Wattpad 101: Your guide to the world of Wattpad

How to Become a Better Writer

You can't get any broader than to ask the question, 'how do I become a better writer?', yet, this is the question almost everyone on Wattpad asks on a daily basis. Now, the fact that I'm not the greatest writer that ever lived is a testament to the reality that I can only answer this question subjectively. Naturally, I'm improving, and so I'll give you the advice I'd use to improve. On the surface, it's pretty much the most obvious thing, but I think some people might not always think to do it until you point it out. So, I hope it helps!

Read Stuff Like You Want to Write

If you are interested in writing something, the best thing you can do is read the kind of books you want to write. This obviously means you'll be reading other books from your genre. A fantasy writer will read fantasy books, a romance writer will read romance books. However, this can get far more specific. Want to write a story about a zombie apocalypse? Start reading stories about zombie apocalypses.

You probably are not nearly as original as you think you are, and I can pretty much guarantee that your story about a vampire in high school has, at some level, been done by someone before. Therefore, try to find books as close to your source a possible, if for no other reason, then that you have some advice on how to be different.

However, don't simply find books with content that is similar to what you want to write, also find books written in the style you want to write. Want to write books for young adults? Read books for young adults. Just because you're an adult now doesn't mean you'll "remember" and be perfect at writing something that appeals to a younger demographic. See what's out there. Compare your style to the styles that are popular right now.

I'd recommend you peruse what's popular, and also peruse what's new. Seeing the modern trends in writing will help you create books that will work for right now. If you're interested in a certain publisher, read a bunch of books from that publisher. You can use this in order to try to understand what works for the publisher you're interested in. This will help you write a book that has a higher chance of getting published if you have a better understanding of what this publisher typical accepts.

Culture is a constantly changing thing. Things that were popular ten years ago aren't as popular today. Therefore, it's not unreasonable that you'd need to stay up to date on the current trends in the genres you write for. You might learn a thing or two. Even if you read a hundred science fiction novels from 20 years ago, times change, and if you're trying to publish now, not 20 years ago. A book that goes to print today might be different from a book that went out ten years ago. The more you read, the more you'll learn. However, you'll need to branch out as well.

Occasionally Read Stuff From Other Genres

There are entire lists online dedicated to suggesting different genres you can read to learn about certain writing skills. You might want to read a fantasy if you want to be exposed to world building. You might want to read a romance to be exposed to characterization. That kind of thing. But the blunt of it is that you don't want your story to be exactly like every other story.

As a result, you may want to find yourself blending several genres together. Your science fiction novel might have a romantic subplot. However, if you want the romance in your science fiction novel to be authentic and, you know, romantic, then it might be a good idea to read some romance books and see how they do it.

The same can be said about everything. The more genres you expose yourself to, the more you'll be able to add to your story and the better you'll be able to break out of the standard genre mold. At this level, I'm merely talking about reading, but it's a pretty well known that if you want to write, you need to read too. Reading other people's writings and taking example after example after example is the best way to teach you what to do, and what not to do.