WiKirby:Writing specifics

The following is a list of specific writing points that should be followed when writing on WiKirby. These are relatively short, but effective mantras that can be used to address writing issues on pages. If large portions of text need to be rewritten, be sure to tag the article or section with the {{rewrite}} template along with an explanation:

List of mantras

(some of these are adapted from Super Mario Wiki)

  1. Summaries that aren't - Story sections and level/stage overviews on articles should only summarize the important bits; specific details can be saved for other articles.
  2. Homeric - Readers do not need to be told everything about the story.
  3. Padding - Short articles and/or sections aren't bad if there's not much to talk about.
  4. Everything but the kitchen sink - Padding on steroids. Basically, don't fill articles with descriptions of things that are only superficially similar to what the page is about.
  5. Do it better - Unless it's too long or wrong, don't cut stuff out. Make it better instead.
  6. Get it? - Referential humor should be avoided unless it can be gleamed from the content alone.
  7. Captain Obvious – Don't explain something if the name already specifies what it is.
  8. Yelling - Use of exclamation points and capital letters gives readers a headache.
  9. Selling - Don't blow events out of proportion, don't exaggerate, and report the facts. Nintendo is not paying us.
  10. Kid's show - Don't lead the readers on or ask them questions.
  11. Kid's show deux - Don't talk to the characters. They can't hear us.
  12. Reading between the lines – No speculation. (see the conjecture policy for details)
  13. Fan worship - Character pages shouldn't have huge paragraphs or excessive details.
  14. Fan fiction - Don't make stuff up.
  15. Texting - Don't use emojis or shorthand words in articles.
  16. Fourth wall – Don't treat gameplay mechanics as if they were part of the story unless they become so.
  17. All fluff no crunch - If inserting some playful writing, always pair it with something useful too.
  18. No yous - Article text should never refer to the reader directly, especially when it should be referring to the player character instead.

Use of jokes and humor in articles

WiKirby aims to be informative, but also to avoid being dry and authoritative. A matter-of-fact tone is encouraged; a sense of wit is also welcome, but should not take precedence over the essential information of an article. This includes things that are otherwise self-evident, such as image captions. We're not looking to make the reader laugh.

Inappropriate places

Some portions of articles are better served by playful writing than others. Generally, one should avoid being playful in the following areas:

  • Introductory abstracts - These should be kept simple and straight as much as possible.
  • Technical details - Nobody wants a poem in their statistics.
  • File page summaries - See above.
  • Documentation pages - See above above.

Remember, WiKirby may handle a cutesy subject matter, but the games take themselves seriously, and so should we.

See also