Anna Todd confesses: what she never said about “After”, her love for Harry Styles and the possible return to Wattpad

become a star of wattpad was not in the plans Anna Todd; She never imagined that uploading the first chapter of the story inspired by her favorite musician would lead her to become one of the most successful young writers on the reading platform. Thanks to “After”, hers”fanfic”, the American managed to create a community of readers who, day by day, continue to support her.

In an exclusive interview with Trade, Anna Todd revealed that, before starting her own book, she was a regular reader on Wattpad. She read the various “fanfics” based on One Direction that were on the platform; however, she found them very repetitive. They all revolved around the life of the British boyband, but she Anna was looking for a completely different perspective.

The American wanted to capture a story of “dark love” that had the singer Harry Styles as inspiration for the main character, because she couldn’t find other stories that she was passionate about. “When I read romance, I said that all the books were alike. I felt like I wanted something different, intense. I couldn’t find those stories. I literally wrote what I wanted to read. “After”, at that time, was my favorite book. I wrote it, but I also wanted to read it”said.

“Suddenly I should write something”, is the first thing he thought. But just six months later, she started with “After”. In this way, she began the adventure that has led her to be known by millions of people around the world.

The success of “After”

Anna Todd published the first chapter of “After” on Wattpad in April 2013. What the writer remembers most from those first nights writing is the large digital community that began to form to praise the youth story. “I made a lot of friends on Wattpad who were readers and I felt like I had a community that understood me, who were waiting for new One Direction songs and all this kind of stuff in the fandom.”said.

The first character he created was Harry, who was later called Hardin. As he read other “fanfics” he imagined what the main character would be like. He uploaded the first chapter, hoping it would stay his little secret, but it didn’t. “I always loved to read, but I had never seen myself as a writer. I couldn’t stop thinking about this character and it was so weird. One day I said ‘I’m going to do it’. And since then I have not been able to stop, literally..

The “fanfic” inspired by the former One Direction member caught the attention of millions of young people, making “After” a global phenomenon. But where does the success story lie? The author does not have a clear answer, but she does have several theories. “I think it was the constant updates, and that the story was really based on the physical appearance of Harry (Styles). It was a novel, but with One Direction in it. I don’t know why mine was successful.”highlights.

The plot of love between Tessa Young and Hardin Scott (Harry Styles) managed to hook the reader from the beginning. According to Anna Todd, young people love chaos. “I think it’s that feeling of looking at the characters and not being quite sure what’s going to happen in their lives. There is drama because many things happen. It is not an action book, but there are several changes in the lives of the characters. I think it’s a roller coaster of emotions that people, for whatever reason, are addicted to.”he emphasizes.

Every writer has their own creative process. For Anna, her favorite part of writing “After” was all the dialogue between the characters and each chapter used to start there. Subsequently, she created the entire context of the scene. If she had the chance, she would write another book with only dialogue. “I felt that they came naturally to me, I didn’t think about what they were going to say, they just said it and that’s it”.

Was it your dream to be in a publishing house?

Faced with the demand of the followers of Anna Todd, Simon and Schuster, one of the main publishers in the United States, acquired the rights for a million-dollar contract to publish “After” in print just one year after it was broadcast on Wattpad. When going through a publishing house, the books usually undergo some modifications. However, Anna did not allow that to happen with her story and she kept the essence of the romance between Tessa and Hardin.

“They were very understanding and creative. Every time there was a repetitive scene or it didn’t need to be there, we did take it out; but, it was a more structural issue. When someone suggested that we change something, I would just ask why and well, I knew what scenes the fans loved and I was like, ‘You know, my fans love this part, so I’m not going to take it out. I’m happy with my decisions.”he pointed out.

If Anna had sent her book to a publisher before publishing it on Wattpad, the story might be different. Entering the North American market is not an easy task and she is aware of this situation. “I don’t think the publishers would have understood what to do with this story.“, Add. She emphasizes that the magic of Wattpad lies in the possibility of publishing at her own pace. “It’s a totally different experience. I edited and people stayed awake waiting for a new chapter”.

In addition, he had the comments of his readers to know what results he was obtaining, but he never let himself be guided by what they asked for. “If I had listened to my readers’ comments, it would be a completely different story. It would have been less frustrating and intense, but I think, As a writer, I really liked it when people were frustrated because it made me understand that they were living the story and connected to the characters.”.

writing that empowers

At just 18 years old, Anna Todd married her boyfriend Jordan, who belongs to the army. Together they have their son Asher. The writer did not mind leading a family life from a very young age; but, upon discovering her Wattpad she found a way of liberation and empowerment.

“I’m married to a military man, and I felt like I didn’t have my own identity. To be honest, I felt like someone’s wife, someone’s mother. My son has various health problems and he didn’t spend much time thinking about me. He didn’t do anything for myself until I started writing.”he points out.

The prospect of starting her own career lit up Anna’s life, and once she achieved success, she was quick to help other budding writers. “It’s like a full circle. I feel like I’m changing their lives. As a writer, I feel like I’m stronger than I was. Before she did it for fun, she said ‘I only post on Wattpad’. I’ve been working on not putting too much pressure on myself, but still trying to get the best out of myself.”.

The dream that began as a hobby and later became her full-time job has allowed Anna Todd to fulfill some of her life goals. “I feel that I have empowered myself. Not only because of the success, but because I have been able to touch people. It still feels powerful to be able to write something that people relate to or relate to emotionally. Meeting people has been very meaningful to me. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, about the world, and this all started just by writing on Wattpad.”.

The great dilemma with his film

Thanks to the sales success of the books, Diamond Film Productions -along with other production companies- decided to bring “After” to the big screen. In 2019 they premiered “After: Everything begins here”, the first installment of the saga.

Anna Todd assumed -for the first time in her life- the role of producer in a film, a position she assumed with full responsibility. She was involved in the casting to cast the leads for her story because she wanted to be sure that the actors represented the essence of her characters.

Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin were chosen to play Tessa Young and Hardin Scott, respectively. “I was involved in the casting and all the script changes. In the first film, this changed every day. We were several producers, and every day they came up with new ideas and we had to fix it. It was a lot of script changes. It was very stressful but fun and exciting at the same time.”stands out.

After her choice of actors, Anna received various messages from her followers demanding that she change them, but she remained firm. “I knew there were several comments when the protagonists were revealed. They said he didn’t look like Harry, and that sort of thing. But I believed in them and said it was okay. I keep defending them in their roles because I think the cast was good”.

A different situation happened with other members of the cast of the “After” saga, who, due to decisions that escaped Todd’s hands, had to be changed throughout the films. This was not conceivable for the American writer, so she decided to withdraw from the production of her story. “I distanced myself for many other reasons that I can’t reveal, but this was one of those. She didn’t want to go on. It was a very difficult and sad decision, but I felt I had to stick to my instincts about what is right and what is wrong. I’ve worked hard for the last five years of my life on these movies, but I’m happy with my decision, especially now.”.

Harry Styles, despite being the inspiration for Anna Todd, was never really among the possibilities to participate in this saga. “I didn’t think to summon him. I didn’t know how he felt about the “After” story, I didn’t know if he knew it. So I scrapped the idea. I didn’t want to relate it, mostly because of the fans who might be upset with me. It could be that they loved the story and then, unexpectedly, they hated it”. In case there were any doubts, The writer continues to support the British artist’s career as a soloist, has gone to his concerts and has listened to the songs from his new album on repeat, “Harry’s House”. “I’m so proud of him“, He says.

Will he return to Wattpad?

More than nine years have passed since the publication of “After” on Wattpad, but Anna Todd still loves the platform. What he rescues the most is the possibility of managing his rhythm, trying to balance his personal life at the same time. This experience, as she has emphasized, is very different and she confessed that one of his plans is to return to writing on Wattpad.. “Sometimes I miss the simple days where I just wrote when I wanted and published what I wanted, because I liked to throw chapter by chapter. Now it’s a full run for me and everything is happening. Now it’s more of a lifestyle”.

There is still a stigma around “fanfics” because some readers consider it to be made by bad writers, but Anna adamantly denies this. “That is exactly what makes you a true writer: write stories that you like. There are several authors from different parts of the world who They tell you ´you started as a ´fanfiction´´ writer and I answer ´yes, and I am super proud of that´”.

Finally, becoming the first Wattpad star has taught Anna Todd several lessons, including believing in herself. “It doesn’t have to make sense to everyone, it only matters if you’re happy with your story. Just write to yourself, if it makes you feel good or excited or sad, keep going..

For all those writers hiding behind the screen, Anna left a message: “Follow your essence, always follow your vibes, and see for yourself. Read the contracts very well and do not write to be published or to have a movie. Just write for you. People will come to you naturally if you continue like this, along those lines. Good luck for everybody”.