The Writer's Guide to a Good Story

You Can't Please Everyone

Come here. Let me tell you a secret. Yeah, that's right. Come a little bit closer. Hang up your coat and take off your shoes. No, seriously. Come over here. Look deeply into my eye-

Sorry, I'll stop being a creep now.

What was that secret I was going to tell you? Oh yeah. Here it is.

There is no one way to write. 

Yes, you heard (Or rather, read) me correctly. There is no one way to write a story that's better than every other way. 

So recently, I had my friend do a little experiment. Since she's a writer, too, she wrote a few short stories and showed them to some of our friends, maybe around seven or eight of them.

Three or four said that her stories had too many irrelevant details in them, and that they needed to be cut out. The rest of her friends told her that her stories didn't have enough detail in them, and that her stories needed more.

Have any of you ever read anything by Richard Carlson? I found this book called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for teens." It's actually really good. If you haven't taken a look at it yet, you should.

Anyway, Richard Carlson mentioned in his books that some people thought his books should be 'more simple', while others thought that his writing was 'too simple'

See what I mean? Some people may like your writing style, and some may not. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with being a good or bad writer, but more to do with the way you write.

On this site especially, it also may have something to do with the genre you're writing in. I'm not trying to knock any genres here, but let's say you were writing in the spiritual section.

Your story may not be as popular as, say, a story in the teen fiction and romance section.

There's nothing wrong with being a teen fiction writer, nor is there anything wrong with being a writer in the spiritual genre.

Your story might not be as popular because the people who read stories on Wattpad tend to lean more toward stories that deal with teen fiction and romance.

Did you guys know that JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter' was rejected many times because people thought it was too long for a children's book, and that nobody would be interested in it?

As a matter of fact, lots of books and literary works written by authors that are famous now were rejected in the past. In my opinion, they were sometimes rejected for the most idiotic reasons.

But I won't get into that. The point is, what was too long or convoluted for some people was perfectly fine for others. 

It was because of an 8 year old that Harry Potter became published. An 8 year old that read the manuscript for the story and went to her father, a publisher, demanding more.

An 8 year old, reading a book that some adults thought were too long. 

That's just my point. I'm sure that not everyone liked Harry Potter. Some people may have even hated it, while some were obsessed. Yes, I'm talking to you, mister. The one with the Harry potter blanket, backpack, and water glass that wears a robe to school every day.

To the ones that shower and eat with Harry Potter books, it's okay. I do the same with many other book serieses. 

So if one person gives you a negative review on your book, or if you try to get your book published and can't, don't sweat it. Just revise, revise, and revise. Make sure that your book is your best effort.