welcome back! <3

last but certainly not least, today I'm going to give my best tips and tricks for writing on Wattpad!

ready, set, go!

TIP No. 1 : Be Consistent

This doesn't mean that you need to have a writing schedule and stick to it! Nor does it mean you can never take a break. I know for many people that sounds daunting (me, included). The time of day that you post, the day of the week, the number of times per week or month you post—none of those things matter as much just posting.

If you know that you're a person who gets frequent writer's block or has an inconsistent life schedule, writing as much of your story ahead of time before posting that first chapter will be helpful.

Presently, I'll admit that I do not always have a stack of chapters waiting to be posted. I find that writing to share with others typically motivates me rather than stresses me out.

That being said, my first first book (Before She Ruled) was written entirely before I joined Wattpad. And because I didn't really understand Wattpad at the time, I uploaded the chapters all really quickly (despite having virtually zero readers).

So since I had the advantage of at least having one book prewritten, I've almost always had a completed story on my profile. Having works (or a work) that is marked as completed demonstrates that you'll be consistent enough to see a story through to the end. And that's what readers want — an ending!

TIP No. 2: Be Present

Does this mean that you have to spend all your waking hours on Wattpad? Of course not! In fact, I'd advise against that just for the sake of your screen time report that'll likely shame you at the end of the week. No, don't spend ALL your time on Wattpad. Balance is definitely key.

But do interact with the people here! Specifically readers because being able to interact with readers is what makes Wattpad such a unique platform. Also, if you're someone like me who adores (most all) comments, then interacting is super important. As a reader, I find commenting more fun (and purposeful?) when authors respond to a few. Otherwise it feels a bit like you're just shooting comments off into the void and talking to yourself.

Answer (respectful) questions, chat about characters, collect feedback if you feel it's valuable. Be around (in a balanced sort of way)!

I might still be working on that balanced part.

TIP No. 3: Go 👏🏻 For 👏🏻 It

Every time I have paused before posting a chapter and thought, "Hmm, I don't know about this one," it ends up being a chapter I'm more proud of. Or a chapter that readers seem to adore most.

So my advice is to go for it. Follow your gut, and write what you feel passionate about—even if it's outside your comfort zone. The great thing about writing is that if for some reason it doesn't work the way you wanted, you can always try again. Editing is a writer's best friend (okay...and maybe also their worst nightmare, but still). If it feels a little scary to share with the world, that probably means it's going to be amazing.

TIP No. 4: Be Out-There

When it comes to growing your Wattpad platform, social media is your side-kick, your partner-in-crime. Instagram and TikTok are both great for connecting with other writers and also interacting with readers. I find that Instagram is where I get to chat more with readers, share my visions of characters with aesthetics, show a bit of personal life, and tease current readers with upcoming chapter bits. TikTok, on the other hand, is going to be the best place to find new readers. Using popular trends, songs, and short clips will hopefully help spark the algorithm to reach the Wattpad reading community on TikTok. Both platforms can also be used to support, connect, and uplift other writers.

For both platforms, I use Canva almost exclusively to create content. If you have any specific questions about using Canva for social media or about TikTok or IG, feel free to reach out to me!

TIP No. 5: Match the Insides to the Outsides

I'm not saying that readers judge a book by its cover, but, well, a good cover that matches the genre and theme of your book definitely doesn't hurt when trying to catch attention.

When designing your book cover, it is important to consider what you want your cover to share about what's inside your story. Originality is absolutely important, but so is planting a seedling, an idea, of what readers should expect when they click onto Chapter One. For that, readers use things like popular trends, themes, styles, and tropes to get an idea if it's going to be a story that they enjoy. Pick a style (i.e. cartoon cover vs discreet covers vs spicy covers, etc) that you like and that you think fits your story well, and then make it your own!

Now, while the cover might grab the attention, the blurb is what will get readers to stick around. Give readers *just* enough to grab their attention. Maybe include a well-loved trope that's included in your book so readers know a bit of what to expect while simultaneously piquing interest. Or maybe leave them with a question that will get their mind wanting to know the answer. Double-check your grammar so everyone knows the strong writer that you are, and leave people wanting more!

Lastly, make sure your tags are appropriate for your story! Ranking high on tags is a huge way to gain readers on Wattpad. You want to make sure you're using those big genre tags (i.e. Romance, Fantasy, etc)! You also want to use tags that describe what readers want to know about a book (i.e. enemiestolovers or slowburn).

TIP No. 6: Writer Friends (Are The Best)

Initially, I made a lot of fellow writer friends because I thought their books looked amazing, dove into them, and then got to chatting with the author. Reading other books on Wattpad is a great way to connect with writers who have similar interests or are going through the same trials and triumphs as you. Being supportive of one another is so important, and it makes a world of difference.

That being said, there are ways to be supportive outside of reading, voting, and commenting on Wattpad content. You can cheer them on in their announcements, share their social media, or just genuinely be a friend and someone to talk to (about writing or otherwise if you feel comfortable).

My online friends are so important to me because I don't have many (barely any) people in my *irl* life who are interested in writing or reading the genre of books that I enjoy. And having people you can turn to who get it? That's a game changer.

TIP No. 7: Have A Ball With It

For me, this often means *literally* having (writing) a ball. I mean, who doesn't love to read about a good ball? I know I do. Bonus points if it's a masquerade ball. But anyway, make sure that when you're thinking about what you want to write, it's something that you truly enjoy and feel connected to.

I was really impassioned about writing It Burns Within Us because it really felt like a combination of the sayings Write What You Know and Write What You Want To Read. I think there's an important connection there. It doesn't mean you have to know everything there is to know about what you're writing, but the idea is to write something you already know you're passionate about.

So think about some of your favorite tropes or themes or types of character arcs before you get started. Think about what you love about books and reading and writing. Thank about the things that motivate you. Think about the type of people that you personally relate to well and that you think your audience will relate well to. If you want to have fun with your writing, you'll want to make sure that you and your characters really get along well.

TIP No. 8: Grammar-Love

There are lots of programs out there to help support editing—use them! Many systems will correct grammar and also comment on what the error is and why they are suggesting the changes; this will help to not only catch mistakes that you might have missed in your writing but also help you not make the same mistake again in the future. If you're looking for a free option, I'd suggest starting with Grammarly.

Many readers on Wattpad will sneak a peek into the first chapter to look for things like grammar, flow, etc! A mistake here or there is often inevitable, but cleaning up as many as possible will definitely make a difference!

TIP No. 9: Chapter One Peeks

So I mentioned that first chapter, didn't I? First chapters on Wattpad are huge in capturing an audience! Make sure that you're putting your best foot forward and starting off with something dynamic. Let your readers get a feel for who your MC is (without giving away *too* much). And by the end of that very first chapter, readers should have some idea of what that major conflict is in the story, so they can decide if it is something that want to read on for.

Having a critique partner or someone whose input you trust take a look at your opener can often be really helpful.

TIP No. 10: Consider Feedback

You might get some feedback on Wattpad (through comments or DMs) that is really great. It might truly help spark a new idea or reshape an important event or character in your story. There might be something that you made a mistake on or didn't consider when you were writing it. Be open-minded and willing to change when there are potential opportunities for it.

However, you might also get feedback that you feel isn't what is best for the story or isn't applicable. Or maybe the feedback is really harsh and unprompted. Remember that it is okay to brush those things off sometimes.

Believe in what you're capable of. That's the most important part of all.

other questions?
feel free to drop them here
or reach out to me!

thanks so much for joining me in my
writer room!
xoxo