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MarioWiki:Good writing: Difference between revisions
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Text replacement - "''Mario'' series" to "''Super Mario'' franchise"
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*'''Grimdark''' – There may be a few interesting instances in which ''Mario'' gets serious, but don't fixate on them: blowing stuff out of proportion just skews our coverage and lowers the wiki's credibility. | *'''Grimdark''' – There may be a few interesting instances in which ''Mario'' gets serious, but don't fixate on them: blowing stuff out of proportion just skews our coverage and lowers the wiki's credibility. | ||
*'''Reading between the lines''' – The articles are for facts, not speculation. Keep original interpretations and personal biases out of the writing. | *'''Reading between the lines''' – The articles are for facts, not speculation. Keep original interpretations and personal biases out of the writing. | ||
*'''Unsupported analysis''' – Some things in the ''Mario'' | *'''Unsupported analysis''' – Some things in the ''Super Mario'' franchise are left ambiguous and making a few straightforward inferences is better than nothing, as long as it's supported by quotes and references, and is presented as being "implied" (etc.) and not fact. | ||
*'''Judgement calls''' – There is also a lot of contradictory material in the ''Mario'' | *'''Judgement calls''' – There is also a lot of contradictory material in the ''Super Mario'' franchise, but don't make assertions about which story is true or false. Just present them both and note which one is more recent or more widely adhered to in the games (if applicable). | ||
*'''Knitting everything together''' – By nature, most ''Mario'' games do not fit together into a cohesive timeline. Trying to link them together is speculation and should not be done. | *'''Knitting everything together''' – By nature, most ''Mario'' games do not fit together into a cohesive timeline. Trying to link them together is speculation and should not be done. | ||
*'''Fan worship''' – Character pages should not be bogged down by rambling essays and excessive details. That level of coverage and the way it's written is not thorough or informative, it's unprofessional and even off-putting at times. | *'''Fan worship''' – Character pages should not be bogged down by rambling essays and excessive details. That level of coverage and the way it's written is not thorough or informative, it's unprofessional and even off-putting at times. | ||
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One common form of padding is when users try to make articles a bit too thorough and end up describing things or events that are only superficially similar to what the page is about. For example, [[Mini Mario (form)|Mini Mario]] is a specific form that appears in the ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' series with specific abilities. The page for it should not [http://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Mini_Mario&diff=1359932&oldid=1359536 feature every instances of Mario being shrunk in some way], although briefly mentioning in the introduction that he's been shrunk in ways besides the Mini Mario form is acceptable. Similarly, [[Baby Mario]] is a specific entity, and his page should not list every time Mario is shown as an infant in other ''Mario'' medias (unless, of course, those appearances are based on ''the'' "Baby Mario" the page is about). However, like the Mini Mario example, a short paragraph in the introduction summarizing the other baby appearances would ensure the article is indeed exhaustive and won't appear to simply be missing the extra info, but at the same time, limiting it to a paragraph or less means the article doesn't get cluttered up by users writing detailed sections about everything but the kitchen sink. | One common form of padding is when users try to make articles a bit too thorough and end up describing things or events that are only superficially similar to what the page is about. For example, [[Mini Mario (form)|Mini Mario]] is a specific form that appears in the ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' series with specific abilities. The page for it should not [http://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Mini_Mario&diff=1359932&oldid=1359536 feature every instances of Mario being shrunk in some way], although briefly mentioning in the introduction that he's been shrunk in ways besides the Mini Mario form is acceptable. Similarly, [[Baby Mario]] is a specific entity, and his page should not list every time Mario is shown as an infant in other ''Mario'' medias (unless, of course, those appearances are based on ''the'' "Baby Mario" the page is about). However, like the Mini Mario example, a short paragraph in the introduction summarizing the other baby appearances would ensure the article is indeed exhaustive and won't appear to simply be missing the extra info, but at the same time, limiting it to a paragraph or less means the article doesn't get cluttered up by users writing detailed sections about everything but the kitchen sink. | ||
This issue often overlaps with [[MarioWiki:Generic subjects]], which addresses the problem of users writing about every appearance of a generic real world item or animal appearing in ''Mario'' media, rather than limiting the scope of the article to appearances in which the subject has a specific function, and isn't simply acting as it does in real life and is not key to the gameplay and/or story. For example, the [[Boomerang]] page is about the power-up in the series and should not list every generic instance of boomerangs being used in the ''Mario'' franchise, although acknowledging that generic boomerangs appear in various other installments in the ''Mario'' | This issue often overlaps with [[MarioWiki:Generic subjects]], which addresses the problem of users writing about every appearance of a generic real world item or animal appearing in ''Mario'' media, rather than limiting the scope of the article to appearances in which the subject has a specific function, and isn't simply acting as it does in real life and is not key to the gameplay and/or story. For example, the [[Boomerang]] page is about the power-up in the series and should not list every generic instance of boomerangs being used in the ''Mario'' franchise, although acknowledging that generic boomerangs appear in various other installments in the ''Super Mario'' franchise is fine. | ||
===Captain Obvious=== | ===Captain Obvious=== | ||
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Just as making things grittier than they need to be isn't desirable, so too should users avoid reading too much into the games and coming up with original interpretations of characters and events. Articles must be based on facts, not speculation, and personal biases must be set aside when writing. If you prefer Luigi over Mario, that's fine, but don't waste your time writing a section about how the latter is a mindless force of destructive goodness while his underappreciated brother is the real hero who has the harder task of vanquishing his various inner demons and personal shortcomings, because that material will not last long on the wiki. | Just as making things grittier than they need to be isn't desirable, so too should users avoid reading too much into the games and coming up with original interpretations of characters and events. Articles must be based on facts, not speculation, and personal biases must be set aside when writing. If you prefer Luigi over Mario, that's fine, but don't waste your time writing a section about how the latter is a mindless force of destructive goodness while his underappreciated brother is the real hero who has the harder task of vanquishing his various inner demons and personal shortcomings, because that material will not last long on the wiki. | ||
That being said, analysis and dissection are not inherently bad if they're kept to a minimum. There are admittedly some things included in the ''Mario'' | That being said, analysis and dissection are not inherently bad if they're kept to a minimum. There are admittedly some things included in the ''Super Mario'' franchise that are left somewhat ambiguous (i.e. the various character backstories hinted at in ''Super Paper Mario''), and it is better to have something rather than nothing about these aspects. But keep in mind that the interpretations ''must'' be straightforward and logical, backed up with solid references (i.e. the original quotes from the games or related material), and explicitly stated to be "implied" or "hinted at" (etc.), rather than passed off as solid fact. | ||
However, this does not mean that users should go out of their way to resolve contradicting information or try to link unrelated events and games together into one cohesive narrative. If there is a contradiction, simply provide both stories and comment on how they conflict without giving more credence to one version over the other, unless one is clearly anomalous when compared to all other relevant info (i.e. a single game guide mislabeling one enemy as another, etc.), although references should still be provided. Straightforward resolutions are not always easy to come by, however, since in most cases, ''Mario'' games do not link together (except in the recycling of main characters, generic enemies, items and places; occasionally, cameos and other nods and references to early games may also be included). Therefore, [http://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Mario&oldid=764279#Super_Mario_Bros.:_The_Lost_Levels users should not try to string things together into solid timelines], as this is just as speculative as choosing a side when it comes to contradictions. Users must remember that while there is no official ''Mario'' timeline, it ''is'' possible to create overviews of characters that are coherent and logically arranged without getting ambitious and speculative about it. | However, this does not mean that users should go out of their way to resolve contradicting information or try to link unrelated events and games together into one cohesive narrative. If there is a contradiction, simply provide both stories and comment on how they conflict without giving more credence to one version over the other, unless one is clearly anomalous when compared to all other relevant info (i.e. a single game guide mislabeling one enemy as another, etc.), although references should still be provided. Straightforward resolutions are not always easy to come by, however, since in most cases, ''Mario'' games do not link together (except in the recycling of main characters, generic enemies, items and places; occasionally, cameos and other nods and references to early games may also be included). Therefore, [http://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Mario&oldid=764279#Super_Mario_Bros.:_The_Lost_Levels users should not try to string things together into solid timelines], as this is just as speculative as choosing a side when it comes to contradictions. Users must remember that while there is no official ''Mario'' timeline, it ''is'' possible to create overviews of characters that are coherent and logically arranged without getting ambitious and speculative about it. | ||
===Fan worship=== | ===Fan worship=== | ||
A specialized form of delving too deep into the material and giving a disproportional amount of coverage to certain aspects of the ''Mario'' | A specialized form of delving too deep into the material and giving a disproportional amount of coverage to certain aspects of the ''Super Mario'' franchise is when a character's appreciative fans go overboard in crafting their article. For example, it does not take pages and pages of cruft to describe Peach's dress or the game-by-game evolution of [[Princess Daisy|Daisy]]'s appearance, specific sections do not need to be written about Bowser's common sense or his more sympathetic instances of emotion, and as mentioned before, one-off characters like Dimentio do not merit entire essays for their histories and personalities. Like other types of padding, going into too much detail bogs the pages down and makes them hard to read, and in some cases, the level of attention being paid to certain characters (typically females, for one reason or another) can even come off as a bit creepy and off-putting. Everyone who edits the wiki is a fan of the series and its characters. However, when it comes to the actual writing, users must be sure to keep it professional. | ||
===Trying to fuse game mechanics and story elements=== | ===Trying to fuse game mechanics and story elements=== | ||
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;'''Remix''': "Remix" is frequently used to refer to a new recording of a music track, when the proper term for that would be "arrangement." A remix uses the original recording and modifies it (such as by altering the pitch, adding new percussions and beats, etc.) while a rearrangement is a new recording of an existing composition. | ;'''Remix''': "Remix" is frequently used to refer to a new recording of a music track, when the proper term for that would be "arrangement." A remix uses the original recording and modifies it (such as by altering the pitch, adding new percussions and beats, etc.) while a rearrangement is a new recording of an existing composition. | ||
;'''Sprites''': "Sprite" refers to pre-rendered graphics, but it is often used to refer to any graphical assets in games with a 2D playing field, including ones such as ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', where almost all graphics are live-rendered 3D models. Of course, ''pre-rendered'' 3D graphics can be sprites (such as with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and ''[[Yoshi's Story]]''). | ;'''Sprites''': "Sprite" refers to pre-rendered graphics, but it is often used to refer to any graphical assets in games with a 2D playing field, including ones such as ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', where almost all graphics are live-rendered 3D models. Of course, ''pre-rendered'' 3D graphics can be sprites (such as with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and ''[[Yoshi's Story]]''). | ||
;'''Subspecies''': In science, "subspecies" (or "sub-species") denotes different populations of a species that are genetically, geographically, and/or physically distinct to an extent, yet still similar enough for interbreeding to occur freely when possible. However, it is often misused to label different species that are merely similar and/or based on one another, such as calling [[Lakitu]]s or [[Shady Koopa]]s subspecies of [[Koopa Troopa]]s. In reality, there are very few cases in the ''Mario'' | ;'''Subspecies''': In science, "subspecies" (or "sub-species") denotes different populations of a species that are genetically, geographically, and/or physically distinct to an extent, yet still similar enough for interbreeding to occur freely when possible. However, it is often misused to label different species that are merely similar and/or based on one another, such as calling [[Lakitu]]s or [[Shady Koopa]]s subspecies of [[Koopa Troopa]]s. In reality, there are very few cases in the ''Super Mario'' franchise where enemies are similar enough to potentially be subspecies (i.e. red and blue [[Spike Top]]s in ''Paper Mario''), and even then, since their evolutionary history, genetics and breeding biology are unknown, it would still be speculation to definitively label anything as "subspecies." Instead, "species" should be used for everything, and similarities should simply be discussed in terms of "related," "derived" or "parent species." | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||