Apr 3, 2017 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Where bloggers come for friendly feedback and advice.

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. I really liked your review! I’ve already read to kill a mockingbird, but I think that your review was super accurate and covered everything well:) a great post! XO c

      Liked by 5 people

    5. Hiya! I’m new to blogging and am also interested in doing book reviews so it was very cool to read one by someone else! I loved how descriptive you were about the book’s theme! Good job!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Thank you! I find books that are “too good” hard to critique: it’s like I have a hard time putting into words exactly how “right” it was done.

        For example, as a writer, I admire how the author didn’t push her opinions on you in a moralizing way, but rather let you make your own. There no: this is good, this is bad. There’s just… life, and people do what they can with it. She shows a way, but doesn’t stress it: you’re free to choose another. I’m not sure if you understand what I mean?

        That’s something I’ll strive to achieve in my own work.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Ohmygod. Yes! I more than understand what you mean!
        It’s something I’ve been trying to do, tbh.
        It gets really tough sometimes 😅 because you can’t help but patronise a certain character you grew fond of.. Idk if you get what I’m saying but this often happens with me 😅 And then I have to go back and rewrite the whole thing from a different perspective allover again.
        That being said, I think your review was pretty great 👍🏻 one of the best I’ve read on the book actually.. Keep up the good work ☺️☺️

        Liked by 2 people

    7. I love your positivity! It sounds like you had a lot of fun. For a bit of feedback, you might want to try choosing a theme for your writing; something deeper than just what you did. It could be a memory or feeling that came up while you were there, or maybe a social issue, etc. I think it would add some depth to your writing. Whatever you do, keep on writing!!

      Liked by 5 people

    10. Beautiful pictures. This looks fun, we will have to try to make one, maybe a Spring break visit. We go at Thanksgiving every other year. Thanks for sharing and love your photos.

      Liked by 3 people

      3. @Girl711 Hello, yes, I got an e-mail, timed at 10.11 on 7th Mar 2017 to say you were following. The posts it quoted were ‘…but I won’t’, ‘High School’ and ‘Remembering Old Times’. Unless you unsubscribed you would have had an e-mail about my new posts since then (I post every five days). You are still listed under that date in my follower list and I didn’t get any new follow from you.

        It used to be that if you click the little blue follower box on my blog it would UNSUBSCRIBE you if you were already following. I followed my own blog from the beginning and found this out the hard way!

        Anyway, no worries, you are definitely following, so thanks for that, and thanks again for checking out Taylor Maid, and I hope you will enjoy future stories from me!

        Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you very much! I hadn’t heard of TWUG. Mixed reviews on Amazon with 10% giving 1-star but perhaps I’ll look into it, copies are very cheap in any case (I didn’t read any of the reviews yet as I like to read without knowing the plot).

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Well done Simon! It’s not often I read a story that makes me laugh in one sentence and cringe in another, but this one did. If you liked “Neuromancer” you’ll probably like “Wind Up Girl.” It’s got that same kind of weird vibe to it, the characters are believable, and there’s enough going on to keep the story moving. Cheers.

        Liked by 4 people

  5. A sunny hello from the UK!

    My name is Mark, a keen writer, author and lover of all things positive.

    If you enjoy a fast paced psychological thriller or a gripping crime series, then please do get in touch. I am looking for all the support I can get as I continue my journey along this magical, fictional path to literary heaven.

    I am currently working on my second novel, the first in a new crime series featuring my lead detective, DCI Morgan. Please do stop by and say hello if you can. It would be great to hear from you.

    Take care,

    Mark

    http://www.markdraycott.com

    Liked by 21 people

  9. Hi all! 😊

    I am c from A Girl and Depression.

    I write about my personal experiences with mental health, but also try to spread some humor and positivity as well!

    I have a series called Post-itivity which is Monday Motivation, in which I normally share an inspirational quote and write about it. Last time, I shared pictures.

    Since I have depression and social anxiety, I hope to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and show people that I can still be a (usually) positive person!

    I like to call myself a depressed optimist:)

    Please let me know any suggestions or comments you have for me or on my blog. I would greatly appreciate them! And let me know if you would like me to do the same;)

    XOXO, c ❤

    Liked by 17 people

      1. Ohh that is so kind!! Thank you so much 😊 I love your blog too by the way! You’re such a good writer and your blog is always so fun. I can’t wait to see more of Otis! ❤ C

        Liked by 2 people

      2. You’re very welcome and Thanks! I am sure that little booger will do something adorable or naughty this week. I think he’s actually currently asleep in my bed… AGAIN… (Have I mentioned yet that he has figured out how to open the doors now??) *sigh*

        Liked by 3 people

    5. I am definitely following! I’m a bit of a depressed optimist too, although it can be hard to prove it. Haha.
      Anyways I hope to post a bit about mental health positivity too, among other thoughts and stuff that I have.

      Liked by 1 person

    6. I also suffer from depression; almost recently, I wrote a post about it after I finally decided to accept it. I must say that I love your blog and I’m proud of your courage because it took me years to finally accept mine and open up about it. But I’m still ashamed to talk about it so, you’re doing a really good job

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much!! I have to say, it was really brave of you to open up with such a large following:) I hope that you’ll realize how strong you are. By the way, I really love your poems! XO c ❤

        Liked by 1 person

      2. What a great way of tackling one of the trickiest questions surrounding faith; it’s like trying to reconcile belief in a just God with the existence of evil. And the crop circle analogy was a perfect way of illustrating perspective.

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Hello!

    Would love some feedback on my latest poem entitled Sweet Bitter:
    Thought of it on a long run– originally written for a creative writing class that I am in.

    https://sonderwriter.wordpress.com/2017/04/01/sweet-bitter/

    Would love some constructive criticism. And how did the poem make you feel afterwards? Satisfied? Nostalgic? What did you think the poem was about?

    Also, I would love to check out your blogs, so leave them in the comments as well!

    Liked by 13 people

    1. I’ll have to read it again to get a better sense of what I think it is about, but I would say that the language is nostalgic. I enjoyed the writing and economy of words you utilized.

      Liked by 3 people

  20. hello! for the first time, i attempted to try with the iambic pentameter, and it was quite challenging, but i like what came out of it 🙂
    let me know what you think!

    ma

    Liked by 9 people

  21. Hello! Happy Monday to all you fellow swimmers in the pool today! I wrote a post about the paralyzing terror of adulting and how I deal with it (spoiler alert: not well) if you’d like to check it out!

    https://whendoigetthemanual.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/pedal-to-the-metal-or-paralysing-fear-and-how-i-handle-it/

    I hope everyone had a nice weekend and that you all have an enjoyable and uneventful week. Or if it’s eventful, I hope they’re all good events!

    I also hope it’s raining less where you are, because honestly I think every item of clothing I own is soaked through at this stage. Ireland, get your act together!

    Liked by 17 people

    1. As I read this, I heard a low boom of thunder outside. Doesn’t bode well, but I love me a good thunder storm. 🙂

      On another note: PEOPLE OF THE POOL, read Quinn’s tales and give her a follow. You won’t regret it!

      That is all.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. The same could be said for you and your blog! By the way I just want to say that it made me smile seeing how happy you looked in your photos. You just look so excited! It’s infectious!

        Liked by 3 people

    4. Everyone feels like they aren’t good enough. Those who say they don’t are either lying or not taking enough time to look within. As a writer, it’s your job to introspect. And with that comes fear and foreboding. This piece has a very different feel from you other recent posts. Well done.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. I agree that people who love writing definitely tend to overthink things. I overthink to the point of paralysis. The trick is to figure out how to get back in first gear after I stall! Thanks Jeff

        Liked by 3 people

    5. Enjoyed your post! Gave a follow! Can’t wait to see the rest of your posts! 🙂 I wish I could tell you it was raining less here- but South Western Ontario Canada is grey and drizzly today. Ugh……(Well at least it isn’t snow….)

      Liked by 3 people

    1. Great reviews! The post was well planned and your pictures were great. It seems like you put a lot of effort into it! Keep it up:) best of luck with your blog!! XOXO c ❤

      Liked by 2 people

    3. “Finish Strong” is a coaching motto I use frequently. Go full bore until you’re done. It’s impressive that you’ve set this goal. I imagine you’re seeing quite a bit of coasting all around you. I like you new picture.

      Liked by 3 people

    5. I’m definitely following your blog, because I can relate so much! I’m in the end of my first year of college, but skimming through your blog, you have a lot of great content.

      Liked by 2 people

    5. I really enjoyed reading through your recent post. I’ve been to Paris years ago and stayed for a day and a half yet I didn’t see half as much as you did in 1 night! /fail 😂😂

      Liked by 4 people

    2. Hey!! Thanks for that hair care DIY!
      Also, may i suggest you give your blog some interesting title! Because, sure we should not judge a book by its cover but everyone sure judges it by its name!

      Liked by 3 people