Sep 12, 2016 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for feedback, advice, and friendly blogging chatter.

The Community Pool will be closed for maintenance next Monday, September 19. We look forward to seeing you on the pool deck the following Monday, September 26.

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Are you redesigning your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Looking for free, self-guided courses to help you get started with your blog (or revive a dormant one)? Check out our current offerings at Blogging U.

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips and guidelines you might find useful:

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once, as well as for not starting numerous threads in a single Pool.
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother. Also note that including multiple links in your comment might automatically put it in the moderation queue, which will delay its publication.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Are you a new blogger looking to share your very first post? We have a special forum for bloggers just like you in our weekly First Friday posts.

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      2. Hi all 🙂 Im a mother in Australia dealing with mental illness and a troubled past and I’ve found it so therapeutic to blog about it. I love writing so much, but sometimes it feels like it’s just me sending words into cyberspace with no real value. I know theres nothing wrong with that, but if you’re interested id love for you to check it out 🙂 https://thepureawareness.wordpress.com

        Liked by 5 people

      3. Hey ya.. went through your blog.. its amazing.. but you post quotes mainly.. try something more which can attract more readers.. hope you wouldn’t mind my advice.. and just curious to know what illness are you going through?

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Thank you so much 🙂 I post quotes largely when I’m too run off my feet to post anything substantial. I need to dedicate more time to writing but it’s tricky to do that sometimes! Advice is always welcome, and your advice is very good 🙂 I have depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder.

        Liked by 3 people

    6. Really cool blog and like the post about the letter to yourself!
      It would be good to add pictures to break up posts (though this is personal preference) and also a ‘read more’ option to make your home page easier to navigate, but again that is a personal preference 🙂

      Great blog

      Yasmin

      Liked by 2 people

    12. Lots of great life lessons in here for the teenager as well as the young adult. Loved the content and message. You have a very easy to read writing style too. Looking forward to seeing where your writing journey takes you!

      Liked by 1 person

    13. Amazing read. I could see a little bit of myself in your letter to your 15-year-old self. If I could go back in time and give it to my 15-year-old self I would, but then I wouldn’t have learned from those experiences. They make us who we are. You just gained a new follower. Check mine out if you would like

      Liked by 1 person

    14. Thank you for reminding me what it was like when I was 15. I read it and thought of my teen son and that his life too will change and he only has one time to be a kid. So well written. Bravo! I was already a follower and I’m so glad that I am.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi everyone, Hope you all had a great weekend!
    I’ve been trying to integrate YouTube videos into my blog posts where possible in order to grow my YouTube channel. What do you all think of this strategy? I’d love for you to check out my blog and let me know what you think.

    https://jhaneellockhart.com/

    I look forward to checking out your blogs as well!

    Liked by 12 people

      1. Hi Robert! Long time no see 🙂 Yes, it was time for a long overdue change, so I’m glad you like it. Thanks for your feedback and for the follow on YouTube. Heading over to your blog now for a catch up!

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Its funny, I guess I missed some of your posts, so I’ll have to do some catch up myself. Good to see you though! I subscribed via email so I am ensured of not missing your posts. By the way, those sweet potato fries looked delicious and I’m headed to lunch now as a result of seeing them!

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Hey there,

      I really like the ease of navigating your blog, so easy to follow. I had a skim through and thought that it could be good to use more pictures but that is a matter of personal preference, as i like to break up reading 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    5. Loved the pictures and the information you presented on your blog. The writing is very easy to read. I love places like the cloisters that you visited. There is a always a quiet calm found there. Good for meditation and writing.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Simon! I think your blog design works perfectly for the type of content you have. The categories in the main menu are clear and points people to the different kinds of writing they can expect to find on the site. I also like the clean minimalist look that keeps the focus on the words. The only suggestion I have would be to consider utilizing the sidebar of your blog a little more by adding a photo and short blurb about yourself for your social widgets, for example — just to add a few more prominent images to the site. Hope that helps

      Liked by 2 people

      3. Yes, I just changed a couple of very minor details! I wrote it for a 200 word story group I run but the first draft was 400 words and I could easily rewrite it to a much longer story. It was a very strange visit indeed!

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you very much Yasmin. All the stories up to St Teresa of Woking were previously uploaded when I didn’t know about adding images. Then, when the blog went live, I compared some of my posts in the reader to other people’s and realised how a good image can pull the reader right in. So I’ve added an image to all stories since then! I don’t think I will retrospectively do all the others as there are about 90 but you never know!

        Liked by 2 people

    5. I enjoyed visiting your blog. I have to say that it’s a pleasure to read your 100 word stories. I especially love Speechless. So amazingly eerie. I can read those forever. To communicate story, characters, and emotion in just 100 words is truly skillful. I will have to challenge myself one day to try it out. Your site is user friendly on my phone, no worries there. You have a new follower and a fan. Please keep doing the 100 to 200 word stories.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Hello Elke,
        Thank you so much for your lovely comments and, don’t worry, I will keep on doing the stories!
        I just had a quick look at your blog and it looks fantastic – I will definitely be back! Also, thanks for your feedback on the phone view. I’ve noticed myself that the recent stories, links etc. get pushed to the end after all the posts; I’ve seen that on other blogs too. But the stories do look nice on the small screen! Thanks again!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. My favorite parts are the ones that describe a very clear image, such as “Clutching the hem of her / Red dress, She let the tears / Flow down the cheeks, / Slightly touching her lips / And dropping down from / Chin.”
      I can vividly picture what’s happening in that scene. As you said in your author’s note, your poem left me curious about who this person was and what happened to her.

      Liked by 3 people

    4. Anjali,

      “she had been flying in the face of contradicting mindsets”. The whole poem was powerful. I’m sure everyone gets something different from it. But this verse is my favorite. I can say this to be very true as an individual. Torn within ourselves. An internal battle of this way or that way, up or down, fight or flight. I truly enjoyed it especially because it lends itself to discussion. I will look through the rest of your blog for sure.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Your photos are really beautiful, Joe! Even though I’m not currently in the market for prints, I’m definitely tempted! 🙂 I’ve bought similar stuff and there all sitting here in my apartment waiting to be hung. Have you thought of selling them on Etsy or some place like that where there is a built-in customer base?

      Liked by 3 people

  11. Check out my blog if you fancy something a little different (maybe) to what you’re used to, it’s a mix of things that happen to me and things I’m annoyingly opinionated on, here’s a couple of recent posts, both very different from each other:

    https://emmasguidetothegalaxy.com/2016/09/07/the-adult-section/

    https://emmasguidetothegalaxy.com/2016/08/31/just-keep-swimming/

    There’s also links to my social media profiles on there too, would be awesome to get to know more of you.

    Liked by 12 people

    5. Emma, great perspective to the adult section as a kid. I remember looking at that curtain and thinking what great magical things lay beyond it. Well. I peeked one day and on the surface it looked just like the room I was allowed to stand in. Huge disappointment. Hahaha. As I got older I started to understand that the mystery was in the details so I peeked again and noticed the boxes had pictures and giggled. Mystery turned in to funny. The curtain was a passage to adult silliness. Thanks for helping me go back to a time I didn’t thing had any significance, but now I can pull from it. And bravo for getting a passport. You just created a path to cross yet another curtain. And as a 45 year old woman, let me tell you this…don’t feel too grown up yet. You still have a whole life ahead of you. You have a new follower and fan. I love your writing style. Right up my alley.

      Elke a.k.a. The Pretty Platform

      Liked by 2 people

  12. Hey guys!
    My third time here, the response last time was fantastic! Thank you!
    My blog? Well its poetry, poetry and more of poetry! Most of which are straight from the heart,the heart! ironic because that’s exactly what i deal with on a day to day basis,being a budding doctor! Any opinions, suggestions will be highly appreciated!Thanks for your time! Have a great day!
    Link : https://aksmithoo.wordpress.com

    Liked by 9 people

      1. Thank you so much! Not only for visiting my blog and leaving a beautiful comment but also for giving me the opportunity to come across yours.. Your latest post was quite educational.. Looking forward to more 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  18. Hey lovely bloggers!

    I posted a new collab last night all about stereotypes about Christianity and sharing our thoughts on them! I would be so grateful if you had a look and let me know what you think 🙂

    I will definitely return the favour!

    Grace x

    Liked by 9 people

      1. Thank you! I read your most recent post about going to DC. As a DC native, I tend to forget that most museums aren’t free in many other areas, so I tend to take places like the Smithsonian and the Archives for granted. DC’s actually not a bad place to go on a budget because of that, so it’s nice to see it featured in that way.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you! I looked over some of your posts– I actually like their length, small snippets of spiritual concepts that can work as devotionals or meditations. Nice job!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Really like your blog and enjoyed your little disclaimers on the elegant post 🙂 like the look of your layout and blog content – looking forward to reading more X

      Liked by 2 people

    1. I love reading people’s thoughts on The Cursed Child! I have a review of it too on my blog, if you search for it.
      I do have a few suggestions for you/your blog. One, maybe add a picture in the middle of the post. The one at the top is great but images help to break up the text a little. And two, perhaps expand your About page a bit. Let readers get to know you more or maybe define what a ‘warg’ is.
      Happy Blogging!

      Liked by 1 person