by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: September 15, 2008   Last Updated: November 12, 2011

Something that is apparent from writing on Helium is that people have passionate opinions. Writing about things which matter to them is just like arguing their side of a topic in real life, and learning the skills that make your argument work are essential, especially if you want to convince people that your opinion is a valid one. Helium give you a wonderful opportunity to take sides in their debates, and this is a unique opportunity. Usually debates on-line lead to argument that eventually fizzles away into no particular opinion shining. On Helium, the fundamental rules of debates include the following:

*Decide for sure which side you are on.
*Take notes.
*Decide how to tackle your argument.
*Stay on topic.
*Back up your argument with facts.
*Write beginning, middle and conclusion.
*Read your opinion over before posting.

Sides.

Often writers get midstream and forget which side of the argument they are supporting. Weak debate articles will be undecided. The whole point of a debate is to take your stand and to back that up with convincing narrative, and if you try swapping backwards and forwards between one side and another, your argument will be weak. Be persuasive in your argument by being certain of the side you are on.

Take Notes.

When writing to a debate, the first thing to do is to paste the bold title from the Helium site into your word processing program. The reason for this is that the bold type reminds you constantly of the topic you are arguing. Often debate candidates fail because they draw no clear lines and go off topic. People are passionate about their opinions, though often that passion gets in the way of objective writing. Of course, you should have an opinion, but organize it in such a way as to make a great argument.

Take notes of the relevant points that your argument will take. You know why you believe your side of the argument is right, though readers need to know this too. By typing a shortlist of what your article will cover, you will not forget salient points and will make a stronger debate article.

Decide how to tackle your argument.

You already know the little pointers you will use in your article, though the manner in which you tackle it could mean the difference between success and failure in the ratings. The article needs a strong opening and should be organized in such a way that it can be read easily and logically.

Stay on topic.

Your argument has to stay on topic to work. Failing to do this weakens any argument

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