Travel Writing Tips by John Greeves

Travel Writing Tips

by John Greeves

Travel Writing Tips from well-known writers even though many of us are homeward bound these days.

How many of us yearn for that holiday abroad and a safe return to some sort of normality? Perhaps now, families will revert to the pattern of the nineteen fifties when ‘staycations’ was the norm although it was called ‘factory fortnight’ back then, with very few of us venturing abroad until the advent of the package holiday in the 1960s. Part of the charm of any travelling is to capture the experience and nuances of a place, the people and the way of life, but how many of us have really been remiss even about our own locality in visiting that location or place that foreign tourists flock to in our own backyard. We’ve all meant to... but for some particular reason, we’ve never got round to it. Many of us take numerous photographs these days and then are unable to recall anything about the photographs, if we look at them six months later. How much better to record your travels in a personal journal, or in a compelling travel article or blog that others may wish to read and encapsulates an enduring image for you. With journeying abroad limited in opportunities, in these difficult times, many spectacular locations in Britain exist to explore in Great Britain. We have for instance 136 permanently inhabited islands around our coast, tracts of ancient woodland, mountains moors and rivers, as well as 11,072.76 miles of mainland coastline. Then there’s history galore (take your pick) and actual physical experiences to rival any we may find abroad, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t try recording in words as well as in photographs what we really experience. Travel writing, needs craft and guile especially for those seeking publication, although there is no reason why many of us shouldn’t try to develop the way in which we see and react to different places and experiences through words rather than the indiscriminate eye (lens) of the mobile phone. Several top travel writers offer their top tips for successful travel writing whether you hope to publish it commercially or simply write for yourself.

Andrew Eames is one of the most experienced and prolific travel writers around. He worked for The Times and went into guidebook publishing and was ranked 6 th in the top 50 of travel writing. His advice is:

The idea is king: strong ideas sell articles

Bite-size is the watchword these days.

Make sure it is deliverable. If you promise a glorious article then find it can’t be done, that newspaper /magazine won’t commission you again.

Dea Birkett is a writer and broadcaster. Her weekly Travelling with Kids column appeared in the Guardian for over five years and is author of seven books including ‘Serpent in Paradise (short listed for the Thomas Cook Travel

Book Award), about her time on Pitcairn Island, home of the few descendants from mutiny on The Bounty. Dea says:

Always take notes-everyday, wherever you are. You will forget otherwise. And you never know when material can be useful later on.

Take notes about what’s happening inside you, as well as what’s happening out there. Every journey has an emotional as well as a physical trajectory. Make lists. List of place names, colours, birds, items on a market stall...Give yourself as much choice as possible about what you’ll include in your finished piece.

Brian Jackman is an award –winning journalist and former Travel Writer of the Year who has a passion for travel and wildlife. His advice for a new travel writer is to:

Read the great travel writers from Gerald

Brenan onwards. Brian says he was influenced by the likes of Ernest Hemingway,

Henry Williamson (Tarka the Otter) Laurie

Lee, Karen Blixen and H.E.Bates. If you do this then eventually our own style will emerge.

Observe how different papers/magazines conduct their stories differently and see if you can specialise.

One last thing, the farther you travel doesn’t necessarily mean the better your story will be. Dervla Murphy is best known for her 1965 classic book Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle.She followed this with volunteer work helping Tibetan refugees in India and Trekking with a mule through Ethiopia. Dervla’s top tips are to:

Restrict yourself to one location. Don’t try to cover too many countries, use the six months or allotted time getting to know a place.

Travel alone, a solitary traveller is totally dependent on the locals and demonstrates his or her trust by entering the community alone. People are less inclined to approach couples or groups. Write it down every night regardless of tiredness or fatigue.

Mark Eveleigh has travelled the world on assignments for over 80 titles including Esquire, Geographical and the New York Times .Mark says:

There’s no prize for second place so pick something completely original and slightly insane that nobody has done before.

Set up your own travel blog, it’s part of the future.

A good travel writer needs to be able to capture a sense of place. You need to portray what lies underneath in the heart and soul of a destination and communicate with the local people through their stories, thoughts

and anecdotes.

Horatio Clare is an author and journalist. He worked at the BBC, for national newspapers and has written several travel books including A Single Swallow, Sicily Through Writer’s Eyesand more recently Down to the Sea in Ships (2014). His top tips are to:

Look for the unofficial line: a conversation at a bus stop will tell you more than a lecture from a guide. The best writing comes from passion; find something to love in a place. In the end the people are the place and people love to help. Tell them what you are doing, tell them what you need. Friendship, however new, however brief, is the best way in.

Barnaby Rogerson has written dozens of travel articles, book reviews and historical essays on various North African and Islamic themes. His work has appeared in the pages ofVanity Fair, Cornucopia, Conde Nast Traveller, Geographical, Traveller, Guardian, Independent, Telegraph, House & Garden, Harpers & Queenand the TLS. His advice is to:

Record scent, sense, smell and touch.

Realise discovery happens through the hesitant process of many conversations.

Always try to describe the feelings and culture of others, not yourself. Rory Macleanis one of Britain's most expressive and adventurous creative non-fiction writers. His ten books, including UK bestsellers Stalin's Nose and Under the Dragon, have challenged and invigorated the genre. His new book Berlin: Imagine a City was described by Jan Morris, Sunday Telegraph as ‘a wonderful achievement.’Rory says ‘a good travel book is one written from the heart. As a reader I want to know how a journey affected the writer, what she or he has learnt through the trip, and how he or she has changed by the experience.’ His top tips for aspiring writers are:

Choose a subject or a destination because it moves you, not because of its perceived popularity.

Engage your imagination and sense of wonder.

Lastly don’t forget to check your spelling.

Justin Marozziis a prominent journalist, historian and travel writer. As a journalist, he worked for the BBC, Financial Times and the Economist. Justin believes the future of travel writing and the world and its people and places still offer endless possibilities for the travel writer to explore and have ‘little danger of losing its relevance’. His top tip is clear, simple and inspiring for any would-be writer:

Travel, explore, write and ignore those who try to discourage you.

John Greeves originally hails from Lincolnshire. He believes in the power of poetry and writing to change people’s lives and the need for language to move and connect people to the modern world. Since retiring from Cardiff University, Greeves works as a freelance journalist who's interested in an eclectic range of topics.