How to Use This Blog

UPDATE: Future L.D. here. I've redesigned my site a bit since I put together this how to, so it will look different than some of the images, but the overall functions should still be mostly the same. I've added updates to the parts of this how to that need them.

I've been blogging for about 6 months now, which means I've had plenty of time to gain new readers and learn new tools and techniques.

If you haven't been following my blog from the beginning, or haven't explored since then, you may not know about everything I have for you to look at. So, I decided to write up a crash course in how to use my blog as it stands now.

The Top of the Page

At the very top of my page is my blog title, "L.D. Christianson, writings & ramblings." That's pretty self-explanatory. It doesn't do anything but tell you where you are and allow me to enjoy staring at my name in large letters.

To the upper right of the title are two small icons. These link to my Facebook and Instagram pages (more on social media later in the post). Just click one to visit that site.

Directly under the title are the navigation tabs. The first one is displaying as green because that's the page I was on when I took the screenshot. I will address each page in a moment. For now, all you need to know is that by clicking on any of these words you will be taken to the corresponding page.

Under the navigation tabs is the search bar. Click on the magnifying glass, type a word or phrase, and press enter on your keyboard to search my site. There is also a search bar in my sidebar, which is coming up next.

The page header displays at the top of every page of my site, so it's always there to help you navigate.

The Sidebar

UPDATE: The sidebar no longer exists. The search bar is at the top of the blog feed and the subscribe form and tags are on either side of the blog feed. You also no longer have to be a member to comment.

The sidebar can be found on the right side of my home page/blog feed as well as to the right of a blog post once you open it.

The first part of the sidebar is just my photo and an abbreviated bio.

Under that is a search bar. It does exactly the same thing as the one at the top of the page, I just think it's a little easier to see in the sidebar.

Next are the category tags. Only a few are showing in the screenshot for the sake of space, but all the categories will show on the site. Click on any of the tags to get a list of all posts I have in that category. Tags are one of my favorite blogging tools. They're especially handy for newer readers as they allow you to look back at older posts on a topic that interests you without having to click through every page of my blog.

Below the tags you can find my subscription form. This is how you can get notified by email whenever I publish a new blog post. Subscribing is totally free. All you have to do is put in your email and name. You don't have to put in your full name - or even your real name - but I enjoy seeing who is on my mailing list, especially if I've made your acquaintance in "real" life.

Once you've filled out the form, just click the submit button and you're good to go.

As you can see, I have a small disclaimer at the bottom of the sidebar. This is just a reminder that creating an account with Wix in order to post a comment doesn't automatically subscribe you to my notifications. Conversely, subscribing does not create an account you can use to comment.

I know this can be a bit frustrating, but I don't have much control over how these functions work. If you are not getting emails and you think you've signed up, let me know and I can see if you are subscribed or just a site member.

I'll have more about commenting later. For now, it's time to take a look at the different pages of my website.

The Home Page

UPDATE: I have a new page that is the official home page. This page is now just known as the blog feed.

If you search up ldchristianson.com or click the links in my social media profiles, you'll arrive on the home page, which is my blog feed. In fact, the home page is actually called "BLOG" in the navigation tabs. If you're on another page, just click there to return home.

Your screen won't look exactly like the picture. You'll have to scroll down to see everything. I just zoomed out for the screenshot so I could fit everything into one frame.

You can see the page header and side bar to the top and right of the picture. I've already gone over those.

Under that, you can see three rectangles with photos and text. These are my blog posts. Just click on one to read it.

At the bottom of my blog feed, you'll find this. It's how you navigate to past blog posts:

Clicking on the numbers will take you to a specific page of posts. The single left or right pointing arrows will take you to the page either immediately preceding or following the one you're on (in the picture, the left arrows are greyed out because I'm on the first page.) The double left or right pointing arrows will take you all the way to the first or last page of posts.

The Post Page

Once you click on the post in my blog feed you want to read, you'll arrive on the post page. The first things you see are pretty obvious. There's the page header and sidebar, just like on the home page. Then there's the post itself with the date, title, photo, and text of the post.

There's only one thing that needs explaining, and that's the three dots to the top right of the post title. Clicking on them will open up a small box that gives you different options for sharing the post. You can choose a social media platform, or select the last option which will give you a link to the post you can copy and share another way. (Please note that I do not necessarily have a presence on all the social media platforms that my site lets you share on.)

Once you've read a blog post, you'll see a lot of stuff at the bottom of the page.

First, the category tags. These do the same thing as the ones in the sidebar, but only the tags I've added to a post will appear at the bottom. If you enjoy a post, click on the tags at the bottom to find similar ones.

Under that is another way to share the same post. That way, you don't have to scroll all the way back to the top if you decide to share a post after reading it.

To the lower left of the share post bar is a small heart. Click on it to "like" a post. The number indicated how many people have liked the post.

Next is a list of recent posts. This has nothing to do with the post you have selected. It just shows my three most recent posts. If you want to go to one, click on it. UPDATE: I have reprogrammed this to show other posts in the same category of the one you just read.

At the very bottom of the post page is the comments section. You can leave a comment by clicking into the "write a comment..." box. You can also read, like, and reply to existing comments.

Three notes about comments:

1. You have to be a site member to leave a comment. All that means is putting in your email and creating a password. The reason for this is to dissuade bots, scammers, or people who just want to cause trouble from commenting. I'm sorry if this is inconvenient, and I totally understand if it keeps you from commenting. UPDATE: You no longer have to be a member.

2. I've never been a big online commenter/chatter. I have a comments section because I know that's important to some people. I read all the comments I receive, but I'm not very good about replying. I'm mostly blogging to share thoughts, not discuss them.

3. Unless a comment is rude or obscene, I won't remove it. That doesn't mean I agree with every comment or vouch for the commenter.

The About Page

There's nothing that needs explaining on the about page, but it's still an important part of the blog.

You can get to the about page by using the navigation tabs in the page header.

If you're new to my blog, this is a great place to start so you can get to know me. If you've been her for a while, check back from time to time. I do make occasional updates and changes all over my website.

The Other Writing Page

Other than the blog itself, this is the page on my site you should be visiting the most. Right now, there's only one thing there, but I have some projects brewing, so that will change soon.

The other writing page is just what it sounds like: the place to find other writing; writing that's not on the blog. I'll include titles, descriptions, and links to everything.

I'll also announce any new publications in a blog post, but if you miss the post or want to return to something without having to dig through the blog archives, use the other writing page.

The Contact Page

This is probably my least used page, and that's ok. A lot of you know me personally, so you have no need to use a form on my site to get in touch. However, if you're someone who doesn't know me or doesn't have a way to contact me, this form is for you.

The name, email, and message fields are required, but you don't have to provide a phone number. If you do include a phone number and prefer to communicate via text, please let me know in your message, as my default is email.

I also have my social media usernames listed here. It's easier to just use the links in the page header, but you can search for me this way as well.

Social Media

Speaking of social media, I want to address it briefly in this post.

I am on Facebook and Instagram. (Technically, I'm also on Twitter/X, but I never use it.) I post announcements when my blogs come out. I also post a monthly recap listing the post titles for the month so you can see if you missed anything. I'm also trying to start sharing other content related to writing or topics I cover on the blog. If you like sporadic pictures of books and teacups, please follow me on social media!

Even if you don't use social media very much, I'd love for you to follow me if you can. These days, social media is the main marketing tool available to those of us trying to break into a field for the first time. The more followers I have, the better my chances are of finally catching the notice of the algorithm.

If you do follow me, don't forget to like my posts or even comment from time to time. More interaction will also help me reach a bigger audience.

Mobile

If you are accessing my blog on a mobile device, there are two major differences, but they don't make anything more difficult.

1. The sidebar information will be at the bottom of the page.

2. The navigation tabs are not arranged as a bar. To get to them, tap the three lines next to the large "L.D. Christianson" at the top of the page.

Final Thoughts

Any time text appears underlined in green it's a link. Actually, that is not a link. I was just showing you what it looks like :)

Thanks for reading through this. I hope it was helpful.

I also hope you take some time to explore my website and check out my social media profiles.

If you already follow me on social media, you've probably seen that I'm getting ready to publish a novelette. I don't have anything about it on the blog yet, but I will soon.