Welcome to #women. The Writer's Workshop topic starting at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time today is travel writing. Please join us if you're a writer and would like to discuss why and how to do research for travel articles.

What to do while you're on your trip....so you can write the article when you're home.

I'm going to run the opening lines here, for everyone's benefit. Then we'll get started, but go slowly in case we have some latecomers.

We'll officially begin--Welcome to the Writer's Workshop.

Please note that this chat is being recorded. Don't say anything you wouldn't want the rest of the world to know! <G>

So far in our series on travel writing we have discussed how to query, how to research, how to find markets and how to prepare before you leave.

Today we'll be talking about what you should do while you are on your trip in order to put your piece together when you return.

I wanted to say too, that when several enter the room like that, it's hard for me to follow. So if you've asked questions that seem ignored, it's not the case. I've just missed them. Please ask again.

Well, you've written queries, gathered an assignment or two and have prepared well beforehand. Now you're finally on the scene, full of excitement and eager to get started.

Where do you begin to gather what you'll need to write a solid travel article? That depends.

Other times you just travel, mind completely open, waiting for a story to find you.

The wise writer allows room for both of these approaches.

Some sort of focus provides you with a starting point when you first arrive and all the newness of the site can be overwhelming.

Flexibility will allow you to take off on tangents that have appeal as they present themselves.

The only thing you must keep in mind is that if you have a specific assignment from an editor, you must gather enough information to allow you to fulfill your commitment.

The key to gathering good material is to remain alert and aware, continually searching for ideas and information.

This is true NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.

One travel writer said that even short trips to attend weddings or visit relatives provided the basis for new travel articles.

He was always on the lookout for potential stories.

The best travel stories cover ordinary things from a unique or special angle. Always be on the lookout for that special angle.

It's relative, Deby! :) Around the corner....

Believe me, being here at home can be a real trip sometimes! LOL

Any questions before we start talking about the travel journal?

Good. Onward then! :)

Your travel journal will quickly become your most powerful and reliable travel writing aid.

Here is where you will "remember" everything. :)

The travel journal provides a written record of immediate impressions. Entries will be fresh if you report them onsite or a few hours later.

Yes, Kim, it really is.

Deb, sure! If that is what you are comfortable with, that would be just fine.

However, you might want to do a little of both in case something happens to the tape, etc.

Kim--I still favor pen and paper, but some don't.

You just have to go with what works best for you.

Another good point doloho.

kitty--keep at it though. The more you do it, the more memories you may stir up.

You have the potential to catch the energy of the moment in the travel journal because it is private writing, subject to that primary rule of journaling—no worries about punctuation, structure, and style.

The more you freewrite in this way, the better your article will be in the end.

Some writers will pause to record several times during the day; others elect to write in summary at the end of the day.

The important thing to keep in mind, no matter which method you choose, is that your aim is to fill your journal with bold descriptions and sensual detail, so that when you re-read later, you are there all over again.

Me too, Deby.

Shorter notes during the day, that are fleshed out at the end of the day would probably work too.

The more you do it, the more you'll develop your own style--what works for you.

Great, Selene! Exactly.

Use all the senses.

Jot down colors, sounds, smells. Do word sketches of people and scenes. You might want to jot down a menu item to help you remember a special meal. Even drawing is appropriate.

My grandmother did that, too, Kim! :)

You will end up collecting far more material than you will actually use. This will give you a wide range from which to draw information during the writing phase after the trip.

Yes, Selene--good idea.

The travel journal is also a good place to jot down bus and train schedules, entry hours and fees, or the names and addresses of new friends or outstanding guides that you may want to talk with further.

We're talking about taking notes on a trip in order to write a travel piece later.

L. Peat O'Neil, in "Travel Writing" notes that when she is not well versed in the native language she will ask hotel staff to write in her travel journal the address where she is going as well as where she is staying.

Sounds like this might be just the thing for you, then, Jord! :)

Then all she has to do is hand the notebook to the cab driver.

Did everyone follow that last train of thought, or did it derail? LOL

Great.

Well, I'll be sure to send out notes to everyone, even after the fact...

Just about to continue with information on note taking....

One word of warning here: Don't become so absorbed in recording facts that you miss experiences. You can end up with lots of information, but no experience to share.

writer1--we did a series on journal writing a few months ago.

It was alot of fun, too.

Kitty--if you are signed up at our listserv, I mail them out each week before the chat. Generally.

The notes may be archived at the listbot.

Writer1--if you'll e-mail me, I can send the notes to you if you'd like.

Word_Countess@hotmail.com

I'll give you the URL.

You're welcome!

K... trying to find what I said last! LOL

One word of warning here: Don't become so absorbed in recording facts that you miss experiences. You can end up with lots of information, but no experience to share.

Facts can be researched; experiences cannot be re-created. You can only take advantage of them while you are experiencing them.

Allow yourself to be absorbed in the event as it happens, and train your memory to recall the details afterward.

An experience deeply felt is easier to remember vividly than one during which you are sidetracked. Relax and enjoy what you are doing.

This has been a tough point for me to learn, but it is soooo true.

I just had trouble trusting my memory.

Any more questions or comments on using your travel journal?

If I press on, I think I can finish up these notes, but then I don't want to go too fast....

When you first arrive, you may want to take a brief sightseeing tour to get yourself oriented.

Sit or stand near the guide, and don't be bashful about asking questions.

If you find you have too many questions and are in danger of monopolizing the tour staff, then decide which questions cannot be asked elsewhere and stick with those.

If the guide is particularly good, ask for a name and address and follow up later on in the trip, or by mail (always include an SASE).

When it comes to getting around, opt for public transportation, which has a finger on the pulse of day-to-day life in the locality.

Don't miss any opportunity to go by water, as well.

Neat, Kim!

Ferries can be one of the most economical ways to travel.

Remember that your own two feet are as reliable a transportation system as any.

Yes. And lots of cities have walking tour maps that are readily available too.

Does the area have important landmarks that people will expect you to touch on in the article?

Make a point of seeing them often and at different times of day. Doing this will help you understand what the place is really like.

Nice idea, Selene.

I did have little notes stuck all over my map of Edinburgh Castle. The sticky wore off though! LOL

I liked that one too, Jen

Oooohhh, Selene! :)

Clues to important people and events can be found in the names of streets and towns.

The local parks can also provide this information, as oftentimes benches, trees and monuments are placed in honor of certain individuals or may commemorate historical events.

Get as close as you can to the local population to get a good feel for an area and to unearth stories that are unique.

Exactly doloho.

Go to the grocery store or an outdoor market to buy lunch, then have a picnic in the park.

Strike up conversations with anyone you can, and pay particular attention when someone tells you, "Don't miss seeing . . ." or "You really should talk to . . ."

Especially is that true, LaVonne, when it comes to eating establishments! :)

Don't even be afraid of getting lost.

If you keep your head about you, observation can guide you home and you may get the best interview of the entire trip when you ask questions about where you are.

That's making lemonade from lemons, isn't it? :)

The primary thing to keep in mind when you travel is to observe fully.

Use all the senses and jot down enough to keep the experience fresh in mind.

There is no such thing as "too much" detail or too much information. The more deeply you experience your trip, the easier it will be to write your article.

Exactly, Kim!

And that does it for my notes!

I don't get lost, I am lost.

:)

Thanks, Karen, LaVonne.

You're welcome Selene! :)

Let me run these last couple macros for anyone that's new here who wants access to our newsgroup and bbs.

This brings the Writer's Workshop to an official close for this week.

Join us next week, same time, same channel for a workshop on writing your travel article.

Kaati, that is the URL that gives our chat schedule, if you're interested.

Well, thanks for coming, all. See you on the boards and next week here!

Kaati, we have the writer's workshop here each Wednesday at 12 noon Pacific time.

Then there are other scheduled chats through the week.

And when there aren't scheduled chats, there are often folks in here enjoying general conversation.

12 noon pacific time. Adjust for your time zone!

Nice to meet you, too! Bye!