|My Wattpad journey|

Wattpad, this word means a lot to me. It carries many feelings, emotions and memories.

Books always fantasized me since childhood. I would spend my free time in library. And my summer break were all about reading books. But that's didn't satisfy my hunger for books. Libraries were only filled with books I had read before. I wanted something new and unique. So I used to search online free books and Google directed me to this orang-y website. I was confused at first and didn't know what this 'wattpad' was. Never knew this was an entirely different world. And I'll be captivated by it.

I found some books with interesting titles and catchy covers. This intrigued me. I wanted to read them. I couldn't resist. So I made an account.

I joined Wattpad in October 2016. Initially I was a silent reader-no votes no comments and no interaction. But as I finished one book after another I couldn't stop myself from showing support to those writers. After knowing how my one click can make writers happy, I didn't hesistate to show my love for books. I expressed my thoughts about what I think about the book and found many people discussing it with me. Some funny comments would leave me chocking. Some story lines would leave me teary. Some characters would make me fall in love with them. Some chapters would leave me on cliffhangers. Some cheesy books would hype up my hopes. Some fictions better than the reality.

I still remember the first book I read on Wattpad- "Pause" by CJ_Adler
This book hooked me from the beginning. I couldn't stop myself from reading more chapters. I finished it in 2 days. This book was worth it. I'm happy this was my first book. After reading this, I started exploring more.

I found many good books and started binge-reading them all day. My reading speed improved and I used to finish books within four to six hours. I was so hungry for books and wattpad provided me with a place where I could find 'My type' of books. It matched my taste and left me wanting for more.

I read books which became movie or got adapted in webseries. I saw writers getting their books published from this platform. This fascinated me and I looked up to them.

My library used to be full of books and I finished them one after another after another. Wattpad kept me occupied all day. Reading made me excited. This was what I used to do all day. Wattpad was my endless free library.

My friends thought I was obsessed with Wattpad. But they didn't know about the goodness of this orange world. I introduced some of my friends to Wattpad. It was like sharing a part of me.

My day wouldn't be complete without Wattpad. However the day was, I would always find some time for reading on Wattpad. Even during exams, I would secretly read few chapters at night. Class 10th Boards or Class 12th boards. None could stop me from Wattpad. It was my stress buster.

For me, wattpad was a place where I could find peace, where I can be myself, where I can escape my surroundings and get lost in a world of fantasies. The escape was sometimes from stress sometimes from sadness. It was the best way to distract my unstable thoughts.

Wattpad also gave me a small second family. I met people and our vibes matched instantly. I have brothers, sisters and many friends. These people always supported me throughout my journey and are still standing by my side. Some good friends made my Wattpad ride fun.

I remember my good old days, where my squad would attack the comment section of some book and we would have a group chat over there. They were always my constant source of encouragement.

I came to know how we can publish our own books and this thought excited me. Somewhere back in my head was a writer who was willing to show off it's imagination to the world. Wattpad seemed the best platform.

I wrote books. Some random, some nonfiction and some poetry. They received so much love from Wattpaders and this motivated me even more. Some of the books I unpublished due to editing reasons. And many are saved in my drafts, ready to come.

Every vote, every comment and every mention would make my heart flutter. I felt ecstatic. People admired my work and that would just made my day. Slowly and steadily people started recognizing me. They would compliment me for my achievements.

Some of my books were translated by Wattpaders in different languages like: Bulgaria and Tamil.

In June 2019, I got selected to join FOW: Friends of Wattpad community. There I received some insights about the ambassador's work as well as how Wattpad functions. Also had fun discussion with other FOW. This community kept me updated with Wattpad. Being a part of this community is truly a great experience.

Wattpad India started an initiative about Campus ambassadors and provided me with an opportunity to be a part of it. I feel blessed and thank my stars for this lucky chance to work with the Wattpad India team.

No matter how much I write about it. I want my journey to go on forever. I want to meet more Wattpaders. I want to read more books. I want to write more books.I want to attend #wattcon. I want to meet writers. I want to give back to this community as much as it has given me.

Because Wattpad has given me more than just books. It has given me confidence, acceptance, power, happiness and a supporting family.

And I'm thankful to every soul who has helped me in my journey, supported me and accepted me as I am. I express my gratitude to each one of them.

Thank you Wattpad.