Typically I can tell within two paragraphs if I want to read a Wattpad book. Sometimes within one paragraph; occasionally it's within one sentence. It's usually about the time the pretty blonde girl meets the shy werewolf who's first cousin goes to a magic school somewhere in London while being pressured to join a gang of racist-vampires.
No, not racist-vampires. Nothing quite that creative. They're usually just plain vampires. But they are damn HOT.
Or maybe it's the story about the alien race of purple Xenophobes who are cowering in fear as the blue Hacksters come to mutiltate their children and their children's children with large Dr. Seus-like weapons only to be saved by the young sixteen year old who didn't know he was heir to the throne of Outlandish.
How do I say this gently? Hmmm .... BORING.
Or to coin Fergie, "I'm so 3008, that' so 2000-late." Boom Boom Pow
Don't get me wrong, Werewolves, and vampires, and zombies, and aliens with magic powers, and pretty outcasts, and cute boys with six-packs are everywhere! Seriously, everywhere you friggin' look there's one of them. I mean, I was standing in line at Starbucks waiting to get a skinny no-fat latte chai tea and a low fat apple bran muffin with raisins just yesterday and the person right in front of me was a zombie. He was drippin' nasty shit everyplace! Clothes were a filthy mess. He looked like he had just emerged from the ground. Breath STANK. Needless to say, I quickly left. We all know how temperamental zombies can be - they don't think with their heads. And they're highly contagious. I doubt I'll be going back to that Starbucks. As a matter-of-fact, as soon as I finish writing this, I'm going to write the Health Department. They need to close that Starbucks down. But that's what they get for building on that Indian cemetery.
Do you think zombie infection is covered in Obamacare? I hope so, as I haven't heard any good pitches from Romney on healthcare. But I digress. What I'm saying is that we see them so often (zombies not Romney ... unless HE is a zombie. No wait, I can't abide conspiracy theories ...) that they're boring.
Even if a writer is "fanning" an author ... well ... it's a nice compliment but it still lacks creativity. And among writers, we need creativity! We need originality!
But I don't blame anyone but myself. I log on. I ask for fiction to read. I ask for good short stories. And people suggest fiction. They say, "read my book." Here's one of the problems, though: Wattpad hands out far more positive feedback than constructive. The compliments gush on Wattpad the way muscles ripple in every romance story I've read on here. People get so many compliments, they don't really know if they are a good writer or not.
"OMG ... you are the best writer ever!"
"Wow! I almost cried when I read that."
"I can't wait for the next part. I read that six times. Not one mistake!"
"That was incredible. Do you have a book deal? I mean, seriously. You should."
"That is the best story about I've ever read on Wattpad. I'm voting. Would you read mine and vote too?
Positive feedback is wonderful. But writers who love their craft will value the constructive feedback as much, perhaps, even more, than the positive. It's how we grow as writers. None of us are perfect. We need the feedback, and we need to be humble enough to sift through it and apply what's best. If several people say your story has an issue, well then it probably HAS an issue. Even when we have six hundred thousand reads. (Especially when we have thousands upon thousands of reads). Because here is what we know, many-reads-does-not-a-great-writer-make. Great writing skill is a mixture of God-given talent and honing one's craft. So instead of clamoring for more votes, clamor for more constructive feedback. But don't be discouraged by constructive feedback, use it as a tool to get better.
Write something that you want to write, not something that someone else wrote.
Know that as boring as it may be, verb tense and grammar matter. Great stories take editing ... and more editing ... and even more editing. It's a long and time intensive project. It's more rewrites than you want to count. Don't be afraid to ask people, "how can I make this better?" Remember, as corny as it sounds, the biggest room is the room for improvement.
Follow the rules of good-writing but don't feel compelled to follow the trends of current writing.
Take this advice and you'll take a HUGE leap toward becoming a better writer.
And that's my Boom Boom Pow.
Now please excuse me. There is an Emo Vampire standing outside my door talking far too loudly to a nymph witch. They do get on my nerves. Every Friday it's the same conversation.
"Did you see Topher in school today? He is soooo hot. Oh, I'd love to take a bite out of his crime ..."
