Pro Wrestling: The Purest Form of Storytelling

As I was working with the trainees at the Blaze Pro Wrestling academy yesterday we got into the discussion of motivations. Of personal and character development. Focusing on the WHYs of action and intention as opposed to "just the moves." 

For sure. The moves are cool. Even essential. That's the sizzle to season the steak, if you'll permit an oft overused metaphor. 

However, without the WHY in that ring nothing else matters.

Again, not a new opinion. Speak to any respected veteran with a podcast and they'll tell you much the same thing.

Here's where I can draw those parallels to movie making and books and other forms of entertainment and get the same point across. Why is the John Wick franchise so captivating in comparison to one of any dozen direct-to-streaming action franchises that also have terrific action? It's because of the WHY. Of the drive and dedication of the performers and craftspeople involved to bring you a multilayered story that also delivers some of the greatest action seen in cinema history.

Side note, for a deeper dive into the layered storytelling and themes of John Wick, please check out the amazing video essays done by Mikey Neuman of "FilmJoy" Fame:

But getting back to my thesis statement, Why do I think Pro Wrestling is the Purest Form of Storytelling?

In Pro Wrestling we as performers - athletes - clowns - bookers - competitors have the broadest canvas possible with which to tell and re-tell some of the greatest stories possible to a wide audience. An audience that ranges from little wee children all the way up to those grandparents in the front row trying to smack the "Bad Guys" with her cane (RIP Gracie, you were amazing).

When we first start out training wrestlers, the emphasis is so heavily focused on the action. About being safe and protecting yourself, which is absolutely how it should be. In process of doing that, we also "protect the business" as it were, ensuring that the performers we put in front of a crowd will be able to lend their creativity and efforts in a way to illicit the response from the paying customer who's more often than not only a few feet away from the action. This is admittedly a longer process for most than you'd think since the best way learn is often times by diving feet first into the ring and making mistakes live in front of said audience.

But the benefit of this is where we can begin to tell the simplest of stories with these wrestlers. In my mind I equate them to the "Little Golden Books" of matches, where a viewer of any age can watch and without to much effort get a grasp of what's going on.

For example: Young up-and-comer is nervous but excited to compete and prove themselves against the wily veteran who knows the craft better and isn't afraid to take advantage of the newbies' inexperience. Will the newcomer have the fortitude to stand strong? Will they be true to themselves? Will the veteran resort to chicanery and foul play? Will they welcome the new wrestler warmly and have a purely competitive bout?

And most importantly, who is going to win?

Every match - exactly like every book, movie, TV show etc - has so many variations on the same theme. Will The Protagonist face the challenge before them and show grit , perseverance and moxie even when The Antagonist lays roadblocks and obstacles in their path to challenge and defeat their ambition.

These stories - these matches - only get more complex and nuanced as time goes on. As performers get enough reps in, if they have the privilege to travel and see the world - to see how other countries and cultures perform their wrestling - they will learn how to layer in so many different variations on this theme. They will learn how to show conflicts within themselves. To show regret for their actions. Show righteous indignation and validations for wrongs done to them that are then repaid onto the dastardly bastards who've earned them.

Saying "Pro Wrestling is like a Morality Play" is obviously accurate. But I don't think it goes far enough to describe the nuances that are possible within different matches on the same card.

I don't think there are any other mediums (especially not LIVE mediums) where during one 2 Hour Event, you can literally have multiple stories that will appeal to all ages. From the "Little Golden Book" style Little Good Guy vs Bad Bully encounters all the way up to a John Wick-Style violent exhibition of a wronged individual fighting for revenge where no quarter will be asked or given. 

Pro wrestling can contain love stories. Stories of individuals overcoming personal adversities. Tales of friendship and betrayal and horror and comedy ... oh God, so much comedy.

But through it all, when done right - Pro Wrestling is Pure.

Because it can be anything, for anyone at any time. 

And that is kinda magical.

Thanks for reading. Please check the links. 

AK

BOOKS

SHIRTS

EVENTS

Why Do We Tell Stories?

The most cynical of us these days say "All the good stories have been told!" or "Nothing original is being made anymore!" Or my favorite, "Why are they retelling the same stories but just changing the gender / sexuality / race of these characters?"

Do a quick search on YouTube and you'll find a handful of smart looking people giving Ted Talks and Video Essays about this very topic. Some of them are cogent, others maybe a bit heady for the casual viewer.

But it is an important question.

In truth, I think the better question is "Why are we drawn to stories?"

And in my opinion, the answer is simple: We want to see people we can connect with struggle with adversity and over coming their obstacles. Because it shows US that WE can do it too.

Stories are about connection. About conflict. About the power of love. The sting of betrayal. The rise of power at the expense of the weak. 

Stories are told in all kind of mediums. The best of them connect to us in ways where we feel the most seen as people. All kinds of people. This alone is WHY it's so important for stories to be re-told, re-imagined and Re-interpreted for new generations as the world changes and evolves. The type of movies and shows we watched in the 1980s were formative for us in those days but don't connect as well to current generations. Doesn't necessarily make them bad stories or "Inappropriate in theme." It just means that at their core it's fine to find the thesis point, the nugget of truth in that story and re-create it for the generations today and forward.

Now it's important to remember that some stories aren't for everyone.

And that's okay.

We're allowed to like / not like whatever speaks to us the most. For example, I absolutely, unequivocally cannot get into any version of Game of Thrones. Neither the show nor the novels.  This is a genre that is right up my alley. I love swords and horses fantasy. I love high adventure. I love in depth writing. And yet, the GOT original novel is one of the few that I've ever stopped reading voluntarily and put aside. I watched the pilot episode, acknowledged that it was very well made, performed and produced... and never checked into the next episode.

I don't know. Just never worked for me.  

What's not okay - and here's where I prepare for vitriol and hateful messages - is prejudging a program / novel / show before you even get the chance to consume it.

I want to declare up front and with full admission - I have been, continue to be and will again be SO GUILTY OF DOING THIS.

This type of attitude and behavior does not only the story in question, but yourself a disservice. Who knows how many shows or books I've dismissed out of hand before even giving it a fair shot.

We all know the worst types of these people too. Again, YouTube - there's a whole cottage industry of assholes whose whole purpose is to nitpick, shit on, or rage bait their way to popularity by tearing down popular pieces of film / television and feeding into the baser instincts of a small minded audience who only wants the type of story that appeals to their narrow viewpoint. Which is typically male. Usually white. And certainly straight as a board. 

Now I'm not gonna put any of these people or channels on blast. Frankly they don't need me driving any more eyeballs to their work. Moreover, if you've read this far and are still interested - odds are you already have an idea of the kind of groups I'm talking about and aren't someone whom I'm trying to connect with here.

The important thing is to understand that just because a story may not speak directly to you, that YOU might not be able to connect to it - doesn't mean that someone else isn't finding joy, hope or purpose from the character's journey.

What's that? You think Rey is a Mary Sue that's only in Star Wars because of agendas and woke-culture? Well, to so many people (many of them young girls) Rey is a symbol or hope, of self-empowerment who literally raised herself from nothing to find her place in the world. That's powerful.

What's that? You think that Sam Wilson becoming Captain America is dumb because he doesn't even have the Super Soldier Serum and not in any way because he happens to be a black man?  Well in a conflicted and frankly overmilitarized country like the United States of America where old racist feelings are swelling to the surface in the most disgusting and base manners, the character of Sam Wilson choosing to accept the shield in the hopes of being a healer, someone who bridges the gap between the fractured parts of that country is a powerful message. Especially choosing to do it without being the strongest or fastest person, choosing to be a symbol for everyone. 

And don't me started about the ongoing power of professional wrestling and the never ending morality play that takes place between those ropes for millions of people around the world. Showing good people making bad choices. Bad people wanting to better themselves. The selfish learning humility. The best of us making the choice to abandon their principles when they seem to have run out of options.

We connect to characters who show us something about ourselves. We want those characters to achieve their goals and find peace or prosperity or love or connection. 

We need these characters to succeed in some way, so they can show us the way when we need it most.

That's why we tell stories.

Speaking of stories, I got BOOKS. And I'd appreciate it if you gave them a read. 

AK

SHIRTS

Breaking Down Storytelling, or at least how I Break it Down

I would like to preface this whole discussion with an honest admission: It’s entirely possible that I have zero idea what I am talking about, and that the things that I am about to elucidate on only relate to ME and MY personal preferences in the art of storytelling.

To me storytelling refers to all forms of media. Public Speaking. Books. TV. Film. Music. Political discourse. Theatre and of course, Pro Wrestling. Any time you are presenting an idea or a premise to an audience of any size you engaging in the art of story telling.

The trap I’ve often fallen into with my stories (more specifically early on, thankfully less so now) came from misunderstanding the difference between Plot and Story.

If you watch a lot of movies and start getting into the weeds of how they’re created or learn a little bit about the behind the scenes nature of editing and the like, it’s usually easy to find areas where the action doesn’t line up. Or the characters are disjointed, some things that get set up are disregarded or a scene comes along the way just takes you out of what you’re watching. Inevitably the person in this position considers these moments as being “Plot holes”.

Now, sometimes they are indeed just that. A hole in the plot that defies the premise of what you’re engaging with. If you’re someone who’s not only a consumer of media but someone who wishes to create their own, it is perfectly natural to focus on your plot obsessively. Leaning into a paralysis by analysis whereby you become fixated upon the minutiae of your story. Who does what and when? Where is the MacGuffin set up? How does that twist? Does the action beat work in a way that doesn’t break the laws of physics? We’ve started a timer, we’d better make sure that the action on screen lines up with the countdown, right?

All of these are good things to be worried about and I’m not trying to dismiss them. However when you focus on these types of details too much what you’re missing out on is often the reason why most people consume entertainment in the first place.

They want to be told a Story about people they can relate to.

If you’ve done your job properly and created characters in situations that your audience can picture themselves in where there is conflict, drama and believable emotion this easily glosses over most technical issues or “plot holes” for the audience. Because they want that hook, that emotion, that grit.

It shouldn’t matter if you’re having a financial dispute over the price of coaxium hyperfuel that you can only mine in the bowels of the Kessel Spice Mines. If you get there with characters you believe in and enjoy then you should be happily along for the ride.

Obviously, it’s also easy to fall into the trap in the other direction too. If you focus too much on the story of the characters without taking into consideration their world around them it’s easy to come up with a hodge-podge of disconnected ideas that ultimately leave people feeling unsatisfied.

In the end storytelling comes down to having a clear vision of what you’re trying to say in any given moment. And more importantly it means being able to adjust and be flexible when along the way as you’re developing / breaking your story down you stumble across new elements or ideas that could enhance the tale you’re trying to tell. Sometimes this happens organically.

In the world of pro wrestling or weekly syndicated TV you can often gauge the audience’s reaction to what is happening. If you’re perceptive and willing to roll with their wave of enthusiasm you can find a way to enrich their viewing experience by leaning into characters or scenarios they’re reacting to. Not all at once of course, don’t let your audience tell your story for you. But don’t ignore them either. If people are sitting on their hands and not caring that tells you everything you need to know and you need to re-evaluate if you’re actually creating a story for them or for you.

Now, as a caveat I would like to digress into the world of prose and long form novel writing. While obviously every author in the world would love to have the success of a JK Rowling, Stephen King, Lee Child and many others it is important to realize one thing (from my perspective.) In no other form of media is it more apparent when an author is pandering to an audience and being inauthentic than it is within a novel.

With Film / TV / Live events a bit of pandering is perfectly fine. You’re looking for that immediate engagement and wanting that response. And you need it in order to keep the people coming back on a regular basis. That form of entertainment is very much in the “Churn and Burn” vein.

With a novel it has to come from somewhere with a bit more soul. This doesn’t mean that everything has to be drab, dreary or even deep. But it should at least be evolved in some way where you can bite into your characters and their world and feel it. In no other medium does your story exist more fully than within your audiences’ own imagination and all you have for them are the words on the page for them to experience. So if you’re not giving those words your best effort it’ll come across flat to your readers. Sure, it doesn’t mean you can’t write on a deadline, and no dear readers this isn’t me making an excuse for why I take so long between novels to get a finished product together. But in more visual mediums you can fake it a bit with the writing, make the words super economical and then relying on the other artists you’re working with to help tell your story. In fact, that’s the only way movies / TV / Theatre succeed. In a group setting.

So with that out of the way I think the most important idea I can impart to any other storytellers is to make sure no matter what kind of tale you care to tell, make absolutely certain that the characters all face Consequences for their Actions.

Good, bad, apocalyptic or whatever. Everything they do must come with a cost. If you’re telling a fantasy tale where wizards can conjure up anything out of thin air with no seeming effort you’re shorting the audiences’ ability to connect to that wizard. If you’re bad ass action heroine is able to ninja kick her way through a plethora of fools without breaking a sweat or even getting out of breath, you are robbing the audience the opportunity to feel her pain or stress in that moment of triumph.

Consequences are the key to any good story. For your protagonists, antagonists, bit players, coffee shop attendants… whatever. The more you add consequences to your characters the more it helps to ground whatever is going on to your audience in a way that they can understand. Because we live in the real world, and nothing is easy when you get right down to it.

With consequences your characters echo with your audience and they engage with your story.

And that’s the whole idea, right?

AK

Check out the consequences my main character Joe goes through in my Urban Fantasy OVERDRIVE Series at the following retailers. Available in eBook, Paperback and Hardcover.

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Also, please consider supporting your favourite Wrestler today by visiting Pro Wrestling Tees and browse to your hearts content. Just, while you’re there, consider looking at my site first willya?

Defining Success Pt 1 – AKA “The Author Origins”

 

First, a shout out to my boys Ed, Ron and Producer Bill for the inspiration to do this post / essay / rambling string of words. On their latest Patreon Only Podcast episode of “The Greatest Pod” (subscribe fools, support good people!) they took some time to express not only their frustrations with succeeding in the entertainment industry, but the pitfalls, challenges, own goals and more that they’ve experienced along the way.

And it got me thinking (a dangerous pastime I know) about my life experiences. How I’ve personally moved the goal posts on how I’ve defined success or failure in my own life and career. What I want out of life going forward. And most importantly, what I want to be spending my time and energy on now that I’m officially into my dreaded “middle age.”

In my office at home there is a file folder tucked away. In this folder are the block letter scribblings of a 20 year old me, frantically jotted down while he was supposed to be working on his actual job trying to convince people to switch long distance providers in a too bright cubicle farm. These scribblings laid out a plan for 9 fantasy novels (3 sets of trilogies!) that I firmly believed would change my life and make my dreams come true. I believed this because I had accomplished a monumental feat, completing an actual manuscript. Yes, my skinny fat and hyper nerdy ass had written almost 150K words and put them in some semblance of order. Initially this had been inspired by a wicked DnD Campaign (though in truth it was an unrequited love letter to a young lady who would ultimately break my heart – twice) and I was firm in my belief that any road to success in my future was going to be paved by my imagination and willingness to put words to word processor.

Then came trying to submit it to Publishers. And let me tell you, if you think that this is difficult in 2021 when there are agents and editors on Twitter ASKING you to pitch to them you have ZERO idea what it was like back in 1996. When Windows 95 was only a thing you had if you had money and email was in its very infancy.

Plus. I live in Winnipeg. Publishing houses here are awesome but by their very nature incredibly small presses.

Regardless, I went to the library. Took out a book on “submitting your manuscript” and put together 5 packages for major publishers. Because, I didn’t want to limit myself to only 1 offer naturally.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what happened next.

No, I don’t have any of my rejections letters. Because the 2 I received back came easily 6 months later and the others never bothered to respond.

Frankly I don’t blame them. My manuscript was bloated, huge and pretty much a vanity project. The kind where I tried to write the wrongs (perceived or validated) in my life. Where I wanted to live out a fantasy that made up for the struggles that I was certain only I was dealing with. Financially, personally and otherwise.

Failure is a tough pill to swallow. Especially when you believed in your heart that you are destined for greater things.

There are still 2 computer paper printed copies of that original manuscript in existence. One of them sits in the drawer with that “9 Book Outline” I mentioned earlier. The other is on the bookshelf of the heart breaking girl in question (yes, we got over each other and remain dear friends to this day.)

That original manuscript sat in desk drawers or in storage totes and on an ancient floppy disk drive until 2012.

That was the year I learned about modern self publishing.

Unlike the method peddled prior to the advent of eBooks where the upfront cost was prohibitive and every aspect of the financing, marketing and distribution of your words rested solely upon the writer – eBook self publishing was much easier on the pocketbook. As such, the competition in the field is disgusting, and like most aspects of the internet is overfilled with hacks, smut and hastily thrown together schlock disguised as “art.”

With that said there is also great work out there. Very personal and well written work that clearly means a lot to the artist. The kind of work that would be terrifying to commit to writing and infinitely scarier to put out into the world for scrutiny and derision.

It completely removed the gatekeepers of the publishing world. It made it possible for a guy like me to live his dream.

The first thing I ever published was a gothic Vampire novella I wrote initially as a character examination from my brief foray into LARPing. It’s rough but dark and available to this day if anyone is interested. And while it scared me to put it into the universe it inspired me to do more.

So I wrote “Cowboy Ending.” A more personal tale derived in part from my real life experiences, struggles and fantasies. A book inspired by the artists who inspire me set in an Urban Fantasy version of my home city. And while it took a bit to gain traction, and I still had to invest in things like a proper Cover Artist and a bit of online marketing – the feedback has been incredibly rewarding.

Which was when I did the scariest thing I’ve ever done creatively. I opened that drawer in my office. Dusted off the frayed binder holding my precious manuscript together and found a computer that would still read the disk drives from the late 90s so I wouldn’t have to rewrite it all from scratch.

While “The Book of Korum” is still a beast, clocking in at over 120K words, it’s definitely more streamlined than the hatchet job a 20 year old kid managed to cobble together. I still have the idea of maybe going back to that world and those characters one day, but life is busy and I have other goals and ideas too.

Regardless, that “failed” piece of art I created in my youth has now been downloaded well over 1,000 times by readers. Lots of freebies and giveaways for sure, but it’s probably bought me lunch a few times over the years. However none of that shit matters because the success comes in the doing.

Do the Work. Because that’s the only thing you can control.

When you do the work to the best of your abilities you will know it. The accomplishment of the work is its own reward. It is its own success.

That feeling is what sustains me and what drives me when I want to give it all up. Stop building spec scripts, stop going to the gym and working out for wrestling or building new layouts for future books / stories / projects.

Because while my work isn’t making me rich enough to pay my mortgage, it makes me rich enough to feel great when I see smiles on people’s faces when they take a chance on my words.

And frankly, that’s really the only reason to do anything.

(However, scoring a contract with DelRey Publishing complete with TV / Film options would be outstanding. So if you’re looking for things to option from independent authors please hit up the DMs willya?)

AK

Download your copy of “The Book of Korum” at the following retailers for only $0.99!
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