Congratulations to our new Member of the Week!
Member of the Week: John Welford
“My motivation, as ever, is to bridge the gap between sources and seekers of information.”
Helium Member Since: January 2008
Articles on Helium: 779
Who inspires you?
It’s more a question of what than who. I write Helium articles because I want to unlock the knowledge that is trapped between the covers of the books and journals that I own and to which I have access as a librarian. The millions of authors whose thoughts, knowledge and ideas have been entrusted to paper are therefore my inspiration.
What do you write about mostly? Why do you write about this subject? Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?
I go through phases of being interested in certain subjects. These have included birds, antiques, Roman emperors, works of art, cricket, and places to visit in the UK. At present I am mainly writing analyses of poems by British poets, especially those that are on UK school exam syllabuses as these are likely to gain most page views. I have a degree in English Literature, so if I am an expert in anything this is likely to be it!
How do you promote your work?
I use Twitter – a lot! I try to get an article link posted once every 20 minutes, alternating with quotations. I have a huge stock of the latter to which I add constantly, so my followers don’t get bored. 3,700 followers to date – and rising!
What motivated you to become a writer?
I have always wanted to write but have also been aware of how difficult it is to succeed as a creative writer. The closest I ever came to the latter was writing scripts for the Beano comic in the early 1980s – I was the voice of Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, et al! The opportunity to write factual pieces and get paid for so doing was one that I was happy to grab with both hands.
I am a librarian by profession. I qualified back in 1976 and have therefore spent 35 years linking learners with sources of information. I still work at a university library helpdesk one evening a week, with the book stacks on one side of me and several hundred computer terminals on the other…. My motivation, as ever, is to bridge the gap between sources and seekers of information, and I can do this via “the medium of Helium.” My articles are therefore mainly digests of information for which printed material is the source – summarized, commented on, and updated where necessary.
What advice would you offer new Helium members?
Don’t set yourself too many goals to start with. Experiment, find out what works best for you, and adjust accordingly. Above all, take full advantage of all the help that is on offer.
What are your future goals with regard to writing?
My first goal is to reach 1000 articles by the time I’m 60 (in August 2012)! I also want to do what I can to make life easier for international writers, as I am concerned that too many writers are being discouraged by their lack of good written English. I have some ideas that might help Helium to be more welcoming to writers from places like Africa and South Asia who have much to give but are currently being held back.
Articles by John
A visitor’s guide to West Leicestershire
Poetry analysis: First Day at School, by Roger McGough
Bird facts: Spoon-billed sandpiper
Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.
