How to handle wp_query?

by

You’re not showing your entire code, so not all of these suggestions may be relevant:

  1. Use distinct, ideally descriptive, names for the variables that hold the different queries. Using the same variable, $my_query, can lead to unintended consequences.
  2. Be sure to close the first loop properly, with endwhile; endif;, before opening the second loop.
  3. Be sure to call wp_reset_postdata(); between the loops.
  4. If your intent is merely to offset the second loop by the posts returned in the first loop, use the offset parameter, rather than explicitly excluding post IDs.
  5. As @eric-holmes indicated, showposts is the wrong (and a deprecated) parameter to use, and should be replaced with posts_per_page.

Example:

$query4posts = new WP_Query( array(
    'cat' => 6,
    'order' => 'ASC',
    'posts_per_page' => 4
) );

$query8posts = new WP_Query( array(
    'cat' => 6,
    'order' => 'ASC',
    'posts_per_page' => 8,
    'offset' => 4
) ); 

// Output first loop of 4 posts
if ( $query4posts->have_posts() ) : while ( $query4posts->have_posts() ) : $query4posts->the_post();
    // Loop output
endwhile; endif;

wp_reset_postdata();

// Output second loop of 8 posts, offset
if ( $query8posts->have_posts() ) : while ( $query8posts->have_posts() ) : $query8posts->the_post();
    // Loop output
endwhile; endif;