I'm getting frustrated.

As a whole I like the helium site, but yes it can be frustrating to earn those stars. that's both good and bad. The bad part is that, if you are on the site to make some money, it is hard work to make decent money. The good part is that it pushes you to try and write better. If one of your goals for being on the site is to improve your writing (and mine is), then their rating system will ultimately make a better writer out of you.

I can understand your frustration. I was there at one time. When the stars were first introduced I wanted one. I thought, hey, I should have one of those. But they didn't give me one. I tried and tried. Finally I didn't get just one I got two. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind. First the bottom ten percent of your articles gets dropped. So, the more you write, the more the articles that don't do so well, won't effect you as much. Additionally your highest rated articles are your parenting ones. Maybe you should pick up more titles from that category. You also seem to pick up a lot of titles with a lot of articles already in them, this makes it harder to rise to the top since you have to be rated a lot in order to make it there. (This is also why Helium has been closing titles). One other thing. Your bio mentions that you enjoy crafts. Why not hit up the craft section and write about the things you know there. It doesn't have as many articles as some of the topics you have worked under and in need of some good writers to add more content there. This is also where I make the most money. Consistently month after month my 8 out of 10 of my top money makers will be craft ones. If you know something, but can't find a title about it when you search Helium, start your own title. Don't give up now, you are doing so well. Just keep writing. Let the stars come to you instead of working so hard to try and get them. If that doesn't work, then reevaluate in a couple of weeks after you have worked on writing more articles first. I don't know if it will help you any, but you can check out my page...http://www.helium.com/user/show/274729

Well I do not use helium for certain reasons (main one being this: I just have this splinter-in-the-mind feeling that I'd be bottom of the barrel no matter how hard I try there. Oh and rating systems can be abused, don't say much, and are utter garbage in my opinion). As for you Silly, if you really want to, you have to keep trying. Nothing is going to happen if you simply quit. If you want to be really good at writing as a whole, you have to set aside a significant amount of time toward it. Its better to write about what you know in order to make things easier, clearer for your writing overall. Don't get to down either Silly, and don't put too much of your success on the thoughts of other people. If you don't get approval or reactions, its not always a bad thing. Some people may not care about the writing, or you might be in a rather flawed system of rating (don't really know but I still hold that view). You are still here and you can keep trying as you wish. Another thing to consider, take a break and take a breath from it. You should relax about this and try to let it go. Of course, come back to this in short time but don't let it get you down too much; and be sure to have a positive outlook when you write/resume writing.