I thought this note might ease the burden of the Travel Writing Competition participants a little. These are useful tips to good travel writing.
What is Travel Writing?
There are two main genres of travel writing, Freelance and Expository! The main difference is that you can do an Expository on without ever going to the place yourself whereas you can’t write a freelance travel story without visiting the actual place itself. This is because the Expository type only contains Expository information (obviously) whereas the Freelance type really is a combination of the four main genres of academic writings (Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative/Persuasive and Expository/Informational) because it combines the Expository information with your personal thoughts and feelings. You also need to be able to tell the story of how your attempt to visit the place is.
As the name suggests, it’s really up to you how you want to write your freelance travel article! You can start with all the Expository facts and end with your own thoughts or vice verse or however other way you can arrange those two things. Alternatively, you can combine the two harmoniously together. It’s really up to you what the content of the essay will be.
How to combine Expository with Narrative
Consider the example below:
As I walked around the Iron Pillar of Delhi, I could not believe that this 7 meter tall pillar has not rusted at all despite having been exposed to the rain and sun for the past 1500 years! Till today, nobody knows how such high quality iron could have been cast.
In the example above, we can see how the writer explains details about the Iron Pillar of Delhi as well as how he amazed he was as he was there. The writer combines the Expository facts and his own feelings into one sentence. That is just one of the many ways you can construct your article.
Now look at this one:
Built in the 12th century to honour the Hindu god Vishnu, the Angkor Wat in Angkor, Cambodia is one of the most prominent examples of Hindu monuments in the world today. Built in the middle of the thick jungles of Cambodia, it is surrounded by many other Hindu temples that have attracted millions of tourists in the last decade. ... As I walked up the stairs of the temple, I had to struggle from one step to another as the steps were very steep. After a gruelling three minute climb to the top, the first thing that came into sight were the images of the Hindu gods that were carefully handcrafted centuries ago. With some parts covered in moss, it was hard not to take some time to appreciate the details of the craftsmen.
In the above example, the writer starts with all of the expository facts first and once he’s done, he then goes on with the Narrative part along with descriptions about the place and his experiences. He also adds in his opinions.
It is really up to you how you want to write it but it would be good if you could find out which format suits you best.
On Location
Real travel writers don’t have the luxury of writing their final drafts weeks after they visit the place. They usually have to write it immediately after the trip or sometimes even on location! But for the competition, you do! So pay attention to the following things when on location!
1. Don’t take note of things you can find on the Internet! The less time you spend taking notes on when the Great Wall was built to how long it is, the more time you have for yourself to enjoy your trip. Don’t note down information that you can find on the Internet. Note down concepts. Note down things that you won’t find on the Internet.
2. Know how you felt! If you’re the type who easily forgets how they feel, it might be a really good idea to note down how you felt or what particular things or details you saw that interested you the most. But always remember, don’t spend so much time taking notes that you have no feelings to express in your article other than how you were so frustrated taking down notes!
3. For the article, take only one picture, and one good picture. First of all, know what picture you want to take. If you have a passion for photography, so be it. However, if you are only taking pictures for the article, taking millions of photos and choosing the best one later is not the best idea. Take two to seven pictures for backups and choose the most striking and relevant one.
4. Ask lots of questions and pay attention to the answers. You would want to have special content in your article that other articles with the same focus won’t have. The lever of uniqueness of your article depends on the variety of information you have so be sure to ask unusual and quirky questions!
5. It’s good to know the name of your guide and to involve him in the story. Note down the name of your guide, how long he had been working at the place for and other relevant information. Phrases like “Our guide took us to” or “According to our guide” could show credibility. But don’t make him the focus of the writing.
Taking Photographs
Well, a writer can’t really teach you this one. You might want to ask a photographer how to take good pictures and stuff like that. But for travel writing, there are certain things you might want to keep in mind.
If the topic of the article is about an interactive activity or experience that you got to experience firsthand (making batik, having a meal, learning a dance, massage, etc), sometimes it could be a good idea for you to actually be in the picture (doing the activity, of course)! Not only does this show credibility but it also can show the readers what it looks like for a foreigner to do it. For example, if your going to eat Scorpions and Starfish in Beijing or have Deer Penis Soup in Singapore, you might want to show your readers the disgusted look on your face when you were going to try it for the first time. But this rule doesn’t always apply. Always remember to choose striking pictures.
Language Tips
1. Use lots of similes and metaphors to draw pictures in the reader’s mind!
2. Keep your paragraphs short. Ideally each paragraph should only be maximum 2 sentences long, 3 in the worst case. This allows the reader to read the information in bite-sized pieces.
3. For topics which involve some “drama” (such as extreme sports or doing something outside your comfort zone), you might want to use one word paragraphs to add to the tension! Let your emotions (and the emotions of the reader) run high! Remember that drama sells.
4. Pay attention to the grammar of the essay such that you don’t confuse the reader.
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