Wattpad - Revolutionizing the Way We Read & Write

Ever heard of Anna Todd, writer of the book After? I had not until One2One introduced me to the One Direction fan, soon-to-be published author. Married at the young age of 25, she worked at a wide variety of jobs until 2013 when she began writing the story After using Wattpad, a free social reading and writing app on her phone. The nice thing about Wattpad is that she was able to write during her free time, wherever it came from. If she was out running errands or at an appointment, she could write while she waited. By 2014 (as of the publishing of this post), Anna Todd's story has had over 1 billion reads and more than 6 million comments! More shocking than that, Simon & Schuster turned the story into a 4 novel book series with the first title released this past October while Paramount Pictures is currently working on adapting the story into a movie! Crazy, right?

The story of After, a One Direction fanfic about a college freshmen who falls in love with a "bad boy" Harry Styles (name changed in the published edition), was written using the social and mobile app Wattpad. Wattpad allows you to read and write on the go connecting readers and writers all around the world. It is free to participate, and readers can provide comments and suggestions to the writers recommending plot twists or even creating original artwork to go with the stories they read. With more than 40 million readers and writers on Wattpad, over 80 million free stories available and stories available in 50 languages, you are certain to find something of interest in the social and mobile app.

While After is not a story I would find myself typically reading, I do feel that Wattpad will be a game changer for how readers and writers interact in the future. I especially think that this would be a fantastic app for literature teachers to use, allowing students to interact and read one another's stories, make comments, and provide insight. All of the "extra help" can only encourage young writers to become better, allowing them to obtain a stronger voice and be more direct with their future writing.

What do you think about the story of After and Anna Todd's overnight fame? Will you be trying out Wattpad to get your reading and writing fix?

Barnes & Noble | E-reader

* I participated in the After by Anna Todd blog program as a member of One2One Network. I received compensation but all opinions are my own.