Travel Writing Class

Finding the Stories Only You Can Write Preview 13:23

How do you travel with a writer's eye? How do you capture the details that will help your readers feel like they're right there with you on your journeys? How do you weed out the extraneous details that can bog down otherwise great stories? And how do you bundle your unique voice into your travel tales, and find the stories only you can write?

Stories in Your Pocket: Note-Taking Tips to Make Writing Easier Preview 14:11

Discovering how to take fantastic notes might not be as sexy of a topic as chasing down the stories and getting published, but knowing the right kind of notes to scribble as you travel, and knowing how to take them thoroughly and efficiently, will make a huge difference in both the quality of your stories and the ease of writing them.

Supercharge Your Descriptions! Preview 03:33

If you've taken a writing course before, you've likely heard the adage, "Show. Don't tell." They're three simple words, but how do you put them into practice? Understanding the difference between telling and showing is critical if you want to get published. In this short lesson, I share examples and offer tips to help you supercharge the descriptions in your stories.

Streamlining Your Stories Preview 03:36

Knowing which details to exclude from a story is as important as knowing which details to include. Too much flowery description bogs down great storytelling and makes it tedious to read. In this lesson, we learn how to weed through all the great raw material we collect in our travel diaries to get to the heart of the story.

Types of Tales (Travel storytelling is about more than just places!) Preview 08:18

So far, we've talked about how to gather the details you need for your stories, how to write about those details in original and compelling ways, and how to strip some of them away to keep your stories focused. Now, it's time to package it all together. How do you reel your readers in, maintain their interest, and leave them feeling satisfied at the end?

Beginnings: How to Write a Scintillating Lead Preview 08:40

Writing a compelling opening paragraph or "lead" is critical. You've got to hook your readers right away. In this lesson, we learn how to do that, and we discover why sometimes, it's best not to begin at the beginning. We also uncover another common beginner's mistake that stops readers (and editors) from ever reading a story in the first place.

Middles: Keeping Your Readers Riveted Preview 05:08

You've hooked your readers and lured them into traveling with you. Now, it's time to take them along on the journey. As your story unfolds, you need to keep hooking them again and again, and make every sentence count so they stay with you until the end.

Endings: What's Your Point? Preview 04:14

When you write in your personal travel journal, you can write whatever you like. When you write for an audience, on the other hand, your job as a writer is to please your readers and leave them feeling satisfied. Concluding a travel tale in a meaningful way can be the most challenging part of writing the story. In this lesson, we explore different techniques for wrapping things up, and types of story endings that leave readers feeling like they've gotten something out of reading about your adventures.

Who's Your Story? Preview 07:28

Travel writing isn't just about places. It's also about the people we encounter along the way. Often, the characters we meet on our journeys lead us into our biggest, craziest adventures.

Bringing those characters into your stories will add depth and fresh voices to your writing. But doing so isn't always easy. In this lesson, we look at your cast of characters -- all the quirky people you meet as you explore, and techniques for weaving them into your tales.

Writing Dialogue Preview 12:27

Well-written dialogue will make your stories sparkle, but there are also important legal issues to be aware of if you want to publish what you write. In this lesson, we explore tricks for writing captivating dialogue, and also look at how and when to quote people without getting in trouble.

Storyfinding: How to Talk to Anyone and Have Richer Travel Adventures Preview 07:12

In order to be a successful travel writer, you don't only have to be a great storyteller. You also have to be a great "storyfinder." One of the best ways to find unique stories, stories that bring you deeper into experiences that are exciting for other people to read about, is to get out there and meet as many people as possible.

For some people, this comes naturally. For others, however, chatting up strangers can feel horribly intimidating. But it doesn't have to!

In this super-fun lesson (featuring a cameo appearance by Dave's travel mascot, Sven Wondermoose), Dave explains how he gets out and meets people when he's traveling -- even when he's feeling shy. This lesson won't just make you a better writer; it will also lead you into cooler travel adventures!

How's It Going? Preview 01:27

Cliché Busting: How to Write Truly Original Material Preview 11:16

Travel writing is dripping with clichés. If you want to stand out, you have to rise above the "Land of Contrasts" blather and come up with original material -- not just fresh ways of saying things, but unique story angles as well.

We begin this lesson with a journey to Cliché Island, where the poor but happy, friendly locals dwell. Oh, but Cliché Island is more than just quaint, little villages! It is also a place of bustling cities, must-see sights, and food that is "to die for."

We will go to Cliché Island once. We will see what a dreary, unoriginal place it is. And then, we will never, ever go there again.

Tighten Up! - How to Make Your Tales Easy to Read Preview 05:47

When you write for printed publications, space on the page is limited. In the online world, attention spans are short. Knowing how to write as tightly as possible will make you a better writer, no matter what genre you write in. In this brief-and-to-the-point lesson, we discuss the importance of stripping away flabby verbiage, and being brief and to-the-point.

Starting a Travel Blog Preview 08:11

It's time to start flinging your tales into the world! And we begin with one of the easiest ways to do so: travel blogging. Starting a blog is quick and easy. In this lesson, we look at how to get a basic blog up and running, and we learn about ways your blog can help you build a following and lead to paying markets for your work.

How Will People Find Your Blog? Preview 05:06

If you build it, will they come? When it comes to blogging, the answer is yes! In this lesson, we learn about how search engines discover and index blogs. We also look at social media: How to choose platforms that work for you, and how to avoid getting sucked into the social media time-and-procrastination vortex. We also explore one of my favorite marketing tools: Twitter. When I first heard of Twitter, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. But then, I learned how to use it to promote my writing, network with other travel writers and editors, and a lot more.

Q&A: Travel Writing Realities Preview 14:12

There are a few realities about the writing business many travel writing books and courses won't tell you. And I'm not talking about that picture they always show of the guy working on the sandy beach with his laptop and a mojito. (Have you ever tried sitting with your laptop in the sun? You can't see the screen!) In this simulated Q&A session, we discuss the realities and the myths that surround making money as a travel writer.

(And hey, got other questions? Remember, you can always post them in the Udemy discussion forums. I'm happy to answer them!)

Selling Your Stories to Newspapers and Magazines Preview 12:16

Okay! It's time! Now that we've covered how to write phenomenal travel tales, and covered the realities of making money as a travel writer, let's see if we can work with those realities and start selling some stories!

In this lesson, we cover how to pitch articles to magazines and newspapers. We talk about the pros and cons of querying versus submitting on spec. (We also talk about what those words mean.) And we discuss strategies for breaking in to travel freelancing if you haven't yet developed a writer's portfolio.

Travel Books and Anthologies Preview 10:52

Wanna write a book? Or part of a book? New technologies are making it easier than it ever has been, and e-publishers like Amazon are offering royalty percentages that were unheard of in the pre-digital age. Whether you want to contribute to travel anthologies, or blast out an entire volume of your own, this lesson will help you get started.

Recapping Our Journey Preview 12:00

Woohoo! You've worked really hard in this course and you're almost at the end! Now, it's time to take a look back at the key points to make sure they stay fresh in your mind.

How You Can Change the World as a Travel Writer Preview 04:20

"How You Can Change the World as a Travel Writer!"

That isn't just a trite catch phrase meant to be a slick marketing ploy. Oh, okay, so I guess it is kind of gimmicky ... but I sincerely believe that travel writers change the world in positive ways. And I believe that you -- yes you! -- can change the world with your writing, no matter how you choose to share your work.

In our final farewell, I talk about how and why I feel this way, and I tell you how you can keep in touch with me if you want to keep on learning. This lesson also includes something I'm pretty sure you won't find in any other Udemy course. (Because most Udemy instructors aren't as weird as I am.)

Onward! Preview 01:37