by Richard Serra

Created on: November 06, 2011

Before I decided to try writing, I thought about what it would entail in the way of what and how to write, so that it would catch the attention of those who might be reading anything that I might put out there. Thanks to Helium, thousands like me have an opportunity to present what they feel would be of interest or informative, so that others benefit by their experiences.

However, almost everything we write about has been published at one time or another by someone else. How else did we gain the knowledge of what we write about.
The difference however, is that its pretty much been around for quite some time, and using some of that information, enables us to write about it with our own personal flare. No one can be faulted for wanting knowledge and then passing it on.

But when someone writes something totally original that has never been read before, its somewhat complimentary when someone else may use some of what you write in their own article.
We see copycat TV programs, music, movies and the like. I get turned off when I see a flood of spin offs from an original. But we don't do any of those  mentioned. We write, and as we read what others wrote, we benefit as it increases our own ability to be more creative.

To a writer, or to those who want to be, it's a challenge to come up with something truly original. But when you do, it then is obvious by it's acceptance or lack of it, that you did either good, or did badly.
There are vast quantities of interests in the world that can be brought to the attention of readers via how we convey the message to them, by the way we write.

I would love to think that by writing on this Helium site, many may be discovered for excellence.
This isn't American Idol by a long shot, but it is a way to let readers know you're out there. The rewards from gaining a following for what you write, may not come in the way of money for most, but a satisfaction they what you write, is good enough whereas readers may send you feedback at times about your writing, and although sometimes it might be a critique, it still can be considered something gained.  

Without feedback, how do we know if what we write is acceptable to others? If that feedback is constructive, it then increases your writing ability in a way that you become more experienced in what it takes to keep a reader interested.   The greatest rewards are the compliments. It's when someone praises you for what you wrote, because it touched them in a way that it was meant to. Anyone can write words, but it's how those words are put into what best describes what you are trying to say.

This isn't always easy. Dedication to improving how we write, by reading what, and how successful writers demonstrate by their way of writing, can greatly improve our own efforts. I can honestly say that my own experience with writing for Helium has provided me with a lot of self confidence, and a contentment with myself, knowing that I've at least accomplished something that I might have otherwise never do so.

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