Writer question; what made you chose Tumblr and Wattpad as platforms to publish?
Hi nonnie!
Well, uh, brace yourself, bc there are actual very specific reasons for that.
I picked Wattpad at first (I wrote on Wattpad for like, a year, before I actually started writing on here instead of just reading) bc I knew the site from when I was younger (many many years ago I published some of my older works, pre-fanfic life, that never gained any traction lmao), so when I started writing Electric I first did it in a word document until I had about, like.... 80 pages and decided I would try my hand at publishing it.
I wrote Electric first, back in spring 2021, and then started writing The Stranger around the summer of 2021 but I didn't publish the book or those parts until December.
I like writing on Wattpad bc it makes it a lot easier to publish and gain readers due to the notification and ranking systems. Electric picked up slowly at first, obviously bc I hadn't written anything before so I wasn't on anyones radar, but then one random day (before I'd even hit, like, 5k or something. Maybe less? I don't remember) it was voted no. 1 in Marvel. It picked up a lot after that.
Gradually I realized that the rankings would change almost every day, and that they were affected by hits and comments on chapters. So I started timing my updates to get maximum hits and affect my rankings. For a very, very long time, I posted a new chapter of Electric every single day. I had a ton of drafts since I'd already written so much prior to posting the first chapter, and at that time the story was easily flowing out of my fingers, so I would write like at least 2 chapters a day.
So I manipulated the system to gain more readers and traction, and I got a shit ton of high rankings very quickly.
That's also why I chose to publish The Stranger on there, and not focus on it on Tumblr.
I started writing on Tumblr in spring 2022 because my inspiration started coming for different characters and storylines (like Sunshine and Angel) that I didn't feel would be suitable for a full book.
Wattpad is divided into works very differently, so if I don't feel a story is "meaty" enough for at least 50+ parts, I post them on Tumblr instead.
I love Tumblr as a platform to interact and find friends, but I don't really recommend it if the purpose is to gain recognition for your writing. Due to the lack of algorithm it takes a very long time to properly build a blog that people will follow, interact with, or read works by. Everything counts on your readers sharing your works, and that's not reliable in the long run.
For instance, the highest notes count I've gotten on one of my posts here is just under 3k notes, for Ethereal.
On Wattpad, Electric currently has 1,07M reads with 35k votes, and The Stranger has over 500k reads with 22.8k votes, despite not even being complete yet.
So my works on Tumblr are more for fun, usually shorter stories, and the ones I choose for Wattpad are longer (Electric is around 250.000-300.000 words and The Stranger will end up in a range of about 300.000-350.000 words before it's completed)
It takes a while to gain followers on Wattpad too, but on there, followers don't matter. The reading lists matter.
People will add your story to one of their reading lists, and then every time you post a new chapter, they'll get a notification. I get hundreds of reads within minutes when I post a new part, and I may be getting that on here too, but bc of the way Tumblr is set up, I can't tell.
I can only tell by likes and reblogs who/how many on average has read it. It's not reliable in that sense. I can't properly track what people like/dislike, the same way I can by tracking my reads and interactions on each chapter on Wattpad.
This was a long answer, I apologize, but I hope it helps a little !
Please feel free to come back if you have more questions about this ❤️
Good authors are always looking for new ways to improve! Here are a few things I do everyday to better my writing skills.
1 - Reading
I know most of you dedicated writers also read, but for those of you who don’t, you really should try at least once a week! It doesn’t matter how fast you read, or if you like graphic novels or classics, as long as you’re reading. You might not see it, but you learn how to better your descriptions, grammar, and more all through books. I challenge you to read for an hour every day! (Or more, if you’re like me.) I promise you’ll see improvements.
2 - Journaling
You should keep a small journal around with you and write whatever you want in it, as long as you do so every day. You could write a descriptive poem, a scene with your character, a dream you had, or even what you did that day. I have a bullet journal I write in almost twice a day, and I really enjoy it! I get for some of you it’s not your thing, but even if your write a single word like in the gif, you’re still writing. Plus, it can help you stay organized and helps with mental cool-down!
3 - Cleaning Your Workspace
Keeping your workspace clean will help you clear your mind and get you ready to write! If your work on a computer like me, you might find it beneficial to tidy and organize you desktop, or maybe change up your wallpaper every once in a while. You can empty your desk of things that don’t belong there, and replace them with things that keep you motivated and happy like fancy pens or pretty candles. (I have a baby cactus on mine, his name is Remi. <3)
I hope you know that looking for ways to grow as an author shows that you’re passionate about the story you want to tell, which is a beautiful thing. If these tips help you out, let me know! As always, happy writing!
Literally the 18 things I learned from Wattpad, which I wrote back before my eighteenth birthday. Could be counted as tips or advice for all those newbies.
*This was originally posted for Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition II
Hello everyone, it’s me Trina or better known as yourstrulytrina, returning once again to the Wattpad Block Party. On my first party, I did an interview with the leading men of my books and on my second one, I gave out some tips for the newbies who would like to survive the amazing community known as Wattpad.
So what am I going to do for this time? Well, since it’s my last block party before I turn eighteen (the next one would be probably February or around that) and I’ve spent a good three years here on Wattpad, I’m going to give out the eighteen things I learned from this place.
The majority of Wattpad’s population is the youth and as I almost reach legality, I’m proud to be one of them. Three years, so that meant I came here when I was fourteen and this website indeed help me in shaping me up during the critical years of maturation. These may help you, these may not. You may relate or maybe not. But like everything else I do in Wattpad, it’s all for good fun.
1.) This is a community.
Undeniably so. You need some help? The ambassadors are there for all your needs. Need some tips? A lot of experienced authors are willing to share their knowledge and experiences. Need someone to talk to? Just reach out and people will be there chatting with you until you feel better.
2.) Community or not, people are competitive.
You and I know that most people here wants to get discovered. They want their works to be shown to the world, praying that a publisher might contact them. So what do they do? They claw themselves up to the rankings, and with Wattpad’s new algorithm with the ranking system, it’s quite difficult to do so. It’s all friendly though, we all just want to get our stories noticed and read. To be frank, I never wanted to get published, it never came into my mind. The opportunity presented itself so I grabbed it.
3.) People will chew your work and spit it out before repetitively stomping it on the ground.
It hurts to see your sweat, blood, and tears be harshly criticized to the point that you feel your heart dropped to your chest. At first, I couldn’t control my emotions, I was kept up at night just belittling myself because of one comment. I never responded to it though, because I knew that it would be adding fuel to the fire. Now, whenever I see hate-filled comments, I just shrug it off and move on. Trust me, your heart will be made of stone if you continue to stay here.
4.) Doesn’t mean you should disregard all criticism.
Some people really want to see you improve. They’ll sit there, skim through your work, and then tell you what’s wrong and what needs to be changed. Doesn’t mean they’re a bunch of haters. It’s called constructive criticism; take it, it’s good for you. When people politely point out my mistakes, I’ll give them a silent thank you as I work on the problem. No need to be an arrogant bish about it.
5.) Being in Wattpad is like being in an abusive relationship.
Not really, but think about it. You’ll pour your heart and soul out on your writing only for someone to belittle it. Are you going to stop? Of course not, you’ll keep going even though your self-esteem is continually getting shot at. I’m at that point that I’m no longer excited when I update, I just feel an unsettling anxiousness which doubles when I see the comments. Fake it, until you make it, kids.
6.) The only thing constant is change.
I’ve seen Wattpad when the ‘followers’ were still called ‘fans’. There was still a status bar where you can say quick updates to your readers. The homepage actually showed the activities about you and the people you follow. When you click on someone’s profile, everything was there. No need to click on ‘About’ or ‘Conversations’ because all you had to do was scroll down. You can actually keep track of those who dedicated their chapters to you, because they were all listed down on your profile. You couldn’t put the media into the story itself, you can only place them at the side along with the cast, plus you can create slideshows. When your story is in-progress, you have a higher chance of climbing up the charts, now they prioritize the completed ones.
Not all are bad, just like the mentioned multimedia inside the story was a good touch. When Wattpad added the text alignment and the magic three (italic, underline, and bold), I sang hallelujah because it’s a struggle when you have the lack of controls for certain emphasis. One of my absolute favorites that Wattpad updated was in-line comments, it made tracking your reader’s opinion much easier compared to when I had to struggle with making them comment on what’s wrong or right.
7.) You’re a writer? Well, good damn luck.
Literally, good luck. If I wasn’t too loyal to this website for opening the opportunities for me, I would have packed my bags and left. Readers are tactlessly opinionated, even to the point of dragging your name into other people’s business. I mean, just stop please. They complain and moan when we do something they don’t want and let me tell you, it gets on our nerves but we don’t do or say anything because we appreciate them. When they hit the last straw though, they have the audacity to go ballistic when we actually take action for the sake of our work, name, and sanity. And it doesn’t help that this is a reader’s app, we writers have the short end of the stick.
8.) It’s a good way to expand your network.
Publishing deals are flying all over the place. Those little stickers of promoters on the book cover? They’re more likely to show on the homepage and get your story known. Also, this is a good way to bridge out to other apps that offer serialized fiction, like my good ol’ buddy, Radish.
10.) The word ‘update’ can be one of the most annoying words out there.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore my readers and everything. Sometimes, I appreciate when people comment that they want an update, but for them to say it just a minutes after I did, it makes me want to put my phone down and take calming breaths by the corner.
Just a tip, wait at least a few hours or so before you demand an update.
11.) There’s always room for improvement.
I’m not going to flatter myself and say that I was a good writer from the start nor am I an amazing write now. When I look back on the first ever version of my first story here on Wattpad, I can do nothing but cringe. It’s horrible, to spare you the boggling thoughts. I’ve improved… a lot. I still have a long way to go though.
12.) Research, please.
I live in the Philippines, my usual settings are in the USA. A lot of their culture and the things I write about are extremely foreign to me – I even had to look up how much a freaking cup of coffee costs. Not only that, but I try to make things as accurate as I can, although I do admit that I have a few slip-ups here and there. Did you know that my mom asked me if I was running away because I had about six tabs about European tours and trips? All for the love of my story.
Plus, just because you live in that place, doesn’t mean everything you’re writing is already accurate. Just double check to make sure.
13.) Age is just a number.
This is directed mostly to the youths of Wattpad, so of course I have to include this. We are at the stage where our minds drift off to the craziest dreams. Write it down, utilize whatever knowledge you have and ignore the fact that you’re completely surrounded by an intimidating bunch of adults. Let me tell you this, they don’t know how old you are and you probably don’t know how old they are. The only thing of concern between all of you is your writing.
But of course, be reminded that you need to be at least 13 before you sign up steer away from those mature stories until you’re at the proper age that is warned by the author.
14.) Be reckless, be spontaneous.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again – I created my Wattpad account with my sleep-induced mind. I posted my first story a few hours later, about midnight. When I woke up in the right state of thinking, I freaked out. That was one of the biggest step outside my comfort zone and look where it took me – you’re reading it.
15.) You have an army behind you.
With my machinegun, I plow through the battlefield with my army following in my direction. What’s my army? My readers. Their loyalty is the one thing I treasure the most, their opinions are what keep me up at night, their words are like the comfort or the slap that I need, and most of all, they’re there when I need them. The writing world is no walk in the park, you need your back-up with you.
16.) You’ll change.
There are a lot of external and internal factors for my switch in personality, but Wattpad surely had a big contribution to my current self. This community raised my self-esteem and self-efficacy by a mile, because it showed that my works can actually make an impact on someone else. I became tougher in terms of emotions. Like stated earlier, I’ve had my fair share of harsh criticism and once it got to the point that there were just too many of those, I’ve gotten used to it. I also learned to use my words properly, in the way that I should know which information I should share and which I should not.
17.) Every author is a good one, it just takes the right readers to acknowledge it.
The golden advice I say to everyone and anyone who asks for it. You can’t please everyone, but you can please someone who shares the same vision as you so don’t get discouraged when someone say that you’re not good at writing or your plot is horrible.
18.) Write for yourself because it’s your story and only you can hold the pen.
Well, keyboard for my situation. I made the huge mistake back then of letting my readers pressure me into creating an ending I didn’t want. I didn’t hate the story though, I still loved it because it became a learning experience for me. For me, that book was at the bottom of the list because that was my story to tell, not theirs. After that, I promised to only write for myself – having the public like it is just a bonus. Write to express, not to impress.
That’s basically it. Thank you @KellyAnneBlount for once again letting this girl join the Wattpad Block Party. Now let me ask you this question: What was one lesson you learned from your experience on Wattpad?
Thank you so much for reading, I hoped you like it. Some of you may relate, some may not. All I know is that I’m grateful that Wattpad has become part of my way through legality. Well, see you guys.
I think for the course of my years on Wattpad, I still don’t get how people ever think of asking me for advice. I’m not the best person to get advice from, but I do my best to answer them. So to help others, I’ve decided to put this up on tumblr (and also because I’m getting sick and tired of retyping this every time somebody messages me for tips).
*This was originally posted for Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition II
Hello everyone, it’s Trina (or better known as yourstrulytrina) coming at you for another Wattpad Block Party post.
Last year I did an interview with my books’ wonderful heartthrobs and I came this year to give you a few pieces of advice.
Honestly, I was running through so many ideas on what to do, but then when I took a good look at my inbox, a frequent topic that people send me is about Wattpad and writing itself.
Let’s keep this casual, alright? Because you and I know pretty well that I’m not a professional.
From newbies asking how to start their writing to oldies who are trying to get their story out there – I’ve talked to them all. So let me share you some pieces of advice as I tell you a little story about my own journey here on one of the best sites I’ve discovered.
I started my Wattpad account at the ripe age of fourteen. It wasn’t my first time posting stories on the internet, but I don’t believe those sites had such a big writing/reading community as the wonderful WP. For me, that was already a big leap and at 1am, four hours after I made my account, I uploaded my first ever story here – Falling For The Opposite.
I was terribly nervous yet I think the exhaustion from that day overcame my senses and made me do it. The morning after, I questioned my decisions, but I told myself that the damage was already done so I had no other choice but to continue with it.
And to this day, I believe that that was the best thing I have ever done.
The thing is, I kept overthinking the possibilities that may come from that single upload. I could be shamed and judged by the masses, yet when I gained the courage to do it, I opened a new kind of door for myself. I always tell people, stop thinking that this and that may happen – your actions will have their consequences, but they will also have a reward.
If you keep thinking about the bad, how in the world will the good come in?
Now that we’ve done part one, we head on to the second part of this whole adventure – getting the readers.
On my second day of Wattpad, I branched out. No, I didn’t blatantly asked people to read, nor did I post an ad in other people’s story (speaking of which, don’t advertise like that, it’s extremely rude; think for a moment, how would you like it if some other person plastered their face over yours?). I talked to them, befriended them, and because of that, they piqued an interest and went over to my profile, gave my story a read, and they kind of liked it enough to stick around for the updates.
Remember this, you can’t get overnight fame. I started out with five readers, and I was so happy with them. Those readers had their own friends and fans so of course, my story got passed around until it was slowly starting to grow.
Of course, not everyone liked the story and boy, did they tell it to me straight. Did I get discouraged? Nope. Why? Because I used their words as criticism and it pushed to me to improve my writing.
And remember, you cannot please everyone.
Don’t allow them to say you’re a horrible author, because I don’t believe that. I always say, every author is a good one, they just need the right readers to acknowledge it.
Step three, keeping the readers.
Alright, now you got some people coming to your book to read the chapters. How can you make them stay for updates?
Well, first things first it to treat them nicely. Don’t be rude to them, don’t threaten them, don’t play the victim card, but always thank them and show your appreciation. This is one lesson I wished I knew back then when I was starting out.
May it be five reads or a million, don’t neglect them. Apologize if you missed an update or if you took too long, answer their messages to you, and tell them how important they are.
And if you think for a second that they’re unimportant, please reevaluate your thoughts. They give you insights, they give you motivation, and I know they’re one of the reasons you’re still in this site.
I always tell my readers that I love them, from every update to every announcement. Why? Because I sincerely do. They’re the reason why I keep doing this, they lift me up when I’m down and they’re there to celebrate with me if something good happens.
The biggest weapon you have in this site are the loyalty of your readers.
Next part, keeping up with the updates.
Update, for the love of everyone, update. You may be nice, but you can only hold the people’s attention for so long. Give them what they want and what they came for – a story. Keep them consistent, but don’t update too often that people will get bored.
And I know, I’m hypocritical for saying this. In my defense, this is how I started.
My suggestion, the minimal amount of time in between updates is three days. Keep them wanting, but keep them satisfied.
Maximum? Well, just don’t take six months (ehem.)
One piece of advice, before I end this division – be contented. Be happy with ten reads and be happy with a million reads. It will help your emotions and mentality about writing. If you’re always aiming for such a high read count, then you might get discouraged. If you’re easily contented, then you’re so happy with just a small amount that you want to keep pushing and that’s what’s important.
Another topic most people are always so worried about is the writing process.
I’m no professional in the sense of grammar and spelling (this chapter is a very good example of that), but I can give a thing or two in story progression.
Introductions. Perhaps the most important part of the story. This is when you start the whole journey and how well this goes will determine how many readers will stick around to read the rest.
Give an overview of what’s to come. Who are your main characters? Where is it happening? What’s the theme in the book? Stuff like those are what’s needed in the introduction, or as others call it, the first chapter. For me though, I termed this as a Prologue or Introduction but it all differs from the way you want to portray it. Most stories doesn’t contain a prologue and that’s alright – the difference is that introduction/prologue is your description bank, it’s where you basically recall flashbacks, introduce people to the readers, and of course, trying to give an insight of your plot.
Again, most writers forego it and instead goes straight ahead to the first chapter. If your story can hold up without a prologue then by all means, go to the first chapter.
Body Chapters. Here are the parts that are in between the intro and the end. This is what we call the development. I, myself, am guilty with filler chapters. Some days, I just can’t think of anything, and filler chapters are good for drama breaks (a breather for some readers). Though, remember that a book can’t be all filler chapters.
This is what makes up your book so stick with your plot and find a way to go through the alphabet, because you can’t just go from A to Z in one snap. You can’t have the character introduced on the first chapter, get married on the second, and die in the third. Unless you’re writing a short story, of course, but you still need to create the spine and body.
How long should chapters be? It depends on each person but I think a standard among Wattpad writers and authors in general is at least 2,000-2,500 words if you’re writing a regular novel. Long enough to get everything that needs to be said in there but short enough for the reader to keep turning the pages.
The End. This could be as emotional as you want it to be. This is what you need to make in order to give a lasting impression to your readers. It could be the bridge to a sequel or a closure to a story. Any way you want it to be, just make sure it wraps up everything that needs to be wrapped up with the book.
Perhaps you may ask the question: What happened now with me in terms of Wattpad after I did these things?
First, I’m writing for y’all in the Wattpad Block Party, which is an amazing feat in itself. I got an amazing group of readers that’s so special to me. I’m still writing three years later and I’ve met so many wonderful writers and admins of Wattpad. And perhaps the greatest thing ever – that story that I uploaded during one in the morning on that fateful day is currently published and can be bought in actual bookstores.
You don’t have to follow these, they’re simply advice. Some techniques that may work well for me may not work for you, and I encourage you to do your best.
So once again, thank you Miss Kelly for inviting me for another Block Party and to you guys for sticking around. I shall see you all soon!
