how to write a better travel blog: advanced technique
TRANSCRIPT
WRITEBETTER,RIGHTNOWIntermediateLevel
TRAVERSE2016 AbigailKing
@abigailking@insidetravellab
WhoamI?
TravelBlogger
InsidetheTravelLabAthoughTulblogonluxurytravelandcultureFeaturedbyNatGeoTraveller,Cosmopolitan,Grazia,TheIndependent&morewww.insidethetravellab.com
WhoamI?
Andmore…
• DirectorofCapIvate• DirectorofTheSocialFootprint• A&EDoctor
ThePowerofWords
GeZngStarted
• Beforeyouaddspice,youmustbeclear• Otherwiseit’sjustconfusing
• First,aquickrecaponclearingandcleaningupyourwriIng
Youhaveapoint,right?
WhyareyouwriIngthispost?• InformaIonguide• Provokeadiscussion• Entertain
Cleaning
• Clearunnecessaryclu_er– TrimoutadjecIves– Eliminateadverbs– Banishthepassivevoice– AvoidwordrepeIIon– Beruthless:removeatleast10%
Smallpointers
• Veryunique• “OnlyinItaly...”• Thebest• Complainingtoomuch• NaIonalstereotypes• Toomuchslang
GetSpicy
• Promise• RepeIIon• Facts• Speech• Rhythm&Blues• Themes• Voice
ThePromise
• Beginswithyourheadline• ReinforcedbyyourintroducIon• Carriedthroughoutthepiece• Deliveredattheend
AddingSpice
• Addthespicethatfitsyourpromise• Addthespicethatfitsyourpoint
• Let’sgo!
Headlines
• ThedayIheldtheIronCurtaininmyhand• Twomillionpageviewslaterandwhyitdoesn’tma_er
• Skydiving:myfirst60secondfreefall• 7unusualthingstodoinCardiff
PackageFacts
• YouarenotWikipedia• Butpeopleliketolearnsomethingnew• SweepawayalonglistoffactsintoaIdyfactbox
• Oratleastapairorbrackets
TheFactFlourish• They’vegotthatperfectblendofcomfortfoodwithouttheweightof
stodge.Plus,theyhavetheelementofsurpriseasyouneverknowwhichoneyou’regoingtoget.Andfinally?Theycomewithawonderfulrangeoftrivia.Didyouknow,forexample,thatpierogihavetheirownsaint?(StHyacinth,orSwietyJacek,incasethatpieceoflifeknowledgepassedyouby.It’susedinanexpressiontomean“goodgrief!”)Andhowaboutthis:theProto-Slavicroot“pir”meansfesIvityinitsvariousSlaviccognatesacrossEurasia?Andthis:thewordsinthatlastsentenceactuallymeansomethingtosomepeople?!Yes,apierógisnoordinarydumpling.
FindingFacts
• Wikipedia–references• Broadsheetpapers• Interviews• Books
CheckingFacts
• Prices,phonenumbers,websites• Names-inperson• h_p://www.economist.com/styleguide/introducIon
• Mainstreampresswebsites
Rhythm&Blues
• Mostpeoplereadaloudintheirhead• Thereisarhythmthatpleasesus• Difficulttoexplain• Butitisthere• Rulesofthrees
Rhythm&Threes
• EducaIon,educaIon,educaIon• Yeswecan• Justdoit• Yougetmeacoffee,yougetmemybriefcaseandyou...getahaircut!
Speech
• Energisestext• Provideslocalflavour• Ifyoudoitright• Don’tincludeeverythingsomeonetoldyou• AsktherightquesIons
TheIronCurtain
“IcameherewithmyfriendofHolland,”saysWind.“Justtolookandtomakesomepictures.”
Hetrembles.
“Andthesoldiers,theytooktheirgunsandtheyshot.”
Interviews
• Avoidbestof/favourite/topquesIons• Ask“open”quesIons• Createcolourandcharacter• Getthenameofthedog
PlayGod
• Putsomeoneinthescene• Bringinanimateobjectstolife• MenIonallthesenses• Psst-Videocan’tdothis
Pierogi
PS–It’salsosuspiciouslysimilartogyozainJapanandnothingliketheravioliinItaly,whateverthefoodcriIcssay.
IfIweretracingtheancestryoffood,I’dbeplacinggoodmoneyondiscoveringanillegiImateflingbetweenJapanandmoderndayPolandsomewhereinthe18thcentury.Likeravioliindeed...Pah!
UsePowerWords
• Death,love,passion,money,power,mother,baby,child,life,living,ghost,free,trust
• You
TheDummy
• LullthereaderintoexpecIngonething• Andthensurprisethemwithanother• Badoom-bash!
TheRoadtoSopronSomeImesthingsgowronginlife.Theprinteratthecarhirecompanybreaks,thesatnavdoesn’twork,thejourneyislongerthanyou’vebeentoldandyouturnupverylate.SomeImesotherthingsgowronginlife.You’reshotatbysoldierswhilewalkinginafield,you’rebannedfromlivingwithyourfamilyandtheveryactoftryingtocrosstheborderthatcontainsyoubrandsyouacriminalinaregimereliantontortureandexecuIon.AndsomeImesthosetwoworldscollide.
Analysis
SomeImesthingsgowronginlife.Theprinteratthecarhirecompanybreaks,thesatnavdoesn’twork,thejourneyislongerthanyou’vebeentoldandyouturnupverylate.SomeImesotherthingsgowronginlife.You’reshotatbysoldierswhilewalkinginafield,you’rebannedfromlivingwithyourfamilyandtheveryactoftryingtocrosstheborderthatcontainsyoubrandsyouacriminalinaregimereliantontortureandexecuIon.AndsomeImesthosetwoworldscollide.
ThedayIheldtheIronCurtaininmyhand
DangerousRoad
• SurvivingtheWorld’sMostDangerousRoadinBolivia
Tobefair,it’stechnicallynotconsideredthe“World’sMostDangerousRoad”anymore.DuetotheconstrucIonofanewhighwaycloseby,whichdirectsmosttrafficawayfromitspath,they’verecentlyupgradedthetrail’snicknametoamuchmoresimple,passiveandinviIngmoniker…“TheDeathRoad.”
• Tourist2Townie.com
Analysis
• SurvivingtheWorld’sMostDangerousRoadinBolivia
Tobefair,it’stechnicallynotconsideredthe“World’sMostDangerousRoad”anymore.DuetotheconstrucIonofanewhighwaycloseby,whichdirectsmosttrafficawayfromitspath,they’verecentlyupgradedthetrail’snicknametoamuchmoresimple,passiveandinviIngmoniker…“TheDeathRoad.”
• Tourist2Townie.com
TheLure
• Chloride,Arizona,isalivingghosttown.It’sanoddvillagewithcrumblingbuildings,abizarrecollecIonofyardartandanimpressivenumberoftractors.Morethan72minesusedtooperateinChloride,andremnantsofmanyofthemcansIllbeseentoday.Thereareafewsmallcornershopswherepeoplesellgissandcoldsodas,andoccasionallyaghostisspo_edwanderingaround,butotherthanthat,there’snotawholelotgoingoninthishighdeserttown.
Exceptonething…
KaleidoscopicWandering
Analysis
• Chloride,Arizona,isalivingghosttownIt’sanoddvillagewithcrumblingbuildings,abizarrecollecIonofyardartandanimpressivenumberoftractors.Morethan72minesusedtooperateinChloride,andremnantsofmanyofthemcansIllbeseentoday.Thereareafewsmallcornershopswherepeoplesellgissandcoldsodas,andoccasionallyaghostisspo_edwanderingaround,butotherthanthat,there’snotawholelotgoingoninthishighdeserttown.
Exceptonething…Badoom-bash!
Voice
Unleashyourinnerrockstar
Voice
• Unique• You• Standoutfromthecrowd• WriIng“rules”helpunleashyours• WriIngbadlyhidesit
FindingYourVoice
• Singintheshower• Writeinasmanydifferentstylesasyoucanmanage• Writeasthoughno-onewilleverreadit• Writewithoutreadingback• Writewithoutstopping• Letloose–nowyouknowyoucanreturnandbashitintosomethingpresentablethroughediIng
Don’tHideYourVoice
• Searchouttheblandwordsandexpressionsthatweallshare
• Lovely,awesome,gorgeous• Bewareyour“crutch”words• Thebest• Don’tdrownitoutbeneaththehowlsandgnashingofteethofpoorspellingandgrammar
Themes
• Shrek• Children’sfilmthatadultscanenjoy• Jokesandplotpointsthatworkonseverallevels• Adeepertheme:characterismoreimportantthanbeauty
• (andourculturecurrentlyteachestheopposite)
TheGodfather
• Gunfightgangsterentertainment• Crimedoesn’tpayintheend• Thequestforabsolutepowerleadstoabsoluteloneliness
• Thequestforrespect• Universalthemes:power,respect,inheritance,loyalty,betrayal,familyconflict
• Relatestousall
TooHeavyforABlogPost?
• PeoplerespondtoemoIonmorethanreason• Peopletraveltofeelsomething• Peoplereadabouttraveltofeelsomething(ortolearnsomethingthatwillhelpthemtravel)
DeliverSaIsfacIon
• Don’tjuststop• Deliveryourreadersafelybacktotherealworld
• Makethemgladtheybotheredtoreadthewholething
TheFinish
• Echosomethingfromthestart• Endwithateaser• Endwithaquote• EndwithaquesIon
TheStart
I’mrunningthroughKraków’sbusstaIon,spinningaroundtoseecoacheslinedupbehindmeandsmallertramsra_lingthroughtheconcretespacebelow.Myeyesjumparound,searchingforD8,forOświȩcim.
Astockymanstridestowardsme.
“Proszę,”Isay,please,beforemysupplyofPolishdriesup.I’msuddenlyembarrassed,flushedandashamedtosaytothefaceofastrangeroneofthemostemoIonallychargedwordsintheworld.
“Auschwitz.”Hesaysitfirst.
TheFinish
NinetyminuteslaterI’mbackinKrakow,intherushhourstreamof21stcenturylife.Beyonce’sBeauIfulNightmareaccompaniesthecommutersandshoppers,whilefluorescentlightsshineoverthelatestZaracollecIonandwomensellsalt-encrustedObwarzankifromkiosksshelteredfromthewind.
Igotobuyoneandfindtwopiecesofpaperinmypocket.Jan’scardandthesquarecut-outfromthefirstbusdriver.ItliststhedepartureImesfromAuschwitzbacktothemodernworld.
It’sonlysmall,butperhapsthiswasthesliverofbeautyandhopethatIwassearchingfor.
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