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Wick Check Project

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So this is a place for people who are interested in helping out, or getting help with, wick checks. Maybe you just want people to double-check your work before you submit it to the TRS, or maybe you have a big project in mind and can't tackle it on your own. Either way, you've come to the right place!

Remember to check out How to Do a Wick Check for a run down. For the list of current and completed projects, see Wick Check Project.

Edited by Berrenta on Oct 2nd 2025 at 9:41:48 AM

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2276: Jun 21st 2022 at 1:34:01 PM

I've seen them done a few ways:

  • Two separate checks for the two separate tropes
  • One check for both tropes
  • A specific category on the wick check dedicated to examples that overlap with the other trope

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
Just stoic wisdom.
#2277: Jun 21st 2022 at 6:36:17 PM

~War Jay 77 question re: WTHH, which category do "video game calls out player for particular action" belong in? I've found at least two of those. Also if I want to pull a wick from the Star Wars Magnificent Bastard (my "randomized" method of mouse scrolling landed on it), how do I do that? Because my policy's normally ctrl+f and all...

Vehicle-Based Characterization | Grief-Induced Split | Locker Mail
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2278: Jun 21st 2022 at 6:38:22 PM

For the first one, I've been putting those wicks into the "correct" folder, assuming the player is meant to be heroic. It's context specific I suppose.

For the second, you can still search, just use the source page instead.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
Just stoic wisdom.
#2279: Jun 21st 2022 at 6:44:22 PM

The what page??

Alright I'll move/mark my examples. One of them's a loosie but the other's on a multi-exampled page so I'll let you handle that and just mark it for you?

Vehicle-Based Characterization | Grief-Induced Split | Locker Mail
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2280: Jun 21st 2022 at 6:47:10 PM

The source page. Or I guess more properly "the page source". You get there from the "more" dropdown list.

Edit: Ah, multi example pages... yeah... I often just back out and find a new page to wick if there's too much going on. But I'll take a look anyway, lmao.

Edited by WarJay77 on Jun 21st 2022 at 9:48:07 AM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2282: Jun 21st 2022 at 7:23:18 PM

Oh no don't throw me in wick jail Tabs I'll be good [lol]

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
Just stoic wisdom.
#2283: Jun 21st 2022 at 9:55:34 PM

Someone on a recent thread (I think it was Unfortunate Implications?) split every multi-wick into its own entry and I thought that was an innovative idea. My own approach involved a whole lot of colors and running tallies noted on folder titles, which gets, uh, convoluted.

Vehicle-Based Characterization | Grief-Induced Split | Locker Mail
underCoverSailsman Peeks from Under Rocks from State of Flux Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Peeks from Under Rocks
#2284: Jun 21st 2022 at 10:02:33 PM

Also ended up making Sandbox.Stock Subtitle Wick Check. Does the sorting look right?


Regarding Warjay's query from last page about reviewing "In Progress" sandboxes:

Edited by underCoverSailsman on Jun 21st 2022 at 12:02:58 PM

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2285: Jun 21st 2022 at 10:02:59 PM

For me mostly I just get easily overwhelmed by multi-example situations. Sometimes they're fine, especially when they all fit the same category, but when they don't it just stresses me out. I don't mind finding a replacement wick since it's still randomly chosen but this way I have a check full of things I can actually comprehend, rather than of things that turn my brain to slop.

Well, that and I just hate how it makes the wick counts way more complicated.

Edited by WarJay77 on Jun 21st 2022 at 1:04:28 PM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#2286: Jun 22nd 2022 at 1:57:22 AM

...I just spent a significant amount of time going through the Wicks for Weekend Inventor (a trope with a tiny description about characters building things they shouldn't be able to).

Of the first 20-something pages I got through (out of about 50) most were misuse. However, my post got eaten by the internet. I am going to go yell into a pillow, and pick this back up tomorrow. It's a lot of ZC Es and examples that are self-defeating so far though. I think I had about 9 Keeps the rest were misuse. If that pattern continues, we're talking about less than 20 proper examples.

Edited by ArthurEld on Jun 22nd 2022 at 1:58:10 AM

GoldenCityBird from the UK Since: Oct, 2018
#2287: Jun 22nd 2022 at 4:58:42 AM

Decided to start an Evil Genius wick check to see if it's distinct enough from other tropes, like Mad Scientist and The Chessmaster, but found a load of ZCEs too. The sandbox is at Evil Genius Wick Check.

TRS Wick Cleaning
Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
Just stoic wisdom.
#2288: Jun 22nd 2022 at 11:25:55 AM

~War Jay 77 also re: WTHH, does misuse where it's used as an audience reaction go under "no in-universe call-out" or "other misuse"?

Also to make it less stressful on you I propose just making it to 138 wicks then splitting/resorting multis. With the numbered entries it'll make totaling up the secondary tally simple and you won't have to worry about if you've gotten enough wicks or not because you've already reached 138 before doing any dissection.

Vehicle-Based Characterization | Grief-Induced Split | Locker Mail
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2289: Jun 22nd 2022 at 11:27:11 AM

I think "other misuse".

In the past I've had entire folders dedicated to multis that belonged in different categories. I'm tempted to just do that again and not even bother splitting them.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#2290: Jun 22nd 2022 at 1:37:30 PM

Ok I need a little help. I started a Sandbox for the Weekend Inventor Wick Check here https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Sandbox/WeekendInventorWickCheck

But when I tried to pothole it in the main Wick Check Sandbox, it didn't work. What did I do wrong?

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#2292: Jun 22nd 2022 at 2:29:49 PM

Ah, thank you very much. I'll correct that now.

I'm going through the check now, and there's a good amount of misuse and ZC Es. When I'm finished, should I bring it up in TRS?

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#2293: Jun 22nd 2022 at 2:33:45 PM

Sure, you bring it back to the TRS again for misuse issues once the check is done.

Macron's notes
ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#2294: Jun 22nd 2022 at 2:53:26 PM

Cool, and thanks for everyone for the advice. I've never done anything like this before (my edits are usually very small-scale), but it's exciting!

themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2295: Jun 22nd 2022 at 3:13:27 PM

Once you're done, you can also add yourself to the TRS Queue so that we'll ping you when a slot opens.

Edited by themayorofsimpleton on Jun 22nd 2022 at 6:13:32 AM

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#2296: Jun 22nd 2022 at 5:16:27 PM

All done!

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Sandbox/WeekendInventorWickCheck

Yeah, at first I wasn't sure if it needed to go to TRS, because the actual description of the trope is fine (if brief), but it just attracts misuse, maybe because of the title?

There were less wicks than I thought (I didn't count those that were potholes to previous examples, or listed again elsewhere-like Mr. Turner from TFOP and Wario are both listed more than once in various places), so it turned out to be around 49 (8 more were for other larger tropes as comparisons, not examples) wicks, only 11 of which I felt were firm keeps, plus another 4 "maybes". So 15 out of 49, the rest being ZC Es and misuse.

I will say I didn't check out the examples under the main trope page, I'll do that next.

EDIT-should I wait for a TRS page before I go about cutting the Misuse and ZC Es? Or can I do that now?

Edited by ArthurEld on Jun 23rd 2022 at 1:45:31 AM

Hello83433 (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#2297: Jun 23rd 2022 at 10:06:10 PM

I started a Biker Babe Wick Check and I'm wondering if maybe I'm being too strict in my criteria? I was purposefully being strict because I think this trope has decayed to chairs, but I'm almost halfway done and have 0 correct usages.

Maybe just a good idea to get another pair of eyes on it, and some more wicks if you feel so inclined.

CSP Cleanup Thread | All that I ask for ... is diamonds and dance floors
underCoverSailsman Peeks from Under Rocks from State of Flux Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Peeks from Under Rocks
#2298: Jun 23rd 2022 at 10:21:37 PM

[up]So far, I agree with your sorting. This doesn't mean that the characters don't qualify, just that the examples as written don't show it.

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (3,795/50,000)
#2299: Jun 23rd 2022 at 10:25:41 PM

It might be the title's fault in part, it doesn't convey anything inherently sexual or attractive. I mean, "babe" is a pet name I guess, but it could also just mean a biker chick.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
magnumtropus Since: Aug, 2020
#2300: Jun 24th 2022 at 9:20:31 AM

I've finished my Flagship Franchise Wick Check for real this time. Could some fellow tropers help out by providing feedback on it?

Edited by magnumtropus on Jun 24th 2022 at 4:21:51 PM


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