Writing has been one of my most treasured hobbies for as long as I can remember.
From imagining myself as a New York Times bestselling author as a kid—handwriting and constructing my own stories—to writing diary entries, then articles for my school magazines and newspapers, to journaling, and now writing for Her Campus. Writing is more than just a hobby; it is an outlet for expression—an archive of invention. Around the age of 11, I discovered the storytelling platform Wattpad. I was definitely too young to be on it at the time, but it led me down a rabbit hole I still have not been able to climb out of. I have found some of the most beautiful stories and creative authors on the platform; my library has seen hundreds of different narratives, spanning fanfiction and original stories alike. I have practically grown up on the platform, and as an avid pop culture enjoyer, the recent rise in adaptations of Wattpad originals has me seated.
A few months ago, I wrote an article for Her Campus about some film and TV adaptations that stemmed from Wattpad and other creative storytelling platforms. What I never could have imagined was for that article to be recognized by some lovely Wattpad executives, who then invited me to visit their office in downtown Toronto and speak to them about the company.
The experience was surreal and insightful, allowing me to gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of the online outlet that practically raised me. I got the chance to converse with Alessandra Ferreri, Wattpad’s amazing Head of Content, inquiring specifically about tropes, trends, the adaptation process, and their sister company WEBTOON.
Unless you have been living under a rock, I am almost certain you are familiar with some Wattpad adaptations. Maybe you have seen The Kissing Booth? What about the After series by Anna Todd? You may have also come across the new Tubi original movies Sidelined or Kissing is the Easy Part. Perhaps you are a WEBTOON reader, like me, and are keeping up with the ongoing supernatural romance webcomic Love Bites. All
these stories originated on Wattpad and are continuing to grow their fanbases through the recent adaptations.
I was very curious about how exactly these stories make it to the screen, so I took this chance to ask all about it! Her words deserve the spotlight, so I now present to you my exclusive Q&A with the one and only Alessandra Ferreri.
HC: Could you please clarify how the adaptation process works? What is your role in deciding which stories get adapted? How do you decide whether a story will be adapted into a novel, series, movie, or webcomic?
Alessandra Ferreri: My team (the Content Strategy Team) monitors stories on the platform using a mix of data analytics and curation. On the data side, we look at trending stories, ones that are growing an audience, or ones that are showing meaningful engagement like comments. On the curation side, our community plays a huge role in how we find exciting new ideas or hidden gems with adaptation potential. We present stories to our production arm, WEBTOON Productions, and our publishing team, and, depending on what they’re looking for, they may pick something up for acquisition. We also get requests all the time, so even a story that was written years ago or something brand new with a small audience might land with someone who has a specific request in mind. There is no one pathway to adaptation. Appetites are always changing, so my job is to keep up to date on all the exciting activity happening on the platform so we can jump on an opportunity when it comes around.
HC: What specific subgenres or tropes have you noticed are popular on the platform (especially within romance), and do you think there is a reason behind this popularity?
Alessandra Ferreri: We are really popular in the romance genre, so any topic or theme with a romantic bent tends to do well. Enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, and slow-burn romance are some tropes that are pretty evergreen on the platform. There isn’t one reason why a trope is more popular than another; it’s usually a mix of factors from popular influences to a lack of representation. For romance, however, it’s such a fun and flexible sandbox to experiment in as a writer and an ever-changing space for a reader to find something they really enjoy. You can mix romance with any other genre and practically any trope and make it work. It’s endless; even when the formula is repetitive, that’s part of the enjoyment of it. You usually know what you’re getting into with a happily-ever-after, but the journey there is a fun one to experience.
HC: What does the connection to WEBTOON look like? Do both companies function separately? What areas do you collaborate on?
Alessandra Ferreri: Wattpad is the home of web-novels while WEBTOON is the home of webcomics. Both are separate but complementary platforms that excel in different spaces within digital storytelling. Wattpad is part of WEBTOON Entertainment’s IP & Creator Ecosystem, where approximately 160 million monthly active users discover incredible stories in multiple formats. We have adapted stories across both platforms and often collaborate on content insights with our respective teams.
HC: Within fanfiction, what are the current biggest/most popular fandoms and tropes? Do you notice different trends in fanfiction versus original stories?
Alessandra Ferreri: On Wattpad, our most popular fandoms on the platform are typically well-established, long-running franchises that have had the chance to grow over the years. But K-pop is definitely having a big moment.One interesting trend for us is “x-reader” content. “X-reader’”is a very popular tag on stories that puts you (or “your name (y/n)”) directly into the story. It makes up a huge portion of our fanfiction reading time as a specific story format unique to fanfiction that moves easily across fandoms.
HC: Finally, what advice would you give to up-and-coming writers?
Alessandra Ferreri: My advice is to keep writing. Or if you haven’t started yet but have always wanted to—just do it! Putting yourself out there, whether it’s for your own creative itch or to find a community, can feel intimidating at first, but it’s the only real way to grow and hone your skills. Writing is a grind, and it’s very easy to get stuck, but the more you write, the better you’ll become and the more ideas you’ll get, and it will only snowball from there. Write every day. Write everywhere! Your creative brain is a muscle, but you’ll never know how strong your ideas are if you don’t work on them often and consistently. And when you do get stuck (we all do at some point), making time to read, watch movies, or listen to music that inspires you is also part of the process.