by Thom Amundsen

Created on: May 04, 2008   Last Updated: May 07, 2008

Great ideas, wonderful imagery, selective attitude that contain descriptive avenues, and voila, the writer is published with an essay on the web. Is it Wikipedia or is it ... really yours? Are the materials factual, or a presumptive embellishment of thoughts and innuendo on your new personal blog? And what is this 'blog' stuff, the latest rage in publishing your own work, if not only for a large exposure of eyes on the Internet. Essentially blogs offer an opportunity to create a personal portfolio within miles of practice you'll discover while writing and responding on line.

In one month a new writer on HELIUM pens over thirty articles and doesn't think about making any money, just the outlet to create their own portfolio. Another writer hammers away at their own personal blog, waiting for their hits to increase on google search engines, in hopes of attracting a greater readership, enticing the eyes of a perhaps worthy publisher. Another writer wins a t-shirt for their submission into the latest poetry contest. What do each of these venues have in common? Each essay, each poem, each blog mastered will contribute to a strong portfolio for the writer, one that certainly becomes their own to tweak and polish in the days ahead.

On each on line writer's site there is contained a front page. There is where the true exposure is going to begin to show itself. Write an article on Helium that everyone rates at a high level and it makes the front page for a succession of days. People hit on it frequently, and suddenly your work is being noticed with the hope that that initial article draws people further into your portfolio and your work reaches an even wider audience.

I think the exposure available to writers is difficult to assess given the wide open doors that cyberspace offers the general public. However, I do notice that as writing sites begin to make efforts to better legitimize themselves, the quality of work is going to gradually improve.

I believe one solid contributor is the rating system that Helium has designed to allow writer's to rate one another's work. Quality writers read each other's work in comparison to two side by side articles on the same issue. The better written piece is meant to be selected. But, the playing field isn't wide open. If a reader appears to be rating poorly, in other words, not thoroughly assessing each piece, their rating comparisons will fall below the overall percentages. The advantage to this system is that articles are not lost on quality, but are fairly assessed in the long run. It seems like a fairly accountable system.

As all writers do, we all want to be noticed, and have aspirations towards the prestigious Newberry, NYT bestseller list, Pulitzer and the like of literary esteem. The beauty of having prompters to challenge ourselves in nearly every writing site on the Internet can only enhance our abilities with today's pen and paper - the visual keyboard.

For myself, the on line writing sites have given me a valuable tool to create a solid portfolio of my writing. The prizes and monetary rewards will come my way if that is meant to happen. In the meantime, simply take satisfaction in all of the in-roads the Internet now offers all of us who love to play, hone and speak with words.

Learn more about this author, Thom Amundsen.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.