Things I've learned On Wattpad

Lesson 10: Addiction

Yes, I admit it. I am a patient with the "one more chapter" syndrome. I cannot count the times I lost sleep over reading a story, waking up the next day feeling like death because I only closed my eyes for a couple of hours. I cannot count the times the papers sat on my desk needing grading or the notebooks piled next to them haunting me, mocking me, begging me for attention but I kept fooling myself thinking I would get to that after one more chapter. I meant one more after that. OK, OK so two...or three.

The lesson of the day: I have realised that Wattpad is a trap! Yes, my friends. A trap, I tell you! An Addiction! Once you read the first good story you are hooked. It's this world where you are surrounded by numerous choices, lovely plots, a world where your everyday problems vanish and you live a different life every night. You get high by reading about people who fulfil dreams and achieve goals, who are not afraid to speak up. You read about characters who find themselves in situations just similar to what you are experiencing and you don't feel alone. You read about great love affairs, or people who can get back on their feet after one and you just get dragged into this imaginary world where everything is possible. Why would you want to get out of this?

YOU HAVE A JOB! That's why? And duties and responsibilities. Try to delete you Wattpad app for a month. I dare you! A week! You act all cool now,  like you can actually do that, but look me in the eye and tell me the truth. You can't, can you?

I have deleted the app from my phone maybe twenty times. I have work to do, I kept thinking. This shit is distracting me. My kids want to play a board game. Hubby needs cuddles. I should tidy my underwear drawer.

I lasted maybe an hour. Two hours tops! What if that author updates. What if that story ...

I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do before having coffee is check for any updates. I wake the children up and take a shower. Luckily I don't need to do any chores or prepare breakfast. I have help in the house. I love that girl. She is the reason I am not yet divorced. My husband adores me but he would flip if he found me checking updates before thinking of taking care of my kids. I work afternoons and he works mornings so it's only fair I take care of them in the morning before school while he does that in the afternoon.

So I have coffee, check the updates, read a little, drive kids to school, come back home read a little, go to the gym, read while on the treadmill, shower, read a little, work in my office for a couple of hours, read a little, work for a couple hours more, read a little and so on...

I love Wattpad stories, what can I say.

I am a Wattpad junkie. I get high on the characters and feel their pain. Should I seek help?

And then when the inevitable happens and the story ends...

I am in desperate need for my next fix so I ask around my Wattpad friends until I am satisfied that I have found the next way to get high. I am truly wondering. Is it the same for you, too?

Are you a bit like this 👇 when reading a story you like? Because sometimes I am.

I might even be tempted to bite if I am at a good part. (not kidding)

Thankfully, during the past year, I have learnt to control myself a little bit better, so my business has not suffered. However, since time is limited to reading I barely have time for writing which is a shame because I really enjoy it. BUT it's not my fault. It's the other authors' fault for writing stories I want to read. (Sometimes, I admit I have been a pain in the ass and have bribed, blackmailed, abused friendships on Wattpad to find out what will happen in the next chapter before anyone else! Hehe)

So the next image certainly does not apply for me

I am not a happy victim of books. They have taken up my life! LOL

Raise your hand and press that star if you can relate to what I say.

Love you guys.

I am Anna and I am a Wattpadholic! Sorry I need to go. You know, there's an update waiting 😉 !!!