Articles written by Eric Stoveken

What is Helium

About me - Eric Stoveken

I am a writer and educator living in Pennsylvania. My main area of expertise is fiction with short stories being my most successful venture and screenplays my long term goal. Helium gives me a chance to work on my non-fiction chops and get some paying gigs

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Arts & Humanities > Writing Process (Other) Do great writers rely more on effort or insight?: 2 of 55
Every reasonable person looking at this debate will agree that both effort and insight are keys to writing. It is also perfectly sensible to note that each author will ultimately determine their own blend of the two in order to achieve their goals. If you wish to select one over the other (a fool's errand to be certain), you ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Avoiding blank page syndrome as a writer: 1 of 6
All writers have encountered it in one form or another: blank page syndrome, writer's block, congestion of the opening sentence, etc. It is the trouble that comes with beginning any writing problem. After all, you may have an incredible idea playing out in your head. This idea could be a brilliant thesis, a from-the-heart... More..
Food & Drink > Restaurant Recommendations Which restaurant has the best cheeseburgers?: 3 of 17
Which restaurant has the best cheeseburgers? It is a question that has plagued mankind ever since the second hamburger joint opened down the road from the first place to put grilled ground beef betwixt pieces of bread. It one that I can not answer for you.This is not to say that I can not tell you where you can get the best b... More..
Food & Drink > Fast Food Is a Philly cheesesteak sandwich as good as they say?: 2 of 10
Is the Philly Cheesesteak as good as "they" say? Well, a lot of that would depend on who "they" are and just how good they are saying it is. As someone who will periodically be a part of the weirdly amorphous "they" I will say YES Philly cheesesteaks are as good as we say. Bare in mind, that any talk of a true Philly Cheesest... More..
Arts & Humanities > Theater & Drama Thoughts on the Proscenium Theater: 1 of 5
Curtain rises. Those two words encapsulate much about the traditional proscenium stage theatre experience. There is a sense of occasion; of an event taking place when those yards and yards of velvet ascend and the audience captures the first glimpse of the opening tableau.The proscenium itself tends to be an impressive piece ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Tips for proofreading your final copy: 5 of 18
As a former professional proofer for an electronic pre-press compositing company, I can say with absolute certainty that proofing requires intense focus of an entirely different kind than was used to create the text you are examining. As a matter of fact, the most important thing you can do when proofreading your final copy o... More..
Jobs & Careers > Job Interviews Is it acceptable to re-schedule a job interview: 2 of 7
As with anything in the professional world, there is a right and wrong way to reschedule a job interview. This is to say that it can be an acceptable (though far from desirable) practice when handled well in an appropriate situation. Everything you do as part of the interview process is seen as a reflection of what you would ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News Industry Hunter S. Thompson and gonzo journalism: 5 of 16
Hunter S. Thompson began his career and ended his life as a sports writer. He got his start in 1956 covering intramural sports while serving in the US Air Force and wrote a column for ESPN.com in the year leading up to his death in 2005. In the half century between those two gigs, he penned a number of American classics and i... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres A look at robots in popular culture and film: 3 of 8
Like so many conventions of Science Fiction, pop culture has long had a kind of love/hate relationship with the robot and its many variations. No where is this nervous dichotomy more apparent than the world of film. Let us take a moment to just ponder the remarkable diversity of robots, androids and cyborgs that have become e... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Tips Learning the delicate art of letting kids win: 1 of 2
There comes a time in every child's life where games of luck and chance begin to give way to games of skill. This is an important time for the child as they take on a more active role in the outcome of the game and, by extension, life. No longer are they rewarded or punished by the caprices of a dice roll or the turn of a car... More..