by
Julie Demoff-Larson
World traveler? Jump in your car and head down the highway
for a spell visitor? Walk the streets of your hometown voyeur? However you
approach travel, there are certain elements that make travel writing
interesting. Yup, this blog post is about travel writing. I have loved travel
writing ever since I was a young girl. The National
Geographic setting on the wicker clothes hamper in my Grandma’s bathroom
caught my attention early on. I loved the photography and the stories about all
things foreign to me. As I look back and continue to read as an adult, one
thing jumps out at me. In travel writing, the element of discovery is
prevalent. However, it is not the landscape or the visuals that capture the
reader, but the moments of realization, human connection, and life changing
events that make the piece compelling.
We don’t have to limit travel writing to far-off lands or
even to the seasoned pros. Many literary journals are looking to publish
writing about interesting places, cultures, and happenings. And writers don’t
have to travel far to find research for a great travel story, because ideas do
come from life experience after all.
What fun, quirky, historical, or weird stuff is going on right where you
live? What goes on in your environment that doesn’t happen anywhere else? Think
about these things as you begin to write about the local flavor.
Be sure to stick to specific moments and you will see a
greater impact in your storytelling. Don’t leave out the background setting
details, because it is important to transport your reader to an unfamiliar
place. However, you don’t want it to be the focus of your piece, just a
supporting role. I was reminded of this when I read the piece “Where You Go” by
Lee Olsen, which was published in the first issue of Blotterature, as he takes the reader on a drive through a foreign
country in a cab. It is the observations, conversations, and interactions with
people that make his work special.
And read a variety of pieces in publications that specialize
in travel writing. Of course read National
Geographic, but a few others to consider are Trainless Magazine and Nowhere Magazine. Both offer a wide variety of story themes and beautiful
visuals. Study the writers and their use of technique to help improve your
work. Good luck and happy travels.
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