Here is a great article I found that can help debunk some of the myths of travel writing. Once you know what travel writing isn't, it is much easier to know what it is!
Tim Leffel, who is a travel writer who has written many books and won many awards, wrote an article highlighting seven myths about travel writing for his webzine Perceptive Travel .
To me, the most eye opening part of his article was this myth:
"Myth #3: A destination is a story
Many aspiring travel writers feel that telling an editor they are heading off to some certain spot on the other side of the globe will result in an enthusiastic invitation to write about it. But here’s some news: editors are not short on people who are willing to head off to this place or that to write about it. Don’t assume just going somewhere is a reason to write an article. Even remote corners of the globe are visited by more writers than we need. (I’ve seen enough articles on Iceland and Antarctica to last a lifetime.) Unless you’re going to be the first person landing on Mars, you’d better find a good story angle.
This doesn’t mean you can’t write about the Inca Trail, the Grand Canyon, or the Taj Mahal, but you’d better be able to find a truly unique slant that has never been tried before. Is there some attraction right off the Inca Trail that nobody ever visits—but should? Could you spend a couple of days with people who actually live inside the Grand Canyon? Is there a stonemason doing repairs on the Taj Mahal who is descended from one of the original masons? Wherever you are going, you need to think like a journalist and dig for something an editor will find refreshing."
This really made me think about what kind of angles I could come up with for some of the places that I would love to visit. I love the Pacific Northwest and cities there, like Seattle. Lately that area has been getting a lot of attention in the media because the Twilight series of books and movies were based out of Washington state. So thinking about angles, maybe an article about why that area was chosen by the author as the place that vampires live, could be an interesting way to explore the area in a new way.
Of course I would have to get right on it, because it seems like people are already taking advantage of this vampire phenomenon!
I googled "pacific northwest,vampires" and found this interesting article on BootsnAll.
So now lets jump right into a few tips on how to be a great travel writer!
Matt Hartshorne is the editor of GoNOMAD.com, and he suggests that travel writers:
"Take photos of the specific places, people and scenes you describe. Shots of buildings and winding streets are just not that interesting. But the blue house on top of the hill where the little old man lives is what I want to see."
These are pictures that I took on top of the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington. Pictures like this can really set the stage for the article or story you want to tell.
Next, writer Jennifer Stewart shares some important Do's and Don'ts on travel writing via her website Write101.com
She advises that travel writers should:
"Focus on what's interesting and different about the spot. Find details that are significant in some way - they might be unusual, colourful or humorous - just look for something that makes the place special. Usually this will be a combination of the place and the people. Look around for someone or something that catches your eye and use this as the focus for your piece. Maybe there's an unusual colour scheme in shop windows or buildings; a pedestrian that causes you to stop and look, or an absence of something that you'd expect to find in the area."
That is a great tip! It is always good to find a new and interesting perspective on a destination.
Another bit of advice that I found useful was from Lori Beattie, a contributor to the website Journeywoman.com which is a great resource just for women travel writers.
Some of Beattie's advice is that:
"Writing what you know makes you the expert. Your own backyard is interesting to someone, somewhere. And who better to write about Banff National Park than someone who lives and works there. Ditto, if you are are, for example, a weaver. Imagine the interesting article you could write about the wonderful woven goods in the markets of Guatemala."
So we should write what we know, but in a new and interesting way. Maybe using details, or an angle that is unique to us. Good advice! It is always important to find was to stand out.
So we have heard some good advice, and we have gotten to the bottom of some travel myths. Now we should take all of that advice and start writing. One great way to get started is to attend a workshop or a conference. This can lead to making contacts, practicing your craft, and learning from the best.
Here is a travel writing workshop that takes place in the summer in beautiful upstate New York.
I hope that all of these tips will help to get you started on the road to becoming a travel writer. I know that I sure learned a lot so I hope that you did too!
Beattie, L. (1997-2010). 10 terrific travel writing tips. Journeywoman.com, Retrieved from http://www.journeywoman.com/traveltales/topten.html
Frick-Wright, P. (n.d.). Vampire travel: where the bloodsuckers are. BootsnAll, Retrieved from http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/08-10/vampire-travel-where-bloodsuckers-are.html
Hartshorne, M. (2010). Travel writing tips from three pros. GoNOMAD, Retrieved from http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0901/travel-writing-tips.html
Leffel, T., & Matthews, J. (2010). Perceptive travel. Retrieved from http://www.perceptivetravel.com/
Leffel, T., The Seven myths of being a travel writer. Perceptive Travel, Retrieved from http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/travel_writing/seven_myths_of_being_a_travel_writer.shtml
ShawGuides,. Shawguides: travel writing workshop. Retrieved from http://writing.shawguides.com/TravelWritingWorkshop
Stewart, J. (2009). Travel writing. Write101.com, Retrieved from http://www.write101.com/trav.htm
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