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Travel Writing With All the Fixin's

When you write about travel, it's good to immerse yourself in the place or culture about which you are writing. If you can spend some time there and then write about it when you get home, that's good. If you can write about it while you're there, lounging on a beach perhaps, that's even better. But it's not always possible.

I'm often asked to write about lands on which I've never set foot - Japan, Australia, Spain, Russia, and Italy, to name a few. For example, see my travel blog posts for Japan Rail Pass. How can a convincing travel article be written vicariously, from afar? I use the following process to craft good travel writing about places I've yet to visit. If you're a fellow travel writer, you can use it, too. If you're looking for a travel writer, contact me today.

1. Research

Research may sound like a given, but it's a vital step not to be overlooked. Where should research be done? I like to view documentary clips from the Travel Channel. My local library and Netflix also have a plethora of informative videos available for streaming.

The next step is written material. Sometimes, I have a book or brochure laying around about the country/attraction in question, but more often than not I utilize that indispensable resource, the internet. Wikipedia is a good place to start, but as everyone knows, this community edited resource is by no means infallible. Government travel sites and the official websites of specific places offer the most up-to-date information on hours, fees, closings, and the like. Google Maps is invaluable if the article includes directions on how to get from place to place.

Finally, personal travel blogs are my favorite resource. Not only are they interesting to read, but offer a personal flavor not possible in more "official" resources. Travel reviews, such as those on TripAdvisor, can also be of use. Who else is going to tell you what the place looks like, what food you should order or avoid, and the absolute best and worst things that have ever happened there? Just remember, there's seldom middle ground on travel reviews - you're usually getting only the angry and exceptionally pleased ends of the spectrum.

2. Immersion

While this step is not entirely necessary, it is one of my favorite parts. So, how do you immerse yourself in a foreign country without hopping the next flight?

Music. Music both reflects and is reflected in its native culture, making it an excellent way to connect on a level beyond just intellectual knowledge. So, where do you find such culturally diverse music? An anime-loving friend of mine recently made me a compilation CD of Japanese pop music, and I often listen to it while writing my weekly blog posts about Japan. When I hear culturally interesting music discussed on NPR - such as the multicultural children's songs of the album Simba La La - I look them up on Spotify.

Food and drink. Most groceries stores now host at least a small international section. I live in a very diverse, large city, so there are entire stores, and restaurants as well - devoted to international fare - British, German, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Dominican, Indian, Hawaiian, Thai, and Jamaican, to name just a few. Whether it helps my writing or not, I often find myself dining on cultural fare before, during, or after an article or project.

Even if there's not a local shop near you, you can always Try the World by mail. I've got a France Box and an Italy Box on my counter, and a Greece Box on its way.

Experiences. It is sometimes possible to recreate unique cultural experiences in your own backyard - literally.

For example, I recently wrote a number of articles on the Japanese cherry blossom season and its related event. When the trees are in full bloom, families or groups of friends often engage in hanami, which can be roughly translated "cherry blossom viewing," "cherry blossom party," or "cherry blossom picnic." I was enamored with the idea of appreciating nature by having a special picnic under a cherry tree, so my husband and I decided to have our own hanami. I made some snacks and a Japanese green tea known as matcha (purchased at the local international store), and we had a picnic under our small weeping cherry tree when in bloom. I had to laugh - people driving by looked at us like we were crazy, eating on the grass in our front yard (does no one picnic anymore?), but I knew that at that very moment, others in Japan were doing the same thing. After having experienced it for myself, even from afar, I felt I could write about the event with just a bit more understanding.

3. Travel

When possible, first hand experience paired with excellent writing ability will always produce the finest results. So, here's a shout out to anyone who wants to by a good travel article: you pay the fare, and you'll get a great article from Cara Siera Professional Writing & Editing Services.

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