{"id":38996,"date":"2020-01-03T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=38996&preview=true&preview_id=38996"},"modified":"2024-10-16T15:53:04","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T04:53:04","slug":"travel-writing-notes-into-a-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-writing-notes-into-a-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The art of travel writing: How to turn your notes into a story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Travel writing is one of the most misunderstood, and romanticised, jobs on the planet. That\u2019s where this three-part Masterclass series comes in. To shine a light into its dimly lit corners, correct a few misconceptions about travel writing (and writers) and hopefully inspire you to write about your travels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

As I see it, travel writing is the lovechild of journalism and creative writing. Of course there are as many ways to write as there are travel writers, but the best stories have a spark that makes you just want to keep reading.<\/p>\n

Before we get onto crafting a travel story, remember that great travel writing is great writing, period (as they say in America). It\u2019s clear, every word pulls its weight and it takes you somewhere (and not just to a destination).<\/p>\n

The \u201cBig Five\u201d of travel writing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"A

Hanging out on Lord Howe Island.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are five common kinds of travel story that can help you make sense of your travel notes, each with a built-in structure:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lists and \u201croundups\u201d.<\/strong> These showcase a selection of experiences or destinations sharing a common theme. Quirky, odd-numbered lists such as \u201c21 reasons you should live in Berlin\u201d and \u201c29 Insta-worthy places to go\u201d are increasingly popular, particularly online, but the Top 10 is a classic that never goes out of style.<\/li>\n
  2. City guides and hotel reviews.<\/strong> These stories are usually short and written to a template set by the publication such as \u201c48 hours in\u2026\u201d or a \u201cThree-minute guide to\u2026\u201d.<\/li>\n
  3. Journey stories.<\/strong> If your trip takes you from A to B, whether by road or camel train, on foot or by cargo ship, the journey is your structure. That is, you can write about it roughly from start to finish, condensing some bits and expanding on others to create interest. A word of warning: diary-style stories are generally easy to write, but can be boring to read unless there\u2019s a reason you\u2019re writing in a day-by-day format.<\/li>\n
  4. Stories with sub-heads.<\/strong> Sub-headings help you structure a longer feature, organising your ideas into clusters. Breakout boxes are also handy, a good place for information that might otherwise break the flow of the main story.<\/li>\n
  5. How-to stories:<\/strong> Don\u2019t forget destination-less travel stories such as \u201cHow to\u201d and stories based on issues or travel trends.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    RELATED: MUCH MORE THAN A DESERT – A TRIP INTO THE SAHARA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    Finding story angles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The sixth kind of travel story is a feature, which requires an angle or theme. That is, you have to know what the story is about<\/em>. Finding good angles comes with practice, but here are a few ways to nose them out:<\/p>\n