Tips for How to Become Popular on Wattpad
This is all my experience/opinion. Don't hate.
1) Write a good book.
Seriously. I'm gonna be honest here. There are some people who write crap novels and expect everyone to read it. I'm not saying that your writing is necessarily bad, but that doesn't mean your novels not...if that makes sense. Aha. But you can't expect to be popular in anything if you suck at it.
2) First impressions count.
TITLES. Need I say more? Don't give the entire plot away in the title. You know how for papers, you have to formulate a thesis that sums up the entire paper into one sentence? It's kind of like that. Titles should be concise and intriguing. I'm not going to lie; I really like "Why She Fell" as a title (does it sound pompous that I say that?). Put enough thought into the title so that when people read it, they'll think, "Hey, this sounds interesting." At the same time, don't over think it!
Make your cover attractive. Don't put too much on it, you know? Be bold and make a statement but don't overdo it. I really like @Perfectionism 's covers because they're simple, pretty, and professional looking. Make sure you can read the title, too. Dude, like, if I can't read the title, chances are I'm not going to read the book. "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Pshhhh screw that. Everyone does it; I know I do. If you can make good book covers, great. If you can't, go to the book cover forum. Choose your book cover maker person wisely, dude.
AND OH MY GOD DON'T PUT PEOPLE MAKING OUT AND NAKED ON YOUR COVER.
Kissing, okay.
BUT NAKED AND GROSS AND EWWWW.
PLEASE DON'T.
IT'S DISGUSTING.
Classy, not trashy, folks.
The summary of your story is perhaps one of the more crucial elements. Sure, your title might be great, and your cover may be pretty, but the first thing a reader will read of your book is the summary. Again, don't make them super long (I had a really long summary once. I deleted the book, aha). Use as few words as you can to give little bit to the story. Make it concise and interesting. Ask a friend to help you, if you need it. Ask them, "Would you read this story?"
Actually...don't ask a friend. They might just tell you that they would 'cause they're your friend. I'd ask a sibling if you have one. They can be pretty harshly honest (trust me).
3) Do read-for-reads.
Before I start on this, let me just say: Don't spend too much time promoting. If you're spending five hours promoting your book that has one chapter, and you've written 50 words of the next chapter, then obviously you're promoting too much. Remember the real reason you want to write--because you love it, not because of fame.
That being said...
You can't expect that everyone in the world will just seemingly stumble upon your story. Sure, a few people will, but if you're just starting out on Wattpad, there's a very slim chance you'll get anywhere. (I'll talk more about my experience in a bit). The fairest way is to do R4R's and C4C's, ya know?
If you're just starting out on Wattpad, your new best hangout place for when you're not writing? The Share Your Story Club.
Don't be one of those "omg i love this check out my book http://wattpad.com/sdlfkaj;sdlfkjlfrkjdlkfjdkfldjfdl" It not only gives you a bad reputation, but it's annoying. Do it fair. If they say to read their prologue and comment, read it thoroughly and give a genuine, honest, and helpful comment, not just a generic one. I hate when people do that. You know who you are.
Enter in contests, too! I did a few of those, it really helps to expose your story to other people's fans (if they have any). Follow the contest guidelines. Hold your own contests, too, if you want.
Now, I've often said that the reason, I think, Why She Fell became so popular is mostly because of luck. And you know what? It is. I did advertise and enter contests and stuff, but I think that there are some people who read my book that happened to have a lot of fans, or liked to recommend books, or whatever. But remember--I did start out as an undiscovered writer. I did start out with R4R's. I did once have only, like 28 reads on my story (I was so psyched when it hit 100!). I spent time promoting, but the most important thing: I wrote the book.
4) Be social.
I've made a few friends on Wattpad. And you know what? They all read my stories. I read all of theirs.
If I receive a comment or message that says something as simple as, "Hi! Let's be friends." I'll usually click their profile and see if they've got anything written. At the same time....DON'T JUST BEFRIEND PEOPLE SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING YOUR BOOK READ. I cannot stress this enough. I HATE WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT. STOP BEING A USER.
All you have to do is....you know. Communicate. If you like a story, click the Vote button and comment. Drop a message on a newcomer's board welcoming them. Help out a writer in one of the clubs. Ya know? Good.
5) Ignore them haters.
People will tell you they hate your book. It happens. People have told me that. Get used to it, or get out.
6) FINISH YOUR BOOK.
DON'T LEAVE PEOPLE HANGING OH MY GOD I CAN'T STAND WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT.
7) Keep your fans in the loop about updates.
Okay, so I'm the last person to ever say this hahaha because I suck at updating frequently.
But, as a fan of books myself, I like it when authors post maybe once a week and consistently. (I'm sorry I suck!) If you want to update on Saturdays, do that. If you're running off schedule and you're going to be two days late, let them know.
But please, please, please don't broadcast messages every two minutes. That's just annoying.
So. These are just a few tips. I'm going to do a part (2) soon--How NOT to Succed on Wattpad aha.
Hope this helps! :D
--Ivers
Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Lesson #2: Characters~Pt. 1
No one wants to have a perfect character.
Let's be honest here--what fun is it to read about someone who lives the ideal life, has an ideal personality, and looks perfect? It just reminds us how much our lives suck. It reminds us how screwed up our family is, and how mean we sometimes can be, and how we don't have a perfect body. If there's one thing that bothers me it's when characters aren't people I can easily relate to.
That being said, here's a little something you can use to make your characters more realistic.
In 7th or 8th grade, my class came up with "ASHAT." It stands for 5 things to think about for your character: Appearance, Speech, How others react to him/her, Actions, and Thoughts.
Step One: Appearance.
Some basic questions to think about:
-What clothes does he/she wear?
-How does he/she present herself?
-How does he/she walk?
-What does her physical appearance reveal?
-Does your character have any scars?
Like I said before--nobody's perfect. Don't be afraid to give your characters some flaws. Maybe she's short. Maybe he doesn't have a six pack. Maybe she has a little bit of a tummy. Maybe he has acne. Maybe she dresses in sweatpants all the time. Maybe he likes Armani suits.
Catch my drift?
Here's an example:
A boy is walking down the hallway, hunched over. His dark hair is tangled in a wild mess and his pale skin looks even paler underneath the fluorescent lights. He wears jeans that are two sizes too big, and a sweatshirt that is fraying on the edges.
When you read that, what can you conclude about the boy?
Here's what I say:
-A boy is walking down the hallway, hunched over. He doesn't have a lot of self-confidence, so he tries to hide himself.
-His dark hair is tangled in a wild mess. He doesn't care much for grooming.
-his pale skin looks even paler underneath the fluorescent lights. Perhaps he doesn't go out much, which implies that he may be a very lonely kid.
-He wears jeans that are two sizes too big, and a sweatshirt that is fraying on the edges. Maybe these clothes are hand-me-downs, because perhaps he can't afford his own clothing.
Get it? Got it? Good(:
Step Two: Speech.
Dialogue is a major step in making someone feel real. What you say is what is in your heart. So the first important thing is: listen. If you're in the cafeteria of school, eavesdrop on some kid's conversations, or pay close attention to your own. What are some often used phrases? How are the kids saying them? What do they do while talking to friends? Do they swear?
The key to writing is understanding. You have to get why someone would say something.
What I like to do while writing dialogue is imagine that I'm the person speaking. How would I respond to the question? For example, if I were Calista, what would I say in response to Melodie's question? Basically, I'm having a conversation with myself :S but I think it really, really helps to put yourself into your character's perspective.
And honestly? No one actually talks like "OMG did you see him? WTF are you doing?" NO ONE SPEAKS IN TEXT LINGO. Okay, so I get it. You want to show that these girls are stupid, ditzy, and annoying. But I beg you, DO NOT USE THIS. I hate it. Where I go to school? No one uses text lingo. It just sounds...stupid. I may have used it in WSF but I'm probably going to change it when (if) I edit it, because it's so STUPID. Want to show how someone is ditzy? Rather than using text lingo, just use their dialogue. Maybe they ask a stupid question. Maybe they say something dumb. You know?
I'm gonna stop here because I'm getting lazy. I'll continue on later :)
Let's be honest here--what fun is it to read about someone who lives the ideal life, has an ideal personality, and looks perfect? It just reminds us how much our lives suck. It reminds us how screwed up our family is, and how mean we sometimes can be, and how we don't have a perfect body. If there's one thing that bothers me it's when characters aren't people I can easily relate to.
That being said, here's a little something you can use to make your characters more realistic.
In 7th or 8th grade, my class came up with "ASHAT." It stands for 5 things to think about for your character: Appearance, Speech, How others react to him/her, Actions, and Thoughts.
Step One: Appearance.
Some basic questions to think about:
-What clothes does he/she wear?
-How does he/she present herself?
-How does he/she walk?
-What does her physical appearance reveal?
-Does your character have any scars?
Like I said before--nobody's perfect. Don't be afraid to give your characters some flaws. Maybe she's short. Maybe he doesn't have a six pack. Maybe she has a little bit of a tummy. Maybe he has acne. Maybe she dresses in sweatpants all the time. Maybe he likes Armani suits.
Catch my drift?
Here's an example:
A boy is walking down the hallway, hunched over. His dark hair is tangled in a wild mess and his pale skin looks even paler underneath the fluorescent lights. He wears jeans that are two sizes too big, and a sweatshirt that is fraying on the edges.
When you read that, what can you conclude about the boy?
Here's what I say:
-A boy is walking down the hallway, hunched over. He doesn't have a lot of self-confidence, so he tries to hide himself.
-His dark hair is tangled in a wild mess. He doesn't care much for grooming.
-his pale skin looks even paler underneath the fluorescent lights. Perhaps he doesn't go out much, which implies that he may be a very lonely kid.
-He wears jeans that are two sizes too big, and a sweatshirt that is fraying on the edges. Maybe these clothes are hand-me-downs, because perhaps he can't afford his own clothing.
Get it? Got it? Good(:
Step Two: Speech.
Dialogue is a major step in making someone feel real. What you say is what is in your heart. So the first important thing is: listen. If you're in the cafeteria of school, eavesdrop on some kid's conversations, or pay close attention to your own. What are some often used phrases? How are the kids saying them? What do they do while talking to friends? Do they swear?
The key to writing is understanding. You have to get why someone would say something.
What I like to do while writing dialogue is imagine that I'm the person speaking. How would I respond to the question? For example, if I were Calista, what would I say in response to Melodie's question? Basically, I'm having a conversation with myself :S but I think it really, really helps to put yourself into your character's perspective.
And honestly? No one actually talks like "OMG did you see him? WTF are you doing?" NO ONE SPEAKS IN TEXT LINGO. Okay, so I get it. You want to show that these girls are stupid, ditzy, and annoying. But I beg you, DO NOT USE THIS. I hate it. Where I go to school? No one uses text lingo. It just sounds...stupid. I may have used it in WSF but I'm probably going to change it when (if) I edit it, because it's so STUPID. Want to show how someone is ditzy? Rather than using text lingo, just use their dialogue. Maybe they ask a stupid question. Maybe they say something dumb. You know?
I'm gonna stop here because I'm getting lazy. I'll continue on later :)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Lesson #1: Writer's Block
Hey, guys!
I've decided to do a special few little blog posts here and there, all about writing tips!
I used to have a book titled "Writing Tips" (how creative, right?) on Wattpad, and I used to add on to it every so often.
But...I deleted it :P
So, I'm going to do blog posts instead! How fun is that?!
So here we go! Without further ado, lesson numero uno!
Lesson #1: Writer's Block
Scenario: You're sitting in front of your computer screen. It looks just how you feel: blank. You don't know what to write. Or, maybe, you have something written, and you have no motherflippin' idea how you're going to continue it.
Okay! So, usually people don't start talking about writer's blocks till later, but the thing is, Writer's Blocks can start before you even start writing, so may as well start with it. (Why not?)
The thing is, I've learned there are three different types of Writer's block:
A) You don't know what to write. At all. Everything you're writing is just wrong.
B) You know you should be writing, but instead you end up sitting on the couch, eating potato chips, watching reruns of How I Met Your Mother or Gossip Girl, and...not writing.
C) You're so excited and you have a new story or chapter planned out all in your head. This is going to happen, then this is going to happen. Only problem? You don't know how to start it.
I'll address every single one independently...
Writer's Block Type A: You're stumped.
Let's face it: everything you write--word, phrase, sentence, paragraph--it's just...off. You hate it. You want so hard to pick up the computer and fling it across the room. Now, now. I know it's frustrating, but trust me when I say that it won't help at all. In fact, it'll make things worse, because not only will you have not solved your problem, but now you need to be a new expensive computer.
In order to solve this, you need to take a step back and a inhale some deep breathes. Look at the story from what you have so far. When I say look, I mean really analyze it. Maybe that'll help. But truth be told, it probably won't. So take a break. Bake some cookies. Go on a run (Tip: Exercise always helps get the oxygen flowing! It helps bring your mind into clarity and focus). Walk your dog. Watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother and laugh. Take an hour. A day. A week. Whatever it takes.
Now that you've had a break, do you feel some of the stress lifted off? Yes? You do? Good. Now, take a pencil or pen and write out the first five thoughts you have for the upcoming chapter.
You have it? Now write.
The thing is, these are the kind of things that you, as a writer, will run into all the time. You can't let it stop you. Write something totally bogus and make it work, if you have to. This kind of writer's block is the kind you need to write around. It's a major pain in the butt, but that's the suffering you endure as a writer. Get used to it, or stop writing. Simple as that.
Writer's Block Type B: You're just plain lazy.
Seriously. If you have Type B, why are you reading this right now? You should be writing! I don't care if you need to see your great aunt or if the dog needs a bath. You're being lazy. Go and write. Shut off the Wireless and leave Facebook logged out and just write. I have nothing to say to you if the reason you're not writing is simply 'cause you're lazy.
Writer's Block Type C: You've got too many ideas flowing.
Honestly, I envy you if you have too many ideas. I sometimes don't have enough.
Anyway, what you should do: write the first chapter (or paragraph) of the story/chapter in as many different ways as you can choose. Maybe you want to write a story about a popular girl falling for her nerdy best friend, but because of her reputation, she rejects when he asks her out. How are you going to start it? Maybe you can start it when they're 8 years old, and they've just met on the playground. Or, you could start it with him getting rejected by his so-called best friend. OR...you could start it with him coming back after two years.
Write out as many as you can think. I've always loved writing first chapters. They come the easiest to me (the rest of the writing sucks, hahaha!). Ask a friend to read them and choose the best. Read them to your cat. Post all of them and have your readers vote. I dunno. Just choose one already!
So! There you have it. First little lesson. Well, they're not really lessons so much as they are tips, but...I hope this helps!
Later, alligator!
--Ivers
I've decided to do a special few little blog posts here and there, all about writing tips!
I used to have a book titled "Writing Tips" (how creative, right?) on Wattpad, and I used to add on to it every so often.
But...I deleted it :P
So, I'm going to do blog posts instead! How fun is that?!
So here we go! Without further ado, lesson numero uno!
Lesson #1: Writer's Block
Scenario: You're sitting in front of your computer screen. It looks just how you feel: blank. You don't know what to write. Or, maybe, you have something written, and you have no motherflippin' idea how you're going to continue it.
Okay! So, usually people don't start talking about writer's blocks till later, but the thing is, Writer's Blocks can start before you even start writing, so may as well start with it. (Why not?)
The thing is, I've learned there are three different types of Writer's block:
A) You don't know what to write. At all. Everything you're writing is just wrong.
B) You know you should be writing, but instead you end up sitting on the couch, eating potato chips, watching reruns of How I Met Your Mother or Gossip Girl, and...not writing.
C) You're so excited and you have a new story or chapter planned out all in your head. This is going to happen, then this is going to happen. Only problem? You don't know how to start it.
I'll address every single one independently...
Writer's Block Type A: You're stumped.
Let's face it: everything you write--word, phrase, sentence, paragraph--it's just...off. You hate it. You want so hard to pick up the computer and fling it across the room. Now, now. I know it's frustrating, but trust me when I say that it won't help at all. In fact, it'll make things worse, because not only will you have not solved your problem, but now you need to be a new expensive computer.
In order to solve this, you need to take a step back and a inhale some deep breathes. Look at the story from what you have so far. When I say look, I mean really analyze it. Maybe that'll help. But truth be told, it probably won't. So take a break. Bake some cookies. Go on a run (Tip: Exercise always helps get the oxygen flowing! It helps bring your mind into clarity and focus). Walk your dog. Watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother and laugh. Take an hour. A day. A week. Whatever it takes.
Now that you've had a break, do you feel some of the stress lifted off? Yes? You do? Good. Now, take a pencil or pen and write out the first five thoughts you have for the upcoming chapter.
You have it? Now write.
The thing is, these are the kind of things that you, as a writer, will run into all the time. You can't let it stop you. Write something totally bogus and make it work, if you have to. This kind of writer's block is the kind you need to write around. It's a major pain in the butt, but that's the suffering you endure as a writer. Get used to it, or stop writing. Simple as that.
Writer's Block Type B: You're just plain lazy.
Seriously. If you have Type B, why are you reading this right now? You should be writing! I don't care if you need to see your great aunt or if the dog needs a bath. You're being lazy. Go and write. Shut off the Wireless and leave Facebook logged out and just write. I have nothing to say to you if the reason you're not writing is simply 'cause you're lazy.
Writer's Block Type C: You've got too many ideas flowing.
Honestly, I envy you if you have too many ideas. I sometimes don't have enough.
Anyway, what you should do: write the first chapter (or paragraph) of the story/chapter in as many different ways as you can choose. Maybe you want to write a story about a popular girl falling for her nerdy best friend, but because of her reputation, she rejects when he asks her out. How are you going to start it? Maybe you can start it when they're 8 years old, and they've just met on the playground. Or, you could start it with him getting rejected by his so-called best friend. OR...you could start it with him coming back after two years.
Write out as many as you can think. I've always loved writing first chapters. They come the easiest to me (the rest of the writing sucks, hahaha!). Ask a friend to read them and choose the best. Read them to your cat. Post all of them and have your readers vote. I dunno. Just choose one already!
So! There you have it. First little lesson. Well, they're not really lessons so much as they are tips, but...I hope this helps!
Later, alligator!
--Ivers
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