Wattpad: reading the future
This is the tale of how Wattpad is changing the world of storytelling one upload at a time. Jo Buitendach braved the new digital frontier
Rummaging through a second-hand book store’s well-worn tomes will always have its place, but more and more people are turning to e-readers. This is has been especially acute during the lockdown, with book stores shut. Online reading platform Wattpad is taking this relationship between reading and technology a step further and challenging the future of storytelling.
Wattpad is a free, user-generated stories platform that gives writers, many of whom are amateurs, a space to write and share stories. It gives readers millions of narratives to choose from, as well as an opportunity to comment on and interact with their favourite Wattpad authors. You could find yourself delving into some historical fiction, horror, LGBTQ+ stories or fantasy. But if you like a good page-turning, corset-ripping tale of love and lust, then Wattpad is definitely for you. Romance rules on this platform...
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