𝐘. 𝐈. 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫

@flamesword01 -  I'm debating that, myself. On the one hand, I like the way it looks like I can check multiple boxes for all the various ways underrepresented populations get representation. Also, it tickles me pink to know that something as fundamentally and extremely unmarketable as _Ancilla_ will be read by at least one judge, and that judge will probably find my work confusing as hell. On the other hand, I'm worried about my contest submission being used to train AI to write Wattpad "originals." AI screws us all over, even though it can sometimes be very helpful by providing writing prompts, giving us spelling and grammar checks, etc.
            
            Blast it, why can't Wattpad let us GRAMMAR EDIT our comments?

@flamesword01 Yes I'd agree, and also, what happened to me and I think happens to other people, is maybe they don't age out but they grow out.  I simply got too busy to be on Wattpad like I used to be, and I branched out to the Young Writer's Workshop, Goodreads, and my own website.  I think that happens for a lot of people, real life starts happening and then they don't have the time for Wattpad like they used to.
            Yes we do ;)

@flamesword01 - I created an account in 2018 to read  (and sneer at) Anna Todd's AFTER series, which started out as an absurd and horribly written One Direction/Harry Styles x 50 Shades fanfic; once that mission was accomplished, I walked away, and did not return until this January. 
            
            I became active here because I had decided to put a free edition of my self-published novel online for anyone who couldn't afford to buy it. I care passionately about the human right to access reading material.
            
            I hadn't expected to get sucked into Wattpad culture, but here I am. 
            
            It's very close-knit. I love the way Wattpadians feel like family. I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. Yes, there's also a ridiculous amount of drama that goes along with the feeling of closeness and rapport, because there are a lot of teenagers, a lot of artistic egos, and a lot of teenagers with artistic egos, but the camaraderie has so far outweighed the melodrama and silliness.
            
            I don't like the way Wattpad as a whole is headed, though. I've heard a lot about what Wattpad used to be like before Naver bought the platform. We seem to be heading toward more monetization, more commercialization, more homogeneity, more teen content, and more bot involvement - algorithms that track our interests more closely than ever, censor-bots that rely on faulty javascript to enforce community guidelines (that's where the shadowbans came from), and bots that will write "vertical content" and "original" serials that teens and young adults with allowance money to burn can buy. I do not like that. I do not like that at all.

@BamBam707  Yeah, my theory is partially that Wattpad caters a little too heavily to a certain demographic, so users age out over time. There may be new users who would love our work, but it might take work to find them again. If my theory is true, then the strategy here isn't to find your audience and simply cater to them; you've gotta keep spending time putting out feelers, lol. 
            
            Ooh, I'll have to check that out, thanks for the tip! The good thing is even if conditions aren't like they used to be, we still have each other. :)

@flamesword01 yeah I gotta get back to you over there XD Sounds like July will be fUn

@amayzed  Lol, life's about to get super interesting, gonna get you caught up on Discord soon. July especially is about to get wild. XD

@leiana52  All good, I learned a lot at the job, saved plenty money, and was kinda due for a change of pace anyway. Good to have time to focus on my creative pursuits for a minute. Definitely crazy times though, how've you been holding up?

@TheTigerWriter  I believe we're friends on Discord! That's probably the best place to replace private messaging on here; still need to revive my writing account on Instagram, lol. Looking forward to hearing what you've got going on! <3

@flamesword01 I could message you on IG, or do you have discord? There's so much to talk about :D

@TheTigerWriter  Hey Enna! I'm super duper late to see this, but I've been doing good! Was bogged down by work and life, but now I'm unemployed for the moment and making the best of it. Looking to make a comeback of sorts, finally have time to figure out the final stages of publishing my debut novel, so don't really have any excuses. Should be fun to have my head fully in the creative space for a little while! 
            
            How about you? It's been a minute and I really disappeared, so I'm sure a lot has changed, hope you've been well. <3

@TheGazillionthWriter  *high fives back*  Thanks! It's a lot of responsibility, but the money's nice, and so is being able to use the position to help others grow. Certainly rewarding. 
            
            I feel that! Feels like individual days are going by slowly, but the fact it's already August is a shocker for sure. Good to hear you're making that step (again) toward independence, best of luck there!

@flamesword01 That sounds great! a boss? nice! *high five* 
            
            Me, I’m doing ok. It’s been a slow yet fast summer. I am finally learning to drive though! (well again, since I technically tried as a teen lol)

@TheGazillionthWriter  Haha, you and me both; been busy being a boss and a musician irl, so Wattpad's largely fallen by the wayside. Still, I'm doing great! Staying busy and making money, basically. How about you?

@avadel  My pleasure! I disappeared for a minute there, but I'm hoping to make a bit of a comeback soon, lots of big life changes going on that I'm navigating. Hope you've been good! <3

@flamesword01 I came to check out and see if you were still around, and I found this O. O
            
            I totally forgot you wrote this. Thank you so much! <333

@flamesword01 Congrats!  I am going to finish this series one day ;)

@flamesword01 Awww! Congratulations, Falcon!

@flamesword01 Awww! Thank you so much, Falcon. We're so glad you enjoyed it, and it was a blast getting to read all your comments.

@flamesword01 || Oh, for sure. Nothing wrong with just making something that doesn't contain meat and/or animal products from the start, but haha yeah, that's too basic a solution for some. Very true, it does make for some entertaining finds haha

@-Werewolf14-  Lol, right? Nothing wrong with simply not including meat, but I guess that's too basic a solution. At least the strange marketing makes for some entertaining finds in the grocery, lol :P

@flamesword01 || I'm not vegan, but I agree. I mean, there are probably some out there who would enjoy a beef stew that is vegan, since I think there's people making meat that tastes like meat but has no meat in it (although I do completely agree that's just a strange concept). But I think there's also plenty of room for just creating delicious meals that just so happen to be vegan and from the start do not include any 'vegan version' of a meat/animal product-containing meal
            
            I think it's some odd marketing, since I think most people who want a beef stew will go for the beef stew that contains beef cuz that's what they want. But perhaps there's someone out there who would buy the beef-less beef stew. I agree it's a very odd concept though
            
            I think just making vegan dishes that are a delicious mixture of foods that just so happen to be vegan is a better course of action, but I'm not a product developer so I can't comment on their possible logic

@leiana52  Why not? That sounds like a perfect way to serve up three days' worth of your recommended sugar intake in the most efficient package possible :P

@flamesword01 such logic takes a little bit of interesting

@flamesword01 lol thought you were serious. I do too!!! Oh! Can’t forget chicken or tuna salad or egg salad. Beginning to think where I live they love salads. XD and of course your classic salad