faery-lights - 2004-03-12
curiosekwe - 2004-02-10
splash-girl - 2004-01-09
shaynasanerd - 2003-12-24
poetgrl224 - 2003-11-30
2003-08-31 :: Elfhands

Above all: Love

Style
Your design gives off a very peaceful vibe and it�s very personal. You give a great explanation about the picture and lyrics and it�s easy to look at. So kudos to your designer, papersnow! All the essential links are present (profile, quizzes, links, etc) though I found them a little hard to navigate at first. But once I got the hang of them it was smooth sailing. There is definitely a lot of information available; I just had to spend some time looking for it.
Your archives are organized pretty well too, giving titles to various sections without an overwhelming blob of entries. The only beef I had with them was that they didn�t look like links at all, which threw me off a bit. Your text is a little small, but I think that�s because my resolution is way too high. I love the fact that you have a Norwegian page that mimics your English page. (though I�m not literate in Norwegian) So far I�m happy�

Substance
But unfortunately the design seems to be the most creative part of your diary. You have a plethora of entries, but about 95% of them are dedicated to your boyfriend. Now, don�t get me wrong� writing about a significant other is an important part of one�s life. But it�s how you do it that counts, and unfortunately your writing style is a bit repetitive and clich�. And sadly the topic is way overdone. You need something that will make your diary stand out� so let�s try some different styles, interject humor or philosophical pondering. Anything that makes your diary shine above the rest so that your readers will long for each entry! It was refreshing to see you write like this� very strong and intimate! You need more of that.

On the plus side you do a good job at posting, and you do explain that you don�t have access to a computer 24/7 so I�m happy you can post as often as you do. Other entries that spoke to me were this and this. They showed the promise of something different, and proved to me that you are able to bring your writing to the next level. Also, some entries had song lyrics interspersed with your writing. I�m not sure if I like that, because I found them distracting. But other people might enjoy them, so try playing around with that style to see if you can refine it a bit.

Suggestions
Broaden your writing horizons. Let your readers know your views on philosophy and politics. Give us information on other parts of your life outside of your boyfriend. Let us hear about your dancing and your creativity� so much is hinted at but never fully explored. And when you do write about the boyfriend, do it with flair! Also, try to refine your grammar just a bit. Some of your paragraphs were too huge, which caused distraction.

C+
An ok diary: looks nice on the outside but needs work on the inside.

Justin