Discussion: Why OSW?
Myself and Laner were talking about OSW last night and other feds that shall remain nameless. It was slightly baffling to us that some of these feds have rosters of 30-40 people, but the content they put out is terrible and the workload they expect, even worse.
So, from your perspective and for anyone thinking about joining us... why OSW?
Why do you choose and continue to choose OSW for your writing hobby?
My response will be less insightful than others due to being less active in the scene, having less history in other places etc, but here goes.
After IWF and Rage, I looked for writing quality in shows and impartial judging as the two main things I wanted from a fed, and OSW ticked both boxes. On top of that, it would be a continuation of the community I had grown fond of. Furthermore, the RP size limit felt more accomodating to my burn out... But I struggled to adjust - my style involved rambling and flourishes. As you know, even when I stopped RPing, I remained in the community because you guys rock... And y'all dragged me kicking and screaming back. I'm enjoying myself and not as stressed as I used to get about how well I was/am doing, and it all just feels very welcoming.
Why OSW? I needed something to scratch the writing itch without jotting down too many words. I also wanted a place where I could be challenged to do better and improve my writing ability at the same time. This e-fed managed to do that. Also, people are more supportive of each other here and there are no real cliques in here. Everyone's willing to help the other when it comes to offering help and put out something that's a fun read.
The shows are of top quality too, which fits given that we all try to put out our best work week in and week out. We also help out our fedhead to make sure these shows get out on time, as evidenced by the fact some of us write segments and matches for him so he doesn't have to pull the entire workload around here.
Outside of writing, we also have game nights where we talk to each other and have fun playing some party games. Essentially we bond like a family would during Saturdays. I wouldn't imagine spending my weekend any other way, really.
Not quite sure what else to write at this hour. I'll probably look back on it and think "I should of said THIS" later on, but I feel like this is a good enough place to leave off for now.
I've been around the block a bit. I'd been searching for something before OSW and everything I'd been in or found was crap. The feds either closed within weeks or months, required quantity over quality, had ego driven assholes in charge and on the boards or as a writer, you were expected to do everything yourself. When I first read the rules of OSW and got in touch with Dean on twitter, I couldn't believe there wasn't a catch. I wasn't and am not a great writer and my debut as Master Ken proved I saw things through a different lens than I needed to, but I was given all the support to find my way.
Since then, I've had endless fun. I've enjoyed writing every single promo and every single angle the creative team have produced for me. Dean and Connor both reached out to me to help me create Gravedigger and teach me more about the OSW promo style to be competitive and I'm still learning that. The only critique of OSW is that the forums aren't very active, but that's because there's a Discord. I can't be a member of that, so I miss out on the community aspect of OSW quite a bit.
I write my stuff whilst at work and OSW is so very manageable that I can't wait to get to work to write for it. I easily find the time to write 500 words during a busy work day during a 7 day week and read the shows/content provided. I do it all at work. It's that easy, that simple and more fun than I've ever had in a fed like the ones I mentioned above.
I like to think of Old School Wrestling as e-fedding made simple. There's nothing simple about the angles, the web design, the competition or the quality of graphics, though it's made to look it. But for a handler who wants to write in a reliable, constructive, committed place, OSW simply offers it all without hesitation. How many feds do you know that have been open as long as this one and always have a show up early or on time? I check the website every Monday morning at work and every Monday morning there's a new show for me to read, and a card, without fail. I've written somewhere in the region of 18 promos here... that means I've been on the roster probably close to six months now. There's no where else I'd rather be.
There's a lot of reasons why I would choose OSW, but a lot of those depend on knowledge I wouldn't have without being in OSW. I'm sure people are going to comment on the on-time shows, the craftsmanship that goes into everything we do. The superior graphics and presentation factors. The way we do things no one else is doing, or if they are, it's not nearly as polished or exciting as our version. Our game nights. The familial atmosphere we have. Those are all great reasons to join, and shouldn't be ignored.
But for me, and the reason I liked the IWF in the scant time I was in it before it's demise, was that things are done differently.
Flat out, OSW offers something different than other e-feds. I'm not even talking about the smaller word counts or the term "microfed."
It's part of the reason I tried (for a little while) to push the idea of calling what we do Fantasy Wrestling instead of e-feds. And I'd eschew the term "roleplays" for what we do as well.
It looks somewhat like the same game we all started in, but it's really not.
Here's what I mean by that:
When you make a character in most efeds, you're crafting a fully realized character you're going to plop in the world. You have a history mapped out, you know exactly how this character is going to act and handle themselves. In most feds, you're going to control nearly every aspect of that character, including being involved in writing your storylines. Your roleplays are in-depth stories featuring your character, maybe with their own cast of side-characters. There's a connection there that makes it truly roleplaying.
That doesn't exist in OSW. You create a character, but once you've done that it's out of your hands. Your promos are non-canon. Your history is subject to change for the story Creative is telling. You get meager say in your stories (if you do feedback), but you're not in the room advocating for what they do. And if Creative is doing their job right, you're going to get something fulfilling out of it. If they're not, you let them know and corrections are made. It's not the same.
That's where the break happens for a lot of people. They can't see past the traditional efed methodology. Either in terms of how to promo or in terms of how their character is going to be handled.
I think that's why we don't have 30+ people on the roster.
OSW is for people who have grown past the efed model of 20 years ago and want something more. It's also for people who have a love of wrestling and writing and need a place to put those together. I have no idea how to market to that audience, tbh. But those two groups are more likely to stick around, I feel.
In short, I choose OSW because it's the next level of fantasy wrestling. OSW is what efedding evolved to. It's just a matter of getting everyone else to evolve with it.
Thinking back to being part of the E-Fed scene when Angelfire was a thing I have to say the reason I value OSW is because it’s not like the other feds I’ve ever been a part of. I vibe very much off what Laner was saying. OSW feels very bespoke and unique to the people in it and feels about more than just wrestling and the art of competitive writing.
This is the first fed that I’ve ever been a part of that requires feedback to be given, and I feel changes that come from that. The shows are about more than competition, the stories are actually compelling. To see the characters, we’ve created based upon our own media influences be given life and can see them in what I can personally call screenwriter quality stories done as a hobby is just amazing.
We have some of the best writers that I’ve come across in this hobby. Looking back at the people who’ve shown up had a week or two with us and then left or found to be cockwomble and getting bounced from the fed. The flaw that I can see with those people is they’ve lacked teachability. I say this with all my heart and soul, the reason I became good here is because I opened my eyes and ears while shutting my mouth when I’ve asked for feedback. Because this place is filled with some wonderful teachers who want to see people grow and make connections with people in the fed. I know that everyone isn’t that way but a good portion of the Fed is willing to help people improve and give back when called upon. Everyone here is capable of being a teacher and teachable.
To summarize this fed is more about the wrestling, you feel like your characters live in the world that’s been created here, and you desire to see what’ll happen next in this world. While getting to enjoy a community and grow by being around talent who wants you to be as talented as them. It’s really something else, and I cannot say enough good about OSW.
I've been sitting on this for a few days to really dig into what drives me.
Writing has always been a creative outlet for me. To that end, I've always valued others that can push the envelope of creativity. Those that inspire me and challenge me. It's what attracted me first to fedding, beyond the draw of wrestling actually. I've always been drawn to creativity - music, creating characters. Here... This is first and foremost a place where the envelope is continually pushed. People here aren't satisfied with the status quo, or the way things are just because that's what is always done.
Hell, look at the universe that has been created, and recreated.
I think that desire to be creatively my best first drew me to IWF. The inspiration of some folks there, the creative storylines and character development was something I was new to. As a young adult, I thought I knew best with my character, my precious... So handing over the reigns to someone else was a massive mental hurdle. Creative control is something massive to give up. But in doing so, that character goes through such changes that you'll never, ever see coming. It draws you in so much more.
Now, I'd never do it any other way.
Therein lies the second reason that OSW trumps all. Loyalty and trust. I know that people here go to bat for each other, support each other and ultimately want to put out the best damned product on the internet. And damn it, they do, every week. I'm a massively loyal guy, and have a massive group of folks here I'm loyal to. But it stems from a place of trust. If someone else is developing a character I've built, you have to trust them to do a damned fine job or it doesn't work. Creatively, OSW is on a level nobody else is or ever will be.
It's not easy, it's taken years of honing and building the world, but it's so immersive and so deep.
So why OSW?
Because it's a challenge. 500 words means not wasting. Anyone with a few hours on their hand a week can smash out a few k of drivel, but the challenge of being concise is a weekly balance that we're all striving for. It's tough, and people here do it very, very well.
I love that challenge. It drives my competitive streak to better myself.
Iron sharpens iron. Some people are just not up for that challenge, or willing to set ego aside in order to grow themselves creatively.
In that case, this place is not for you.
But, if you are... This place doesn't play favourites. It rewards creativity and quality.
I'd advise anybody looking at taking the plunge to create a character that is unique to OSW, not one you're bringing over from a past fed. Somebody you'd be willing to hand over that creative control for.
It'll probably end up being your favourite character, you've ever made.
And you'll probably write the best you've ever written... Because you'll have the support of some amazing people to help there.
You can call me a kiss ass all you'd like, but I'm here for the one reason none of you have mentioned, but all of you should have. Dean mother fucking Mason. I'm an older man, we all know this. I've been in a lot of e-feds going back to write-ins and postal competitions. I've been there, seen that and done that. I joined Dean in the IWF for roughly four years of the best e-fed experience I've ever had. I loved the IWF so much that when Josh had RAGE and the IWF closed, with most of us going over there, I couldn't write for him and had to leave. It sucked. Everything people love about OSW is because one man created it, envisioned it, leads by example with it and doesn't ever fucking stop delivering.
The 500 word count is a masterstroke for people who don't want to write thousands of words on a weekly basis. It's less time consuming. But if you for one second think writing a successful promo in this fed is easy, despite the word count, you're mistaken. It isn't. It's hard work. It's easy to pump out 500 words of shit, and I've done that plenty, but it's a challenge to write 500 words that sit atop the pile in any given week. I love this fed, but I'm loyal to the fedhead above all else. There's nothing in my entire e-fed experience of many years that has ever been run like a well oiled machine, week in and week out. Things happen to this man in the real world, but when they do, the show goes up. Family emergency? Show goes up. Child being born? Show goes up. Sick? Show goes up. No-0ne else puts those graphics up, or that show up. He does that.
Obviously, OSW takes a family. Any good e-fed will always take a family to put in the work to make it last. The right people have to be in the right places for the right tasks, or it can all crumble. But everything here is planned out perfectly. The right people are trusted to do the right things and they do it, because they're amazing people. Those people are here because if they weren't the right people, they wouldn't be. Every volume is a masterful artistry of story telling that spans years, without any hiccups, despite people coming and going and always always always delivers. It's fucking television series level shit, people. How many people can do that in this game? Not many.
This might sound like I'm blowing smoke up Dean's ass and IDGAF if that's what anyone thinks. The fact of the matter is that I've been in his feds now for 14 years and there's no-one better. Why OSW? Because it's a Dean Mason fed and I'm a Dean Mason guy. If it wasn't OSW, it'd be whatever else he did.
Quote from Felix Foley on 11 August 2024, 15:40You can call me a kiss ass all you'd like, but I'm here for the one reason none of you have mentioned, but all of you should have. Dean mother fucking Mason. I'm an older man, we all know this. I've been in a lot of e-feds going back to write-ins and postal competitions. I've been there, seen that and done that. I joined Dean in the IWF for roughly four years of the best e-fed experience I've ever had. I loved the IWF so much that when Josh had RAGE and the IWF closed, with most of us going over there, I couldn't write for him and had to leave. It sucked. Everything people love about OSW is because one man created it, envisioned it, leads by example with it and doesn't ever fucking stop delivering.
The 500 word count is a masterstroke for people who don't want to write thousands of words on a weekly basis. It's less time consuming. But if you for one second think writing a successful promo in this fed is easy, despite the word count, you're mistaken. It isn't. It's hard work. It's easy to pump out 500 words of shit, and I've done that plenty, but it's a challenge to write 500 words that sit atop the pile in any given week. I love this fed, but I'm loyal to the fedhead above all else. There's nothing in my entire e-fed experience of many years that has ever been run like a well oiled machine, week in and week out. Things happen to this man in the real world, but when they do, the show goes up. Family emergency? Show goes up. Child being born? Show goes up. Sick? Show goes up. No-0ne else puts those graphics up, or that show up. He does that.
Obviously, OSW takes a family. Any good e-fed will always take a family to put in the work to make it last. The right people have to be in the right places for the right tasks, or it can all crumble. But everything here is planned out perfectly. The right people are trusted to do the right things and they do it, because they're amazing people. Those people are here because if they weren't the right people, they wouldn't be. Every volume is a masterful artistry of story telling that spans years, without any hiccups, despite people coming and going and always always always delivers. It's fucking television series level shit, people. How many people can do that in this game? Not many.
This might sound like I'm blowing smoke up Dean's ass and IDGAF if that's what anyone thinks. The fact of the matter is that I've been in his feds now for 14 years and there's no-one better. Why OSW? Because it's a Dean Mason fed and I'm a Dean Mason guy. If it wasn't OSW, it'd be whatever else he did.
Jesus Christ mate, I might have to get you to write character references for me. Thank you though. It means a lot to me that I've been able to influence the kind of fun you've had in e-fedding to date. It really sincerely does.
Why OSW? When I first joined what feels like a lifetime ago now, I was a college kid who loved wrestling and creative writing and wanted to find something that combined both worlds. That was the path that helped me find e-fedding in general. I looked at a website that had the top 100 and looked at a few above OSW first that seemed ok with the writing but had that feel of old flash pages like the people who created then didn't want to go beyond basic forums.
Then, I clicked on OSW and first thing I noticed was how clean it looked, how much whoever made this cared about it (knowing Dean after all this time, all of it makes perfect sense in retrospect), and there was this image of Scarecrow that I was just in awe of. I see the guys talking about live shows so I watched the last show, Pandemonium a couple days after it aired and went oh, this is where I want to do it. I applied with nervousness as a guy brand new to this world and Dean helped me right away to the point I was on the next show somehow winning a match.
At first, it was just a fun weekly writing exercise then I joined the community back in our Skype days and loved it a lot. Going to discord and just being here where it has become almost a family dynamic can't be recreated. Dean and the boys throughout the years have made me want to stay here in the best and worst moments of my life. I love this pace and I love you guys. Yes, there's other places to write, other places to be a champion, but other places that have this much care around it. I don't see that.
Dean, you're one of the most passionate people I have ever met and at this point, I could see you post a show from your deathbed. Your energy and other people's energy and skill here drove me from becoming an average writer who had moments of genius to a world champion. There's a lot of reasons I'm here and have stayed but at this point, it really comes down to, this isn't just a hobby anymore, it's become a big part of my life.