Travel Writing: 10-Week Workshop (Self-Paced)

This course gives you a firm grounding in the basics of travel writing gets you writing a short piece (or two) or a book.Course components:LecturesWriting exercisesWorkshopping of student projects (each student presenting work two times)Travel Writing I is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Students must be 18 years or older.Please Note:Gotham only offers Travel Writing at Level I. After that, if you want to continue working on travel pieces, you have these options:Memoir I or II – for travel-related memoirsEssay & Opinion I or II – for travel-related essays and reviewsArticle I or II – for travel-related articlesCourse Syllabus:Introduction to Travel Writing: The reality of travel writing. Types of travel writing. Angles. Timeliness. Audience. Place. Passport to travel writing.Destination Articles: Exploring destination articles. Structural mainstays— lead, nut graf, body, kicker. Moving parts—sense of place, facts, practical information, opinion, scene, people. Point of view. Length.Travel Memoir: Exploring travel memoirs. Aspect. Story. Scene and reflection. Facts and memory. People and place.Various Types: Destination roundups. Advice articles. Features. Travel essay. Food pieces. Front of book pieces.New Media/Photography: Blogs. Social networking. Photography 101. Photographic artistry.Description:Using the senses. Specificity. Techniques for creativity. Finding the right words. An eye for detail. Writing tight.Voice: Voice defined. Exploration of the various types of voice. Understanding style—syntax, diction, and paragraph length. Tone. Tips for finding your voice. Humor.Guidebooks/Travel Advice: Guide to guidebooks. Writing guidebooks. Travel advice—bookings, money, documents, packing, language. Traveling free or cheap.The Business: Selling short pieces. Selling books. Query letters. Clip files. Targeting. Making contact. Response. Contracts.Research/Revision: Importance of research. Travel writing resources. Plagiarism and “borrowing." The research process. The revision process. Editing.Content may vary among individual classes.Important:Schedule posted is the Start and End date of the class. You may access the class at any time, day or night, within the schedule provided. Please see Online Class Delivery for more details.Registrants will receive email instructions and information on how to access the online classroom.