The Guide to Email Success/Shim-Sham-Sam Tips

From Homestar Runner Fanstuff Wiki

Hello user who is new to the popular Other Character Email section. If you're here, you probably started an email show unsuccessfully, or want to start one, but are doubtful. Well, I'm the kind of person who you can ask. And if you want proof of how skilled I am in OCE writing, read my Gunhaver Emails. Be warned. The first emails are bad, but that was when I was new. Things get better as we progress. Anyway, here are the basic tips:

• Follow the Transcription Standards.
  • Make your emails longer than 10 lines. But it's advised if you don't just go for 10 lines. Go beyond. Heck, go for 100, if you are willing to make extremely long emails, especially for email specials (see below).
• As Bubs said, "Whatever. I'm going for quality over quantity!" Now, Other Character Email Tampo, a very good email show, has 30 emails. That's not a lot compared to some emails shows (Other Character Email 1-Up, Other Character Email Stinkoman, Gunhaver Emails), but that's because the emails are very good. A lot of time is put into those emails. I'll go more into details later.
• If you want to go off-topic (as Strong Bad did in old comics), please at least answer the email. But if you can't because you have areally great idea for that email, save the email for the next one, as I did for emails 25 and 26.
• Have a LOT of free time. Don't be rushed. That's a key to having a crappy email show.
• Have great spelling and grammar. Having poor spelling and grammar can hinder the readers' ability to read your emails, thus making them unpopular.
• Make the email show realistic by your character's universe's definition of realisitic. For example, if you're doing The Poopsmith, don't make him speak 100 languages if he doesn't make a sound at all! If you're doing an Old-Timey character, don't make it too futuristic. That's why I find OCE Old-Timey Strong Bad a bit annoying. In the 1930's, computers were as big as a wall, and they're activated by switches and it's really complicated. So why does Sir Strong Bad have a computer with a keyboard and an email client? No offense to the user who started that, but, to be realistic, it's best if you go back to telegramming.
• A good idea is to not create the entire email in one go on an editing page. Do it my way. My way is thinking of how the email will go, how to make it long, and how to make it funny. Then I make the email on a WORD DOCUMENT and type the email out. After that, I edit the mistakes I made, then go make the Easter Eggs and Fun Facts. Make the Easter Eggs related to the email. Make the Fun Facts be about the facts, and if you need to put in opinions, put them in only when you need to.
• Don't crossover. I know that 20X6 is now the most popular theme, and if you get a non-20X6 character, tough. Or maybe not, since you prefer that character, unless that character's an alternate for a 20X6 character. Still, keep crossovers (especially with the future) minimal, unless you need to, like in a storyline. Speaking of which...
• Make plots! They are what spice up all email shows! They spice up Gunhaver Emails, Tampo Emails, Nebulon Emails, The Ungurait Emails, and almost every other email show that uses the plots! But for your sake, start with non-canon emails. When you have a fair amount of said emails, then you can make plots. Just know what you're doing, since the plot might be manipulated by the emails your character gets in the inbox.
• Make them easy to read. Don't use paragraphs. Make a script. Also, it's great if you do it in PRESENT-TENSE, since this is a script, not a novel.
• Make it FUNNY! That goes onto quality.
• For the parts with actions, use the {italicized brackets}, not (italicized paranthesis), and make then ITALICIZED, not BOLD or NORMAL!
• Email specials. If you want to have them, have them at a good interval of an amount of emails. Tampo emails have email specials every 10 emails. Gunhaver emails have them every 25 emails. They are where you put in a lot of effort for quality and length. Make them funny, action-packed, and SPECIAL.

I might add more later on. Until then, this is some basic stuff, or more-complex-than-basic stuff. Good luck!