green 0]

Outline-wise, I got my plans up to March 2005 already.

That's hardcore.

 

I selected week to week. I know what I want to do for the blow off for the storyline or what the PPV matches I want to have, but I don't always know or plan how to get there. The only time I plan ahead is when I think I may have to involve somebody else's characters and I'll need to get permission.

[Tony149 0]

It's week to week with me but what ended up happening is an one idea popped into my head and it spawn months worth of feuds for nearly every major tag team (BT, NNMX, GPX, Muses/Saints), all of which are booked till AM IV.

[Adam 0]

I'm planned until the end of the year, and that might be all...

 

*Twilight Zone Music*

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

The storyline I'm doing now I pretty much had planned out since I came back. A lot of the details were added later, but the basic idea was laid out.

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

With The Mad Cappa feud, me and Cappa planned the whole thing out the day after AngleMania II in March of 2003, so that storyline was planned a whole year in advance. We had the outline down pat, and I just added more and more of my own ideas (like The Lightning Crew Gauntlet and the fake Mad Cappa segments) once it became clear that Cappa wouldn't be able to return full time.

 

With the Colombian Heat feud, I decided to do that the week before AngleMania III, since I originally was going to just do the Cappa feud and then leave the OAOAST forever. But I was having alot of fun writing for the OAOAST and I didn't want to leave, so I decided to continue.

 

I already know the basic outline of what I'm going to do once I come back, a plan that was made a few weeks before I left back in June. Although I'm still ironing out all the details.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Giant Rotating Dartboard.

 

Zack Malibu.

 

Knives. Sharp Knives.

 

 

 

He gives me ideas sooner or later.

[Hoff 0]

I clicked short term, but, like seemingly most of us, the general ideas are laid out months in advance. The Thrillogy formation, the Gunner feud, the Stevens feud, the current feud with Crystal, all at least a month out. Hell, not to spoil things, but I have Stevens/Hoff stuff laid out for TWO YEARS. So, I know where I want to go and how to get there. But, the details, the nuts and bolts, the what actually happens, that's completely on the fly for me.

 

The two "International Amnesty" segments were thought of no more than six days in advance. I myself didn't find out about the first 24/7 title run until the Monday or Tuesday before School's Out. Here's a bit of OAOAST trivia: Hell, the whole Hoff/CWM thing at the beginning of the year was NEVER designed to make Hoff a face. The hospital room ambush was supposed to be cold-blooded...but, when I was writing it, it just sort of took a twist into Hoff as Superstar's unwilling servant, which led to one hell of a face turn, which made the Thrillogy formation that much better. It all flows, and things are often shaped as we go. I'll have the general plan and, as things change, rewrite everything in my head over and over until it works and I like it and then boom.

 

I've almost never written a segment more than three nights before, incidentally. Usually it's the night before. For example, this week's Crystal vs. Hoff match? Not started. That's just how I work best. I think the storylines and angle development follow the same trend.

[Hoff 0]

More trivia about the Hoff/CWM feud: in the beginning, it was supposed to be face CWM going over heel Hoff at AM3, then over Supes at Living Anglelously. Then Supes was gonna do whatever with Agnes and Frigid and who all, and so it got bumped to a Triple Threat at AM between babyface Hoff, CWM, and Supes, with Hoff actually going over, and then CWM getting the win on Hoff at LA. Then Supes did his thing at AM instead, and CWM and I bumped up the program. And for what it's worth, Hoff vs. CWM was never supposed to be CWM's last match...but I'm glad it was.

 

Fun, huh?

[King Cucaracha 0]

Well, OAOAST wise it's week to week as my feuds have so far lasted roughly a month each.

 

In the SWF, I'm more like PFL as I've got my plans pretty much sorted up until March '05. Not in a lot of detail of course, but I have a lot of ideas in the bank for feuds. Hell, my SWF feud with Rando was an on and off feud for about 6 months, with a lot of plans laid out early but most things ironed out later.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

^ 8 months (November 03 to June 04) ...though you could say we had a 2 month break for CF and my stuff with Thugg, even though we had some reaction during that (Happy Birthday Landon).

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

My Ragdoll/K-Money feud was show by show. I had no idea what i was doing until it all ended, and I was like "Thank god that worked."

[Guest Phenom]

I've planned up until July 2006. I've already mapped my match at AngleMania V, which, if I have my way, will be the greatest match in OAOAST history.

[Phoenix Fury Legdrop 0]

I've planned up until July 2006. I've already mapped my match at AngleMania V, which, if I have my way, will be the greatest match in OAOAST history.

Someone's cocky.

[Guest Phenom]

I've planned up until July 2006. I've already mapped my match at AngleMania V, which, if I have my way, will be the greatest match in OAOAST history.

Someone's cocky.

Hey, just because I've planned a year's more than you have doesn't mean I'm cocky. It just means I'm smarter.

[NYU 0]

For almost all my feuds, the Pay-Per-View results are planned in advance. In my feud with The Mad Cappa, I had each decision planned out - Cappa's win in May, Drek's win in June, and Cappa's conclusive win in July - when I scripted the feud in late-April. The same will be happening for my upcoming feud that will be branching out for the next few months.

 

As for HeldDowns, yeah....week-by-week has always been the plan. In fact, I usually don't write my segments until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Think I have anything planned for tomorrow yet? Nope.

[Phoenix Fury Legdrop 0]

I've planned up until July 2006. I've already mapped my match at AngleMania V, which, if I have my way, will be the greatest match in OAOAST history.

Someone's cocky.

Hey, just because I've planned a year's more than you have doesn't mean I'm cocky. It just means I'm smarter.

I meant that whole "greatest match in OAOAST History" line.

[Guest Phenom]

I've planned up until July 2006. I've already mapped my match at AngleMania V, which, if I have my way, will be the greatest match in OAOAST history.

Someone's cocky.

Hey, just because I've planned a year's more than you have doesn't mean I'm cocky. It just means I'm smarter.

I meant that whole "greatest match in OAOAST History" line.

Well, if I told you what it was, would you promise not to tell anyone else? Because it IS a huge match.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

No offense, man, but things WILL get changed. You can plan and plan all you want, but it's ultimately the other person's choice, really.

 

 

It's like birthday trips, really...you can plan for a month to go to Hollywood with your friends and girlfriend, but then all of a sudden, "Sorry, I'm going to go see The Cramps instead." So you don't want to make it awkward for your one friend who can still go, so you scrap the idea, all the while not knowing when you might see your girlfriend next.

 

 

 

.....Or, it could be the COMPLETE opposite...

[Hoff 0]

I usually don't write my segments until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Think I have anything planned for tomorrow yet? Nope.

You better, unless you were too drunk to remember.

[Hoff 0]

I just realized I had a sterling example of "plans change:"

 

CC told me she wanted to drop the belt FOUR DAYS before WWE.

 

One two three four.

[NYU 0]

I usually don't write my segments until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Think I have anything planned for tomorrow yet? Nope.

You better, unless you were too drunk to remember.

Of course I did! But I was trying to keep it secret!

 

God!

 

Now everyone's going to expect Drek and Hoff to see each other!

 

It was supposed to be a secret!

 

I was trying to keep a secret!

 

WHY DID YOU REFUSE TO LET ME KEEP A SECRET?!

 

.....

 

.....

 

P.S. - Finish W.W.E. feedback