7 Ways Writers Can Rock WattPad

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Today, I’m going to try to convince you to try something new. Creative. Maybe even a little scary.

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And yes, it has to do with Wattpad.

In case you missed it, I blogged about Wattpad on Monday and why you–fiction writer extraordinaire–should consider spending some time on this unique platform. If you missed Monday’s post, go check it out.

Got it? Great!

Because that post was all about getting you excited about a social media platform that offers writers a way to connect with their readers…but that isn’t all I want to do this week. I also want to give you some specific ideas and strategies that you can use to get started on your Wattpad journey.

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Want to Reach Readers Who AREN’T Your Fellow Writers? Try WattPad

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Getting_Ahead-frDoes this sound familiar?

You spend hours upon hours blogging, Tweeting,  posting on Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest–where you’re successfully engaging with people who love your blog posts, Tweets, status updates, and images.

But you’re a fiction writer. You’re spending all this time on social media…and can’t help but wonder: How many of the people you’re reaching are actually the target audience for your fiction? 

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3 Essentials of Effective Character Descriptions

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footprint-71137_1280Imagine this scenario: You’re working on that all-important first chapter. You have all your resource files open on your computer, or perhaps printed out and spread on the table beside you: timelines, plot points, character notes, setting details.

You pen the opening paragraphs, setting the scene while avoiding too much description. You add a dash of dialog, a little action. Your main character is on the scene and you know exactly what she looks like, because you’ve written pages of description. You might’ve even written up a nifty character interview. Heck, you know everything from her favorite nail polish color to the contents of her backpack.

It’s time to paint her picture for the reader…and you have no idea where to start.

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David Morrel on What Writers Want

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I had the opportunity to hear best-selling author David Morrel (also known as “Rambo’s Daddy”) speak this past weekend–at Genre Fest, a joint event sponsored by the Colorado Authors League, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. His topic?

Writing the Best-Selling Novel

I’m not sure exactly what I expected from his talk–how-to tips, maybe, or the traits of best-sellers. And indeed, he spent the first half of the session talking about ways to “game the system” and become a best-seller. (Hint: find a niche that doesn’t already have authors who dominate that genre, or copy the latest best-selling success story. He didn’t advise these strategies, just pointed out that they’d worked for some authors.)

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