OOC: RP Tools for the e-wrestler - E

Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
1
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
After 10 plus years of writing rps, segments, and results (sometimes) and running my own federations, I
can tell you that having the right tools is pivotal. It goes beyond just having a good time. I believe that the
smoother the hobby, the better the experience.
Here’s the deal: You’re a writer. No, you haven’t written a New York Times Bestseller but what of it? You
will have hundreds of people reading your work each day. Believe it or not, you will need help. That’s why
I’ve compiled some of the best tools I’ve found over the years and compiled them into this e-book. Be
inspired: Use these tools to springboard a new character or develop a seasoned one. Either way I hope
these tools can help you out!
The sites in this e-book I have no personal investment with – I’m simply passing along the information. Do
your research to see if it works for you!
Gene Hartfield, Handler of “Pretty” Ricky Stanton
This e-book is dedicated to my lovely wife Nikki, who has always accepted and loved my love for writing.
2
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
KURT VONNEGUT, AUTHOR
GH: When I started writing, the direction was everywhere. I didn’t know where I fit in the
federation. Maybe you’re in that same place trying to find your fit with your new character.
Here’s the thing: The only place you fit is the one you create. If people decide to come along for
the ride then great! But you’re not writing for them! The first level of writing e-wrestlers is to
understand that basic principle. The victories will come – trust me! But you’ve got to create a
starting point for the character. Don’t put all the weight on the fed to do that. Eventually, other
handlers will take notice and before you know it, they’ve helped you develop your start without
knowing it. Below are some great tips from author Kurt Vonnegut that I believe you’ll find
useful.
Kurt’s Eight rules for writing fiction:
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to
them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your
story will get pneumonia.
3
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense.
Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could
finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME AGAIN???
You want to start e-fedding. You’ve found the fed of your choice and you’re ready to sign up. What’s
holding you back?
Here are some known issues:



You haven’t written your character’s background just yet.
No movesets
No character description
The last thing you want to do is start off at a fed at just “Joe Smith from NY” and have nothing to go
along with it. So let’s start there: WHAT’S YOUR NAME AGAIN?
Recommended Fake Name Generators:
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com gives you the best information for creating a fake name. Not only
does it give you the name, but you get more information such as a fake address, occupation, even your
mother’s name if you need it!
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=wrestlername – I
would be wrong to leave out Seventh Sanctum and their wonderful assortment
of name generators.
For the sake of this ebook we’re going with this one in particular. If you need
more variety of name generators, this is the one for you.
Need help with a backstory? Try this link: http://fantasynamegenerators.com/backstorydescriptions.php#.VtYKhZfLS_k – This gives you a quick paragraph or two to help stir the creative juices
when it comes to backstories for your character(s).
Movesets – Whether high flyer or technician, you should probably start here if you’re having problems:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_wrestling_moves
4
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
PROMOTIONS
Promoting your character has come a long way in the past decade, so this may shock you or sound
obvious: Get a Twitter account.
Really? Yes. Really.
Most e-feds and e-fedders will tell you it’s the best way to get included in the e-wrestling world. It’s the
No.1 way in my opinion to really bring your character to life beyond the ring, and to promote your
brand.
I have a brand? Yes. You do.
The one problem that everyone falls into when they join an e-fed is that they figure their fellow
wrestlers are the only ones reading the results. That is VERY FAR from the truth. In fact, there are
numerous sources reading about you and your match:




The wrestling community you belong to
Other wrestlers reading results from different feds
Interfed communities that share results
E-Fed websites that focus soley on e-fed news and results
You have entered a whole different world. You may sit at your cubicle Monday thru Friday grinding
away, but be one of the most respected e-wrestlers on the face of the planet. Trust me, I know.
But how do I distinguish myself in the Twitter world? Here are the rules of the road:
Your bio should go something like this: [NAME][FEDERATION] then write “fictional account”.
Otherwise, real people will follow you thinking you’re someone else. Guaranteed, you’ll have a few
weirdos that’ll follow your account, just ignore them.
Announcements: Sites like Twitlonger (http://www.twitlonger.com/post )allow
you to post longer tweets. You could use this as a springboard for your
announcements. You can also use Tall Tweets to do the same – they publish
their tweets in image form if you’re into that sort of thing.
5
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
Text Images
Recite.com is a fantastic place to put your words to
lovely background images. If you’re looking to make a promotional
image for a match or just to keep yourself relevant, this is the tool for
you.
Cooltext.com is also another tool you can use for
titles inside your RPs and other places you need colorful typesets.
Intentionally left blank
6
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
Let’s type the Roleplay…shall we?
(GH: I put that graphic up top “The Roleplay” like that because that’s how we all
feel we write: Stylish, elegant, when in reality we all need work.)Everyone wasn’t
born a writer, but we do want to sound like we’re trying right??? The Hemingway
App does just that. Here’s a description: “Hemingway App makes your writing bold
and clear.”
The app highlights long, complex sentences and common errors; if you see a yellow sentence,
shorten or split it. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is so dense and complicated that your
readers will get lost trying to follow its meandering, splitting logic — try editing this sentence to
remove the red. You can utilize a shorter word in place of a purple one. Mouse over it for hints.
Adverbs are helpfully shown in blue. Get rid of them and pick verbs with force instead.
Phrases in green have been marked to show passive voice. You can format your text with the
toolbar. Paste in something you're working on and edit away. Or, click the Write button to compose
something new.”
I would strongly suggest this app if you’re serious about working on your craft.
7
Gene Hartfield
OOC: RP TOOLS FOR THE E-WRESTLER
The fate of what happens to your character begins and ends with you. Not the fed.
Not the judges. Not the staff. You. The problem with many feds and e-fedders is
that burden of responsibility. Sometimes it takes a while to get a groove, so don’t
think you’re getting the title shot immediately. Don’t think you’re owed anything.
You’re writing this story of a person’s rise to glory in the ring. People will either
love, hate, love to hate, or completely ignore him or her. In e-fedding, it’s sink or
swim. Like real wrestling, there are very few characters that have “staying time”.
For those that do, I commend you. Now, lace up those boots and get to work.
8