Articles written by Frances Laing in Arts & Humanities

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What is Helium

About me - Frances Laing

I'm a freelance writer, journalist and blogger. My focus is people and the environment.

I write challenging, investigative features and articles as well as the ones about people enjoying themselves with travel, tourism, nature and their gardens. I try to

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Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging How to get more comments on your blog: 1 of 15
I now have four blogs and I've been blogging for over a year.The challenges concerned with getting more comments can be divided into two groups: First - The technical challenges and second: how to communicate with your readers(the tone of your writing) Bear in mind though, that both communication and technical issues are ine... More..
Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging The negative side of SEO keywords: 1 of 7
As a writer, the use of SEO keywords bothers me. I'm a pragmatist, so I realise they are a marketing tool and one way of increasing your readership, but on the other hand I feel they're in danger of restricting our creativity and imagination. Using SEO keywords is a bit like taking part in some Victorian parlour game. Okay, ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Who & What is Helium Helium writer autobiographies: 16 of 73
I'm not sure I enjoy writing. There are reasons for this. Let's just say - it's something I've done, consistently, for the past thirty years at least. Let's say: I engage with it. Just as I have tried to engage with the world around the writing. I'm interested in documenting some sort of truth about societies. I believe that... More..
Arts & Humanities > Photography How to get prints from your digital camera: 1 of 4
If you're asking the question: 'How do I get prints from my digital camera?' - chances are you're not a long-standing digital photographer. Don't worry: everyone has to start somewhere. You might be a parent catching up with your kids in the digital game - or maybe you're a 'silver surfer'? At any rate - here's what you need... More..
Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging Dangers of blogging: 7 of 22
The dangers of blogging are the dangers of doing anything fast. Blog posts can be put together in an hour, or even a few minutes. You can be swept away by the sheer speed of it. It's a kind of seduction perhaps: Write post. Spell check (if you're patient enough!). Insert photograph or video. Check paragraph spacing. Publish.... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Getting over yourself: Making the transition from thinking to writing: 29 of 71
Writing is not a particularly glamorous job. It can be reduced to three words. Bum on seat. Getting the words down on paper - and doing it regularly. Because unless you're prepared to do the work of making the transition from thinking to writing - it's sometimes boring - sometimes interesting - always relentless - you won't ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging How to write effective SEO copy: 5 of 12
Like most of us, I'm still learning about how to write effective SEO copy (although there are lots of writers who wouldn't be so upfront about their learning process - it isn't necessarily always 'cool' to say you're not an expert). This is what I've learned so far: It's all about key words. That's the reason why a helium ma... More..
Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging An introduction to blogging: 10 of 20
A blog is simply an on-line journal. Although blogs started off as a collection of links - driving traffic to other links. The word 'blog' is an abbreviation of the term 'weblog' combining the terms 'website' and 'logging'. People have kept diaries in some shape or form since the beginning of time. A 'blog' is the on-line eq... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Jobs Mistakes new magazine writers make and how to avoid them: 4 of 8
I've got a lot of material to draw on here. I've made plenty of mistakes with magazines myself. Here are some of my worst: Mistake 1: Getting annoyed with an editor However much you may disagree with an editor, never ever let your frustrations show. If you do, you're not likely to get work with them again. Keep calm. Negotia... More..
Arts & Humanities > Citizen Journalism Ways to offer encouragement to new journalists while the news business is in crisis: 1 of 2
A crisis is also an opportunity You're just about to leave college. You've got shiny new certificates in journalism or media studies - and the highest of hopes. The recession is the only cloud on your horizon. Maybe you've sent out hundreds of applications for work placements or jobs and they've all fallen flat. You really n... More..