Wattpad Weekly Wrap-Up: Most Popular Posts
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Wattpad brings you a guest post originally published in Teen Ink:
The Shawshank Redemption
By Andrea D., New City, NY
Based on the short story “Rita Hayworth” by Stephen King, “The Shawshank Redemption” claims an all-star cast and an ingenious plot.
In this tale of hope, fear and wishful thinking, Tim Robbins conquers all with his incredible performance as Andy Dufresne, a respectable banker convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Although pleading not guilty, Dufresne receives a life sentence to Shawshank. There, he befriends Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman). Red is a respected inmate who knows how to work the system. Their bond quickly grows and Andy becomes respected by many inmates and even some of the guards.
In time, Andy gets used to his new living arrangement, but still has hope that he will leave Shawshank. He reminds Red to be hopeful, but Red is less optimistic. “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane,” he tells Andy.
Check out this Wattpad story featured on Crushable!
The Bachelor by J.D. Ruiz was inspired by the popular reality TV show of the same name, where dozens of contestants compete to win the affections of one highly eligible guy.
One competition, one man, twenty-five women, and a bet. Zachary Astor wanted to be the Bachelor for one purpose alone: to prove to his friends that he can ditch twenty-five women without ever looking back at any of them. But will he be able to keep his word when he meets Julianne Grey, the only woman who seems to regret being in the competition? Despite what he thinks, Zachary will find his thoughts preoccupied by the weird, silent, and mysterious girl he keeps giving a rose to, much to his own amazement and her disappointment.
Wattpad brings you a guest post originally published in Teen Ink:
Author Laurie Halse Anderson
By TheJust, Ellenton, FL
Probably best known for her novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson has won multiple awards for her writing. With novels like Fever, 1793 and Twisted, she spans genres and tackles unique plots. Her latest novel, Wintergirls, is available now.
Rachel: How were you inspired to write Speak? Was it based on a real-life incident?
Laurie Halse Anderson: Speak is about 10 percent based on the depression I suffered after I was raped, and 90 percent fiction.
Were you involved with the making of the movie “Speak”?
I was given the opportunity to work on the script, but I turned it down because I was busy writing a novel. I was on the set for three days, and had a cameo appearance as the lunch lady who serves Melinda mashed potatoes in the cafeteria.
Are you happy with the final product of the book and the movie?
I think Jessica Sharzer, the director, did a remarkable job with very few resources. Showtime dictated the change to the ending – there was nothing anyone could do about that. But I thought Kristen Stewart and the other actors gave great performances. And I was thrilled to hear so many of the lines from the book make their way onto the big screen!
Win a copy of “Girl Meets Boy” from Chronicle Books, and get writing feedback plus publishing insights from author Kelly Milner Halls!
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Aisling’s adventure in Ireland is coming to an end! Check out the final chapter and webisode of Aisling’s Diary on Wattpad!
Digital Storytelling: Wattpad
Wattpad brings you a guest post originally published in Teen Ink:
Hitchhiker’s Guide
By Nathan J., Upper Jay, NY
Reading the series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is like having one long strange dream, except it doesn’t make as much sense. As the series begins, you become enveloped. It seems like you are hitchhiking across the galaxy with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect with your own copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and a towel (read the book!). The book is complete with interesting and unexpected twists that take you to a variety of planets, and let you meet a variety of beings, including two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox and the depressed robot Marvin. You are kept guessing what will happen next until the end of each book (and sometimes you are still guessing as the book ends). This, however, isn’t a problem because you will want to read the rest of the series after finishing the first.
Grimmer Grammar: Antecedents
by Brian K. Henry (abstractplane on Wattpad)
Wattpadders love reading horror stories, mysteries and thrillers, but not too many name Grammar books as favorite genre. This may be because most grammar books have lackluster plots. Or that they simply aren’t scary and macabre enough.
That’s why we need Grimmer Grammar! Grammar filled with grim and twisted examples to excite the attention of today’s reader.
In this edition of Grimmer Grammar, we’ll tackle antecedents. This is a great place to start because the word antecedent already sounds like a dead female relative.
In reality, an antecedent is a noun in a sentence that is later referred to by a pronoun. For example:
Cue Ball Nelson was a killer with long fingernails who terrorized the waterfront with his bug-eyes and pale, eerie face.
In this extremely scary sentence, ‘who’ is the pronoun that refers back to the antecedent Cue Ball Nelson.
The problems with antecedents begin when you thrown in a lot of pronouns. If the reader can’t tell which antecedent is referred to, you may get one annoyed potential fan. For example:
Cue Ball and Squirrelly struggled on the wharf as he slashed a knife across his exposed, tattooed stomach and the blood gushed out.
In this sentence, we don’t know if Cue Ball is slicing Squirrelly, if Squirrelly is slicing Cue Ball, or even if Cue Ball or Squirrelly is slicing himself! Or there could even be another mysterious he or two involved to make things even more confusing.
We can fix this by writing:
Cue Ball and Squirrelly struggled on the wharf as the killer slashed a knife across his victim’s exposed, tattooed stomach and the blood gushed out.
Since we’ve already told the reader that Cue Ball is a killer, it’s now pretty clear what’s going on in the sentence.
You also need to make sure you keep your pronouns in agreement when dealing with antecedents. For example:
Cue Ball followed two vivacious girls down a dark alley, salivating with anticipation as she ran into a dead end.
In this sentence, ‘two girls’ is the antecedent for ‘she’, but she needs to be plural to agree with ‘two girls’. So we can change ‘she’ to ‘they’ and we have a simple fix. Lucky Cue Ball!
So there you have it, a grim look at antecedents. Just like you’d look back to see if Cue Ball’s on your tail in a dark alley, be sure to look back at the beginning of sentences and paragraphs to make sure your antecedents are in order.
Check out Brian’s thrilling stories on Wattpad!
Cover-Off: “The Da Vinci Code”
Which version of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” do you like better - 1, 2, or 3?
Wattpad brings you a guest post originally published in Teen Ink:
(Photo via Forbes)
Author - Jodi Picoult
By Ellee M., Boxford, MA
Jodi Picoult has written 13 novels. Her latest is The Tenth Circle. I met her when I was in preschool with her son in New Hampshire. Our families became close and we have kept in touch. I interviewed Ms. Picoult via e-mail.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
In fourth grade, when my teacher gave me an F for an assignment on what we did over the summer. I wrote from the point of view of a piano I’d practiced on and she said she didn’t assign fiction. Of course, she hadn’t assigned nonfiction, either.
Did you want any other jobs growing up?
I dreamed of being a writer, but I never expected to make a living at it.
Guest post by author Julia Crane:
One of the things I love the most about reading a book is imagining the characters in my mind as they come alive on the pages. When I wrote Coexist, I had a clear image of each character before hand. I took some characteristics from people I know in real life, and of course most was made up. After all, that’s what fiction is all about. It was hard to pick characters for Coexist because there are not many redheaded actors. I finally gave up and picked actors that were similar to my mental picture, and imagined them after a trip to the salon.
Keegan: Teenage elf. She’s carefree, a loyal friend, and dying to meet her fated elfmate. Unfortunately, tradition states they cannot meet until the youngest is eighteen. Emma Stone was an easy pick: same hair and eyes, and she looks a little elfish.
Rourk: Elfin warrior - he’s the strong silent type. The only thing that is important to him is being the best solider possible, and Keegan. There is nothing he would not do for her. Eddie Redmayne is perfect to play Rourk. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone that is even a close second.
Keegan’s Family
Richard: Keegan’s father, and also the leader of the light elves. In the novel he has orange hair. Eric Bana could definitely fill Richard’s shoes. I’m not sure if he would agree to having his hair dyed…
Emerald: Keegan’s mother. When I saw this picture of Michelle Williams from the recent Golden Globes, my first thought was she looks so cute and elfish. Perfect.
Thaddeus: Keegan’s twelve-year-old brother who happens to be the most influential seer in many generations. When I wrote Thaddeus’s character, all I could picture was my son, Gavin. He has his personality. I tried to look for a young male actor that could take his place, but it was impossible. So the picture you see is my son. Who is—as far as I know—not psychic.
Keegan’s Friends
Anna: An eccentric witch who happens to be one of Keegan’s childhood best friends. She changes her hair color often, but tends to keep it short. Emma Watson is ideal for her character.
Lauren: Typical cheerleader; she also has magical powers, but that is not exposed until the end of the book. Lucy Hale could easily stand in for Lauren.
Donald: He was the hardest to choose. Again, the issue with orange hair. He’s a fun guy who really doesn’t come into play until the end, but he has a huge part in Conflicted the next in the series. I know he’s not an actor, but Prince Harry would be the perfect Donald.
There you have it: my pick for Coexist’s dream cast. For those that have read the book, I would love to hear if my choices matched your mental images, or if you had other actors in mind.
Check out Julia’s story, Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles Prophecy, on Wattpad:
Check out Wattpad’s latest milestone, featured on TechCrunch:
Wattpad, a Union Square Ventures-backed platform for sharing stories and interacting with writers, has been growing steadily, and it hit a nice milestone in January…
“Charming and very well written. Character development is nicely done and I sincerely cannot wait for the next chapter the be posted. It is worth a read!”
Every Friday, we bring you an undiscovered gem to read on Wattpad. This week, our secret Wattpad Talent Hunters recommend An Ice Cold Love, a historical romance:
An Ice Cold Love by AwkwardTurtle88
Roman Sharpe, former Major in the Napoleonic Wars, has inherited the Lordship of Trevallen Manor and two little girls with the death of his brother. Dark, silent and brooding, Roman opens his doors to Emma Reid, a soft-spoken Londoner, who is alone in the world after the death of her father. The two slowly begin to discover hidden truths about their lives, their passions, and ultimately, themselves.
Wattpad brings you a guest post originally published in Teen Ink:
Sports Writer, Will McDonough
Will McDonough is a veteran journalist with 40 years of service at the Boston Globe newspaper. He is one of the few sports writers to cover the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA on a regular basis. He is the five-time Massachusetts Sports writer of the Year. From 1986-1997 McDonough was on television, four years with CBS and eight with NBC. He was nominated for an Emmy in sports reporting. In 1984, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in journalism. He has won numerous writing awards and has attended all 33 Super Bowls.
How did you start your career in journalism? How much did you get paid for your first article?
I was a student at Northeastern University in Boston. They have a co-operative form of education where you go to school for five years. At the start of my junior year, one of my first jobs was at the Boston Globe. I worked in the sports department for the rest of college, six months a year. When I was ready to graduate, the sports editor gave me a job as a schoolboy sports writer. As for a salary, I got 50¢ per inch, which ended up being around seven dollars per article in college. I received $100 per week when I started working at the Globe after graduation.
Where do you see sports reporting going with the Internet?
This has me concerned, because when I started at the Globe 40 years ago,there were seven newspapers in Boston and now there are only two.
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Wattpad Weekly Wrap-Up: Most Popular Posts
