Paid for an article I don't remember writing!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
Spain
September 24, 2012 5:40am CST
Yesterday, our neighbours invited us around for drinks, nibbles and a catch up on everything. Several hours and 4 bottles of wine later, we staggered back home - we had a lot of catching up to do. 
I did the only sensible thing and headed to bed - or at least I thought I did. This morning, I remembered I should have written and article for Helium, and I cursed myself for getting drunk and not writing it. When I switched the laptop on, there was a message in my inbox saying 'Congratulations, your article has been purchased by Helium.' 
I must have written and posted the article on automatic pilot, because when I checked it out, it was pretty good, saying it was written under the influence! Have you ever done something while you were drunk, and it's turned out just as well as it would have if you'd been sober?
I did the only sensible thing and headed to bed - or at least I thought I did. This morning, I remembered I should have written and article for Helium, and I cursed myself for getting drunk and not writing it. When I switched the laptop on, there was a message in my inbox saying 'Congratulations, your article has been purchased by Helium.'
I must have written and posted the article on automatic pilot, because when I checked it out, it was pretty good, saying it was written under the influence! Have you ever done something while you were drunk, and it's turned out just as well as it would have if you'd been sober?6 people like this
16 responses
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
24 Sep 12
Hello Sandra1952,
I hope everything is fine with you, even though you may have a few hangovers this morning. Well I am amazed that you can handle to write a great article while beeing drunk! Very well done!
Honestly I cannot brag of beeing able to do similar things but it is always wonderful when you get these Congratulations messages from Helium. I love them.
2 people like this
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
24 Sep 12
Certainly not good for your liver, so a wise decision not to turn it into a habit. But after all sometimes it is nice to sit with a drink and some friends to make some catch-up, in the matter of the fact I tend to do it way to little.
But being able to submit the article flawless and in your own eyes prefect (since you are proud) then maybe you should just consider yourself very much on autopilot, maybe it is a sign you spend too much time writing articles? Well I think it is a great way to spend your time writing articles than many other alternatives :)
2 people like this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Hello, Downwindz. Yes, I love those messages as well. Obviously, I don't make a habit of it - I don't think my liver would like it very much. I am quite proud of the article, though! No typos, and I even managed to put a link in there.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Actually, it was a topic I was quite familiar with - it's a character analysis of a character in one of my favourite tv shows. I don't suppose it would have turned out so well it it had been a topic that needed a lot of research, though. I've often said that writing is second nature to me - this seems to prove my point.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Sep 12
Clearly it wasn't you writing it, it was me. Please just forward the check to:
Dawn Wolfson
123 Not Really
Cameron Park, CA 95682
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Sep 12
Well yes, and I'd tell you all about it if I wasn't afraid that you'd steal the information to write an article. 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Oh yeah? Exactly how much do you know about the characters in Coronation Street, because that was what the article was about. I suppose now you'll tell me you're an expert.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
25 Sep 12
First rule of freelancing - keep your ideas to yourself, because you never know who might take them and pass them off as your own.
Second rule of freelancing - when you don't know what somebody's talking about, pretend you do, but refuse to elaborate in case they try to steal your ideas - gotcha. 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Yes, I am a little fragile this morning. I've taken some vitamin C and drunk lots of water. It's more effective than other hangover cures, I find. Glad I made you smile!
2 people like this
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
24 Sep 12
Making love lol.
Not quite the same, but as a songwriter I find myself, or used to, suddenly thinking, "Did I really write that, it's good"! I often have no recollection of the process by which this four or five verses got themselves written. As Guy Clark says in one of his latest albums, Some days the Song Writes You.
Lash
1 person likes this
@varunkrishna007 (1909)
• India
24 Sep 12
I completetly agree with your point sandra. Even in one of our regional articles, there was an article regarding this. It said creativity is aroused when you are drunk. i dont know what is the logic behind it.
@allknowing (130073)
• India
24 Sep 12
Writing under the influence of liquor is fine but the fact that you were not aware of it is something that is baffling!
.
. 1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Yes, it baffled me as well, because I don't remember a thing. I also missed the second episode of my favourite TV programme, so it was a pretty long gap in my consciousness. Scary, really.
1 person likes this
@varunkrishna007 (1909)
• India
24 Sep 12
I think the only thing I do mostly after getting drunk is just sit and laugh. Infact its a n indication for my friends that its time to take me to bed. But we do had brought out some great ideas during such party sessions. infact people say I speak a lot of philosophy when i start drinking. i only have vague memories of those things. So I just cant say if they are completely true.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
I'm the opposite - I tend to get tearful when I'm drunk. It's funny though, because everybody believes they have good ideas when they're drunk. A while back, I listened to my husband and his friend talking, and they thought they were making a lot of sense, but really, it was all nonsense. Luckily, my article wasn't!
@BarBaraPrz (45568)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
24 Sep 12
Hey! Maybe you should write all your articles that way... 
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
25 Sep 12
oh wow that is very nice then.. i guess due to you being drunk you totally forgot what you were doing, i guess just be glad you were writing and not some other thing! 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
25 Sep 12
Hello, jazel_juan. Yes, at least I couldn't get into too much trouble with the computer. Just imagine if I'd hooked up with a gorgeous Spaniard and let him have his wicked way with me. Oh well, I can always try again next week.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
24 Sep 12
How funny is this? Totally hilarious. But it worked out fine so maybe you shoujld indulge more often then go home and write. I hope that you do not have too bad a hangover today and no, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. At least. Not to my knowledge
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Hello, Cynthiann. The hangover has finally gone, after lots of water and sandwiches, thank you. I don't think I'll be pushing my luck by doing it too often, though. I don't think my liver would stand the punishment.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
28 Sep 12
That's pretty funny. I don't get drunk, so no, I can't say that I have. Sometimes those emails take a bit, depending on when you submit and when the article goes live. Are you sure you hadn't done the article much earlier?
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
29 Sep 12
I see we have a similar strategy :-) BTW, I submitted my first payment request to Postloop this morning! Signed up for a few more forums too, including that last one you recommended. I have to spend a little time on Helium this coming week; I've been more focused in other areas and my little gold stars keep popping in and out.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Sep 12
Hello, Canellita. No, I hadn't, because I only accept assignments with less than 24 hours to go. I like to pick up ones with no articles or just one, so that I've got a good channce of snagging the payment. I accepted it on Sunday morning, and got the email on Monday.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
28 Sep 12
Haha! Yes, but nothing this good!
When I was very young and was in university, I wanted to see a girl who lived in one of the dormitories in the campus. I was gathering up the nerve to go, and make myself memorable to her, when my friends invited me to a little drinking session first. They told me it was to calm my nerves.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I was successful in making myself memorable to the her!
I later found out that I got drunk, fell on flight of stairs, and had my face bloodied before I went to see her!
I later found out that I got drunk, fell on flight of stairs, and had my face bloodied before I went to see her!
@Kashidanga1971 (1354)
• Bangladesh
24 Sep 12
How many years since you started writting in Helium and how many post you have served and how much you are doing per month?SANDRA
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
I've been with Helium for just over 5 years and I have 1800 articles there. I earn a fairly respectable amount each month, but I don't really know you, so I'd rather not say. In any case, it has no bearing on the discussion.
@skyandgrassplot (1497)
• China
25 Sep 12
This is incredible,as for me,when I get drunk I find out that I even can not to take a shower,so every time when I get drunk I will go to my bed and fall asleep very soon cause I am to tired and dizzy,so you are so amazing that you still can work when you are drunk.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
26 Sep 12
I usually doze off as well, but there must have been a part of my brain that knew what had to be done and got on with it. I didn't even have any typos in the article, either. All in all a good result, given the circumstances.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
24 Sep 12
Now if they paid you higher then you usually have been paid...
No I can't say that I ever NOT remember doing something because of being drunk. I try not to ever get so drunk that I can't hold it anymore and for me that line is very very easy to cross as I am a light drinker as is.
I suppose your conscious knew you needed to get it done and got it done anyway.
No I can't say that I ever NOT remember doing something because of being drunk. I try not to ever get so drunk that I can't hold it anymore and for me that line is very very easy to cross as I am a light drinker as is.
I suppose your conscious knew you needed to get it done and got it done anyway.@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
Yes, I think that's what happened - the writer took over from the drunk, and got the work done. It's a bit scary that I could do that though. I like to know what I'm doing, and be in control.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Sep 12
It's not something I make a habit of. It must have just been there in the back of my mind somewhere, though. I'm just glad it turned out well,otherwise it could have been very embarrassing - I'm a Channel Manager and Editor at Helium, so I wouldn't have liked to have owned up to that one.
