A Guide to Wattpad Popularity

Part 7 - The Wisdom of the Melon (General Writing Tips)

I feel like I just need to share general writing tips that help out a lot in the long run. The title of this part...well, I call one of my friends melon and we're both writers. It's just fun, okay? 

1) Make a plot outline if you have a longer story. Know exactly where your story is going before you write it. The story I'm most proud of had a strict outline and outcome that I had been planning since the beginning (it's Love Games). Having a set ending is a really good idea too, especially since the rest comes a lot easier once you know how you want things to close.
For example, with Love Games, I knew I wanted my heroine to die. Don't ask me why, that could lead me to a loony bin. That guided the story essentially. Every action had to lead to that in a discrete manner. 
Writer's block isn't that bad when you have planned scenes either. 

2) Make character outlines. 
As the author, it's your job to know your characters better than your readers. That's why you should create elongated outlines to know your characters inside and out. 
Again, never lay out your characters directly and don't tell your readers everything. Let them infer and figure out why your heroine's old bracelet carries so much meaning. Let them figure out why his lucky charm is a dolphin. I don't even care, just don't tell them directly. 
Your characters must be consistent, so make sure they are. 

3) Spell check.
It's easy, and doesn't take too much time. Just make sure those mistakes have been cleaned for the sake of the reader. Nobody likes to read incorrect spelling, or grammar for that matter. 

4) Have somebody edit. 
Grammar. Make sure it's correct. Get another pair of eyes on yours before you release it publicly. You can check it yourself, or you can ask a friend. Just make sure basic errors aren't present. 

5) Writer's block? Try a free-write prompt!
The internet is so full of writing prompts, it's amazing! Try something new that you would've never thought about, and just go for it! 

6) Think outside the box. 
We write what we know, but it takes real talent to write about what we don't. Try a different perspective, whether on a gender or racial basis. Diversity is a fickle friend. The most interesting stories involve what we don't have inate knowledge of.

7) Let's Be Unpredictable (hey we're taking on the world!) 
The more unpredictable you are, the most intriguing your story will be. This works for Game of Thrones and its amazing success. You never know who's going to die and it kind of sucks but it keeps us there. Keep your readers with you. Avoid cliches and predictable actions. The best romances are those that aren't gushy and over-romantic, like TFIOS. This goes for fan fiction as well. Don't you dare fall into those pits if you want a genuinely good story!

8) Looking for popularity? You might have to sell out...
Wattpad is a community of preteen and teenage girls, mainly. We crave cliche moments and what we can't have. If you want to achieve full out popularity, you might have to conform to these standards. If not, you'll need to remain patient and true to yourself. That's what really sucks; all of these horrible stories are getting unnecessary attention, undeserved attention. Screw them. Let's write the world out of the pitfalls of cliches. 

9) Oh, the suspense!
The best parts of romance are suspenseful. Don't give your readers what they want immediately. Make them fall in love with your characters, beg for action, and wait. Some people stop reading after they get what they want. Just hold off for a little. If you're really evil, you stop your characters from doing what everyone wants them to. That is rather evil...