Losing Faith in Watty Readers

Share your dissapointments in the nominations and suggest the quality works that really belong in each nomination category; unlike the cliched, insipid predictable stories on show.

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I read all the stories in the most popular section - I say read but something (bad grammar, spelling, cliche) made me stop reading in the first chapter on all but two of them! It was obvious to me which one should get my vote and it wasn't one with a high percentage :) I know it won't win but it made me feel good to put my vote on a story that I thought deserved it! x

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@DurdensLover I completely agree. Only three of the historical fiction finalists are actual historical fiction. /They/ are set in a historical time period on earth; the rest are in some quasi-medieval or victorian setting without a name or true historical connection. It's disappointing.

Then, all the most popular stories are cliched romances, and the majority are teen fiction. Is that all watty reads are interested in? Teen Fiction Romance? It's such a horrible, restricted, cliched genre combination -_-

And where has all the epic fantasy gone? Instead of an amazing fantasy with a complex magic system, unique setting, and a complex plot--I see Cinderella vs. Prince Charming and Superman Stole my Panties both in first.

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@Ferretlp well if you're expecting to find the next Tolkien on here than good luck on that . lol

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@perfectrain xD I don't like Tolkien. I respect him, but I don't enjoy his literature. I just want a bit more ambition in the watty awards entries.

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@Ferretlp So if you're not writing epic fantasy you're not being ambitious? I hardly think that's fair. Some people put a lot of work into their stories. Yeah they're not high literature and are meant simply for enjoyment, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Oh and after our debate the other day I went and did some research. Fairy tale fantasy is a legit subgenre of fantasy. So there. XP lol.

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@LaurenDMSmith I just wish I saw something more original. We could go on and one about whether Superman stole my Panties is fantasy or not, but I do question how much time they spent on that one. I think it's the setting that truly irks me (and the title 0_o). So many stories are set on modern earth. fantasy is the one genre you can go all out in. You can do whatever you please--why write a super hero story set in boring old earth? I'm sorry, but that does not portray much effort to me.

Is it? xD I stand corrected then. I apologize if I still can't respect it all that much, but, at least 'tis fantasy, eh?

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@LaurenDMSmith though, respect is the wrong word 0_O enjoy is better xD I respect you as an author, but I didn't enjoy your cinderella story. The only story with a prince charming in it that I enjoyed was The Picture of Dorian Gray xD

As for ambition, it applies to more than just fantasy. There are only a select few romance authors that write something that doesn't revolve around teens, werewolves, or vampires. What happened to deep romances, with good conflicts, characterization and a /plot/? 0_o

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@Ferretlp haha ur comments inspire me to write an epic fantasy, albeit, not a long tolkien-esque one. maybe 100 wattpad pages. lol but yeah. I am writing a fantasy for the 012 watty awards. been looking up mythological creatures that are rarely used on here and developing my own magic system for ithem. hopefully originality will give me some readers andd eventually win but somehow i highly doubt that considering most people on here deviate towards the cliche lol

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@Ferretlp I have to agree with you completely on that. There seems to be a gravitation towards mundane titles similar to another series in the maintstream regarding sparkly vampires and weirdo girls. Plus I read a bit of the Superman book...I want my minutes back.

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@Ferretlp lol. Yeah I don't expect everyone to enjoy my work. Or even most people. It amuses me and that's generally enough for me. But I am a rather twisted individual. And that is an excellent book

Have you seen what gets published in romance? Seriously. Wattpad is full of what are basically watered down, often more poorly written, versions of what gets published. And that goes for fantasy as well. I still remember Stone of Stars, the most cliche fantasy book I ever read. It was awful. And I read it when I was fifteen and didn't notice cliche when actually reading until that book. And it's sad because that's an indication of what people want to read.

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@LaurenDMSmith oh god, I never said there wasn't cliches in fantasy xD I think I hate those more than the romance cliches 0_o I've actually never heard of that book though.

@senseiseth Completely agree with you on that one. ^^

@perfectrain Really? You'll have to tell me when you publish that one xD It sounds good :)

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@LaurenDMSmith oh, and, the Picture of Dorian Gray was amazingly epic (I completely forgot I mentioned it xD). I didn't understand half of it, but... still xD

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@LaurenDMSmith I have to agree with the watered down stuff on here. Plus I think some of the titles sound like rejects from CBS movies of the week.

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Ok, I am weary of titles that denote some fairy-tale, princess, vampire/werewolf/alpa-mate, or love/hate romance. Though some of those stories actually have good plots, just worn out topics. So what's preferable is an unconventional twist, I don't know, some warped out facet that differentiates the predictable outcomes of most of the nominations. Albeit, most of the Watty readers enjoy the predicable, almost sensational thrill that runs through these book nominations. But I also understand the choices, like I'm kind of stuck in this rut. In lieu of reading the books that I should be looking out to inspire me, I have been gravitating, no, obsessing over slash stories on wattpad, despite any overt cheesiness in them. I despise the style but I am just in it for that one romantic moment, being the corrupted hypocritical chick that I have become for bad writing. Nevertheless, there are still amazingly written slash stories, I just know that there are better books on more reflective, emotional depths that I should be reading. A lot of the nominations are great but some of them remind me of an immature, facile twelve year old fangirls' conversation.

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Well what do you expect from a website whose main demographic are 13-25 year old girls? It's not surprising that the stories that were always at the top of the What's Hot list made it to the finals, because they have aspects, while overused, that teenage girls like. I admit when I was 13 I read Twilight and thought it was okay, but now at 18 it doesn't suit me. So while you may be disappointed, just think how a lot of those fans are going to think back on it years from now and feel totally embarrassed about it. And while you wait for that day to come, go look around for a story that fits what you like. owo

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@DurdensLover Usually I'd go with stories that tend to work with your story. For example I was writing a Viking novel, so I read a lot Icelandic Sagas and Beowulf as well as books on Viking culture and 300 (don't ask, long story). And with my King Arthur novel, I've read Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, watched bits of Camelot on Youtube (lame I know, but bear with me here), and read the Faerie Queen and older myths revolving around the King Arthur mythos. Not everything will inspire what you're writing, but they will help in shaping the feel and voice of what you're writing.

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@Bloodynewmoon Gives me hope about my book on here. I'd open a bottle of Champagne, but I'm not cleaning up that mess.

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@DurdensLover @foxifae @Ferretlp @senseiseth @Bloodynewmoon @perfectrain @LaurenDMSmith

I to am losing faith in watty readers, mostly because earning a spot in the wattys makes you subject to such intense criticism in forums such as yours. @DurdensLover have you read ALL the stories submitted for the Wattys? I hope you have because being so critical of all the stories because you have found yourself unimpressed by some seems a bit crass don't you think. I am going to assume that perhaps you just wanted to draw attention to the fact that the majority of the genre's have a romantic undercurrent, I can honestly say mine does. I think the reason that romance is so popular is because nearly everyone can relate to the idea of love. not everyone can relate to fairies, vampires, space men or knife wielding psychos, but everyone hopes to feel love or fall in love at some time in their lives. I worked hard on my story and was pleasantly surprised when people enjoyed it. I have yet to receive a negative comment but I think it's because I have had the dubious luck of having the most wonderfully mannered people read my story, the ones that subscribe to the idea that if you have nothing nice to say, it is best to say nothing at all.

Thank you for sharing your opinion, hope you appreciate mine.

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@nikayaya I'm in the Watty Awards. And really, if you have your story in such a public contest, you have to expect criticism. If you write, you should expect it. Not everyone is going to like your work.

And while nice comments help you feel good, they do nothing to help you improve as a writer. I welcome comments that tell me what they find problematic, what doesn't make sense, what needs to be fixed. It helps me grow as a writer which is what I wish more people on here were interested in doing.

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thank you for responding, but this is not criticism, she has not read my book, so no, i don't expect it to be lumped in with the others. honest criticism is... your book, which I have READ, requires editing or such. and I don't know what your interpretation of a contest is, but being considered does not open you up to invalid comments. @LaurenDMSmith

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@nikayaya You make it sound like what I said pertains to all of the Watty Awards stories as a whole. I'm a finalist too, you know. I've received negative comments a few times, and I did throw a tantrum or two because of it. But you know what? I got over it and went back to correct my mistakes. If there's something wrong with my story (spelling mistakes and whatnot), people are allowed to tell me as long as it's specific, well-thought out and understandable. Those kinds of comments are like tough love, meant to help you improve despite how much you hate it. And yes, I agree in how romance is so popular because it's a common aspect people can relate to. That was pretty much the point of my previous comment.

Still, everyone has their own opinions, and I respect yours. While people will complain about what they don't like, it's best not to be too insulted by it. I apologize if anything I said rubbed off on you the wrong way, and I hope you can try to understand everyone else here. Don't lose hope, love~ (~o wo)~

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@nikayaya I never said it was. And no one here said anything about your book specifically so I don't know why you're reacting like the people here have said your work is terrible. This is a general discussion about the same type of story often ending up nominated.

Entering a public contest puts you in the public eye. And I'm sorry, not everyone is nice and there are people who will judge your work. If you're serious about writing, it's something you should get used to. Getting published requires being judged by several people and you're going to get rejected a lot at first. If you don't have thick-skin and the ability to deal with negativity, being a writer's probably not a good idea.

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Thank you, really it was not an attack, but it is frustrating that people lump all the finalists in one crap file. I myself find it funny that I am competing against someone significantly younger than me in the non teen category. But either way I began on here in the hopes that I wrote good enough for people to enjoy reading, six months later from my first upload I am convinced I am. I would just prefer people take the time to actually read my story before they critique it. Thanks for the response though, gave me a little more hope :) @Bloodynewmoon

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@LaurenDMSmith No, you did not, but then again both your responses really don't directly answer my comments either so I will be as plain as possible

READ FIRST COMMENT ON FORUM It does directly insult ALL the watty entries

I do have a thick skin

But for the THIRD time This is not criticism, this is ranting, not criticism, ranting

I'm sorry you feel you need to lecture me, just make sure you are lecturing me for what I am actually talking about. Thank you, again.

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