Burgett_travel_writing

Want to hear other writers talk about writing?

This diverges from the usual travel writing info I share in my blogs, but I was doing the usual publisher check-up to see if my books are available at the digital bookstores and I stumbled upon an interesting feature at barnesandnoble.com, under "Meet the Writers."

It's a chance to hear writers (alas, almost all are fiction and mystery writers) talk about the trade. In the podcast section, for example, I heard Terry Brooks for about 10 minutes describe how he has matured in the sci-fi field. And in the video short (about four minutes) I heard and saw a funny piece with Alan Alda. Just good stuff, inspirational, and it reaffirms that writing is a special kind of magic. It also shows how little the genre matters: it's all that blank sheet of paper with a million words trying to get on. You're the gatekeeper, and what results is your choice.

Is it hard to get these to play? Do you need special techie set-ups? I didn't. I just pushed the link and both played through my Windows Media Player. (iTunes works the same way.) No need to subscribe, either: just hear/see what interests you. Then if you like it, subscribe!

It was a good break and a self-directed way to talk with a fellow tradesperson.

Does anybody know if there's a similar outlet to hear/see travel writers?

Should I register as a writer when visiting a foreign country?

I never have when I was anywhere abroad for a short visit (under 2-3 weeks) just to freelance, mainly because it creates new hoops you must jump through when you leave. Those vary to filling out another form to needing a statement of clearance from the police. Sometimes they also require you to register in a different locale within 24 hours, so they can watch you, I guess.

The only time it was ever an issue was when Paraguay threw out the dictator, Stroessner, and "opened up the borders." I came a week later and the ever-vigilant Paraguayan police found my note taking and camera use excessive. But when I spoke Spanish to them and told them what a great opportunity it was to visit their country at last, and I wanted to share everything with folks back home, they didn't probe farther. (But I'm certain I was followed for two weeks. I just wish the guy had helped carry my pack!)

It never prevented me from getting key interviews either (five times with presidents in South America), so I think if you stay out of trouble, just do your business, and avoid anything unduly inflamatory or sensitive, you are fine.

If I did get in trouble? I'd contact the cultural attache of a nearby U.S. embassy or consulate. They are your friends, and they deal directly with U.S. journalists (which means they are also great finding hard-to-get maps, like in Paraguay, or getting difficult interviews).

See more about planning the travel writing trip abroad in my book, the Travel Writer's Guide.

Where do you find the first words in your travel article?

When I started offering travel writing seminars about 25 years ago, I was set back by this question. Yet it persists and is even more frequent now. So let me try to answer essentially too broad a question by defining it differently.

A travel article, as all articles, begins with a lead, which "leads"--it's the opening statement that tells what you are writing about (and why the reader should want to read more). Keep it short, a sentence or two, and make it "jump" with something interesting, informative, amusing, shocking, or just different.

But it also has to logically tie into what you will describe or explain in the many paragraphs that follow, so it can't just be bizarre or goofy. Plus is has to show some mastery of the language. It should at least be spellled wright!

What I do is gather up all the material at hand and figure out in my mind what is the purpose of the piece, then write it in a sentence. (Well, I think it in a sentence.) And that tells me the nail the leads hangs on. What it must address.

If I'm on the Island of Blink and the locals are renowned for being red-headed giants (meaning tall people), I will very likely describe a very tall, red-headed Blinker doing or saying something different. Or a group of Blinkers having to crouch under trees to hunt or gather. Or the marriage of a lofty Blinker with a regular-sized mate and the fun or problems that provokes...all in a couple of sentences.

The next sentence (and paragraph) might be the transitional paragraph, like "Being too tall and having too much red hair is a particular problem on the Island of Blink, near ______ ."

Then I will develop that theme in paragraph three, and so on, until the reader has a good feeling for the issue, the people, maybe relevant research, perhaps how migration is changing the demography--whatever else adheres to the subject and makes the editor want my words and insight in front of his or her readers. Accuracy is the norm; good writing, your tool of trade.

So I think the answer is found by working in reverse, from the bulk of facts to that core of singularity. The first words aren't the issue, rather the purpose of those words. Once found and stated, everything else falls in place. And if it doesn't, go back and adjust the lead and the transitional praragraph (or two) until it does.

My book, the Travel Writer's Guide, explains more about this. It's all part of the magic of wordsmithing. You can design that magic by choosing well the first words you share.

Gordon Burgett

 

   

Who do you interview for travel articles?

First, you must interview, or at least include commentary from others that is fresh and legitimate, to sell to newspapers and magazines. How many? Check earlier, similar articles in your target publication to see how many different voices are included. And see how they are related to the topic being covered. That will give you an idea of what the editor likes to use.

Three or four people quoted? About right. As important is that those people have initimate knowledge about the subject.

Doing a barn burner about the giant Schloss in Heidelberg? Try to contact the top official on site, maybe a tour guide for a few words, a local German architect showing something to his students, and maybe a quote from a reputable text or guidebook. Even a tourist is OK if the comment is funny, sharp, or insightful. Get the names and a contact address of each person quoted (or the biblio info from printed sources) in case the editor wants to check. (Do they? Yep. Particularly if they think you created some strawperson and put words in their mouth!)

Must you pay those quoted? Nope, but you can offer to send a copy of the article with quote to them (so get an address to do as you promise, even if the quote isn't used). Being in print as an "expert" is enough 90% of the time.

More details in my book The Travel Writer's Guide. Quotes are critical, easy to get, and only take a few minutes each.

Figure out what you need to know to make the article interesting and complete, make a list, and ask from that list. Then add in, "What's new (or different) about his (topic) that others aren't likely to know?" From that you often get a hook or new slant that others haven't covered.

Do travel writers get freebies?

That is the most frequent question I get at my "Writing Travel Articles That Sell" seminar.

Yes and no. But mostly no, in part because newspaper (sometimes magazine) travel editors ask if anything was free, and assume, if so, you sold your objectivity in the process, so they won't buy your submission. (Can't you just lie? Sure, but they may well check and then you are out of their orb forever.)

Yes in that knowing you are a travel writer (who else would you ask so many questions?), the answerer wants a positive article so sometimes they ask if you'd like a drink or a sandwich or whatever's appropriate to the situation, and if it would be impolite to say no, say yes. (That's not worth reporting to the editors!) But don't count on anything being offered free. Just go about your business.

If you stick in there long enough you will get enough by-lines, some recognition, and accepted by travel writers associations, then you'll find out about travel writing jaunts and so on, where a lot of the stuff is free. I'm a bit vague here because most of my 1,700+ freelance articles in print are travel-related but I'm not much of a joiner and have never been on a jaunt of this nature.

Just pay your own bills, earn money from article sales, resell them again and again, and gather points into writers' heaven

If you want details about reselling or more about freebies, I cover both in my Travel Writer's Guide, which may be in your library, hopefully in the third edition!