How To: Wattpad Writing

Spicing-up Sentences

This one is probably my favorite tip so far, as not only do I love it, but many writers could definitely use a lesson or two in this: Spicing-up Sentences. Adding flavor. Lengthening your story. Adding variety. I'm being redundant, so let's get on with it.

As my life once depended on a decent Wattpad story, I have come across countless authors with a bad habit of writing many short sentences. Example:

Mindy walked down the corridor. She came face-to-face with a man. He held a gun to her head. She punched him in the face and the gun fell. She grabbed it and ran. She threw the gun out of the window.

See how bland, boring, and repetitive it is? Let's spice it up a bit-- add some flavor and combine some sentences to make them longer and sound better.

Here is an example of what I mean:

Mindy walked down the corridor and came face-to-face with a sketchy man holding a gun; he leveled it to her head, but her quick reflexes caused her to swing her arm back. Her fist connected with his nose, and a satisfying crack resounded through the bleak hallway. As he recoiled, she swung again, and the gun fell from his hand as he reached to close off the already bleeding injury. As red rained from his nose, Mindy scanned the area for the man's pistol, but to no avail. Finally, she spotted the glint of silver capable of taking a life. As she scooped it into her hand, the injured man behind her recovered and launched himself at her small body; before she could fall, she threw the gun at the window with all of the force in her body. It sailed through the broken window.

See? A bleak 43 word, six sentence, one paragraph description turned into a sprazzling 147 word, seven sentence, possibly three paragraph description of an almost-fight scene.

Spicing up and lengthening a description is easier than it seems. If you've ever taken a class in poetry, or your grade school teacher gave a few lessons on poetry, then you've probably heard something similar to this process with these steps:
•Write
•Read
•Edit
•Read
•Add flavor/Revise
●(Possibly Read again)

So start with just writing what you want to write. If it turns out like the before of the Spicing-up, no need to worry. Just go back and edit it. Then read it, and go back over it in editing again. After you've read it again, add flavor. Spice it up. Combine short, plain sentences with each other, and add imagery. Don't say "She walked down the white hallway." Spice it up and say "Satisfying clacks resounded in the hallway as her navy blue heels hit the pristine marble floor in her descent." Make it attractive to readers-- pull us in, intrigue us.

This kind of thing isn't really something you can get help with-- it comes from your mind. Have fun with it, it is fun!