1. DO keep it original
I know this may seem pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised. Keep your work as original as possible. Especially if you're writing about a trend that's very popular on wattpad, ex. Bad boys. They have literally taken over the Teen Fiction and Romance section. I get it, we all love bad boys. I mean, what's not to love? They are dark and mysterious and we all think we could fix them but we have to stop this bad boy mayhem! Stop, I say! Nothing to be ashamed of though, we are all guilty as charged. (Yeah, I might have fallen into the bad boy trap once or twice.) I know sometimes it's difficult to ignore the trends and be truly original, but if you really must include a bad boy in your story, or you'll die, make it different. Make your bad boy the most original bad boy ever. Don't be afraid to play around with the character.
2. DO Keep it simple
Not necessarily, but don't make it so complicated that you'll have your readers dizzy trying to understand your plot. And don't over dramatize it. I get that sometimes you want to throw something in to try and spice up your MC's life. But if your MC comes from an abusive family and then suddenly gets in a car accident that leaves her with an ugly scar that kills her self confidence and then she is going blind slowly because of the car accident. So she gets some dangerous operation to fix her head, but, shockers, they discover cancer and she has a month to live. The line to not cross is the one where your plot begins to resemble that of a Spanish tele-novella.
3. DO set short term goals
For example, think, by chapter 10, my MC's abusive dad must be introduced. These short term goals will allow you to keep track of your writing. If you can write them all out before actually starting to write, then the easier writing will become for you.
4. DO set long term goals
Know what direction your plot is heading. Even if you don't have short term goals, knowing where your story will end will help guide you. It really depends on your writing style some writers like making a map of where their story is going, others like to know where they should end up, but have the freedom of making everything in between here and there flexible.
5. DON'T plan it out too much
If you as a writer know every single detail about your characters and plot. You'll get bored, or maybe it's just me. I like to keep my story interesting, especially for myself. I'm not saving go into a story blind, there are certain things you should have figured out once you begin writing, but don't be too strict. As a writer you want to keep it interesting for yourself as well. If you know everything there is to know you'll find it more difficult to keep writing.
6. DO mess with your characters
In your books you are the puppeteer pulling the strings, everything your characters say and do is up to you. So don't be afraid to have fun with it. Every now and then through your characters a curve ball. Be like the oh-you-almost-had-it commercial guy, you know we all have a sadist part in ourselves and writing can be a great way to get it out. On the external link is an article I have in my favorites that explains exactly how to do this. Enjoy!
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Writing on Wattpad 101
Non-FictionMy experiences on wattpad and as a writer/reader overall has taught a few things over the last few years. Now I thought I might share them with you. Here are some DOs and DONTs to writing on wattpad.
