Ariana Godoy Talks Wattpad Fame and Seeing A Traves de mi Ventana Made Into a Netflix Movie

When Ariana Godoy posted the first chapter of A Traves de mi Ventana to the social reading platform Wattpad, she had no idea what a hit would be—and she never would have anticipated that one day, Netflix would make it into a movie.

The film of the same name (called Through My Window in English) is out on the streaming platform today, Feb. 4, and we got the chance to chat with the beloved author about her Wattpad journey, and what it's been like to see her creation come to life. Keep reading to find out everything she had to reveal.

Sweety High: How did you first get introduced to Wattpad? When you started writing there, what were your expectations of what your work might achieve?

Ariana Godoy: I was just looking for free stories to read, and at the beginning, I was just reading. I didn't create an account to write and then, when I realized anyone could post there, I was like, "Why not?" I had zero expectations, to be honest. I was just doing it for fun. My first story was a hit, and I was lucky enough for people to continue to like my stories as I wrote more and more.

 

SH:  Do you remember first sitting down to begin writing A Traves de mi Ventana? What was the core idea you had, and how did it grow from there?

AG: I think the core of the story came from one of my experiences in college with a neighbor/roommate situation that I had where we shared the internet, and I had a huge crush on him, so it all became a mess of heartbreak and first love. It kind of got me thinking: what if someone was using my Wi-Fi without my permission? The reality is that we are all internet-oriented nowadays and anywhere we go, we hear the typical, "What's the Wi-Fi password?" Using that as a starting point for Ares y Raquel seemed fresh and fun because their worlds are so different, but the internet can connect anything, apparently.

 

SH: When did you first begin gaining traction with your stories on Wattpad? Were you surprised at how fast they blew up, and the powerful reaction you got?

AG: Of course! I was shocked. It didn't really make much sense to me until my mom brought it up. "So, 30,000 people voted for the latest chapter?" I said yes, and she looked at me and said, "I just want you to picture this living room right now with 20 more people. Crowded, huh?" And I just nodded and then she said, "Okay, now picture 30,000 people, Ariana. That's a lot of human beings reading what you post." That definitely brought some perspective because that is indeed a lot of people, and as a writer, I didn't have much confidence in myself at the time. I kept crediting it all to "luck," when in reality, I was working hard and people were seeing it and loving it. And for that, I am so grateful.

SH: From there, how did you grow your platform as an influencer? What do you think it is about your more personal approach, as well as the community at Wattpad, that's allowed you to be as successful as you are today?

AG: Everything has been so organic. My pages have always been welcoming and I have always been very open with my readers. It has never been a "fan-influencer" type of relationship. It's been more like a family. We laugh and cry together, we make memes about my stories, we have inside jokes. Writing can be very isolating and lonely sometimes, so for me, having them as an online family really keeps me going and motivates me.

 

SH: What was your reaction when you heard that Netflix wanted to turn your story into a movie?

AG: Insane! I couldn't believe it. It took me a couple of hours of saying it aloud until I finally let it sink in. It's a dream. Netflix is the biggest streaming platform in the world and to know that your story is going to have such an amazing home and that's going to get to so many places is awesome.

 

SH: What has it been like to see Clara Galle and Julio Peña bring your characters to life onscreen?

AG: It was surreal. Because I saw the pictures first, and of course, you can't see anything in pictures, and when I saw them auditioning together, my mind was blown away by their chemistry. Hearing them say things I wrote was just—wow. I have no words.

 

SH: Have you been able to watch a cut of the film yet? If so, is there anything you can tease for us?

AG: Yes, and I can tell you everybody is going to have a good time. Grab your popcorn, your comfy blanket and sit down to enjoy a good old first love romance.

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

AG: Thank you to everyone reading this article, to anyone that buys and reads the English translation of my book, Through My Window that was just released by Wattpad Books in the USA, and of course, to all of you watching the film on Feb. 4 on Netflix.

 

Obsessed with Wattpad success stories? Click HERE to read our interview with Wattpad author Tay Marley.