Help with AARs?

[Portuguese Man-Of-War]

I am currently working on an AAR(check out my signature), but I was wondering if someone could nitpick at my AAR and give me some tips on how to make it better. Currently, I feel like I'm taking too long on each of the chapters, and I want to know from experienced AARtists how to take less time when writing them and still keep up their content and quality. As of now, I am taking a minimum of one hour to write up each of the AAR chapters (including playing, uploading, and writing) and my next chapter with a battle will take even longer than the others. Some tips, please. I beg of you.

[Sweger]

Well, this is what I did:

My AAR is taking up one campaign and I need more hours than I first thought I would. My chapters are pretty long, but I tend to describe stuff quite in detail and add some "role playing" i.e. add some story to it. But it also depents what kind of AAR you are writing, my AAR has a style like a novel (but at the beginning it was almost like a history book) because that is what i personally prefer to read, so, if you like writing like I do, you should not make any concerns how long it takes to write it, as long as it gets good. If you however do it "report-style" i.e. just describes what happens and who does what like TV-news or a simple report (like this one for example: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=482551) you should publish in rather tight intervals.

Since each chapter for my AAR describes between 2-5 turns (including field battles), I rather got the feeling that I did not get much playing done...so if you feel like writing, play a few turns and write about them, but have another campaign in progress as well, which you can just play when you get abstinence for that.

And yes, uploading takes time, but there's little one can do about that.

[ChivalrousKiller]

Including playing, uploading and writing I probably use several hours on each chapter. You need that much time to write a good AAR, in my opinion. But, as Sweger says, play other campaigns in the meantime, or you will probably get bored by all the writing

[In3x]

I think you are doing fine mate. I spend many hours writing up each update in my newest AAR and it is nowhere near as popular as yours.

Perhaps more role playing would increase your readership as that is what most AAR readers are after.

[Diamond]

Everyone reads different styles, and you can't please everyone. I don't really like reading a lot of words - I have textbooks for that - so I prefer seeing a lot of pictures and a run down through text. Also, I like observatory/narrator standpoints; I don't really like seeing the story from a single point of view.

What I'm trying to say is that you should just stick with the style you have going on now, because you are writing this way naturally (no one has asked you to change your style), which means this will be your strongest writing style. Some people will like it, some people will not. It is their reading preference, and if you write the way you normally do, it will be a strong AAR.

[John Doe]

Have a look in some issues of the critic's quill, there are some good articles dedicated only on the writings technique.

[PrestigeX]

So far, I like your AAR -- it has a nice balance between text and pictures.

For me, I really enjoy when a writer puts in the thoughts and expressions of the Characters involved -- particularly if the author will focus on Major Family Members -- like King, Faction Heir, 'Councillor of the army', or otherwise famous general.

I also appreciate when a writer takes pictures of important battles, and maybe catalogues the troops involved on both sides -- esp with the different mods and games everyone uses, its not always so obvious what certain troops are (if you don't have that version of the game). Pictures of the starting formations are especially good, because you get a sense of whats' happening or will happen -- too many pictures of a mish-mash melee can be difficult to see whats going on. Say a picture or two of Starting Formations, a picture showing perhaps a key tactical move, and then a final picture showing the decisive moment in which victory or defeat is assured.

[Sweger]

So far, I like your AAR -- it has a nice balance between text and pictures.

For me, I really enjoy when a writer puts in the thoughts and expressions of the Characters involved -- particularly if the author will focus on Major Family Members -- like King, Faction Heir, 'Councillor of the army', or otherwise famous general.

I also appreciate when a writer takes pictures of important battles, and maybe catalogues the troops involved on both sides -- esp with the different mods and games everyone uses, its not always so obvious what certain troops are (if you don't have that version of the game). Pictures of the starting formations are especially good, because you get a sense of whats' happening or will happen -- too many pictures of a mish-mash melee can be difficult to see whats going on. Say a picture or two of Starting Formations, a picture showing perhaps a key tactical move, and then a final picture showing the decisive moment in which victory or defeat is assured.

That's good, I'll try to think about that myself

[Portuguese Man-Of-War]

Thank you all for your compliments, but in the end, it is ultimately up to the efficiency of my time management, I suppose. As you say, so far, nobody has asked me to completely change my style, so I'm doing something right, but sometimes I get so frustrated and bogged down(Hell, I've only gotten 4 chapters out, and I'm already complaining. I'm such a lazy bum).

+Rep, guys, this really helps