hpoppink said:
Great idea! May I make a suggestion ...
You might consider using blog software that allows blog post categories, like Moveable Type. You make one category "personal", one "weight loss", etc. That way you have one blog where you put all of these, rather than several with their own templates to manage, etc.
Each visitor to the site can then decide whether they want to view stories in one category, several categories, or all categories. One-stop shopping place.
From what I've seen and learned from blog experience, the fewer "clicks" you make a visitor do to see the info they want, the better.
First off, I should point out that I'm not really using blog software... I am just posting journal entires in the format of a blog entry, and to replace the "leave comments" option, I intend to post a link at the bottom of the entry, to a post at my proboards message board, where there I will post the same entry, and visitors can comment on it there.
Second, that's a great idea about the blog categories, however, my website's design is a little complex and I couldn't incorporate the idea into it. I'll explain:
The design of the website is pretty unique. At the top of the page, there is an "open file folder" where inside, the content of the website will appear. Below the folder is the navigation, which looks like an open desk drawer, with 5 hanging folders inside, with 5 separate folders sticking out - the 5 sections of the website.
Section One - aka the home page - has a couple pictures of me, a "notecard," "Post-it," "calendar (latest updates to the website)," and a "mini-legal pad." Inside those items will be info about the site, latest updates, announcements, etc...
Section Two - aka "Notebook" - looks like an open notebook, with all of the sections/features there being personal things about me and stuff about the website. My "personal," "stories from my life" and "weight loss" blogs will go here.
Section Three - aka "Binder" - looks like an open binder. This will be where I list every single project I have in development - split into categories - labeled with "tab-dividers" - Novels, TV Shows, Films, Short Stories, Poems, and Other. There are also three other "dividers:" Schedule - my writing schedule if people want to take a look, Resources - a huge list of links I have collected the past few years, of great writing websites, publishers, agents, etc... (AW would be in the list), and Blog - which is where my Writer's blog will be, placed in my "Binder" for obvious reasons.
Section Four - aka "Novel Series" - On one side of the "folder" will be a "binded script" - because my novel series was originally intended to be a soap opera - which will house all of the main info on the series and its development (welcome message to this section, the story behind the series, a description of the series, faq, message board link, etc...). On the other side of the "folder" will be a regular sized "legal pad" which is where the "Novel Series Progress Blog" will go.
Section Five - aka "Private" - is a red hanging folder in the open desk drawer (as opposed to green like the other 4), and the Private folder will only be accessible at certain times, and
there I will post teasers of my upcoming projects, etc... This is only one "secret" link on the website that will pop up on occasion.
But, I really love the idea you had about how to organize my blogs. I might use it on the "text-only" version of the website...
Attached is a small preview of the main page, to get a better picture of what I'm talking about. Note: I have added a different picture of myself in the top left corner that I added after making this preview image.
Sorry for going almost entirely off topic, there...