In New York last week (two weeks ago now??) I talked. I ate. I learned. A lot.

Sure I went out to cupcakes, went to Starbucks in Time Square, and caught a Broadway show, but I also sat through some incredibly informative classes on various aspects of blogging, all presented by people for whom I have immense respect.

Y’all. I took notes. It was like college only I cared about the topics and it was way, way cheaper. I wanted to share with you what inspired or enlightened me from the sessions of blogher.

Creative Writing Session: by Rita Arens, Carleen Brice and Jan Sokoloff Harness

First of all, can I just say that I loved this session? I heard a couple of attendees who weren’t thrilled by it, but here’s what I really appreciated: the speakers all treated writing as an art. I think too often bloggers think of blogging as a science (::raises guilty hand::). We need to produce quantitative content, it’s true. But these women reminded me that I should be producing quality as well, and then they gave me some tips on how to do so. This session was fabulously informative to me.

• Look around your house or surroundings for an object that spurs you to tell a story (shoes, a picture, a piece of furniture).
• Writer’s block fix: Go on writing walks. Clear your mind while doing a mindless activity. This will help you get in touch with the story you are trying to tell.
• As an actor does, get “in character” before writing. Remember your motivation and your perspective. Take a moment to put on your writer’s shoes (whatever yours may look like) before blogging.
• What works for you to write, both realistically and optimally? I mean, optimally I would have a secluded, naturally lit, neutral colored office decorated with pictures of my family, with worship music playing softly, a small easy to use laptop, and a ridiculously comfortable chair. O, and endless amounts of time to write. Realistically? A small corner of my bedroom with a pile of laundry calling my name behind me and a thin 1930s door through which I can hear every exchange between DanO and OBaby. O, and I get about an hour a day, if that. Figure out what parts of your optimal writing situation are actually realistic (for me, being alone/secluded, my laptop, worship music and pictures of my family are all possible) and apply those to your situation.
• You may want to delete/remove the first paragraph you write when you sit down. Often this is a “throat clearing” of sorts and is just what you needed to get out before you could really write what you wanted.
• Edit in multiple stages. With each pass, look for a different thing – sentence structure, word choice, etc.
• The best stopping point for your story is actually probably earlier than you think.
• Try things and learn from them. If you write something and no one reacts, fine! You learned what doesn’t engage people, or heck, maybe it was only you who needed to benefit from the writing and sharing of it. Think of writing as an experiment, each piece you share is not the be all, end all; it is a chance to learn.

Edit Your Pictures Session: by Pauline/OHMommy, Amy from The Bitchin’ Wives Club and Ryan Marshall from Pacing the Panic Room

• Don’t take a picture assuming you will edit some aspect of it later. (***I am SO guilty of this!***) Try to solve the problem before taking the picture – lighting, framing, perspective, zoom, etc. (I understand that this does not apply to that zit on my chin. That will always have to be edited out later.)
• Avoid following an editing trend simply because it’s in – vignette, yellowing, crazy white eyes, etc. Only use editing tools and washes if they help your picture tell a better story.
• Photoshop actions. Get some. Use them.
• After applying an action to a picture, use the opacity to fade how intense it is.
• Windows picture editor is free and a fabulous program for editing and organizing your pictures (if you have a PC).