The Writer's Guide to Wattpad

"Preparing Writing" Sneak Peek and Q&A with @hjnelson

Sneak Peek

Hannah Nelson (@hjnelson) wrote Chapter 4 in The Writer's Guide to Wattpad, focusing on preparing your writing for publication on Wattpad. Here's a quick look:

Q&A with Hannah Nelson (hjnelson)

What Year Did You Join Wattpad?

I joined Wattpad in 2015 on the recommendation of a friend. I went to read his book on Wattpad and thought, "Hey, I can do this!" I liked that it was online and seemed to be a very low risk place to start uploading a book of mine. I never really thought anyone more than my family would read it.

Why Did You Join Wattpad?

Because I love to write, and have always wanted to be an author. I wanted to see if anyone else enjoyed the stories I wrote.

What's Your Favorite Part About Writing?

I love creating things, making characters, getting lost in a world, making something beautiful with words—I love it all. And in a weird way, I also love that writing takes a lot of hard work and persistence. It means that if you work hard enough for long enough, you can make it.

What's Your Least Favorite Part About Writing?

I don't really love trying to figure out how to make money off my work, to be completely honest. Sometimes I wish I could just write and it would all figure itself out, but I know I need to be better at that. So that is the most challenging for me, trying to take my writing and figure out what to do with it.

What Advice Would You Give to a Writer Just Starting Out on Wattpad?

There is no glory in writing. So don't bother if that's what you are looking for. But if you want to write because you love it, then keep writing and never stop. Also read. Read widely and deeply!

What Wattpad Story Are You Reading Now?

Colonization Protocols, by Alex Constantino virata

How Do You Write?

Once upon a time I wrote in a notebook, now I always write on my laptop.

If There Was a Sandwich Named After One of Your Characters, What Would it Be and Why?

The SAM-which. One of my characters is named Sam. It would be turkey with provolone and peppercinis and spinach.

How Much Input from Readers Do You Use for Your Stories?

A lot. I bounce plot ideas of my Wattpad friend virata, and then I consider the reactions of Wattpad readers to different characters as I go. I might not change anything on Wattpad, but in my next draft off of Wattpad I use the feedback to make a better book. Every now and then a Wattpad reader comments on a plot hole or offers an interesting idea, so sometimes they steer the story more than they know.

What Motivates You to Continue Writing?

I love writing. I can't imagine giving it up. But when a story gets difficult, and I get stuck, I remind myself of what it will feel like to finish the book, and that every book starts as a really crappy first draft, and the only way it transforms into the magnificent version in your head is if you work long and hard on it. There's a quote I love in Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do—you can either type or kill yourself."

What's Your Favorite Place to Read a Book?

AnYwHeRe... or in the bath ;)

Do You Think Technology is Making the Craft of Writing Better or Worse?

Will the robots come get me if I answer this wrong?

How Do You Manage to Stay Away from Social Media While You Write? Or Is that Even Possible?

I'm not a huge social media person.

Socks While Writing: Yes or No?

Yes! No! I can't decide.

Where is the Best Place to Write a Book?

Anywhere you have a way to write. :)

Suppose You Just Inherited $1 Million. What Would You Do With the Money?

Trade it in for gold, bury it all over the world, and then give out treasure maps to all my friends and family, while not telling them it was from me. Write an awesome book of our adventures. Possibly forget where actual gold is buried.

With Whom Did You Last Text With?

My husband, who is in my phone as My Prince in Shinning Armor (Yes, shining is spelled wrong, my sister put him in their as that and I've never changed it.)

Smartphones: Apple or Android?

Android

Hemingway Said to "Write Drunk, Edit Sober." What Do You Say to That?

Cheers to you Hemingway. My favorite Hemingway quote is "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

Do You Think Writers Should Leave Their Older Works Up on Wattpad Even if They Don't Reflect Where They are Now?

Yah, why not? Wattpad is about learning and growing in your writing.

You're Floating High Above Earth, Alone in a Space Station. You Hear a Knock from Outside on One of the Windows. What Do You Do?

Let in the space-squirrel, he prolly just lost his acorn.

If You Could Live Inside a Fictional World Created in a Book, Which One Would You Choose?

I've always wanted to go to Neverland.

How Much Coffee is Too Much Coffee?

Trick question. There is no such thing as too much coffee.

Anything Else You'd Like to Add?

My twitter handle is @hjnelson, and I'm on Instagram @ h.j.nelson. I'm always down to chat about Wattpad or writing! Also, in a final shameless plug, I've just started a new Wattpad novel, Rell and the Rose, an urban fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I'd love to have some new Wattpad readers!

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