Encouragement For Writers

                                    

                                          
I had a talk with one of my girl's on here and she was talking about how discouraged she was getting as a writer. I decided to make a note addressing this, because I wanted to offer some encouragement for all the writers out there.
                          
1.)    Sometimes you need to take a step back and regroup.
                          
If you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated with the writing process, it is OKAY to take a step back and regroup. I know we feel pressure not to let our readers down, especially when they've sent the hundredth message like "Update Please!!!"  
                          
It gets a tad bit frustrating I know. They are only doing it because they love your book so much that they are on the edge of their seat for the next update.
                          
But know my loves, that no matter how much they push, pry or even get angry , you don't have to rush.
                          
They will still be there when you eventually do make the choice to update. There are authors in my library who haven't updated in over a year, and you better believe if they get back on and update today, I'm going to read.
                          
But don't pressure yourself to write, when your thoughts aren't together. When you don't get an update from me, usually it's because I don't know what the heck to write about. I had to unpublish two of my stories, because I got totally lost with the direction. And that's okay.
                          
Give yourself time to come up with ideas, you don't have to slop things together. For me, usually after taking a step back, August will post a picture and an idea comes and I continue. Then I can't stop writing lol.
                          
But know it's okay to take a step back. It's okay to regroup and have writer's block. Give your brain a break. And when it comes, then write.
                          
2. This is NOT a competition.
                          
Listen, I have read other author's works and sometimes I get discouraged. They'll get like 3,000 likes on a chapter right after they put it up, and I'm like damn, what am I doing wrong? I had to realize, I'm not doing anything wrong.
                          
This particularl book had sex every other chapter, and that wasn't my thing. But the readers seemed to love and it and they gravitated to it.
                          
 What did I do? Nothing. I'm not changing my writing style because this person got more votes or comments. I'm staying true to who I am. And if I get more readers because of it- great, if I don't -fine.
                          
But this is not a competition. I write because I freaking want to, not because I want to be some wattpad celebrity.
                          
It's just like music. They are loads of people who are NOT August Alsina fans. They hate his voice. They think he's mean. The list could go on. They have a right to their opinion.
                          
But does that stop the nation from loving him? Hell no!
                          
August does not have as many fans as let's say Drake, but August has his own fans. And he's not going to stop performing because the people in Drake's crowd ain't in his crowd.
                          
You have to be confident in the type of writing you do. Don't change because you see something working for someone else and they have more people.
                          
Just do you!
                          
3. Ignore negative comments and stop explaining yourself.
                          
I get the stupidest comments some time. Boy, everybody is not working with a full deck. But like so many of you have told me, "Stop explaining Yourself!!!!" What is understood between you and your genuine reader's don't need to be explained. Keep writing and if they don't like, they can take their negative ass to another book. Cause I know, I'm not wasting time reading books I don't like. Even one's that I loathe. Like the August is 22, dating a 14 year old girl books, I don't put my negative comments. I just overlook the book entirely.
                          
4.) Some of the best authors don't have a lot of readers.
                          
I've read books that have millions of readers that are pure shit. Sorry. I don't judge other people's work, but it's just not for me. And some people may feel the same about mine and that's fine. But for some reason people love them. And I just discovered Risa's book  this weekend. I looked at the first comment she started writing that freaking book in July of 2014. And I'm just now seeing it!!!! There are no telling how many other authors books that are marvelous,  that people just don't know about. And regardless, they keep writing. You have to do the same.
                          
5.) Most authors with a lot of votes and readers have been on wattpad a long time.
                          
I started writing in I believe June of last year. You cannot write a book today and expect to get a million reads. I always look at people's joined date and then I look at the first comment to see the original date they started. Most books with loads of votes, began two years ago. Some even three! And the reason their books have consistently gotten more votes is because they gained a readership. Give yourself time to build a fan base.
                          
6.) Don't take it personal when big authors don't read your work.
                          
I asked a big author once to read my work and I got so hurt when she didn't.  It wasn't until I started getting loads of request a day, I realized why she didn't. If you have an inbox full of people asking you to read their work. Like tons of request per day. On top of things going on your life and writing, it is virtually impossible to do that.
                          
 It doesn't make the author arrogant. It doesn't make them mean. And it doesn't mean you're a bad writer. It just means they really are busy and if you are patient enough they might get to it. I asked someone to read my work in July and they just got to it.
                          
 Don't take it personal. I have a ton of request, but when I have more time, I am going to try to get to you. I have books, even by my closet friends on here that I haven't got to yet. Not because I hate them, and I know they may think that, but just because I haven't had the time to read.
                          
I write frequently because that's easy to do, but it takes a lot longer for me to sit down and actually read.
                          
If you asked me, I haven't forgotten you. And please don't take my lack of reading as me saying you're a bad writer.
                          
7. if you are a writer and you see you have readers that are voting but not commenting send them a dm asking them what they think. Some people are so afraid to comment or they are reading quickly and don't get around to it. Reach out to them and just ask.
                          
8. ) Don't take your readers for granted.
                          
I think we forget sometime that if says you have 100 votes. 100 hundred freaking people clicked vote. That's not a robot. It's not a ghost. It's a human being on the other end. When you are so concerned with the readers you don't have, you are taking those 100 people you do, for granted. 
                          
No you may not have 1,000, but you got 100. And those 100 people deserve your writing, your appreciation and your loyalty. 
                          
Don't shit on them, because you are looking at the vote count in someone else's book.

                          
8.) Believe in what you're writing.
                          
Nothing is worse than a writer, every two seconds taking a story down and starting a new one. If you don't LOVE the idea. Don't write it. Pick a topic YOU love. Not a topic that's popular or you think will get you a lot of readers. Write about characters YOU love, not one's you think will get a lot of votes. And stick with it. Believe in yourself as a writer. Always improve the things you can do to get better. And lastly, keep writing. 

                          
Love you guys,
                          
Des