By: Blake Bouchard

DISCLAIMER: If you notice a "he" or "him" motif running through this, try to think of it as meaning "he or she" or "his or her's." I'm trying to be politically correct here.

So, you heard about this neat game called E-Wrestling from one of your friends. Either they linked you to it, or you found a fed through one of the multitude of search engines. In any case, you found it, and there you were. You browsed around the roster, the roleplays, the shows, and you though to yourself, "I can do better." Can you? Maybe you can. In any case, you don't want to go in unprepared, so here's a few tips that I've seen put into practice over my brief tenure as a player in this game.

Part 1: Applying

- When filling out your roster info, and your height/weight and stuff like that, think of real life wrestlers whom your wrestler might be compared to. Maybe he's tall and lean, like Test, or short and stocky like Tazz. Maybe he's built to fly, like Jeff Hardy or Rey Mysterio, or he's more of an average size and build (for a pro wrestler) like Stone Cold Steve Austin or Chris Jericho. It's quite simple, really: If you want to play a high-flying character, don't make him any heavier than 250 lbs., and if you want to play a powerhouse, don't make him any lighter than 250 lbs.

- There are several "styles" of pro-wrestling. Listed below are potential styles that your character could use. If you think that your character should be able to do both High-Flying and Powerful moves, such as be able to bench a 300 lb. man and still go soaring through the air, try to stay away from stuff like that. Sure, your character would look cool, but he'd also look unrealistic, and that would make you look like an amateur. Your fedhead is no dummy. He won't put up with that.

High-Flying: Your character is adept at balancing on turnbuckles and soaring through the air to make an immense impact. More often than not, High-Flying wrestlers also put themselves at High Risk, especially when they do tricky moves from the inside of the ring to the outside. Good examples of High-Flying wrestlers include Jeff Hardy, Ultimo Dragon, and Rey Mysterio Jr.

Martial Arts: Your character generally has extensive training in some form of Martial Arts. Depending on what style your character uses, he may or may not be well versed in many forms of kicks. Martial Arts training emphasizes speed, above all else. Good examples of Martial Artists include Rob Van Dam, Tajiri, and Steve Blackman.

Powerhouse: Your character knows how to muscle people around. Most powerhouse characters are somewhat larger than normal, and thus are generally around 250 lbs. or over in weight. Not only are you heavy, but you're tough, and strong. You can lift most normal wrestlers long enough to execute high-impact throws. The drawback to being this strong is that, realistically, you limit yourself in the realm of high-risk moves. Good examples of Powerhouse characters include The Undertaker, Mark Henry, and The Big Show.

All-Rounder: Your character doesn't really focus on doing one thing or another. Maybe you've got a strong grapple, and a good high-flying finisher. Either way, your actual fighting style is wholly undiscernable. You do just a little of everything. Good examples of All-Rounders include The Rock, Chris Jericho, and Taka Michinoku.

Hardcore: Your character is magnetically inclined to break the match rules at any given chance. He always has a weapon in waiting, and if a match goes against his favor, he'll more than likely try to end it with a chair shot. He has a nasty habit of getting himself disqualified, and is only ever really interested in fighting a No-Disqualifications match. Good examples of Hardcore wrestlers include Mick Foley, Raven, and The Dudley Boys.

Brawler: Your character has a bad habit of turning every match he's in into a slugfest. His preferred mode of attack is all-out assault with fists flying. Your character wins wrestling matches similar to how he would win bar fights. Good examples of Brawlers include "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Faarooq, and Bradshaw.

Technical: Your character has extensive experience in amateur wrestling, and that makes him a terror in ring-work. Technical wrestlers are skilled at keeping their opponents off their feet, and are well versed in things like Suplexes, Take-Downs, and the like. Generally, Technicians boast extensive repertoires of intricate holds, and are also good at Counters. Good examples of Technical wrestlers include Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Tazz.

Shooter: When normal characters do moves, they try to make them look impressive. When your character does moves, he does them to look painful. Shooters typically have experience in personal hand-to-hand combat, and may once have participated in things like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nobody knows submission moves like a Shooter. Good examples of Shooters include Ken Shamrock, and Dan "The Beast" Severn.

- To better your chances of getting into the fed, look for what they're short on at the time. If they've got a massive overpopulation of heel characters, then make a face. If the Tag Division is suffering, then whip up a second character and make them a tag team. Experience usually only factors in if there's an overabundance of competition for the division you're applying to.

- As for his history, gimmick, personality, etc. just remember that your prospective fedhead is looking for originality above all. Why should they accept you if they've already got a character who acts exactly like you say yours does? The best way to be original is to scout the pre-existing characters. If you're that interested in getting into a particular fed, make sure that your gimmick isn't already in use by someone else.

- Your moves shouldn't be too over the top. If you want to use a finisher that a real-life wrestler already uses or has used, that's fine. Chances are that there aren't many other good moves to choose from. Don't be afraid to copy a real-life finisher to use as your own. Or, if you're so inclined, make up a move. The easiest way to do this is to start a move out like one move, but end it like another. For example, your character could lift his opponent into a Powerbomb position, and then let him fall down and slam his face into the mat, ending in a Facebuster. Having two finishers is acceptable, but may cause you to suffer in matches, as your readers should be anticipating your finisher to occur. If you think you need two finishers, don't classify them both as finishers. Make one of them, the more important one, the real finisher, and use the other one as a high-end Signature. There's no harm in designating a Signature as a "Secondary Finisher," just as long as everybody knows which one of your moves is your real finisher.

- Whatever you do, don't load your signatures up with potential finisher moves as well. That just makes you look amateur. There's little point in naming every move you do, as well. If you want your move to get "over," you want people to remember which one it is. Making them try to remember seven different names for seven different moves is unreasonable at best. A signature maneuver is generally considered a move that your character should be using at least once every match. If you have too many of them, then you'll be wrestling the same match every week, or some of your moves just won't get used. A signature move can be effective, but if, and only if, your readers are familiar with that move.

- As for common moves, you should by no means put finisher-caliber moves as regular moves your character does. Also, be realistic. 300 lb. Powerhouse characters should by no means have High-Flying maneuvers as part of their regular movelists. Keep these moves limited to common moves, used by many different wrestlers. There is no right answer here, but there are wrong answers, especially if you've got Pedigree, Stunner, and Rock Bottom all listed in your Regular move list.

- http://www.deathvalleydriver.com/bbbowm/bbbowm.htm <--- This site is your new bible. Bookmark it. Study it. Love it.

- Strengths and Weaknesses. This is a pitfall for many, many characters. By no means should your character look like a Greek God, especially since sometimes you won't be able to justify losing to a mortal in a match when they legitimately out-roleplayed you. As for strengths, be imaginative. Be specific. Things like "He is strong," or "He is fast" are just plain boring, and it doesn't do anything for the match-writer in charge of your match. Be imaginative. If your character was seriously mentally unstable, say that "He loves pain, as though it were second nature to him, and thus he is resistant to submission moves," and conversely, as a weakness, say that, "He gets distracted easily." Also, try to stay away from having all his strengths in the physical category, and all his weaknesses in the mental category. Remember, Strengths and Weaknesses are a valuable tool to further characterization. Nobody's going to think any less of your character if he appears to be at a disadvantage. The old adage "Nobody's perfect" applies here, as readily as anywhere else.

Part 2: Being Accepted

So, you get an email response back from your prospective fedhead, and lo and behold, you're in the fed. Congratulations. But being accepted is just the beginning. There are many important rules to fed conduct that you need to be aware of before getting into the swing of things.

- When you click on the OOC Forum, don't go straight to posting a big "Introduction" thread. Try to work your way into existing conversations. While you might feel like everybody needs to be made aware of your presence as soon as possible, they don't. It's easier to earn their respect, rather than waltzing in and demanding it from them.

- BE RESPECTFUL. This cannot be said enough. You must behave yourself on the OOC. Just because you got accepted doesn't mean you can't get terminated. If you start bickering with fellow handlers, you're making the place look bad, and that reflects badly on your fedhead. In some places, needless flaming is grounds for immediate expulsion.

- DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL. This is a game, and like any game, rules of good sportsmanship apply. If someone writes something that you don't quite approve of, then it's your right to respectfully tell them that they're out of line. However, by no means should you retaliate with insults, i.e. flaming them. OOC feuds ruin the game, because eventually, you might get booked against a character handled by the person in question. It's simply not worth ruining your enjoyment over.

- There are some things you have the right to complain about. If an important event in your angle was supposed to get carried out during a match, and it doesn't get edited in on the first draft of the show, don't be afraid to bring it up with the fedheads. Sometimes, they'll go back and edit it in. Things like that are worthy of notifying your fedhead about. However, if you're unhappy with a match decision, i.e. your character lost to someone when you think you should have won, to put it bluntly, stuff it. Challenging an executive decision made by your fedhead loses you major brownie points, and it won't change the match result, no matter what. Take it with a grain of salt, and move on. That's all there is to it.

Part 3: Participating

You've broken the ice, and now, you've been booked in your first match. It's exciting, to be sure, but before you do anything, you still have to take a few things into consideration.

- Nobody expects you to be stellar in your first roleplay. The easiest way to get into the groove of roleplaying is to read RPs by other, more experienced handlers. If you're not sure what to do as far as formatting is concerned, or how to tell your "Action" text apart from your "Dialogue" text, the easiest thing to do is to read the most recent show, and replicate that show's formatting. For example, a show may illustrate action with a particular font, or brackets, while dialogue is usually done by inserting the speaker's name, some sort of divider, and then the dialogue. If you already know how you want to format your text, feel free to do it like that, unless the rules specify how you're supposed to write.

- If you do wish to use colored fonts, don't use a million and a half different colors. Confusing your reader isn't going to win you matches, by any means. Don't make them assume that the red-colored text is your character speaking, while the orange is his girlfriend's speech, the blue is the actions, and the green is the quote at the top of your roleplay. That's going too far. Clarity will get you much further than eccentric color schemes will.

- Don't act like you're the top dog. You're new. Unless your character has been around and is generally thought of as being "over," don't pretend you are. This is an amateur mistake. Modesty is a virtue here. If your character is a face, but you're still new, don't act like you're Numero Uno on the rankings. Don't edit in crowd responses like what Stone Cold Steve Austin would typically get, because this isn't the WWE, and you sure as Hell aren't Stone Cold Steve Austin. Not yet, anyways.

- DO NOT USE CHARACTERS BY OTHER HANDLERS WITHOUT THEIR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT. This is a cardinal sin, and will result in you getting jobbed. Writing characters handled by other people into your backstage assault RP without asking them first is a surefire ticket to jobber Hell, and termination is in plentiful stock for repeat offenders. Ignorance is no excuse! Don't do it, period!

- Offer to do a joint roleplay with a fellow handler who's involved in your feud. They give you a great chance to positively interact with your fellow handlers, and makes you both look good. Cooperation builds friendships, and fundamentally, that's what makes E-Wrestling so darned fun.

- When the roleplay deadline has been reached, there is usually one or two things you can do. You should have a little bit of time after the RP deadline is over to "Strat." If you're unfamiliar with Stratting, it's a short form you write up, that gets handed to a match writer. On it, you basically detail things that you think your character should be doing, because only you know your character the best. Don't expect your match writer to do you justice, because without a Strat, they have no way of knowing your character's in-ring mindset, and thus, may unknowingly misportray your wrestler in his match.

- Within your strat should be your character's entrance. As it is part of the show, make sure that you format it accordingly. Don't write your entrance like you write your roleplays, unless you write your roleplays exactly like you would write part of the show. It doesn't have to be a page long. In fact, it should be one to two paragraphs, with optional song lyrics. Don't overdo it. Minimized entrances are very much favorable to long, drawn out ones.

- Don't be afraid to segment! In some instances, they're good for match credit, and in any instance, they're your easiest ticket to getting noticed. Segments are generally seen by most every handler on every card. If you want to generate interest in your match or angle, write up a segment. It doesn't have to be long. You can't assume that everybody will read an important event in your character's career if you write it into a roleplay. For these kinds of things, a segment is always your best bet.

Part 4: Angling

Well, you've fought a couple matches, probably lost at least one of them, and that's OK. Usually, after your first Pay Per View, you should look into getting into a feud with someone, so that you can have a big blowoff match at the next PPV. Here's some more tips on doing just that.

- First, you need to find a feud partner. Naturally, it's pretty presumptuous of you to try to land a title shot on your first PPV. More than likely, you'll find someone with a similar degree of experience on the roster to feud with. It's preferable that you find your own feud partner, but if you do need help, your fedhead would probably know who's currently involved in a feud. It's a fedhead's job to have their finger on the pulse of the E-Fed, and if someone's looking for an angle, they'll know about it. Don't get lazy, though. It never hurts if you can find your own angles, because down the line in your E-Wrestling career, having that ability will come in extremely handy.

- Plan ahead. The key to running a great angle is planning, and the only real way to plan, in this sense, is to communicate with your angle partner. If you're in an E-Fed, you should have applied by E-Mail, meaning you have access to it. E-Mail is an excellent tool for a handler. In fact, some feds are run entirely by E-Mail. Regular correspondence with your angle partner is essential. Another great way to keep in touch with your feud partner is via Instant Messaging, using such programs as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Microsoft Network (MSN), Yahoo! Messenger (Y!M) or ICQ. Some places, though not many, use "Personal Handler Forums." If they see it as worthy of their attention, they may go ahead and set one up for you to use for communicating with your feud partners and fedhead.

- Once you've open the communication channels, plan, lots. Don't be afraid to start mapping out your ideas for the next PPV match as early as the blowoff from the previous PPV. No time is better than the present to lay down your planning for the month.

- If your feud isn't a total mismatch, then by definition, it can go either way. Don't bank on victory, so as to set yourself up for a big let-down. If you do lose, don't take it personally. Just worry about improving for the next Pay Per View. Eventually, you will win. It's just a matter of fixing your mistakes, and becoming better.

Part 5: Match Writing

Sometimes, a fedhead will go to the handlers and ask them to lend him a hand with matchwriting. Matchwriting is a crucial job, since without matches, there wouldn't be a card! If it so happens that you can help write a match, you'll be appreciated by fedhead and handler alike if you do. So, say you do volunteer to write a match, out of the kindness of your heart. Once again, here are some pointers for your first match.

- Matches are like roleplays. Nobody's going to think any less of you if your first one sucks. Just do your best. Hell, maybe your first match will be better than you or anybody else thinks.

- The easiest way to learn how to write a compelling match is to watch good wrestling on television, or at a live event. It's a lot harder to pick up match writing skills by reading matches than it is to actually see them happen.

- Never worry about making your matches longer than they need to be, especially for regular weekly shows. Most often, you're just wasting your own time, and unless you make the match really quite compelling, your readers will either fall asleep halfway through the match, or lose interest and scroll down to the conclusion. Again, match length is not an issue, unless it's a Pay Per View, which we will discuss below.

- The biggest issue with good match-writing is punctuality. Your fed-head should be more worried about getting the card out on time than elongating it, and likewise, you should be more worried about getting your match in on time. Don't use "Well, somebody else is probably late!" as an excuse, because you don't know that, and if everybody said that, then every card would be late. Basically, don't take too much time on a match unless it's absolutely worth it. Nobody's going to think any less of you because you didn't have the time to write 30 pages on a simple match.

- Now, writing a Pay Per View match on the other hand is a totally different story. When you write a Pay Per View match, most likely, you're writing the results of the culmination of a month-long, or longer, feud, and it becomes your job to do it justice. This just basically takes more time and effort to pull off than normal, and your fedhead, if he's got his ducks in a row, should have given you more time to finish it.

- The easiest way to write a good match is to do it in parts. Do as much as you can one day, put it down. Next day, pick it up again and keep going, while going back over what you've written and revising it, then put it down at the end of the day. This way, if you plan ahead, you don't have to lose sleep just to get your match in on the deadline.

- When you write a match, you should be given Strats from each competitor. Use them. They contain guidelines that not only make your matchwriting easier on you, they practically fill certain spaces of your match. Strats should generally contain "Spots," and a Spot is a point in the match where something exceptional happens. Spots are intended to keep the reader interested. Also, you should be given an entrance, but that you should only have to copy-paste to your match document, maybe make some minor formatting fixes, but nothing too dramatic.

- If, in their Strat, the handler took the care of outlining their character's mindset and attitude in the match, you should take the care of using it. It's much better to work around it and not have to deal with an angry handler. Usually, the character's mindset should practically help you write the match, anyways, so it's in your best interest to use it.

- The best tip to writing a good match is to stagger your spots at the beginning, then gradually increase the frequency between consecutive spots, until the end, where practically every move should be a spot up until the three-count is landed or someone taps out. If you waste all your spots early in the match, you've lost reader interest for the rest of the match, and, especially for a Pay Per View, this is a no-no. If you clump all your spots at the end, you're not hooking the reader off the bat, and they'll just end up scrolling to the match conclusion on you. Making every move a spot throughout the entire match, however, will dull the effect a spot has on your reader. And by no means should you make the first move a spot!

General Tips

- So, how will you know when you've gotten "over?" In real life wrestling, this is defined as "push." In roleplay-based E-Wrestling, the quality of your RPs determines how much "push" you have, as opposed to the administration. But in an in-character sense, a wrestler that is over with the fans gets massive crowd reactions, whether they be positive, in the case of a Face, or negative, in the case of a Heel. Generally speaking, if you walk into a fed assuming to be over at the onset of your career, just remember that in real-life wrestling, this wouldn't be realistic. The actual events that occur in E-Wrestling don't have to mirror real-life, but the crowds and their reactions do. Realistically, crowds don't pop massively for wrestlers who they're not familiar with, unless they come from another fed in a universe that exists parallel to the one which your own fed occupies. And unless the readers of your fed are also familiar with the fed that you come from, don't assume that you're over with them. To be over with the crowd, you have to be over with the handlers, and the fedheads. That's a reality.

- If you're dry on angle opportunities, try having a Stable feud. What's a Stable, you ask? A Stable is a group of wrestlers, usually about 4 or 5 people each, on average. Generally, they band together out of necessity, or to accomplish a goal. And as a rule of thumb, they share the same alignments. The Corporation, The Ministry of Darkness, The Evolution, The Union, and The JOB Squad are all examples of Stables in real life wrestling. There are many ways to set up a Stable feud. The easiest way is to form a Heel stable, causing a group of Faces to band together out of necessity, in order to resist the Heels. This isn't the only way to set up a Stable feud, so by all means, be creative.