How do you approach match writing?

[Bruce Blank 0]

Well since this is a huge PPV coming up, my first and I’m still very much a newbie round here I figured it might be interesting for others to hear how each of you approach match writing.

 

I mean do you just start to write and figure stuff out as you go along? Do you plan a series of spots / events and then connect the spots? Do you have a certain word count in mind when you start to write a PPV match? (Since they have no word limits on them)

 

How do you guys approach it?

 

Personally I start out by figuring out the finish to the match – which sometimes goes through 2, 3 different versions in my head before I’m happy with it. Then I figure out the phases (who dominates when and the likes)

 

Once I got a finish to work towards and the different phases plotted out I begin to write cause by then I’ve have though through and gotten ideas for moves and spots and comments and whatnot to include. I feel that it works okay at the moment.

 

Your turn

[muzz 0]

Wait until a day before the due date, then make up everything as you go along.

 

This was the case for probably 90% of my matches.

[jwpeer 0]

Wait until a day before the due date, then make up everything as you go along.

 

This was the case for probably 90% of my matches.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

MUZZ is my new idol, cus he writes just like me.

 

I usually plan an ending spot, and MAYBE one or two spots, but mostly I write it stream-of-consciousness with every bit of action occurring in my head as it happens

[janusd 0]

I used to write my stuff as it came to me. Sometimes I'd get an idea for a spot and endeavour to write it in, but for me it was mostly write it out and let the action flow out along with the writing. The only time any serious planning was done was when there was an angle involved.

 

I also made a reputation of getting matches in early. It scared half the fed.

[JHawk 0]

I usually have a couple of things in mind and go from there, although if there's a specific story I want to tell I might do a rough outline before I start writng

[Cuban Linx 0]

Back when i used to do this stuff (not that i really ever wrote anything even when i was active), i usually just came up with all the cool spots i could think of from each wrestlers movesets, and then just tried to connect the dots between them to create a vaguely coherent match. Despte my matches all being substance-less spotfests i somehow won basically every time i wrote too.

[Ace309 0]

I tended to get a finish in mind, and then an overarching sense of the story between the characters. From there, I'd have a rough idea of how the match was going to develop, and I'd make a list of "big spots" I wanted to include, roughly in the order I wanted to include them. I'd write one spot at a time, depending what grabbed me at a given moment, and then I'd write the transitions I wanted for them. Usually I'd write the opening, then the finish, then skip around the match. Entrances always got written last.

[Justice 0]

When I wrote back in the day, the ending was most crucial. The entire match normally built up around it. I'd backwards engineer it, get in important and interesting spots, and to make sure that the psychology is clear and the storyline is good. From there I start from the beginning with a good, flexible plan, and write it out.

 

So, I guess it's a lot like putting together a jigsaw puzzle in that respect.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

Wild and Dangerous just write the same tag match over and over again, just replacing the opponents names.

[Toxxic 0]

Says the man who cut/pasted half of his Cruiserweight Title defences and halfway through the match would be fighting Sly instead of Kaine. Come on Spike, I like you and all, but that's a bit too much of the pot calling the kettle.

 

As for me, I had two approaches in my time as Toxxic. The original was to work out the finish, then start at the entrances and work in. Very VERY occasionally I'd have some spots planned out, but not that often. I just wrote them as it came to me. Seemed to work well enough.

 

The second approach consisted of me planning out the match beforehand with reference to each wrestlers' moveset, writing an abbreviated version of the match in the same document as I would eventually write the final version. Then I'd go back and just write over what I'd done, making it full-length. Oddly enough I rarely had to do much editing to fit my match into the word limit - by that time I just had a good grasp of how much action I could fit into how many words. The only time I really struggled with that was against Danny, where I found that I'd booked a lot more in than I could actually fit.

 

The first time I debuted the second technique was against Maddix at From The Fire. I turned in a 16k match, when 'Maddix sux he i5 teh lozerz' would have done the trick.

 

Bloody Maddix.

 

In other news, when was the last time anyone say Muzz use a smiley?

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

Half of my Cruiserweight Title defenses were 2 matches?

 

 

Maybe you should worry more about your spotfests than my copy and paste jobs that I haven't done in months.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Back when i used to do this stuff (not that i really ever wrote anything even when i was active), i usually just came up with all the cool spots i could think of from each wrestlers movesets, and then just tried to connect the dots between them to create a vaguely coherent match. Despte my matches all being substance-less spotfests i somehow won basically every time i wrote too.

 

Ditto.

 

I spend the first day after the card goes up reading and re-reading each moveset, looking for interesting spots. Then I try to come up with some sort of basic story and from there, it's pretty much a case of filling in the gaps with whatever random crap pops into my head. Add a period of bone-idleness between reading (Day of card), losing interest because I LOATH writing entrances and then starting (Day of event) and that's 90% of my matches.

 

For important stuff, I do try to put more thought and more specific psychology into matches. Actually coming up with a plan never works, because the plan either wins but is flawed (vs. Toxxic, Slay Ride) or loses and is flawed (vs. Sacred, every time he showed).

 

Also, having a successful but forgotten SJL run is great when you're running out of time, allowing you to copy and paste random spots.

[Golgo 13 0]

I used to write my finish beforehand, but found it too limiting. Now I go in with a rough idea of it in my head, not committing to anything and open to change.

 

Believe it or not, I usually start writing as soon as I see the card. I try and put down entrances and a few hundred words of action, at least. Then I procrastinate and blow it off until the day before/day of the show. Whether they're full or not, nearly all my matches are 99% stream of consciousness, making everything up as I go along.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Paging TokyoX... Paging TokyoX....

 

 

I follow Justice's logic when I actually do write anymore, but that writing style and the fact that Coyjiro tagged with me like twice are the only things i'll ever have in common with Mr. Hearford III.

[the.weej 0]

I generally followed Muzz's method, although I would occasionally plot out ideas that I wanted to hit in a match. That said, the best work I've ever done were desperate, four and five hour marathon writing sessions where I threw myself into just trying to finish a goddamn match.

 

In other news, when was the last time anyone say Muzz use a smiley?

 

Muzzums is actually a cheerful, fun-loving lad in World of Warcraft, always eager to help and compliment and quick with a joke.

 

Only some of that was a lie. Dare you to figure out what parts.

 

-Z

[Toxxic 0]

The thing is though Spike, is that I have never claimed to NOT be a spotmonkey. I'm just a SUCCESSFUL spotmonkey, which eases my conscience slightly.

[muzz 0]

In other news, when was the last time anyone say Muzz use a smiley?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

It depended on how I was feeling at the time.

 

Sometimes, a lot of the match would be planned out in advance (If I had the time to do so, or it seemed to be a big enough match), with just random stuff to connect it all together (And connect it badly).

 

With some matches, though, I'd just start writing, trying to think of something good (And failing. Horribly)

 

Also, despite what I'd already planned out, I usually wrote everything in order, entrances, beginning, middle, end. I tried a few times as Buck to have the finish and then work towards it, but it wasn't something I liked.

 

NOW TESTIFY!

[A Happy Medium 0]

GOdrea pretty much used the same strategy I used.

 

I always had to go in order.

 

I was too lazy most of the time to outline or plan.

 

Most of the match was just typing it out as I saw it happen.

 

Now...my biggest problem was with the block style I used to write with, which was like so....

 

Action

 

Commentary

 

Action

 

Commentary

 

tilde + exclamation point + a pinfall that lasted two pages

 

Before I vanished from here again a few months ago, I started using a story style, was made things better, and I found actually made my commentary better.

 

The fact that GOdrea are very alike in our writing is not too crazy, as I believe of old fogies here goes GOdrea, IL, and me.

 

I'm ramble, and ramble well.

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

Oh, I almost forgot, back before the IGNWF had its own board, and we were confied to the "I haven't done this here yet so I'll start" thread, the match writer posted his/her own matches, so, as such, I wrote in first person because people knew it was my match, or whatever. Also, for whatever reason (And remember, this was a damn long time ago, and I was a gigantic loser), I wrote my matches out on paper, then typed them up in the reply (Or PM box later on) at once. For some reason, I didn't think of using some type of word processor so I could save what I'd written.

 

I wuz teh wacky like something or other.