Hey all! Having frequented the Guides section on here, and being one of its most active members, I've picked up on a few criteria that separate good guides from bad or average ones. There are certain things that can inhibit a guide's potential, and keep it from fulfilling its purpose of informing the reader. I want our guides to be the best they can be, and I'd like to share my knowledge with any aspiring guide writers on here. So without further ado, here are some of the unwritten rules of guides.
Rule #1: Be specific
Having read numerous guides on here, I can say that general or vague guides are often some of the least helpful. The purpose of a guide is to provide information to people, and one that lacks info is essentially pointless. If you're writing a guide about Fox combos, make sure to include all the details about up tilt strings and followups. Don't just say "You can use other attacks after using U Tilt a bunch I guess." Tell us more! Tell us which followups work, at what percents, on what characters, and whether or not they can DI out. We came to your guide to learn as much as we could. The more details you include in your guide, the better and more helpful it will be to people.
If you're still testing stuff, you can put Work In Progress (WIP) in the title of your guide to indicate that it's still being worked on. I myself have had to do this before, as testing for certain things dragged on extremely long. However, it's better to post it all at once than post an incomplete guide.
Rule #2: Know what you're talking about
If you make a guide, ensure you know your subject matter. You wouldn't write a book about the history of Norwegian pottery if you knew nothing about that, so why would you write a guide on a character you don't know? If it's about a character, make sure you know the character and have tested and recorded their info for your guide. If it's on a tech, make sure you know how it works and how to perform it. (Going back to Rule #1, some info and extensive data on that tech would also be nice!) Knowing your topic is key to a good guide. Not only should you discuss your subject at length in the body, you should also be prepared to answer any questions about it that your readers may have in the discussion section.
Rule #3: No character overviews, please
Unless you absolutely have to, please don't do a character overview. Our guides section is flooded with them, and sometimes there are multiple for the same character that say the same thing. Instead, try focusing on a more specific aspect of that character. How about Fox's Jab Cancel? (Still hasn't been done, and if you know it you're welcome to write it!) Or maybe Lucario's True Combos? I find that not only is it better for the Guides section as a whole to do a more specific guide, it's also better for you as a writer. With a more limited scope for your project, you should be able to focus in on it and make it the best guide possible.
Rule #4: Good grammar and spelling pls
What good is an awesome guide about Shulk's Monado Arts if your readers can't understand you? This is possibly one of the most important rules. Your readers need to be able to understand what you're saying. Not only that, you look like you know what you're talking about when you have good spelling and grammar. It helps your readers, and it helps you.
Rule #5: Listen to criticism
Believe me guys, I know how hard it is to have your work criticized. However, as a guide writer, you NEED to listen to feedback. Although it's embarrassing and humiliating to have people tell you your bad habits, it's good for you.
It's the best way to improve your game in Smash, and the best way to improve your guide writing. Listen to what people say, and examine your own work to see if what they're saying has weight. If it does, you should try to change it. Reviewers aren't there to bug you, they're there to help you. Don't let their help go to waste.
Thanks so much for reading my guide! I hope it helped. Be sure to leave a review, as it really helps me out :D
Rule #1: Be specific
Having read numerous guides on here, I can say that general or vague guides are often some of the least helpful. The purpose of a guide is to provide information to people, and one that lacks info is essentially pointless. If you're writing a guide about Fox combos, make sure to include all the details about up tilt strings and followups. Don't just say "You can use other attacks after using U Tilt a bunch I guess." Tell us more! Tell us which followups work, at what percents, on what characters, and whether or not they can DI out. We came to your guide to learn as much as we could. The more details you include in your guide, the better and more helpful it will be to people.
If you're still testing stuff, you can put Work In Progress (WIP) in the title of your guide to indicate that it's still being worked on. I myself have had to do this before, as testing for certain things dragged on extremely long. However, it's better to post it all at once than post an incomplete guide.
Rule #2: Know what you're talking about
If you make a guide, ensure you know your subject matter. You wouldn't write a book about the history of Norwegian pottery if you knew nothing about that, so why would you write a guide on a character you don't know? If it's about a character, make sure you know the character and have tested and recorded their info for your guide. If it's on a tech, make sure you know how it works and how to perform it. (Going back to Rule #1, some info and extensive data on that tech would also be nice!) Knowing your topic is key to a good guide. Not only should you discuss your subject at length in the body, you should also be prepared to answer any questions about it that your readers may have in the discussion section.
Rule #3: No character overviews, please
Unless you absolutely have to, please don't do a character overview. Our guides section is flooded with them, and sometimes there are multiple for the same character that say the same thing. Instead, try focusing on a more specific aspect of that character. How about Fox's Jab Cancel? (Still hasn't been done, and if you know it you're welcome to write it!) Or maybe Lucario's True Combos? I find that not only is it better for the Guides section as a whole to do a more specific guide, it's also better for you as a writer. With a more limited scope for your project, you should be able to focus in on it and make it the best guide possible.
Rule #4: Good grammar and spelling pls
What good is an awesome guide about Shulk's Monado Arts if your readers can't understand you? This is possibly one of the most important rules. Your readers need to be able to understand what you're saying. Not only that, you look like you know what you're talking about when you have good spelling and grammar. It helps your readers, and it helps you.
Rule #5: Listen to criticism
Believe me guys, I know how hard it is to have your work criticized. However, as a guide writer, you NEED to listen to feedback. Although it's embarrassing and humiliating to have people tell you your bad habits, it's good for you.
It's the best way to improve your game in Smash, and the best way to improve your guide writing. Listen to what people say, and examine your own work to see if what they're saying has weight. If it does, you should try to change it. Reviewers aren't there to bug you, they're there to help you. Don't let their help go to waste.
Thanks so much for reading my guide! I hope it helped. Be sure to leave a review, as it really helps me out :D
- Applicable Games
- Smash 64, Melee, Brawl, Project M, Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
