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Author Challenge 21: Your best advice

 

Here is Challenge 21: Your Best Advice. Join us in competition with your fellow Helium authors by adding your best advice article . We have prizes!

Challenge 21: Here's your chance to give us all some advice


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We want to hear your best advice! Now's your chance to speak up and share the benefit of your brilliance with our group.

We've been having Fun with Fiction for a few challenges in a row, most recently our Know your Place competition, won by Ann Hinds' poignant portrait of a baseball field. Now it's time to buckle down and share our hard-earned experience.

We've seen a lot of emphasis on How To Guides lately. Some of us like 'em, others love 'em, and some can take 'em or leave 'em. Please feel free to share yours during this challenge (socially, not as entries). However, for this contest, your advice doesn't have to be a "how to" article, though those are certainly welcome. Articles like "Choosing the best college" or "Best spices to use in chili" or "Tips for finding singles in your area" (fake sample titles) are all welcome.

Your advice can be step-by-step, thoughtfully provocative, life's lessons learned, mildly humorous and so on-- whatever style you think will appeal to your readers. Articles may be brand new (for a bonus) or already-posted.

As always, we hope you'll take time to read and critique your competitors' entries. We'll use a grading system similar to that of our past two challenges, with some minor modifications based upon your feedback.

What's my best advice? "Join us!"


photo by Helga Weber

by Glory Lennon

As writers, we all have to grow a thick skin. That is to say, we  have to accept that there will be times our writing will not meet someone’s approval. They say all writers get rejected, ev...More>
  Write NowWrite

And now, to keep the lawyers happy, the fine print...

Here are the official rules of On-Board Author Challenges as developed during the previous 20 competitions, and modified once again for Challenge 21.

  • These contests ARE NOT sponsored by, endorsed by, or guaranteed by Helium or any of its legal representatives
  • Rules of each competition are subject to change without prior notice, as deemed fit by your host, Jim Bessey. Any rule changes will be clearly posted on the challenge zone and on the forum thread, Challenge 21 comment thread.
  • Contests are open to all Helium members. Member must have an open and active account at the time the contest is concluded, in order to win
  • Entry is made by recording a Comment on the matching Challenge Zone. Entries posted to the group forum thread, Challenge 21 comment thread become offiical once they are added to the Zone. All entries will be listed in Reply #2 to this thread.
  • One entry per contestant.
  • All articles written and submitted to the challenge must be in HELIUM TITLES,  NO Creative writing: Drama, essays, humor, memoirs, novel excerpts, poetry, reflections, satire, short stories, songs.  Advice may be ............... but make them good! Entries can be new or already posted at Helium. There is, however, a ten point bonus for new submissions.
  • The official starting date for each challenge will be clearly marked in the matching thread and also in the corresponding Zone.
  • Zone for Author Challenge 21: Your Best Advice
  • Entries are made by choosing an article posted to an Active Helium title. Any TOS or User Agreement violations contained within an entered article may be grounds for disqualification.
  • Conditions for inclusion in a challenge may include the requirement to read and comment upon other authors' articles. Challenge 21 will use special guidelines for crtiques.
  • Winner will be determined by adding the total of ALL POINTS awarded to each contestant in various ways. Highest point total is the Winner.
  • Deadlines for submissions, for Leaping, and for finalizing the contest will be posted on the challenge zone and in the forum thread.
  • Decisions of the contest host are final. In the event of a math error, any participating member may request a recount before the contest is finalized.
  • Cash prizes, if included, will be awarded via PayPal only. Since Helium members must have an open PayPal account in order to receive payments, this method should be acceptable to all users. No other payment method will be employed. This is NOT an official Helium payment, and WILL NOT be shown on the member's Earnings page.
  • Display of the winner's article on Helium's front page is at the discretion of staff and editors. No reason need be supplied, in the event that an article is deemed unacceptable for Front Page display. It's unlikely that pieces from the Creative Writing channel will be featured on page one at Helium.
  • These rules, and any changes to them, will be displayed in the third Post Reply (Challenge Thread) and on the matching Challenge Zone.
  • Additional information regarding this contest may be displayed in other areas of the thread or zone, and may also be supplied at a later time. Failure to modify these rules to include such additional information does not negate the inclusion of those conditions as part of the Challenge guidelines and rules.

Here are our new, special Critique Rules


GUIDELINES FOR OUR NEW CRITIQUES:

As suggested we'll issue  scores for each entered article based on a 1 to 10 scale

1 = "just barely ok"

5= "Not great but not bad"

10 = "absolutely amazing" (don't be too liberal with either extreme)

For each entry, please rate the following parts, on the 1 to 10 scale:

  1. ADVICE - How good is this advice?
  2. WRITING - In general, consider style and quality of the entire piece

Just use the author's NAME and a numbered list, like the one above, with those two titles, and add your scaled rating for each. Leave commentary for the end of your critique.

Contestants will earn a total of 15 points for doing at least 5 critiques. New entries, those written just for this Challenge, will earn a 12 point bonus.

If you'd rather not add comments, that's fine, too.

ALL CRITIQUES SHOULD BE POSTED TO THE CHALLENGE THREAD.

Remember, each contestant EARNS 15 POINTS for at least 5 critiques!


photo by Jules Morgan

by April May Maple

Why is it,  the more acceptable divorce becomes the harder it is to keep your marriage alive? Many people have this perfect fantasy in their minds as to what married life is like. When realty doe...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by MegLynn

by M. J. Joachim

Teaching your child to drive can be a nerve-wracking experience. They’re a little too eager to learn about gaining their freedom at times and less interested in being reminded about their safety...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by Vincent LaConte

by Diane Quinn

If you are like many people who love animals, you may be eager to do your part to help overburdened animal shelters.   Whether you want to adopt a puppy, kitten or older animal, you would be...More>
  Write NowWrite

How to recognize good writing advice


photo by Helga Weber

by Glory Lennon

As writers, we all have to grow a thick skin. That is to say, we  have to accept that there will be times our writing will not meet someone’s approval. They say all writers get rejected, ev...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by Dan Paluska

by Amanda Dcosta

A bookshelf may be made in differing styles, all reflecting the mood of the woodworker or carpenter or perhaps even the mood of the client. Likewise, depending on the budget, availability of wood and ...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by Ginny

by Ann Hinds

Children seem to have a hidden agenda when it comes to eating. While most children eat almost anything, with picky eaters, it changes from day to day. They tend to gravitate towards snacks and sugared...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by Conan

by Conny Manero

Non smokers make quitting smoking sound so easy.  They advise smokers to pay attention where and when they smoke and then make adjustments accordingly.  They go on stating that nicotine is o...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by reed

by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Tips on How to Give Advice Successfully Are you about to offer someone advice?   Whether counsel was sought by kings, offered by prophet, or received in excited whispers from a pre-teen chi...More>
  Write NowWrite

Comments (1 to 5 of 5)

Glory Lennon
Jun 11, 10 at 11:22 PM
We've missed you, Olivia! Hope you can join us in this new one we'll be starting soon!
Olivia Bredbenner
Jun 11, 10 at 10:12 PM
Glory, So gladthat the challenge articles are being posted here. I was not in the challenge, however, I have begun reading some and look forward to reading them all.
Great articles !!
Doreen Martel
May 13, 10 at 01:24 AM
LAUGHING -- I found it in my activities tab which I pressed by mistake ;)
Glory Lennon
May 12, 10 at 09:15 PM
Doreen, you silly! I'm not even done yet. Just couldn't wait huh? :-)
Doreen Martel
May 12, 10 at 07:45 PM
Great job as always on the zone!

Zone Manager

Helium member since Aug 20, 07
Company:
D'Zyne Construction
Title:
Owner
Education:
Finger Lakes Community... AAS Business Administration
Number of Zones: 12

FIRST PRIZE:

Since we've passed the minimum of five entrants, first prize will be no less than $10 cash, payable to your PayPal account (the one you use to receive Helium payments).

What works for you?


photo by Randen Pederson
Assuming you like receiving advice, in what form are you most likely to take it?
Persuasive argument
Subtle coaxing
Nagging until you're ready to snap
Drilled into you
Logical assessment
Gentle suggestion
Straightforward and to the point.

Recent Challenge Winners


photo by Sandy Austin

Challenge 20: Know Your Place

First Place winner:  Reflections : Smalltown Baseball by Ann Hinds

Challenge 19: Characters Welcome!

First Place winner:  Short Stories: Despair by Abagael MacAskill

Challenge 18: Leapin' Losers!

First place: Getting over writer's block by MJ Joanchim

Challenge 17: What about friends?

First place:   Essays: Friendship by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Second place: Best ways to break up with a girlfriend by Jim Bessey

Challenge 16: Giving Thanks.

First place:   Thanksgiving Day: A reminder of why we are thankful by Olivia Bredbenner. 

Second place: Reflections: The art of giving thanks by Diane Quinn.

Challenge 15: All about Cats!

First place:  Memoirs: How my cat adopted me by Jim Bessey.

Second place tie: How big cat habitats are altered by people by MJ Joachim,

and  Memoirs: How cats guided me through life's journey by EJ Young.

Challenge 14: How to ___your own___.

First place:  How to propagate plants from cuttings by Glory Lennon.

Second place: How to develop your own writing style by Jim Bessey.


photo by

by Doreen Martel

If you have recently made the career decision to become a freelance writer, it is likely you are looking for practical advice. New freelance writers are often confronted with a range of contradictory ...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by J F

by Charlotte Howard

Pets tend to have a fairly short life span when compare to their owners.  Dogs average at about 14 years, cats live a bit longer to 16 years and rabbits and guinea-pigs survive for around 5 years...More>
3 articles  Write NowWrite


photo by Sean Biehle

by Annalou Mack

It is likely that at some point in your life you will have a desire to learn more about the members of your family who lived in the past.  People have always been interested in their ancestors.&n...More>
  Write NowWrite


photo by Sam Beckwith

by Jim Bessey

What's more fun than doing a tile job? - choosing the tile! Shopping at tile stores is a sensory experience. So many shapes, sizes, textures, patterns and colors to choose from; it's enough to make y...More>
  Write NowWrite

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