Writing a Great Story
Choose a genre for your story. The genre you choose to write in will affect the kind of characters and plot you'll create. Pick a genre that you’re comfortable writing in and passionate about. For instance, if you're interested in the strange and unusual, you might want to focus on horror or science fiction. Romance and fan fiction are two very popular genres on Wattpad. Focus on one of these for the widest audience.
Write profiles for your characters. Doing character profiles can help you create strong, vivid characters. Start by profiling your main character. What do they look like? What’s their personality? What are their dreams, goals, and fears? What significant events happened in their past? Once you've profiled your main character, move on to the supporting characters. Your story doesn’t need to include all the details you put in the profiles. However, the more you know about your characters, the easier it will be to write them.
Figure out your basic plot. Some authors like to have their plot completely figured out before they start writing. Others start with the basics and fill in the rest as they write. Many fall somewhere in the middle. All are valid approaches! Start with a simple plot outline and go from there. A great way to start thinking about the plot is to think about questions you want your story to answer. For example, the Lord of the Rings trilogy answers questions like, "What happens when the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a hobbit?” and "What happens when friends embark on an exciting and dangerous adventure together?"
Write the first draft. The goal of your first draft is to get the foundation of your story on paper (physical or digital). You’re not necessarily trying to write a perfect story at this point. Focus on getting your characters on the page and writing out the events you want to happen. Don’t focus too much on grammar and spelling at this stage. Correct basic stuff as you go, but you'll do intensive editing later. Wattpad stories can be different lengths, from novelettes (about 7500 words) to full-length novels (over 40,000 words). Write as much as you need to tell your story without padding it.
Review and edit your story. After you’ve written your first draft, go through your story, and read it carefully. Correct grammar and spelling mistakes. Look out for parts of the story that don’t make sense and revise them. Add character detail, context, and subplots, as needed. Ask friends and family to read your story, too. They can give you important feedback as you make your revisions.
Complete your final draft. Improvise your edits and continue to hone your story until it feels complete to you. It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. All of the chapters are important, but make sure you begin with engaging chapters to really hook your readers. Polish any outstanding grammar and spelling errors. Focus on making the final product as professional as possible.
Standing out on Wattpad
Upload an interesting profile image. Try to use an image that captures your writing style. For example, if you write horror fiction, go for something dark and sinister. If you write romance, aim for something dreamy or whimsical. Use a high-quality image with decent resolution, so that it looks crisp and professional. The image doesn't have to be of yourself. It can be any cool picture you've taken!
Write an intriguing profile description. Think of your profile description almost like a cover letter. Write something brief but engaging that draws readers in. Don't forget to include a few interesting facts about yourself, as well! You could write something like, "I'm a part-time writer, a full-time dreamer who explores reveries, hallucinations, nightmares, and visions. During the day, I moonlight as a psychology student at Berkeley."
Upload engaging, high-resolution covers for your stories. Many people will pick up a book just because they find the cover art interesting, and it's no different on Wattpad! A great cover should stand out with bold colors and compelling images. Pick imagery that represents an important part of your story (without spoiling it of course). If you have friends that are good artists, you can ask them to design a cover for your story. Make sure to give them credit on your profile. You can find high-resolution stock photos on websites like Pexels and Shutterstock. Most of these websites aren't free to use, but you may find the fees worth it. Don't neglect the font when designing your cover. The font color and size should make the title stand out, and the font style needs to match the tone of the book. For example, if you're writing a humorous story or one aimed at younger audiences, you might be able to opt for a quirky font; for a more serious book, however, choose a more sophisticated font.
Create attention-grabbing story titles. Your titles need to be short and catchy. Think of something that outlines the main idea of the piece and is easy to remember. Spend some time brainstorming some ideas before making a decision. Use action words and strong verbs in your titles to get attention, like "Things Fall Apart" or "Breaking Through Barriers." Try something mysterious to interest readers, like "Caves of Crystal and Blood" or "The Light in the Ruins." Consider a punchy, one-word title, like "Torrential" or "Wanderlust."
Write an interesting short paragraph describing your book. Think of the one thing that makes your book special and write a short paragraph about it. Focus on the main character’s conflict and the challenges they face in your story. You can hook readers in with a compelling description!
Finding and Growing Your Audience
Pick the right tags and categories to find your audience. Tags and categories make your story easily searchable on Wattpad. Use keywords that accurately describe what your stories are about. Mention genre, subject matter, main themes, and any other relevant tags and categories that will get your work to the right audience. For instance, if you write war fiction, use tags like "history," “WWII,” and “war."
Rate your story appropriately for its content. If you write for mature audiences, use tags and categories to make that clear. Depending on the nature of the content, you could use tags like "strong language," "mature readers," "adult fiction," and "sexual content." If you're writing for young people specifically, use tags like "YA," "teen fiction," and "young adult fantasy" to reach the right audience.
Serialize your stories to publish more frequently. To build your reader base, you need to publish regularly and consistently. Break up your story into smaller chunks, such as chapters or acts. Choose a schedule to upload your story, such as once a month or once a week. Make sure you don’t miss an upload date, as this will hurt your number of readers. Life happens, and if you do miss a promised update on rare occasions, it probably won't mean the end of your Wattpad popularity. However, you should avoid doing this routinely as it can cause your readers to lose trust in you. Try to make sure your updates seem worth the wait each time, and especially when you have to take a longer break than usual. If you write your story before you start uploading it, you won’t have to worry about struggling to keep up.
Interact with your readers. Wattpad is a lot like a social media network. People can leave comments on your stories, and you can reply to them. After you post your story, take some time to answer any comments that you get. It makes you more approachable, and it’s more likely your readers will recommend your story to others. Some readers might post criticism of your story, constructive or not. Accept any feedback you get graciously unless it’s insulting. Thank your readers for any polite comments they share, regardless of whether those comments are praise, constructive criticism, or a combination of both. You can delete insulting or hateful comments posted on your story.
Ask Wattpad’s staff to feature your book. Wattpad has a special category called “Featured Stories." If your story is featured, it will gain much more exposure. You will get more attention as an author, and your other stories will reach a wider audience, as well. You can contact Wattpad staff through their help center. Be humble and respectful; Wattpad’s staff probably receives a lot of requests.
Include links to your Wattpad on social media profiles. You can do this using your personal profiles, or create separate, professional profiles to market your writing. Invite readers to like and follow your social media pages, and engage with them on those platforms, as well.
Enter a Wattpad writing contest to gain more attention. Wattpad always has several writing contests happening at the same time. Sometimes they’re tied to a movie that’s about to come out or a specific brand. Winning these contests will bring you even more exposure, and sometimes you can even win prizes. Check out Wattpad's current contests by visiting https://www.wattpad.com/go/writing-contests/. The Wattys happen yearly, offering multiple awards for plot development, one-of-a-kind, and breakthrough stories. They’re the biggest awards on Wattpad.
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