How to Get One Million Reads on Wattpad (a novel)

3) Be Open to Inspiration

Stacy's fingers hovered over her phone's screen, the soft glow illuminating her face. As she clicked send on her reply to Derek's text, a giddy smile played on her lips.

The memory of their unexpected encounter replayed in her mind, making her heart race. How he and his friend had appeared almost nowhere to rescue her. It was like a scene from a book.

She swiveled in her desk chair and glanced around her childhood bedroom, taking in the familiar surroundings. The "One Direction" poster from her teenage years still hung on the wall, and her bookshelves overflowed with well-loved copies of Harry Potter and Twilight.

Suddenly, a pang of embarrassment hit her. If things progressed with Derek, she'd have to do some serious redecorating before even thinking of inviting him over. Not that she wanted it to look like she's resigned herself to living with her dad now that she was home from college. But, her 17-year-old self had some cringy tastes.

Maybe Amanda could help. She had a knack for interior decorating.

Then Stacy shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. It was just coffee.

Besides, what did a guy like Derek see in her, anyway?

Stacy knew she was attractive. When she and Amanda went out dancing, guys always bought them drinks. But she also knew that she wasn't a ten.

And Derek, well, he was a ten. A perfect ten.

Trying to distract herself, she turned her attention back to her laptop. She was in the middle of a book club exchange, and had promised to leave comments on a fellow Wattpad writer's chapter by tonight. But as she read about the siren's enchanting song and the sea captain's undeniable attraction, her thoughts were like the unmoored ship in described in the chapter. They drifted back to Derek. The way his muscles had flexed as he changed her tire, the sheen of sweat on his well-defined abs.

It was all too distracting.

Shaking her head, Stacy plunged back into the tale. She didn't know much about sirens and sailors, but the chemistry between the mermaid and the captain was captivating. It reminded her of the spark she'd felt with Derek. That instant pull he had on her.

Her mind wandered again, daydreaming about him. And it wasn't just his undeniable sex appeal. Or thinking about what his lips might taste like. He seemed genuinely nice. Helpful. And skilled with his hands.

What else could those hands do?

With a deep breath and a firm resolve, she forced herself back to the present. Her fingers danced across the keyboard as she typed out a comment, praising the author's ability to craft engaging characters.

But despite her efforts, her thoughts were still entangled with Derek, his laughter ringing in her ears, his eyes locked with hers.

She had it bad. And the story she was reading was only making it worse.

Maybe she should call Amanda.

Stacy picked her phone back up off her desk. Her text exchange with Derek was still open. She read it one more time before closing it and clicking on the green phone icon.

But then she saw the time, and she remembered. Amanda was still at Zumba.

Who else could she call? Sometimes she wished her mother was normal. That they had the kind of mother-daughter relationship where Stacy could call her up and get advice about things that were going on in her life. But Stacy wasn't even all that sure what continent her mother was on at the moment, never mind what time zone she was currently in. Peggy Mitchell had been going through her "eat-pray-love" stage of life ever since the divorce almost a decade ago.