BLOOD AND WATER: The Bonds of Friendship

Samson jumped up on the table while Jay was reading. Jay stroked his fur without looking up from the paper. He was trying to concentrate. No matter how silly some of the items on the list seemed, they were all important to him. He thought if he could say them with a straight face, Melanie wouldn't tease him too badly about them.

"Learn to drive," he said, "swim in the Thames, spend the night at the British Museum, kiss someone in Paris—”

Melanie snorted. Jay ignored her and kept reading.

"Stay up all night talking with someone I love, get in a fight and win, get drunk, have s—” He stopped abruptly. Melanie didn't need to hear that one. Maybe he could skip it without her noticing.
"Eat an expensive French meal—”

"Wait," Melanie said. "I think you skipped one."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You started to say one thing and went straight into another." She leaned forward on her elbows. "You can't do that. It's cheating."

"Says who?" he asked.

"Says me. Go back to where you were."

Jay folded the note back up into a neat square. "Never mind. This was stupid, anyway."
Melanie tried to snatch the note out of his hand, but he jerked it away from her. When she got out of her chair, he leapt out of his seat and clutched the paper to his chest. There was no way she was reading it. He'd die before that happened.

"Jay," she whined, "just let me see it."

"No," he said. "It's over."

Samson jumped down from the table and rubbed against Jay's shins. He took a step backward, away from Melanie. Samson darted past him, probably fearing that his tail was going to get stepped on. Melanie took a step forward.

"Jaybird," she said.

"I told you not to laugh and you laughed anyway," he said.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You laughed when I said that thing about Paris."

"Okay, okay," she said. "I'm sorry. Can you please keep on reading the list?"

Jay thought for a minute. The item he hadn't read was embarrassing. It revealed something that no one knew about him, and he wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know about it yet. He wondered what Melanie would think of him when she found out. He was afraid to read it to her because he didn't think she'd like him anymore. She might think he was a loser. Then again, if he was going to be dead in two weeks, maybe it would be better if somebody knew.

"Okay," he said, "just please, don't laugh. I mean it this time."

"Fair enough," she replied.

Want to read more? Click on over to Wattpad for the rest of the chapter, and make sure you follow me for updates! Also, feel free leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments below. :)

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.@brianawrites shares her latest installment of BLOOD AND WATER, in which the bonds of friendship are tested. (Click to tweet)

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Why You Should Post Your Novel on Wattpad

This might be news to some of you who don't follow me on social media, but I just started posting my novel to Wattpad. It's called BLOOD AND WATER, and it's about a 17 year-old named Jay Harris who is living in the midst of a deadly pandemic. It's the first time I've posted a work-in-progress to Wattpad. When I started, I wasn't sure what to expect, but now, I adore it.

Let me tell you why you should post your novel to Wattpad: whether it's finished or not, it's a great way to get free feedback on your writing. Wattpad is an active community filled with tons of people who love engaging with writers. If you're worried about receiving criticism, you can relax - the majority of comments made on the site are overwhelmingly positive. Speaking from personal experience, it's tough to run into someone who's outright rude or disrespectful.

Another great thing about posting your novel on Wattpad is that it motivates you to keep writing. When readers are asking for your next update, you feel compelled to write it. If I fall behind schedule with updates, I feel like I'm letting my readers down. That feeling motivates me to keep going and to post as soon as possible. Also, there's something addictive about getting feedback for each chapter. The potential for engagement keeps me posting chapters, too.

"But Briana," you say, "I can't post my first draft on the Internet!" Well, why not? If it's because the prose isn't perfect, don't worry about it. Like I said before, the Wattpad community is incredibly positive. Moreover, putting up your first draft gives readers a peek into the writing process. A lot of people believe the prose is polished right when it flows out. When you post your rough draft, you're showing everyone how much work it takes to turn the coal into a diamond. You're letting them in on a secret. They'll love you more for it.

"Okay, but what if somebody steals what I've written?" I understand this concern because it's one I also struggled with when I started posting; however, the reality is that stealing is highly unlikely. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's hardly ever done. The same philosophy that applies to publishing applies to Wattpad, too - most people would rather come up with their own ideas than steal someone else's and risk confrontation.

As you can see, I've learned a lot from posting on Wattpad. Sometimes I doubt my decision, but on the whole, I'm happy with it. If you're considering posting your novel to Wattpad, go ahead and take the plunge. I don't think you'll regret it.

Feel free to follow me on Wattpad - I almost always follow back! :)

What do you think about Wattpad? What's keeping you from posting your novel online? Leave your thoughts and answers in the comments below.

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