I'll admit upfront, this isn't a tip or trick for writing-just another reflection of mine about writers that I've seen online, about the writers who felt insecure when comparing themselves to other writers, but today, I'm not thinking about those sort of writers. Today I'm thinking about those who started out on sites like Wattpad, made it big outside of the community and are now bad-mouthing said community.

Let me start at the beginning, the reason I want to talk about this in the first place. I am a huge believer in remembering where you came from and remembering who helped you get there. I think it's hugely important to remember that whatever good place you got in life, you had help getting there and no matter how big you are, it's important to remember where you had your start and got your chance, as well as who and what helped you to reach the place you ended up. It's a huge show of character and integrity, at least in my eyes because it shows that a person has the humility to admit that, despite all the hard work, time, effort and energy put into any given thing, they still could not have managed it without the help of these people.

So, knowing that is my point of view on the whole thing, seeing author's dis and bad-mouth the community that got them the opportunities they are currently pursuing just rubs me the wrong way and quiet harshly, might I add.

Now, don't mistake me. I am in no way referring to authors who simply outgrew the community and opted to leave because of it and still acknowledge that the experience was important. or because they got a better offer elsewhere and the community they'd been discovered on was not something the new company or party wanted to be involved with. Such as when an author gets published and is required in their new contract to remove the work from the original platform.

Those people I have nothing against. They aren't bad-mouthing where they got their start. They just grew passed it. That happens. I have nothing against that in any way, shape or form. The people I am referring to are the ones who leave due to outgrowing or better offers and then turn around just lash at the place that got them their start.

For example, one author who actually started on Wattpad, I was reading through a post by them and it said "Wattpad created a free culture" and continued to bash the features on the site like in-line commenting and the readers who gave her "hate". Has Wattpad created a "free" culture? Maybe, I think it's up for debate, as in this case, Wattpad's tagline is all about the fact that there are thousands of stories people can read for free on here.

But I digress, back to my point.

So, overall, the tone of this post was, at least to me, very spiteful and annoyed and that bothered me alot. See, this author has literally millions of reads on Wattpad (where they first began writing, we actually joined this site at the same time, them and I.) They not only self-published a book and saw sales in a year that surpassed those of another self-published author who'd been at it for three years, but were also invited to write on an app called Radish Fiction where readers pay "coins" to open up chapters and the writer gets a portion of the profit from their stories. In summary, because of their numbers on Wattpad, they got the door open for them to actually earn money for their work.

Now, I am begrudging this person their success? No! Good for them! I am happy one of our own, another writer like me got a chance to earn some compensation for their hard work and talent and that's great. What I'm bothered by is this person's complete inability to realize and acknowledge, despite the annoyances they faced from their original platform and some people within it, they were found because of it. They didn't have to go through the usual hoops others do to get noticed and taken seriously in the industry. They already had a foot in the door thanks to Wattpad and the community and can't acknowledge it.

It's all bitterness for them. No acknowledgement, that while perhaps they aren't on greatest terms with their starting place anymore, that at one point, it was a great thing and they are glad for the time they had there and the doors it helped to open.

And sadly, this is not the only person I've seen who's like this and truly, it saddens me a great deal. I get outgrowing things, I get a better door opening up for you and you just have to jump at the chance to pursue it. But seriously, being ungrateful to what gave you your start? To what opened some of those doors for you? It's just wrong to me.

So yeah, bit of a rant here, sorry for that, but I needed to get it out of my system, it's been bothering me for ages. What are your thoughts on the matter? Am I being too harsh? Do you know of other authors like this? What would you say to them if you could?

Until next time, (and hopefully I'll actually return with actual writing hacks and tips)

Write on!