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In the SPOTLIGHT!
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FWrestling.com - Circuit News and Info
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Angles, Angles, Angles
There’s more to fantasy wrestling than just gimmicks and roleplay. You’ve got to know how to run an angle. For newbies, angles are generally in-card actions that advance a storyline, which may take place during a match, ‘backstage’ or almost anywhere else. Angles can affect out-of-card stories as well, although those actions are generally advanced through roleplay, etc.
I’ve received thousands of angles through the years. Some are as simple as a run-in that results in a disqualification; others are so advanced that they can be extremely difficult to keep up with. The key is to know who you’re writing for and what your ultimate goal is. Know how your league’s owner and staff like to receive angles: figure out which e-mail address to send it to, when it should be sent and if there is any specific format or form you need to use. Be as concise as you can while including all the pertinent information.
Figure out what your goal is. Are you trying to set up a long-term feud, or is this just a one-shot to help build your character? Are you trying to win the match at hand, or will a disqualification (or even a loss) help set up what you want to do? Is this the beginning of a larger story, or the middle, or the end?
Don't be afraid to work with other handlers. If you're in the midst of a starting a big feud, you may want to come up with some 'pieces' of the feud with your opponent's handler. I'm not a huge fan of setting up every single detail of a feud with an opposing handler, but some people do it that way as well. (I'm not a fan of it, because I believe in the element of surprise...fedheads should use it, and so should handlers.) In the CSWA, usually the only way I'll do an injury angle, etc. where a character gets seriously injured or 'put out' for an amount of time, is if both handlers have agreed in advance, and if it furthers the storyline.
Don't get too far out...time-wise... with your angle. It's good to have a general plan of what you'd like to happen over a series of cards, but be flexible, as well. You don't know what the fedhead or other handlers may have in mind... so you need to be able to adapt your plan for other considerations.
Also, don't get too ticked off if your angle is changed or isn't used. That's a fedhead's prerogative. I've written/edited cards where I received tons of angles, maybe 5-6 for the same match or involving the same sets of characters. Obviously, they can't all be used. In those cases, a fedhead has to try and use as much of what he receives as he can, while keeping the storyline tight and easy-to-understand. In some cases, that may mean that your angle, the one you thought would put you over the top for the sure-fire win, gets combined with an opponent's angle...and your angle ends up backfiring somehow. It happens. If you're going to whine incessantly about it, then that league probably isn't the place for you.
Finally, remember that the story takes precedence, not just your character. One the main points I try and get across to CSWA handlers is the fact that while the CSWA concentrates heavily on roleplay, there are times that the storyline dictates a match result. I also tell handlers that roleplay always pays off in the end... characters may lose a match now that's setting them up for the 'big win' later.
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