Jet-setting opportunities for aspiring travel writers

For writers who want to explore the globe and write about it, hands-on experience can open up a world of possibilities for travel stories.

These travel writing opportunities are your ticket to satisfying your wanderlust.

Being Local Has Its Advantages

For wordsmiths who do not have the luxury of being able to quit their day jobs, the opportunity to be a travel writer is still there.

Although you are not doing any of the actual traveling, you can still craft articles for visitors to your city or town.   Being a resident of the places you focus on gives you the advantage of knowing all the local hot spots and hidden gems.

By translating your inside information into fun and informative articles, you are giving visitors to your city the information they need to make a decision to visit.

The art of travel writing

Being a travel writer is all about spotlighting the places you visit. For those writers who want to infuse a little something extra into their articles and essays, the best parts of expressive writing can add a little spice.

All those exercises and all that brainstorming you have done to shore up your descriptive writing skills can be utilized in your travel articles.

Instead of simply describing where you have been, bring a little character, imagery and a passionate voice to your pieces to excite readers.

Online classes

If you long to get a little hands-on experience while traveling the world, the excursions from American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) are an exciting way to polish up your writing skills and see the world at the same time.

With stateside packages like Nashville to exotic locales such as Morocco and Ecuador, AWAI Workshops offers instruction in small classes with instructors to show you the ropes of travel photography and writing, as well as memory-making excursions to immerse yourself in the culture of the places you wish to discover for yourself and introduce to the world.

Classes for Torontonians

Before you pack your bags, Torontonians with an interest in travel writing can find local classes to get their feet wet.

Ryerson University offers a Creative Travel Writing workshop that teaches students how to harness fiction writing techniques such as characterization, description, and dialogue to create powerful travel stories.

Priority enrollment for the Spring/Summer 2010 term begins on March 01, 2010. Regular enrollment begins on March 15, 2010

Schedule:

04 May 2010-06 Jul 2010

Method: Distance Education

Duration: 25 Hours

Fee: $329   (GST Included)

The Travel Writing course at the University of Toronto shows students how to transport readers to far away places and strange new worlds by using sensual description, strong narrative, unusual imagery and a clear voice.

Schedule:

St. George Campus

13 Apr 2010 to 1 Jun 2010

Tue 12:30PM - 3:00PM

Number of Sessions: 8

Tuition: $585.00

Bringing Emotion to Experience

Good travel writing incorporates more than a listing of the places you have been. With hands-on experience and a little instruction, you can explore worlds, discover cultures, and inspire readers with the joy and adventure of travel.

Your Opinion Matters

Have you ever considered being a travel writer? Do you think you can be a travel writer without taking classes? Or is some degree of instruction needed to be a successful travel writer?

Other readers (and writers) want to know, so share your thoughts in the comments section!

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