Tips & Tricks to Writing on Wattpad

5 Tricks to Plotting

5 TRICKS TO PLOTTING

I'll be honest, I don't know if these will really be tricks, but it can act as a stay-away-from-these-guide.

1) Don't wait that long to introduce her badass ability or crippling allergy!

I think we've all seen it- a story where the main character is in a hopeless dilemma and about to get raped and killed- but oh wait! She took karate and boxing when she was younger and is a badass street fighter! Everything will be okay!
This might be okay to pull if you're two or so chapters in. However, when it's more than that... Don't even try. If you don't show her training, or have someone mention it, or have her think about it or anything, and you pull it last minute, I will be like 'YOU LAZY WRITER TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT!'. No lie. Honestly, I'm pretty sure these things happen because of lazy plotting. You get the main character into a dilemma. Everyone is somewhere else/distracted. You have no idea how to get them out, and you've already posted the chapter. So you give them superpowers or fighting abilities out of the blue.
Yeah, you see that pretty back button the in the top left corner? I think I'll click it.

1.5) And it all ends perfectly because there was a recording device...

A life saving object that the main character has shouldn't be mentioned two chapters later, either. I mean, come on, how many people put on a recording device and totally forget about it? Or whatever excuse you use.

2) Don't make it that obvious.

We don't need a lot of reminders on something. One every five chapters is enough, if not, it's too much. Honestly, we pick up on more things than you would expect. The two guy friends who hugged, got drunk, then were found in the same room, passed out next to each and half naked? They're gay, duh. The slight sigh of relief your main character gives when she hears her parents having a normal conversation? They usually fight a lot.

You don't need to remind us constantly. And you definitely don't need to link everything to that one little fact. Or we'll start thinking your character is just a little bit obsessive...

3) The fake suspense

Some people subsitute real suspense for "not-believing". You know those stories where it's all like 'He can't be a {insert supernatural character here}! Just because he acts like it and never {inset thing the supernatural character never does here}, doesn't mean he is a {insert supernatural character here}".Or the romance stories that are like "He can't love me! Just because everyone says he stars at me and he touches me all the time (AN break: If that sounded sexual, it wasn't my intent), doesn't mean he actually does!"
That never really works unless you have a very solid reason. Like the reason why your MC beleives the guy can't love her is because she killed his father and he knows it. Or something like that.
And with supernatural characters, I get we aren't supposed to believe in them, but this is Fiction. You can do it once or twice, but don't make it the whole thing. If it looks something like this:

Melody got up and went to school. I can't let myself beleive that he's a vampire! It's not possible! They don't exsist!
Classes flew by and it was lunchtime. Just because he never goes out during the day and because sometimes he has blood on his face, it doesn't meen he's a vampire! They only exsist in stories!
The lunch bell rang and she headed to class. He said he wasn't a vampire! It's jsut my imagination acting up, I know it!
School finished and Melody went home. At home she sat on her bed, still wondering if Bob was a vampire.

Yeah, well, all I have to say is...You know that little back button in the corner? It's looking awfully tempting...

4) Coincidentally, Bob, the Nutella theif stopper was at the supermarket at the same time Shelly was getting her Nutella stolen.

Too many coincidents in a story drive me up the wall (I don't know if that was the right phrase, but oh well). One or two- fine. More than that, such as a police officer just happening to be in a restaurant that's being robbed? A music producer just happening to be there the first time your MC opens her mouth and sings? Just don't. It's sort of like 1, an easy way out. Let your main character sort through their problems, don't just bring in a cardboard cut-out character in to save the day.

5) It's over. Move on.

Some people just can't let go. I get it that you love your story, but there comes a time where it ends. When the problem has been settled and everyone is happy. Don't add more drama so you can lengthen your story. Don't suddenly bring in a supernatural element to a historical romance book unless you've already hinted at it. Don't make the male love interest suddenly turn out to be a spy once he and the main character have conquered high school dramas.
Know when to let go.

Personal Opinion) And they lived happily ever after... And so did their kids... And their kid's kids....

This is more of a personal opinion, but I don't really like those 'TWENTY YEARS LATER' endings. Honestly, I find them really... Closed. It's like 'They got married June 15th and had a child the 3rd of May, etc, etc.' I like endings where we can imagine what happens to them. If it's really significant, like when they're eighty-nine and one of them dies, and it's all sad and stuff, yeah fine. But when it's just to show their kids and your ability -or inabilitiy- to use a baby naming book, please don't.
When they're done well, with a point, they can be good. But when it's a cliche fairytale ending... it just gets old.
Again, this is a personal opinion.

I feel a bit mean. But yeah, my plotting dont's/advice. Coming mostly from me as a reader.

Next Tip: Covers

~JJ :)