You can be a travel writer without leaving home
Photo: Microsoft Office Online
For many writers, whisking your way around the world with a pen and paper to document your every adventure is a dream job.
Even if you can't afford to give up your day job to explore the globe, you can still make the dream of travel writing a reality.
Locals Have The Home Field Advantage
There is no one better to write about your hometown than you.
With the inside scoop on the local hotspots, amazing attractions and hidden gems, the seeds to a host of stories showcasing the place you live are all around you.
Discovery and Rediscovery
While there is already a list of tourist spots in your city, try looking off the beaten path for the hidden gems to spotlight.
Not only are you providing unique content for travelers looking to visit your city, but you may also be pleasantly surprised by what you find in your own backyard.
Look to your local city hall, city website or tourism center for ideas on popular destinations in your town. Whether you live in a big city such as New York, NY or a small town like New Salem, ND, there are stories for you to discover around every corner.
Resources for Torontonians
Torontonians can pinpoint unfamiliar neighborhoods that are just waiting to be discovered with a few different informative resources.
The neighborhood map compiled by the Toronto Star shows the boundaries of everywhere from Markland Wood to the West Rouge. After printing a version of their map in the newspaper, the Toronto newspaper made changes according to suggestions from the community.
Toronto Neighbourhood Guide also gives the history of the communities that make up the city, which may very well provide the seeds of story ideas or an angle to cover when working on a story.
Every City is a Destination
Growing up in your hometown may make things seem average, but don't forget it is a destination for anyone who has never been there before.
Try looking at your city with fresh eyes, and you may be surprised at just how great the place you call home can be, both to tourists and yourself.
Torontonians Get Inspired
If you want to gain some in-person inspiration from other travel writers, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is host to the bi-annual Ben McNally Travellers Series event this Wednesday, February 17, 2010.
Top travel writers Glenn Dixon, Deirdre Kelly and Chuck Thompson will read in the Brigantine Room from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Best Of...
As we lead our busy lives, we often overlook the great things around us. By looking at your hometown through the eyes of a tourist, you can rediscover the best things your city has to offer.
Explore the World
If you have explored all your city has to offer and you want an extra dose of inspiration, there are jet-setting opportunities for travel writers.
Hands-on classes from AWAI provide a chance for those writers who can spare a weekend to fly stateside or take a jaunt to an exotic locale while learning the tools of the travel writing trade.
Your opinion matters
If you could be a travel writer, what is the first place you would visit? What hidden gems are there to be found in your hometown? Share your thoughts and discoveries in the comments section!
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