I’m still reporting from the road, stopped in a Starbucks in Texas for a quick refill and update. The road warrior must have caffeine!
Believe it or not, it IS possible to get other freelance work done when you’re travel writing and blogging, but it’s not easy. I tend to save my actual work for when I’m off the road, but traveling does provide some great inspiration for queries and that’s what I concentrate on when I am mid-trip. It just doesn’t pay to torture yourself with deadlines when you’re on the go if you can avoid it.
But what do you do when highway hypnosis lulls your brain into that fuzzy-headed stupor and you can’t come up with any ideas to pitch or write about? Continue reading What’s a Swipe File?→
That’s the view from the blogmobile–I’m reporting in the field on a massive road trip from Chicago to San Antonio, Texas and back again. It’s a nine-day odessey that combines travel writing, blogging and a lot of caffeine.
For this little adventure I packed the laptop, iPhone, a 500GB portable hard drive for images and media, batteries and about a mile of USB cable with connectors for every conceivable application.
The little things are the ones that bite you on trips like these. For example–my laptop battery is two years old and won’t hold much more than a 40 minute charge–horribly inconvenient when you’re trying to blog, upload images and post tweets about the adventure.
The iPhone is great for blog photos, but a proper camera would have come in handy on this trip. There was no room for it in the luggage (took the train for the first leg of the journey) but now I regret not having sucked it up and packed the extra bag. Continue reading Road Warrior Blogging & Travel Writing→
Not to brag, but I am a hard core traveler. A road warrior. I balance a laptop in one hand and a map in the other. I believe it’s important to establish some cred here since lately it seems I keep running across “resources for writers” that turn out to be written by people who haven’t actually done that much writing–except for other writers. So in the words of Mick Jagger, please allow me to introduce myself (except I’m not the devil.)
I have been in the jungles of Honduras, the snowy wastelands of Iceland, and in the non-stop streets of Tokyo. I’ve been to 40 of the 50 states and I’ve flown in every type of aircraft except hang gliders, box kites and the space shuttle. I’ve written stories about Japan’s air force, Korea’s tea districts, and anti-terrorism training in Iceland. You could call me…slightly experienced.
With all that, I’ve learned a few tricks about travel–stuff every new travel writer (or traveling writer, for that matter) should know. For example–I discovered in Germany that my MacBook Pro would work just fine when plugged directly into the German wall socket. It did NOT blow up or get fried. Why? Because the transformer in the power supply was built well. I can’t say whether or not my Gateway would fare the same–I don’t trust the power supply on that one. Continue reading Hardcore Travel Secrets for New Travel Writers→
Good travel writing starts before you get to the destination. If you want to be a travel writer, you’ll need to get in the habit of doing some legwork on the front end of the trip. Here are three things to do before you go that will help you make the most of your time once you are there:
1. Research the destination on the web.
Take the time to do learn as much as you can about the place you are going. Hit sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp to get an idea of what people are saying about the city. Look at the chamber of commerce page to find local businesses. Scout out reastaurant menus and plan some meals. These days there is no excuse to go to a destination cold. Do some homework… Continue reading Travel Writing: Know Before You Go→
The use of clichés in writing is a big no-no–especially if you make a living as a freelance writer. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not immune–especially in a first draft. Often I will just throw the cliché in if it comes to mind and then find something that works better later on. Still, each type of writing has some that are so overused that they no longer mean anything to the reader. Here are five to avoid in travel writing:
Stunning vista. I see this one everywhere. There are stunning vistas in Italy, France the U.S. and many other countries. What makes one different from another? Strive to describe it better.
Charming. Ug. Everyone knows what it means, but it doesn’t add anything to your description. What is charming about the place? Remember…show, don’t tell.
Nestled. Actually I like this word, but it is dreadfully overused.
Picturesque. Again, you are better off describing what is picturesque about the place rather than just telling readers that it is nice to look at.
Majestic. Often used to describe mountains, this word is just boring. Get out the thesaurus and do a little digging for an alternative.
When you write about travel, it usually means including something about the dining that is available in the area. If you are no expert when it comes to food, there is another way to approach things. If you don’t know the difference between a great steak and a good one, don’t pretend you do. Instead, select a few spots based on the atmosphere, or the location. The spot in the photo above would make a great inclusion for a piece on Melbourne because it is on the harbor, and many locals frequent the bar there. It gives a sense of “local color”.
Now. That said, if you are going to do travel writing seriously, you should begin to learn about food. An educated palate and knowledge of what is new or “hot” in the dining scene can make a big difference when it comes to selling articles. How do you do this? Here are some ways to get started:
Read. Get a subscription to one or two magazines such as Gourmet or Bon Appetit. Reading the articles in these mags will help educate you, as well as give you an idea of what the latest trends are.
Dine. Go out to some of the nice restaurants in the area. Take the time to really look at the menu. Ask the waiter questions. Read reviews about the places you go and see what they are saying in newspapers or magazines.
Take a class. Poke around and you are likely to find some cooking classes that have a Chef at the helm. Learning about food will help you to appreciate it.
If you write about travel destinations you have a responsibility to make sure you are giving your reader the best information you can. Food is one area that can be tricky, but taking some steps to educate yourself is an excellent investment. Plus, it’s fun.
Chicago-based content writing, editing, and social media. 1579 N. Milwaukee #220, Chicago Illinois 60622
by Joe Wallace
