The Beauty of Wattpad

As a young, aspiring writer, I can attest that it's hard to find ways to put your work out there—whether you want to be picked up by a publisher, or just for the creative outlet. The website is like a safe haven for writers who may not be fully confident in the work they produce.

Founded by Ivan Yuen and Alan Lau in 2006, Wattpad has accumulated a following of over a million members who partake in a vast community for both readers and writers, with genre interests spanning teen fiction, poetry, humor, horror, fanfiction, nonfiction, etc. In fact, Margaret Atwood likened it to a place where, "you're free to explore, and to guinea-pig yourself, and to stretch the boundaries" of your writing skills. (The Guardian, 2012)

I remember first stumbling onto Wattpad in 2012. I was 12-years-old and was just catching onto the One Direction phase—ah, those were the days. Anyway, I found some pieces of fanfiction that caught my attention, stemming from this magical orange website. The more digging I did, the more enthralled with Wattpad I had become.

Default Wattpad Page

Still curious to pursue my writing career, I was immediately fascinated by the capabilities and amenities Wattpad offered to make my experience the absolute best it could be. The website offers writers the luxury of bringing their ideas to life, not just through words, but through the use of images, videos, gifs, etc. Writers could create these amazing book covers to grab the readers' attention—because, let's face it: if the cover looks cool, you're going to want to read it.

Wattpad also acts as its own social media platform. Writers and readers from all over the world can interact and follow each other. They're able to learn from each other, whether it be writing techniques, personalities, or just get the chance to bond with other writers. Wattpad has an extension with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, allowing you to share your works with your friends and followers on separate platforms.

One of the beauties of Wattpad is the aspect of anonymity. While we live in a world where the sharing of personal information is as common as sharing a bag of chips with a friend, the option to shield personal information is quite relieving. It is for me, at least. As you'll notice in the screencap below, I go by Kailie. This allows for an aspect of privacy, should a writer not feel completely comfortable sharing their works as themselves.

My Wattpad Homepage

Besides book covers, writers were also delving into the world of multimedia through the creation of gifs, posters, and book trailers. I myself have created pieces of media for my own stories. This has allowed me to realize my full interest in creating graphic designs, as well as honing in my marketing skills to draw in my followers. I've created posters, videos, book covers, all while allowing me to learn new applications, like Adobe Photoshop and Filmora.

Book Cover Example

The above is an example of a cover I made.

And here is a book trailer I made for another book.

The utilization of Wattpad has proven helpful in the style of which I write my stories now—as well as my academic papers. I started writing on Wattpad late into 2012, and going back and seeing the way I used to write, I won't lie to you, I downright cringe with disgust. But seeing the woes I made in the past have helped my writing style evolve into the character it's developed into today. Not only that, but with the experiments I had with my graphics, I was able to realize my love for the graphic/fine arts, and am now pursuing a BA in illustration.

It's not just me, though. You do a little digging into some of the reviews behind Wattpad, and you'll find many other kids giving their accounts of how Wattpad has affected them in their everyday lives. Writing techniques have improved, confidence has been built, friendships have formed, and a deep love for writing and reading is generated through children from as young as 13-years-old.

Do keep in mind, it's a free platform. Therefore, writers are allowed to implement sexual conduct, violence, explicit language, etc., into their works. There are warnings the viewers can see so they have a clear idea of what they're about to read.

Overall, if you're a young writer and not entirely sure where to start, Wattpad is the perfect place to crack your knuckles and start brainstorming. Write your stories, post them, and share them with your friends. And if you're not happy with your story, go back and change it; and edit it until you know it's perfect. Get tips from followers, authors, and let your imagination run wild with the silly, the serious, and the surreal.