Happy New Year!

I’m totally late to the party here—I know.

But, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I’ve seen many people update their various social media’s with look-backs of the year that has passed. So here’s my small recollection of 2013, along with my hopes and wishes for 2014.

January 2013 –

I’d just met the most wonderful guy. It took me approximately five days to decide that I was going to meet him—at whatever cost. Furthermore, I was a finalist in the Watty Awards 2012, in the category: Fantasy – On the Rise. I had approximately 600 followers, and one completed story. I was certain that I could publish Rising Star in no time.

That was how I started. A year ago, I was at that place. Back in September, I made a small list of accomplishments, and told you all how important it was to hold them dear. 

Here comes a full list of my accomplishments in 2013:

- I won 200 dollars in the Watty Awards.

- I rewrote Rising Star.

- I finished Shattered Star.

- I wrote and finished Retro-cognition.

- I wrote and finished I Made You.

- I wrote and finished Burning Star, marking my first time to finish a trilogy.

- I started Immortalia, who was my first book to reach the oh-so-desired big red in numbers (reads, votes, comments)

- Rising Star was featured on Wattpad. And it finally got its big red in reads and votes.

- I flew across the ocean to New York, alone, to meet my amazing boyfriend.

- I started more stories than I can count. I got more ideas than I can remember.

- I met some truly amazing people, and finally felt as if I belonged somewhere.

- I completed the NaNoWriMo challenge.

- I reached over 5000 followers.

- I read many books.

- I wrote many words.

- I cut off my hair, and promised not to ruin it again.

- I said goodbye to my oldest rat—may she rest in peace.

In 2013, I had many good times to overshadow the bad times. It seems as if it was yesterday, and I will always hold these times dear to me in the time to come. But most of all, I will remember 2013 as the year where I really overcame the fear of giving up. I will remember September 2013 as the time where I had no conviction to go on, but I found a way around it and sat down to write.

I didn’t write because I had to, or because I needed to. I sat down and wrote because I wanted to write.

So therefore, my new year’s resolution for 2014 is very simple:

I want to write more books.

A real life curse.

I’ve been working on a few things lately. Mostly trying to survive by cursed birthday week, but I’ve had other works laying around. I can’t disclose anything right now, but I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you.

First, let me tell you about a real life curse. I’m not particular superstitious—it’s not my thing. However, I have a curse, and it goes back to my twelfth birthday.

As mentioned in my last blog post, that day my grandfather—my mom’s dad—was buried. Most of my mom’s family was Jehovah’s Witnesses, so there wasn’t any particular reason to reschedule. We don’t celebrate birthdays, and never actually has. With that said, though. It wasn’t amusing to be bawling on my birthday.

I tried to be optimistic, though. At least I got cake... And my family was there. Some my aunts and uncles—who weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses—even slipped me a coin or two as a birthday present. As sad as it may sound, my grandfather’s funeral was also the only birthday I’ve seen any of my relatives outside my closest family.

But it didn’t end there. Denmark has many crazy cultural differences from the rest of the world. One of the differences that aren’t so crazy was the tradition of sharing candy with your whole class on your birthday. I couldn’t do that—not because my family forbade me to, though. But because my birthday always landed in the Danish Autumn/Fall break.

When I was thirteen, I met a guy who happened to be my first actual boyfriend. His birthday was four days after mine, and I was psyched when he asked me to be his girlfriend, and then he proceeded to go on a vacation for the duration of the week.

I was excited and then put on hold for a week. My birthday were spent texting him from my computer because I didn’t have any credit on my phone. Later I found out that the texting actually cost over  100 dollars.

Then on my fourteenth birthday, I got into a huge fight with my roommate at the boarding school. We ended up insisting on moving apart. It was the first birthday spent at the school (because it was a Sunday, and I went back there) and I was busy fighting.

Fifteen, I was fighting with an ex-boyfriend, and had to break up with my at-that-time boyfriend. I also twisted my ankle.

Sixteen, I found out my parents had to be separated.

Seventeen, my best friend forgot it, and only barely saved it by buying me a jawbreaker candy. (I really like candy) I then proceeded to go to a LGBT club, which wouldn’t have been a problem, if it weren’t for the fact I was stranded in a foreign city with no way of getting home.

Eighteen, my dad found out I’d been smoking weed, and he wasn’t even angry—he was disappointed. This, to me, was even worse, because if he’d been angry and yelled at me, I could have pulled the “You just don’t get me” card. I spent my birthday party trying to suck up while my boyfriend at that time was high on coke and apparently was punching my dad’s tree. I also had a massive hangover the day after.

Nineteen, I’d earlier found my best friend—a girl—in bed with my boyfriend, and while I had lied and told everyone that it was “cool”—It wasn’t. So when I had to spend my birthday at her place because she shared my birthday and held a party, which all our friends were going to—it sucked.

Twenty was a hoot. Except for the fact that we’d spent this humongous amount of money on a party for 60 people were only 21 showed. My roommate at the time almost bailed because she didn’t have a ride, so my mom went to pick her up. It didn’t make it better that my older brother had been out drinking the day before—apparently it’s a big thing when the Christmas beer is released—so he couldn’t show.

Twenty-one, I was admitted into a hospital in Germany, with humongous pains.

Twenty-two, my two male rats died on the 16^th. My birthday was the 17^th.

Of course, this doesn’t always happen at the 17^th of October, but the week around it. And it’s a stressful time for me. So when I this year, decided to do absolutely nothing of importance—I was prepared for the worst. And it seemed to be eventless. I spent my whole birthday playing League of Legends with my brother who was here all week.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when my curse continued on the 19^th this year. For the first time in my life, I was stuck in an elevator. Everything had gone somewhat smoothly, no disasters that were of the normal “life hates me” variety. At least, not until there. I was terrified, even though I was only stuck between the basement and the first floor, I was sure that I was going to die in there. It didn’t help when my mom decided to sing either.

So yes. The curse continues. But I’m still living. I have some incredible friends now, and even though I continuously try to avoid facing reality, I’m gonna live.

I know that I’m still waiting for the next disaster to happen, but—knock on wood—maybe the curse is losing its power. And who knows? Maybe the rest of this year has something surprising in store for me. It could happen.

Anyway, the above ramble is why I’ve been deliberately off the grid for the last week. I’m slowly getting back into my normal self. I’ve finally managed to make myself a writing place, I’ve wanted to do that for a long time—and here I am writing at this awesome desk, sitting in this awesome chair, and listening to some sweet tunes on the TV I finally managed to plug to my computer.

With that said, though. I can’t promise updates on everything. Nanowrimo is approaching, and I will be writing a completely new work for that. Well, at least, I’m writing the last book of my “The Lores of Lyra”, and I’m psyched!

I hope everybody else is well, and that your past week has been disaster free. Thank you for all the birthday wishes—it made me happy.

See you on Wattpad!

A Bag Full of Sunshine

I tend to shy away from conflicts. 

Ignoring negativity—or any variations thereof—has always been my preferred method of coping. I’ve spent the majority part of my life from when I was six years old and up until last year trying to be invisible in any situation where a conflict may arise. It’s not always easy—it takes a lot of practice. In fact, if not done correct, it can spur off even more conflicts which tend to be uglier than the original argument. Which is why to successfully ignoring a conflict, you need to be involved at first.

I’m also stubborn as hell. It’s courtesy of my two loving parents. My mom is the most achingly stubborn person I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. She’s the complete opposite of my dad who’ll run for the hills the moment there’s even the slightest hint of trouble. Over the years, their personalities have rubbed off on each other, but after over 20 years of cooperating while trying to raise six kids; it’s still easy to see who gets the last words—my mom.

Now, you may wonder why I’m telling you this, and honestly? I don’t know. Sometimes things just need to get out. This is one of those times, sadly.

In Denmark there’s a saying, which goes along the way of “I’ll agree with you, and you’ll leave me alone.” It’s a horrible translation, I know that, but it’s my dad’s attitude to plenty of things that my mom feels strongly about. She'll get it her way, and he gets peace. It’s beautiful how that works sometimes.

Unfortunately, with the mixture of my wonderful and loving parents’ genes, I’m around hundred different definitions of messed up. And while I’m being honest, I have to admit: It’s not always easy.

On one hand, I want to stand up and be vocal about the things I believe in, on the other hand, I really like my face and the permanent fake smile plastered upon it—I don’t want to jeopardize that smile. It’s what gives me the courage to be around people without cowering away in a corner, hugging myself while trying to get that smile back.

Back when I was a teenager, I met a woman who saw right through that smile. She called my bluff, and then she did the thing that shattered my very existence—she told me she knew. This woman was supposed to be a help, and for all I know, she intended to be. But she wasn’t around long enough to close that rapidly opening wound that suddenly spew doubt like it was a hot spring geyser.

So I had to start all over again. I had to learn how to be invisible again. Only problem was that I couldn’t. The foundation that I’d build my entire persona on was cracked, and it was just a matter of when it would fall to the ground and crumble. I made do by an occasional fake smile; this one not permanently plastered on my face, but instead short-term, and to compensate I had to accept the fact that sometimes I just didn’t feel like smiling.

For some reason, I managed to uphold it for an additional four years. It wasn’t until September 2011 that everything exploded around me. It was the most horrible time of my life. Only surpassed by October 12, 2001 where my grandfather died in front of me, and then buried five days later on my birthday.

However, I faced it head-on and sought help. In the span of six months, I lost everything that meant something to me while I gave up on a lot of stuff that could have meant the world to me. I didn’t want to live, but I was stubborn and refused to give in before trying for help. This meant that I had to wait, for the duration of these six months, to start what would prove to be a year of flat out personal hardships. In the time, I broke down many times. I found a way to get it out without hurting myself—the result is called “Rising Star” and can be read on wattpad.

I had a gazillion conversations, tests, surveys, and meetings with people who tried their best to figure out what was wrong with me. There were many ideas of what it could be, but it wasn’t until January 2013 that I got the result of the many tests. I was suffering from schizotypal personality disorder. In the times since then, I’ve been trying to work on this “ignoring negativity” attitude. Instead of ignoring it all together, I’ve been trying to embrace it, let it be for a moment, then try to move on to better things.

And it’s hard—it’s real fucking hard. (Pardon my French)

The internet is a big help, though. I can be in myself behind my little screen. I can turn it off if I need a breather, and then I can actually use an ignore function. It’s amazing like that. I could be safe, but open at the same time. And it led to me being more open than ever. I took a giant step and flew overseas to meet a boy that I like.

However, one thing I forgot is that the internet is the worst place for any kind of confrontation. Not only is there limited emotional connection because you can’t read body language, and misunderstanding happens every second because of a misplaced emoticon. Also, people can use the ignore function on you so you’ll never get a chance to talk it out.

I have many faults, and I’d be glad to list all of them at some point. I don’t fool myself to think I don’t have issues. I do. I have many of them. But even though I’m inadequate in plenty of ways, it’s not an excuse not to try. I will always try to be the best human I can. It’s how I was raised.

So this is me, trying to do just that. I’m trying to improve to become the version of Maja that I’d like to be. And I have a long way still. There’s going to be moments when I rant to a friend over something so unbelievable stupid that it’ll hurt to think of afterwards. There’ll be moments when I’m a broken record, clinging to my version of the truth and insist it’s the only one. There’ll be moments when I say something that’ll make me want to bury myself in a hole and never come out. And I’m not sorry for that. Because if these past years of endless emotional torture have taught me anything it’s that, at some point, it’ll be spring again, and I can come out of the deep pit I’ve hid in.

It’s not spring yet, though. And it sucks. So now I’m gonna do my thing and shy away from the confrontation because, to be honest, I don’t have it in me to be courageous right now, and without my fake smile plastered onto my face—I don’t see that happening anytime soon either. I'm not a bag full of sunshine right now. In the end, I can just hope that the people who surround me will try to understand me as I will try to understand them.

Writers and Copyright

Some of you know me personally, and some of you might not. Most of you know that I’m not easily offended—it comes with having a big family with a horrible humor (I still love it, though)

However, recently I discovered what ticks me off the most, and I’ve been wanting to write this ever since it happened, yet I knew that I had to take some time to cool off.

It didn’t work.

I am still pissed off, offended and at the point where I want to punch my laptop every time I think of it. I know that I should simply ‘let it go’ or ‘just remember I’m better than that’. And yes, I know that. Doesn’t mean it’s that easy, though.

I never aspired to be a writer. Honestly, I didn’t. I decided to try it out for a while, and because of the community on Wattpad, and the friends I made—I wanted to continue. Slowly, I realized that there were people who enjoyed what I wrote.

So, I tried to uphold a certain standard. I am terrified of copyright theft because it’s so easy to accuse someone else of it.

When I wrote Rising Star, in the first draft, there was a scene that used the elements (i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit) to revive a person. I hated that part, mostly because the idea came after reading Richelle Mead’s ‘Vampire Academy’ combined with P.C & Kristin Cast’s ‘House of Night’.

In the second draft, I rewrote that scene completely, simply to get rid of the elemental magic. Not because I had stolen it, but because it made me feel slightly dirty to have it in there when I personally knew where the idea came from.

That’s how much I hate the act of stealing ideas.

Now, I know there are other similarities, which can be made between Rising Star and a bunch of other stories. Some say it reminds them of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”. Other thinks the whole thing with the Lores of Lyra is a bit too close to Phillip Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’.

And that’s okay. I know that I didn’t make a conscious decision to get inspired from them, and it’s the readers’ own perception of the story, which sees these similarities. That doesn’t mean I “stole” from them in any way because I didn’t—I haven’t even read them.

So when I discover that someone accuses me and my new story of not only copyright infringement (Derivative works, like stealing characters, settings, etc. for fx. Fan Fiction or spin-offs/sequels) but downright plagiarism (Copy/pasting a work and passing it off as my own) then I’m offended. I get really offended.

The part that pisses me off the most is the fact I’ve never read said story, and when I decided to check, then while there can be some similarities (They both have words and sentences—even paragraphs. They both feature a female main character, and they both have a submissive role at some part in the story, and the title is both the name of the species of the character) then it doesn’t even warrant a copyright infringement, and it doesn’t mean I’m stealing/plagiarizing anything.

I get it. We’re all writing online—most are waiting for their big chance. The constant threat of having our work stolen is pretty evident, and it should be. There are too many people who thrive of this stuff. But before accusations are thrown around, then you as the author have a responsibility to check it out before broadcasting it to various medias, and start trouble for no apparent reason.

Even the claim of an alleged copyright theft can ruin a writer’s career. Not only does it create a doubt about the integrity of the accused writer, but it can also be extremely hurtful if not dealt with appropriately.

As it was, I’ve been through some days where I’ve wondered whether it’s even worth continuing this hobby. If I’m going to endure this, every time I pass another milestone—without even being paid for it—is it really worth it?

For the first two days, the answer was no. I wanted to rage, I wanted to whine, I wanted to delete every single word I’ve ever written, every profile I’ve ever made online and simply give up.

On this day, though. I feel a bit better. I’m still tired, hurt and downright pissed off. But I’m also more clear in my head. I realize now that wanting to quit because of a bit of hardship was a pretty stupid thing to even consider. I know that there’s no lawsuit going on, and I know that I didn’t do anything wrong.

I’m trying to look on the positive side, as well. If this becomes a thing, then it means more exposure to me. That’s almost always a good thing. I mean, would I ever have read ’50 shades of grey’ if I hadn’t wanted to see for myself if the writing really were bad? I don’t think so.

This probably won’t be the first time this happens. I’m sure that my other projects are similar to one story or another, as well. And it’s almost inevitable.

However, for my fellow writers and readers, when you see something similar to a story you’ve read/written, check out these things:

- Are the huge chunks of the work that is the same?

- Are the characters names, traits, and relationships the same?

- Does the world (especially for fantasy/Sci-fi) have the same descriptions, names, spells, traditions?

^If the answer is yes, then you might have reason to be afraid.

However, make sure to get a second opinion, and—if possible—a person who understands copyright law. Don’t throw out accusations into the public without being at least 80% certain there’s even a case to begin with. And if you finally want to resolve it without potential expensive lawsuit/authorities, make sure to message the authors involved. Don’t tell a friend who’ll tell a friend without checking it, for then to broadcast it across the internet without checking it.

You can’t copyright ideas. In some cases, that feels like a load of bull—I think so too. But, if a person wants to write up a mythology about stars and how they can save the world, then technically, I can’t do jack about it. And if I want to write about an ancient cursed fantasy creature, which have been forced into submission because humans do stupid things out of fear. Then I can. And it’s not a copyright violation.

Luckily, this issue seems to be resolved for now. And I’m glad. I don’t wish to cause any trouble for myself or other writers. I am just writing this, so you know what can happen once you’ve thrown around accusations, without being sure of it.

With that said, I probably should get back to writing again.

Interview with Natasha Preston

Introducing Author Natasha Preston. This 25-year-old, English woman has been writing for three years now. Starting out on Wattpad.com, she has now reached over 37 thousand followers, and even more fans through self-publishing her stories.

She specializes mostly in the genres Romance, Young Adult and Thriller, and with nine finished novels, and three published, it’s just a matter of time before she hits a bookstore near you.

I was lucky enough to get her to sit down and answer my questions about how she started and what transpired after that.

The start:

What inspired you to write your very first story? What was it about?

- It's about a girl that loses her dad. He donates his organs and her family end up meeting the heart recipient and his family. She falls for the son, but is torn between him and her friend with benefits. I was inspired to write it when I saw a TV show about donating organs and wondered what would happen if the two families met - usually you're not told who it is.

How many stories did you write before taking the step to publishing?

- I'd written about six or seven before I published my first one.

Have you always aspired to be an author?

- Nope. I never even thought about writing a book before I found Wattpad!

Publishing:

 

The first book you published was ‘Silence. How was the feedback for that? What made the turning point in self-publishing it? What was the response for the sequel ‘Broken Silence’?  

- The feedback is awesome. I'm lucky that so many people bought the book, even after reading it for free! Broken Silence has better reviews but I think that's because 'the voice' is more mature. I went from a 16 year old to a 20 year old. I prefer it too. 

How did you come up with the title?

- I hate titles. Hate them. I eventually manage to come up with something but I usually write about a million down before I decide!

Is there a message in your works that you want your readers to grasp?  

- The message in the Silence books is that no matter what happens there is a way out. Things can get better.

How much of the book is based on real life events?

- Nope. The things I write are based on thoughts I've had or dreams and I've wondered 'what would happen if…?' My life is pretty boring so it wouldn't make good reading lol! 

How long did it take for you to edit the books? Does it get easier with time?  

- Ew. Editing. I hate it. Usually a couple weeks if that's all I concentrate on. It does get easier because with each book you write you improve so there's less to fix!

Tell me a bit about all your books: What’s the most glorious moment with them?  

- The most glorious moment is that final full stop! Haha. No what I really love is reading people's comments and see in what they think.

Who made your covers?  

- Most of my covers are made by Mollie Wilson - she's amazing. The Cellar was made by Kelly Ashten - also amazing!

 

Reading:

What were some of your favorite authors while you grew up? Who’s your current favorite Author?

- Growing up I didn't read all that much, I did like the Jacqueline Wilson books though. My favorite author is Kirsty Moseley. 

Have you ever met any of them? What was it like?

- I've met Kirsty. That was an awesome day!! 

Which genre do you prefer to read? And why?

- Romance. I love love. Haha.

Current work:

Do you have someone specific cheering you on? 

- My followers on Wattpad and my friends and family.

What are you focusing on now?

- Bleh. At the minute I'm almost at the end of one book (finally!) and working on another. And editing two more to publish.

Can we expect more published and/or free works on Wattpad?  

- Both. I love Wattpad - without it I wouldn't be here today. I'll publish and write some more Wattpad exclusives too.

Do you have anything-specific change in the future that you’d like to share?

- Hmm… now that would be telling. Something is coming this year but at the minute my lips are sealed ;)

A bit of goof:

What’s the most blatant lie you’ve ever told about your writing? 

- Um. I don't know really. I've never felt the need to lie about it. For a while I never told my family I wrote so I guess that one.

How do you deal with bad reviews of your work? Do you have any specific way to cope?  

- Oh bad reviews are a part of writing. If you can't deal with it, don't publish. 

What’s been the greatest joy during the process of writing and publishing? 

- Seeing something I've written up for sale, like a proper writer! 

What time of the day do you prefer to work on your books?

- When my son naps and in the evenings is the only time I can write. 

Have writers block ever struck you, and what did you do to come over it? 

- A lot! I can't push it or it's all crap. I usually take a few days off and then come back to it with a fresh mind.

Are the names of your characters important? How do you chose them?

- Names are whatever pops into my head usually, for main characters anyway. Once I have a name it's difficult for me to see them as anyone else. That's what happened with Oakley. It's not really a common or well known name but once I had it she couldn't be anything else.

What’s the best part of writing for a living? What is the hardest?  

- Writing for a living means I get to spend more time with my son. I can be home for him every day and I love that. The hardest is self-motivation. Sometimes you just want to relax and because no one is making you do it you have to make yourself! 

What are some of your greatest accomplishments?

- Being named one of The London Evening Standard's 'London's 1000 most influential people 2012: Generation Next, Rising Stars Under 25. That was amazing!

Why do you write?  

- I love it. 

What’s the strangest thing that has happened while writing?

- A man in an Indian prison contacted me thanking me for my stories. He had a smuggled mobile phone that he read from!

Have you ever killed off a character? Was it hard? 

- Yes and hell no! *evil laugh* although I've never killed off a character I like…yet!

Do you feel emotional connected with any or all of your characters? 

- Yes. You get in their heads so much it's hard not to. Editing fixes that. Editing makes you want to kill them all.

Do you have any tips for the aspiring writers who read this?

- Just write as much as you can and write what YOU love, not what you think other people will like.

Is there something you want to say to your readers?

- Thank you. Love you all.

---

Natasha Preston currently have Silence, Broken Silence and Covert for sale, you can buy them all on smashwords and amazon: 

Amazon.com 

smashwords.com

 

For further contact with Natasha, you can either like the Facebook page, follow her website, or connect with her on Wattpad.

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natasha-Preston/497930476930728

Website - http://www.natashapreston.com

Wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/user/natashapreston  

Promonation.

Hi all.
I've been slightly out of the loop lately, and this is because I've been writing. I've started re-writing an old Teen-Fiction - Romance, called 'I Made You' -- Feel free to check it out. :)

I of course hope that it will give something off, and that my loyal followers will like it :)
Now for something else:

Other than that, I've started a little project to promote free reads across the internet. Of course the base would be Wattpad. We simply help each other with some spread. This is great. and the current progress can be seen here

Message me if you're interested. The only thing you'd have to do, is of course help me out :) Also, for some other news, I might have some interviews up with some VERY talented authors who is well-known on Wattpad.

The thing about writing....

I consider writing to be a hobby.  

Big surprise, huh? But no, really. Writing is only a hobby to me, and even though I'd love to live off my hobby at some point, then I'm still hesitant.

What if I try and don't make the cut?

What if I do make the cut, and I then lose my touch? 

What if I'm really no good?

What if by waiting to do something about it, I'm really just harming myself?

What if I flop?

What if, what if, what if....

Do you recognize those two words from yourself? You should... It's that annoying little voice at the back of your head. It makes life hard, and not just with writing. The "What if" monster continuously attempts to bring you doubt on all aspects of your life.

So what can you do to fight it? In all honesty-- Not much. It'll always be there.

But I can tell you what I do, and more importantly, why it seems to work for me most of the time.

I say "most" because as with most things in the world, there's always that one exception to the rule. So take what you want from this, and apply it to yourself.

The way I see writing, and this is the writing I do on here, and on Wattpad, is that I am the God of all! 

I make the rules, I try things out, and when it doesn't work, I'm also the one responsible for changing it. IF I refuse, then I won't improve.

Personally, I can live with never amounting to anything with writing. As long as I at least manage to satisfy myself. The reason why I say so? It's because I am my own worst critic.

Nothing I do is perfect. Nothing I do will be perfect.

So I can either give up, or keep improving and moving on.

My choice? The latter. Definitely the latter.

But Maja, how do you manage that? When your mind keeps telling you that what you're doing is wrong, and you can't make it better?

Well, dear random interviewer in my head, I believe that sometimes there's things that doesn't need fixing. There's not one definite rule to writing. Well. There is one! And one only! It involves words.

The way you do it: typewriter, pen and paper, crayons on pavement, paint on canvas, speech to text or computer, force a friend to type it for you. It all works. 

The way you go about it: Outlining, writing from the top of your head, worldbuilding, edit later, word diarrhea, jumping in chapters. It all works.

The way you finish it: beta reader, self editing, reading out loud, oxford grammar, US english, UK english. It all works.

The way you make it available to others: Uploading on Wattpad, Email it to friends, make it a note on facebook, self-publishing, sending it to an agent, indie publishing, traditional publishing, e-book, paperback, printing it out, order one copy to have on the shelf. It all works.

Do you see a pattern here?

If not, then read it again and repeat doing that, until you realize that there's no right way of writing. What works for me, might not work for you. That doesn't make what I do wrong though. Doesn't make it right either. It makes it appliable to me, and that's what you should seek in writing.

Writing is a form of art, and it's always evolving. Language evolves, slang becomes more acceptable, time changes, and along with the constant battle against originality, you need to think outside the box.

Which is why it's important, especially on free writing website as Wattpad that you always consider whether the opinion given to you is something you agree with.

The thing about writing, is that you only manage to make it unique and original, if you make it special to you.