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1This index holds the various pages of the ''So You Want to'' namespace. Go to SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory and SoYouWantTo/BeOriginal for basic advice that transcends genre boundaries.
2
3'''To Get the Template:''' Head over to SoYouWantTo/SeeATemplate, open it for editing, and copy the template at the bottom of the page. Then come back here, click on the link for the page you want to create, open it for editing, paste in the template, and start filling in the sections. There you go!
4
5Compare JustForFun/TVTropesHowToGuides. Contrast ThingsYouAreNotAllowedToDo. See also SoYouWantTo.MakeAJokeAboutTheSoYouWantToNamespace
6
7----
8[[index]]
9[[AC:The Basics]]
10
11This article covers advice for all writers, regardless of genre or medium; it's the stuff that would go on every page, but instead we put it on this one page and just point you over here:
12
13* SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory
14* SoYouWantTo/BeOriginal
15* SoYouWantTo/MakeInterestingCharacters
16* SoYouWantTo/DevelopCharacterPersonality
17* SoYouWantTo/WriteDialogue
18* SoYouWantTo/BuildYourOwnFictionalWorld
19* SoYouWantTo/BeALongRunner
20* SoYouWantTo/{{Recap}}
21* SoYouWantTo/NameACharacter
22* SoYouWantTo/NameAWork
23* SoYouWantTo/WriteAGoodSummary
24* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnEnding
25* SoYouWantTo/SeeATemplate[[note]]Okay, this isn't for story writing, but we had to index the template somehow. And it ''is'' a basic if you want to add to the library here. Think of this as "So You Want To Write a So You Want To Page".[[/note]]
26* SoYouWantTo/WriteAPlotTwist (under construction, please expand)
27
28See also TheHollywoodFormula.
29
30[[AC:Visual and Literary Genres]]
31
32The tropes that make the genre:
33
34* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAbridgedSeries
35* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnActionMovie
36* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAesop
37* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAlienInvasionStory
38* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAlternateContinuity
39* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAlternateHistory
40* SoYouWantTo/WriteABlackComedy (''NEEDS'' expansion)
41* SoYouWantTo/WriteAConspiracyTheory
42* SoYouWantTo/WriteACosmicHorrorStory (Needs pitfalls and candidates for epic fails)
43* SoYouWantTo/WriteACreepypasta (under construction, please expand)
44* SoYouWantTo/WriteACrossover
45* SoYouWantTo/WriteACyberpunkStory
46* SoYouWantTo/WriteADarkFantasy
47* SoYouWantTo/WriteADetectiveNovel
48* SoYouWantTo/WriteADieselPunkStory
49* SoYouWantTo/WriteADomCom
50* SoYouWantTo/WriteADystopia
51* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFilmNoir
52* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFolkSong
53* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFurryComic
54* SoYouWantTo/WriteAGameAnime
55* SoYouWantTo/WriteAGamingComic
56* SoYouWantTo/WriteAGoodYaoi
57* SoYouWantTo/WriteAGothicStory (needs plot ideas and candidates for epic fails)
58* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHardScienceFictionStoryWithSpaceTravel
59* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHaremAnime
60* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHeroicFantasy
61* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHighFantasy
62* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHorrorComedy (could use expansion)
63* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHorrorStory (could use expansion)
64* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHumongousMechaAnime
65* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnIsekai (under construction, please expand)
66* SoYouWantTo/WriteAJungleOpera (Needs revision for grammar, storytelling, and keeping it politically neutral/objective. Struggling to properly label GreenAesop as a political matter)
67* SoYouWantTo/WriteAKidNovel
68* SoYouWantTo/WriteAKoreanDrama (Needs expansion)
69* SoYouWantTo/WriteALitRPG (Under construction)
70* SoYouWantTo/WriteALoveStory
71* SoYouWantTo/WriteAMagicalGirlSeries
72* SoYouWantTo/WriteAMagicalGirlfriendSeries
73* SoYouWantTo/WriteAMonSeries
74* SoYouWantTo/WriteAPoliceProcedural
75* SoYouWantTo/WriteARomanticComedy
76* SoYouWantTo/WriteAScienceFictionStory
77* SoYouWantTo/WriteAScrewballComedy
78* SoYouWantTo/WriteASexDrugsAndRockAndRollStory
79* SoYouWantTo/WriteAShonenSeries
80* SoYouWantTo/WriteAShoujoSeries (Needs help. Maybe not a total rewrite, though.)
81* SoYouWantTo/WriteASitcom
82* SoYouWantTo/WriteASlasherHorrorStory
83* SoYouWantTo/WriteASpaceOpera (''NEEDS'' expansion, more details)
84* SoYouWantTo/WriteASpoofMovie (under construction, please expand)
85* SoYouWantTo/WriteASteampunkStory
86* SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic
87* SoYouWantTo/WriteATeenDrama
88* SoYouWantTo/WriteATimeTravelStory (''NEEDS'' expansion, more details)
89* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnUrbanFantasy
90* SoYouWantTo/WriteAVampireNovel
91* SoYouWantTo/WriteAVerySpecialEpisode (''NEEDS'' expansion)
92* SoYouWantTo/WriteAWarStory
93* SoYouWantTo/WriteAWerewolfStory
94* SoYouWantTo/WriteAYoungAdultFantasy (Under construction)
95* SoYouWantTo/WriteAYuriManga
96* SoYouWantTo/WriteAZombieApocalypse
97* SoYouWantTo/WriteSchemeAndScansion (needs a better description but probably not a total rewrite.)
98[[/index]]
99
100[[AC:Interactive Media]]
101[[index]]
102* SoYouWantTo/MakeACollectibleCardGame
103* SoYouWantTo/PlayAConsoleRPG
104* SoYouWantTo/WriteATabletopRPG
105* SoYouWantTo/WriteAVideoGame
106** SoYouWantTo/WriteAnAdventureGame
107** SoYouWantTo/WriteADatingSim
108** SoYouWantTo/WriteASoulsLike
109** SoYouWantTo/WriteAFightingGame (Needs expansion)
110** SoYouWantTo/WriteAFirstPersonShooter
111** SoYouWantTo/WriteAnIdleGame
112** SoYouWantTo/WriteAMajorMMORPG
113** SoYouWantTo/WriteAMetaGame (Needs expansion)
114** SoYouWantTo/MakeAMetroidvania
115** SoYouWantTo/WriteAMinorMMORPG
116** SoYouWantTo/WriteARealTimeStrategy
117** SoYouWantTo/WriteARoguelike (needs expansion)
118** SoYouWantTo/WriteARomanceSidequest
119** SoYouWantTo/WriteAnRPG
120** SoYouWantTo/WriteASurvivalHorrorGame
121** SoYouWantTo/MakeAVisualNovel
122** SoYouWantTo/WriteAWesternRPG
123* SoYouWantTo/WriteATabletopWargame
124[[/index]]
125
126[[AC:Medium]]
127
128This section is for certain media:
129
130[[index]]
131* SoYouWantTo/MakeAMusicVideo (needs expansion)
132* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFanfic
133* SoYouWantTo/WriteATrailer
134* SoYouWantTo/WriteAWebcomic
135* SoYouWantTo/WriteAWebSerial
136[[/index]]
137
138[[AC:Settings, Location]]
139
140This section is for certain settings and locations in a story
141
142[[index]]
143* SoYouWantTo/MakeARunAwayHideAway
144* SoYouWantTo/WriteACrapsackWorld
145* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHauntedCastle (under construction)
146[[/index]]
147
148[[AC:Story Aspects, Scenes and Large Ideas]]
149
150This section covers things that are either not big enough to be an entire genre ''or'' too big to be only for one genre (but are still not all encompassing enough to go to the basics section).
151
152[[index]]
153* SoYouWantTo/BreakTheCutie (under construction, needs expansion)
154* SoYouWantTo/BringACharacterBackToLife (under construction)
155* SoYouWantTo/CreateAConlang (under construction)
156* SoYouWantTo/CreateAMythopoeia (could be expanded)
157* SoYouWantTo/CreateARoguesGallery
158* SoYouWantTo/CreateBelievableAliens
159* SoYouWantTo/DeconstructATrope ([[LogicBomb under construction]], please expand)
160* SoYouWantTo/DesignAnAlienMind
161* SoYouWantTo/KillACharacter
162* SoYouWantTo/MakeTheNarratorACharacter
163* SoYouWantTo/MakeUrbanLegendsTrue
164* SoYouWantTo/MindScrewTheAudience
165* [[Analysis/PlayerPunch Player Punch the Audience]]
166* SoYouWantTo/ReconstructATrope (under construction, please expand)
167* SoYouWantTo/UseSomePhlebotinum
168* SoYouWantTo/WriteABackStory (under construction)
169* SoYouWantTo/WriteABelievableMasquerade
170* SoYouWantTo/WriteACharacterOfTheOppositeGender
171* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnExcusePlot (under construction, please expand)
172* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFightScene (under construction, please expand)
173* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFunctionalMagicSystem
174* SoYouWantTo/WriteAKidFriendlySeries
175* SoYouWantTo/WriteASexScene
176* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheSquad
177[[/index]]
178
179[[AC:Groundbreaking Works]]
180
181An overview of how these works rose to the top of the food chain, and how you might duplicate their success:
182
183[[index]]
184* SoYouWantTo/AvoidWritingTheNextFiftyShadesOfGrey (Under construction)
185* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextBloodborne (under construction, please expand)
186* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextDanganRonpa (under construction, please expand)
187* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextDoctorWho
188* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextFateStayNight
189* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextGundam (under construction, please expand)
190* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextHarryPotter
191** SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextHarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality (under construction, please expand)
192* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextKamenRider (expansion needed)
193* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextLifeIsStrange
194* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextMyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic
195* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextSonicTheHedgehog (under construction, please expand)
196* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextStarTrek
197* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextSuperRobotWars (under construction, please expand)
198* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextSuperSentai
199* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextTheSimpsons (under construction, please expand)
200* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextTMNT
201* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextUltraman (under construction, please expand)
202* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextX1999
203* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextXFiles
204* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextYuGiOh (expansion needed)
205* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheNextZeroEscape (under construction, please expand)
206
207[[/index]]
208
209[[AC:Major Authors]]
210
211These are for advice on what to study to improve your craft, given your target genres, demographics, and mediums:
212[[index]]
213* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextGrantMorrison
214* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextHPLovecraft
215* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextJRRTolkien
216* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextShinichiroWatanabe (under construction, please expand)
217* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextStanLee
218* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextStephenKing
219* SoYouWantTo/BeTheNextWilliamShakespeare
220[[/index]]
221
222[[AC:Individual Characters]]
223
224Writing a story is hard but writing believable characters, the core of any good story, is even harder at times.
225
226We need tropers to create new pages of these standard characters, and start giving advice on how to craft them! In the meantime, you can visit ''Literature/FortyFiveMasterCharacters'' and ''Literature/TheCompleteWritersGuideToHeroesAndHeroines'' for some basic character templates.
227
228[[index]]
229* SoYouWantTo/AvoidWritingAMarySue -- also a Troublesome Trope
230* SoYouWantTo/PortrayAutismAccurately
231* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnActionGirl
232* SoYouWantTo/WriteABadass (could use expansion)
233* SoYouWantTo/WriteACloudCuckooLander
234* SoYouWantTo/WriteACompleteMonster
235* SoYouWantTo/WriteAnExpy
236* SoYouWantTo/WriteAFourTemperamentEnsemble
237* SoYouWantTo/WriteAHaremHero
238* SoYouWantTo/WriteALawyerFriendlyCameo
239* SoYouWantTo/WriteAMagnificentBastard
240* SoYouWantTo/WriteATrickster (needs expansion)
241* SoYouWantTo/WriteTheSquad
242* SoYouWantTo/WriteAVillain
243* SoYouWantTo/WriteAVillainousBreakdown (could use expansion)
244* [[Analysis/TheWoobie Write a Woobie]]
245* SoYouWantTo/WriteAYandere (needs expansion)
246[[/index]]
247
248[[AC:Creator Jobs]]
249
250Writing a story is important, but writers aren't the only ones doing work. Most creative mediums are collaborative, and many people help to make a quality product. This section is for those who want a specific job in any of the creative industries or want to do a specific creative aspect for a work. Pages should detail some of the finer points about such jobs and if possible give proven ways to get into such careers.
251
252[[index]]
253* SoYouWantTo/BeAnAnimator (Needs expansion)
254* SoYouWantTo/BeABooker
255* SoYouWantTo/BeACausticCritic
256* SoYouWantTo/BeAVoiceActor (Needs expansion)
257* SoYouWantTo/BecomeAVisualKeiMusician
258* SoYouWantTo/DesignAFilmPoster
259[[/index]]
260
261[[AC:Troublesome Tropes]]
262
263We all know that Administrivia/TropesAreTools. But some of them tend to be useful only in the hands of a Master Craftsman. So here are some pages to help you avoid those tropes... at least until you know what the heck you're doing.
264
265[[index]]
266* SoYouWantTo/AvoidBreakingYourAesops
267* SoYouWantTo/AvoidFillerInYourWriting
268* SoYouWantTo/AvoidTheThemeParkVersion
269* SoYouWantTo/AvoidUnfortunateImplications
270* SoYouWantTo/AvoidWritingADesignatedHeroOrVillain
271* SoYouWantTo/AvoidWritingAMarySue
272[[/index]]
273

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