How to Comment

Commenting - it's a basic feature of online platforms that most of us take for granted. Many tend to overuse it, and commenting on Wattpad is no different. If you look in the comments section in any famous online book, while some of the comments are original, most are repeats of the same sentiment over and over.

So how do you make your comments original, concise, and overall polite? Well, this article will give you a few pointers that hopefully you can use in the future.

1. Don't share every single emotion you experience

A lot of the books on Wattpad, especially the ones that are famous, are full of plot twists, betrayals, love triangles, and other suspenseful moments and plot sequences that can leave you on the edge of your seat. That being said, so can real novels, and you don't have the option to comment on them - and you get along just fine!

But let's say you were shocked at that plot twist and you really want to convey to the author what a good job they did. How should you phrase your comment? Try something like, "I would have never thought of this! This was amazingly done!" or "This was so creative. Wow!"

Don't feel obligated to share all of your feelings though, because not only are those comments as run-of-the-mill as you can get, they also don't show how committed you truly are as a reader.

2. Leave sincere, in-depth comments.

I'm going to share a few screenshots from my writing's comment section: one bad example, and one good example. These are both taken from the same novel, So Actually, I'm Not Okay.

Disclaimer: I love all of the kind comments people leave on my books, and they are a huge part of the reason I continue to write. Both of the comments belowmean a lot to me, which is why I feel secure in using them as examples.

The first comment, while it is kind, is simplistic in nature and doesn't elaborate. The second comment not only USES EXCITED CAPITALIZATION, but also expresses what the reader loved about my story: that it was a unique, non-cliche concept. These are the kinds of comments that are most meaningful to writers because they show just how commited readers are.

3. If nothing else, leave a funny comment.

I always remember the comments that make me giggle. These are the types of comments that will not only recieve attention from other readers, but also from the authors themselves. Here's another comment from the final segment of So Actually, I'm Not Okay.

Not only does this comment show how much the reader loved my story, it also is amusing. You can clearly see why this comment stuck out in my head.

However, interesting, original content aren't the only things to keep in mind while writing comments. You also want to keep the etiquette side of it in the back of your mind - be polite above all else!

4. Remember, it's not your story.

Many readers, when they're reading a Wattpad book, feel obligated to explain what they would have done to either make the story better, more interesting, or better styled to their tastes. You do NOT want to do this. This will not only make the writer rather ticked off at you, it will also make them feel like their story is bad or not written correctly, which is never a feeling you want to give someone. Instead, utilize your ideas in a story of your own! And if you're worried that you'll be copying a writer, try to mix up enough elements of the story to make it truly your own. After all, you don't want to copy their success.

5. Make sure you intended tone is coming through.

I'm sure that somewhere, at some time, an adult has explained to you that sarcasm just can't be percieved online. While they aren't always correct - tools like caps lock and overly agreeable statements can sometimes help express the sass behind your statements - often good intentions are mistaken online. And if your intentions aren't good, just remember that writers are people, too, even if you're just seeing us as usernames on a screen. We pour hours of time and effort into our stories, and while constructive criticism is often welcomed and appreciated in making our stories the best they can be, condescending know-it-alls get us pissed faster than just about anything.

For example, I have a fanfiction called The Wizard Tower that's based off of Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series. While it is not a good book by any means (I wrote it as a side project and soon got bored with it, merely continuing it for my readers), when someone started commenting on it with a less than kind tone, I got rather defensive.

I'm not going to share the entire conversation with you, but below are three screenshots highlighting poor commenting technique.

This is exactly what NOT to do. First, they broke my first etiquette rule (or rule #4) - it's not their story. Since fanfiction is a pliable art form, writers are free to change whatever they want, which I explained as kindly as I could in that middle comment.

Then they replied with "hm."

That was about the rudest thing they could have done. Whatever their intended tone might have been, in the context, it made it very much seem like they were not only still internally criticizing my choices in what I had changed, but also now judging me.

If you ever want to have a chance at connecting with the writers of the stories you read, do NOT comment something like this as a reply - ever. Intead, say something like, "Oh, okay!" in response.

And if you're wondering how the first comment could come across as more polite, then here: something like "But doesn't the Darkeness hate water? And I thought it couldn't leave the castle..." with an added compliment such as, "This is an interesting take on the story" or, "It makes for an interesting twist, though" - these things would work nicely. Or keep your doubts about the story to yourself completely.

Also remember to avoid numbered lists in general while commenting. It makes it seem much more like you are listing the writer's flaws rather than being genuinely confused by something in the plot.

Or better yet, just stop reading the story if you don't like it! Wattpad has countless books to offer, and you're wasting your time if you read a book you don't like.

Now, I didn't share the entire comment conversation, and eventually we did get on good terms - but it's better to not have to save the friend-making for "eventually," right?

I hope that these were helpful tips that can lead you to new friendships with your next commenting spree! Just to recap:

IZZYWRITER

teenage author

How to Comment

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