Not Thriving: How I Wrote This Article Article

"How I Wrote This Article" Article.

Brought zero people to the wiki since the last update. That's a big concern.

I think the problem is that it's too rare. I've seen this trope around for years and in all that time, I think it's gained only one more example. It doesn't seem like that common a thing.

So what exactly are you suggesting we do about it?

You are right. It is rare. Not only is it rare, it mostly turns up in Non-Fiction essay writing, which doesn't have much coverage on this wiki. So it should be no suprise there are few wicks. As for inbounds... Something with 6 wicks can't be expected to have lots of inbounds.

This is why I get nervous when people start making the "Not Thriving" argument. It isn't our fault if something is rare out "In the wild" where tropes are used. It isn't the fault of the article that it covers a trope that doesn't come up a lot in My Little Pony, Anime, Dr Who, or Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

It isn't our fault that this isn't the sort of trope that people entry pimp on websites.

Not all tropes can be superstars. This is one of them. That doesn't mean it isn't legit trope worthy of documentation.

I think the question is whether it's Too Rare To Trope.

If it's not, then all we can do is entry pimp it.

I don't think it is Too Rare To Trope. It just doesn't come up much in the sort of works that get the most attention from our wiki.

edited 6th Apr '12 1:47:48 PM by Catbert

I think this is a trope. For example, I can think of several webcomics that are about somebody trying to make a webcomic. It can get seriously meta from there.

Also, I've added a page quote.

Maybe the solution is to expand the definition beyond articles and essays? Not to mention stick this on some more indexes.

I think so. I am not particularly fond of tropes limited to one particular media. If an essay about writing essays counts, why wouldn't a comic about writing comics count?

Aren't there also a lot of news reports and documentaries that are narrated like this?

Seeing as most of the examples on the page aren't even about written articles, changing the description should be the first thing we do.

Most definitely a trope. Most definitely not a common trope. I think I've seen this in several webcomics, or at least similar stuff.

First in mind was the beginning of El Goonish Shive, but after checking, it's almost but not quite this trope. I think.

I completely agree with Spark 9 that this doesn't need to be limited to essays or any other medium

Also, I think the initial requirements can be loosened a bit. For example, So you're a cartoonist has many pages somewhat about the processes of writing a comic. I would call that a semi-meta autobiographical work, However with the current description only a exact self-describing work would count. I don't know, maybe?

edited 8th Apr '12 8:47:11 PM by pokedude10

Is this a subtrope of Self-Referential Humor ?

I'd say so.

It would have to specifically about the making of the work itself, rather than other works of that type — not just "a TV show about making a TV show". So Adaptation. (as I understand it) but not 30 Rock.

EDIT: Come to think of it, is A True Story in My Universe similar?

edited 9th Apr '12 7:01:54 PM by HersheleOstropoler

Precisely. A film about making films is not this trope. A film about making that film itself is.

We could change the title to "How I wrote this story" story, or "How I wrote this text" text. Still, it should be customised, with quotation marks around "How I wrote this X".

Clocking due to lack of activity.

Why is the trope name refusing to show up? Dave Barry just shows a colon where the trope name should be, and typing out "How I Wrote This Article Article" as a Wiki Word shows nothing.

edited 12th May '12 11:00:40 AM by Twentington

Locking.