WRITE ME: Advice, Projects, Practices, and Motivation for Wattpad Writers

MAKE THE STORY GOOD... THEN...

What an interesting time to be a writer. I come to that statement frequently. What an interesting time. Partly, it's because there are so many technological advancements, access to stories is freer, access to writing platforms is more open to all, and therefore we will have an endless amount of stories from which to choose in an array of varied voices.

Whoever you are, wherever you land on the political spectrum, however able-bodied you are, whatever your religion is (be it one of worshiping a higher power, or one of social creation), whatever your stance may be on "controversial issues", whatever your gender or race or sex or ethnicity or sexuality (the list can go on)... unless you are writing a book where those unalterable traits or personal characteristics are at the forefront of the story (brace yourselves...) do not cast your book with diversity and inclusivity first.

Talk about a controversial statement! Especially from a white-passing Italian dude.

I DO NOT mean that your story shouldn't have a diverse cast or that I don't believe broad inclusivity *super* matters.

What I'm saying is that unless you believe that your calling as a writer is to help reform society and that your platform must provide space for every voice to be heard, you may want to just plot out a good story first.

What's my reason for saying this? The beauty of the interesting time in which we live is that it has found us feeling encouraged and persuaded to fix the wrongs of the past and to make sure our books reflect a modern setting, a world that we finally acknowledge is filled with all sorts of fantastic people. The world that cares about all of those people because of, or in spite of, their identities, life choices, and immutable characteristics.

Think of a sheet of paper. As writers, we're told that, for readability, we cannot fit everything on the page. We  must stay within the margins. And yet, to write with inclusivity means we need to provide equal access to people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. The danger we as storytellers face is that when we take time to focus on that, we may end up feeling guilty that we have highlighted some and left out others. Or we go back to the drawing board and shoehorn characters in. And try not to be too obvious about it, which could almost certainly be obvious. It almost becomes a checklist, where we feel the need to include everyone, and while this goal is tremendous and shows a lot of heart, our modern-day experiences don't include everyone.

Of course, we should strive not to offend others with our writing. Words can cut deep. You have tremendous power. But to a degree, what offends someone isn't up to us. If it offends them, it offends them. And unless they are accusing you of something and besmirching you, allow them to experience their pain without having to hear you defend yourself. In a roundabout way, as confusing as it sounds, as long as we aren't intentionally exclusionary, or discriminating, or offensive, or pushing clear boundaries in an ever-more inclusive world, then we should let it go and not hold ourselves responsible for affecting someone because we wrote a book on Wattpad and they feel left out of our story. Writing with a constant fear of offending a face-less someone (and weathering the resulting backlash) is exhausting and that state of mind WILL make its way into your work. Be yourself and be good and in the end, it's all good.

This is not to say that a story couldn't be made of a ragtag group of teenagers, all from different backgrounds and levels of ability (both physical and mental). I'm already on board with reading whatever that story is. But not every story HAS TO BE that story. Do you get what I'm saying? It's okay if you want your cast of characters to all be comprised of the ethnicity that you are, or the sexuality you are, or the identity in which you find yourself. This applies to race as well, although I would advise writers of a white bent to consult a broader color palette when considering the race of their characters.

The larger point is that, as writers, we have to put the story first. That doesn't mean you don't create your characters first. You certainly can and in some situations, you should. That's one of Stephen King's greatest suggestions. To take time developing your characters, then release them into a setting where a monster lies in wait.

You have something you wanna say. Say it. Say it with your characters, or say it with your story. If you want to work off a checklist of issues and identities that matter to you, you have every right to do so. And maybe yours is that voice we've been waiting for, the one that will make a big difference. Or maybe yours is the voice that makes small differences, but overall helps one cause that it favors over another. But just because you were born in this time, and even if you have a passionate heart to change the society in which we live, it doesn't mean you have to use your books to do so.

This is a hard concept to grapple with because we are spending so much of our time creating these books, so we feel like they HAVE to have a greater impact. Don't we have a responsibility to affect the world around us, and change the minds of the people reading our words? Yes and no. I would caution you to never use your beautiful book as a cudgel in which to beat your worldview into others. Sure, you could persuade someone to switch religions, but you're going to turn away fifty more in the process. And those people may never return to your writing if it's too preachy, regardless of the subject matter.

But I get it, truly, I do. It doesn't sit well in your heart to dedicate so many hours to something that doesn't leave an indelible mark on the reader. But maybe that's not your job. The main reason that people come to books is for an escape from reality. And right now reality is full of conflicts over the way we act and have acted, the way we feel and have felt, the way we believe and have believed, the way we govern and have governed. Including those topics into your narrative is not a bad idea, it just may cause your readers to DNF (Did Not Finish). That doesn't mean those people disagreed with you, it may just mean that in the mental safe space that is book reading, they may need a break from topics that are heavy for them, or may carry baggage, or remind them of something outside the comforts of your book that are raw and hurtful.

In some ways, I think writing characters with a degree of ambiguity will become more and more popular in the future. Remember, when we finish writing a book, it is only half finished. The reader completes the book through the use of their own imagination. They naturally fill in the blanks with elements of their own personal experience. Give them a chance to do that. Or, more importantly, don't take that away.

Again, I'm not suggesting that you don't write your story. The story you were meant to write, in the voice you want to write it in. I'm saying, write a good story first. Write something that is compelling and thought-provoking, something your readers don't want to end. I am suggesting that you release yourself from any requirement you may feel to put ideology first. If something matters to you, just watch! It will come out in your writing. I promise you. It could be a surprising line of dialogue, or in a way two characters end up interacting during a suspenseful scene. Unless a certain "controversial" topic is key to the narrative, create your story first, and then let your characters decide how they're going to act or represent themselves. I guarantee, they will surprise you and the story will be better for it.

byeeeeeeeeee