How to Write Stories People Will Love

29. Manage Your Expectations

This chapter is more about how to write stories that YOU, the writer, will love. We've all experienced disappointment. Your parents didn't take you to Disneyland like they said they would. That guy/girl you like didn't call like they promised. Your Wattpad book isn't getting the reads you want

These scenarios all have the same thing in common: An expectation was not met.

Disappointment can be a passing sinking feeling, or it can be a lingering crushing feeling. Either way, it tends to snuff any desire to write. How can you avoid this awful feeling? One way is to be mindful of what you expect. When you sit down to write that first draft, don't expect it to be an instant bestseller. Could it be a bestseller further down the road? Sure! If you put in the work and the patience.

The same goes for your Wattpad story. You can hope for lots of readers, but don't expect them. Tell yourself, "You know what? Getting readers would be nice, but they won't appear tomorrow, or even next week." Hope is a powerful tool. Expectation can crumble your world. Maybe that sounds a little dramatic, but we writers have very delicate egos. It doesn't take much to shoot us down, so don't go doing that to yourself.

While we're on the subject of readers, I'll be realistic: We all want them. No doubt about it. Writers want an audience. It's almost hypocritical for me to preach "don't get disappointed over having no readers" when I want readers just as much as the next guy. But my point is this: When your story is new, or if your account is new, readers will not come flocking like pigeons in a park. Why? Because they don't know your story exists.

Your first hurdle is to get noticed. There are numerous strategies to achieve this, and there are also numerous Wattpad books that cover this. All require work and patience. A good place to start is the Build Your Audience section of Wattpad's Writer Resources. (I'll include an external link.)

It takes time to build momentum. This book took two months to reach 100 reads, and now it increases by 100 reads per week! This was achieved by my constant participation in the clubs. There are other methods that might be more effective for you, but for this particular work of non-fiction, my contributions to the Improve Your Writing club have been essential.

I think the bottom line to managing your expectations is this: By practicing gratitude instead of entitlement, you will be a happier person. Here's how I differentiate the two behaviors:

ENTITLEMENT - Expecting readers to come to you because you deserve them, even though you've made little effort other than posting your story. Other writers have readers, so you should have them, too!

GRATITUDE - Expecting little, while at the same time appreciating what you have. If you have one dedicated follower, that's great! Appreciate that person! That is so much better than a bunch of temporary readers who drift away. Loyal readers are your allies. Hang onto them, and stop casting your eyes at the numbers of fellow writers who have been here much longer than you.

As always, I appreciate your votes. Thank you all for staying with me!