Transcript The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop

Denver, CO ● July 23-25, 2009 ● American Writer’s & Artists, Inc.
By Jennifer Stevens
AWAI’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program  Denver, CO  July 2009
Big Secret # 4
Short articles are easier to
write and easier to sell.
4
 “Front-of-the-book” / “Back-of-the-book”
 Less
intimidating than longer pieces
 Easy to define what goes in and what
does not
 Quick to produce
 Easier to sell – vast and varied audience
 Can pay more, in the end
A little mudslinging, for fun
Ju-min Park
BORYEONG, South Korea -- Katy Mancewicz's bathing suit was a
mess, covered with grayish goo. She'd never been dirtier, or happier.
"We are having so much fun. We've decided to become children
today," the 24-year-old English teacher said.
Every July, this city of 100,000 gets down and dirty in what has
become one of South Korea’s most participatory summer spectacles: the
Boryeong Mud Festival.
Mud appears everywhere: It's rubbed into people's faces, thrown at
baby strollers, caked on as a beauty treatment. There are mud fountains, mud
pools, mud slides.
The free, nine-day festival was started almost by accident in 1998 in
this beach city two hours from Seoul. Several local businesses had
developed a mud-based cosmetic product that wasn't selling.
Then somebody came up with a promotional gambit: Throw a little
mud and the customers would come, they guessed.
According to Boryeong officials, more than 2 million people were
expected to attend this year's festival, which ends Sunday.
And no worries about getting the mud off, organizers say. The sticky
substance is saturated with minerals and provides skin-care benefits, they
say.
Chicago Tribune, July 19, 2009
(182 Words)
Cowboy up
In January, the stock show comes to Denver
Before Denver got all sophisticated, with renovated lofts and urban-chic restaurants, it was
basically a cow town. The city returns to its roots every January during the big National Western
Stock Show, and city streets sprout more Stetsons than a hat factory.
You can spend days roaming the stock show's 100 acres, shopping for stuff like hats, boots, and
spurs. But the best way to get in touch with your inner cowpoke is to just wander this giant animal
extravaganza, filled with cattle, goats, horses, llamas, poultry, rabbits, sheep, swine, and, yes, yaks.
Everyone seems to gravitate to the Stadium Arena, which shows 20 different types of cows ― a few
beefy specimens weigh in at more than 2,500 pounds each. And families can spend hours in the
Children's Ranchland, checking out piglets, chickens, and 46 types of rabbits. A free barn tour
gives visitors the lowdown on all the animals.
At night, chow down alongside the cowboys in the National Western Bar & Grill Steakhouse (on the
stock show grounds), or take in one of the night's big arena events, like Dancing Horses (they
perform in choreographed moves) or a rodeo.
If you miss the stock show, Arvada's Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering, where prairie laureates
with names like Buckshot Dot and Buffalo Bill Boycott hold forth, will help you make the cowboy
connection. After a day spent soaking up the atmosphere, you may feel the urge to get a sharp new
Stetson yourself.
Showtime: The National Western Stock Show runs Jan 8–23 ($7–$9; 4655 Humboldt St., Denver;
888/551-5004). The Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering is Jan 13–16 ($12–$24; 6901 Wadsworth
Blvd., Arvada; 720/898-7200).
-- Lora J. Finnegan (280 words)
Sunset, 2009
London’s New Gastro-Sleep
In the past, you had to head far out of London to the bucolic
villages of the Cotswolds or Berkshires for a stay in one of England’s
stylish gastro inns: homey pubs with locally sourced, seasonal fare
and cozy, antique-stuffed bedrooms. But with the opening of Gordon
Ramsay’s York & Albany (gordonramsay.com), travelers seeking a
quintessential English country inn experience don’t have to venture
beyond the fringes of London’s Regent Park.
Housed in a restored Regency coach house, the hotel’s ten
shabby chic rooms have pastel walls, original sash windows, and
chunky vintage armoires. But the real draw is the casual yet
sophisticated downstairs eatery, helmed by Michelin-starred Ramsay
protégé Angela Hartnett. The three-course prix fixe lunch menu will
set you back less than $30 for unfussy, elegantly prepared offerings
like rump of Cornish lamb. On warm days, head through the rustic
stable doors to the hotel’s stone-cobbled Italian deli, where staff will
pack up a tempting array of home-cured meats and artisanal cheeses
for an alfresco picnic. – Joni Rendon
(168 words)
National Geographic Traveler, July/August 2009
 100-500
words
 TOO BIG -- “New York on a Budget”
 BETTER -- “Under $9: The Best-Kept Sushi
Lunch Secret in New York”
 Structure
is simple:
• Grab your reader’s attention
• Tell her what your piece is about
• Offer some details, evidence to support your
idea
• Practical details (like pricing, hours, etc.)
Read this.
When will we be there? I'm hungry! I need to go
to the bathroom! My feet hurt! This song has been sung
from many a back seat, on many a trail, from coach and
first class alike. Those of you who travel with children
know that it is they who provide the true adventure
regardless of where you actually go. So would you dare
to take them on a multi-day jaunt into the wilderness?
The answer is a resounding yes but with a few helpful
pointers, a few words of caution, and a few exercises for
your patience level.
I have never been a great fan of the Holiday Inn.
Strapping on a pack with everything I need for the next
two weeks is far more my style. To add the adventure of
it all I usually decide to vacation somewhere between
two weeks and two hours before I actually leave. Family
and friends who find my vacation planning habits
agitating at best and down right scary at worst,
assumed I'd change once my first child arrived. They
actually believed I'd trade in my hiking boots for a pair
of sandals or running shoes.
13
What is that article
about?
14
Now read this…
15
Edward crouched down on the trail and leaned
over, his face six inches from a row of ants busily
hauling home lunch. His two-year-old brother,
sensing excitement, began to chant, “Want down,
want down,” from his perch in the carrier backpack.
I hadn’t sprung him for the caterpillar sighting
or the lady bugs, so I figured ants were as good an
excuse as any to let the little guy walk.
On an overnight wilderness weekend with
young children, you begin to fall into a routine –
hike, discover something interesting, snack… hike,
discover something interesting, snack.
To the uninitiated, camping and trekking with
kids might sound overly ambitious, but armed with
the right gear (and realistic expectations), you’ll
find it the highlight of your summer.
Here are six tips to guarantee a successful
expedition:
16
What is that article
about?
17
When will we be there? I'm hungry! I need to go to the bathroom!
My feet hurt! This song has been sung from many a back seat, on many a
trail, from coach and first class alike. Those of you who travel with children
know that it is they who provide the true adventure regardless of where you
actually go. So would you dare to take them on a multi-day jaunt into the
wilderness? The answer is a resounding yes but with a few helpful pointers,
a few words of caution, and a few exercises for your patience level.
I have never been a great fan of the Holiday Inn. Strapping on a
pack with everything I need for the next two weeks is far more my style. To
add the adventure of it all I usually decide to vacation somewhere between
two weeks and two hours before I actually leave. Family and friends who find
my vacation planning habits agitating at best and down right scary at worst,
assumed I'd change once my first child arrived. They actually believed I'd
trade in my hiking boots for a pair of sandals or running shoes.
18
Edward crouched down on the trail and leaned over, his face six
inches from a row of ants busily hauling home lunch. His two-yearold brother, sensing excitement, began to chant, “Want down, want
down,” from his perch in the carrier backpack.
I hadn’t sprung him for the caterpillar sighting or the lady bugs,
so I figured ants were as good an excuse as any to let the little guy
walk.
On an overnight wilderness weekend with young children, you
begin to fall into a routine – hike, discover something interesting,
snack… hike, discover something interesting, snack.
To the uninitiated, camping and trekking with kids might sound
overly ambitious, but armed with the right gear (and realistic
expectations), you’ll find it the highlight of your summer.
Here are six tips to guarantee a successful expedition:
19
Four Surefire Openers…
1. Tell a relevant story
2. Open mid-conversation or mid-action
3. Use a stunning statistic
4. “Paint a picture” with a vivid description
(NOTE: These work for all kinds of
articles, not just short ones!)
Picasso’s Provence
The south of France is Cezanne country, but this summer it’s all
about Picasso. His chateau is open through September, and you’ll
see his work everywhere– even in a rock quarry. by Meg
Zimbeck
When Pablo Picasso moved to Province in his 70s in
1959, it was partly to escape the glare of public life in Cannes,
but mostly to be closer to Ste.-Victoire, the mountain near Aixen-Provence that served as the subject of more than 40
paintings by Paul Cezanne, who Picasso called, “my one and
only master.” After buying Chateau de Vauvenargues, at the
base of the mountain, Picasso contacted his dealer, DanielHenry Kahnweiler. “I have just bought Cezanne’s Ste.-Victoire,”
he boasted. “Which one?” the dealer asked, assuming Picasso
was referring to a painting. “The original!” The artist replied.
Budget Travel, July/August 2009
Croatia Reborn: The ravages of war over,
tourists discover a south European gem
By K.C. Summers
The dour old woman was straight out of central casting,
Mediterranean division: short and stocky, wearing a shapeless black dress
and shawl, her gray hair in a bun. As I followed her up the stairs of her narrow
stone house outside Dubrovnik's Old Town, I wondered just what kind of room
she was renting me. At $50 a night, I couldn't be too picky. Then she threw
open the bedroom shutters.
Outside the window was a Southern European trifecta: blue sea, red
tile roofs, towering cliffs.
Gasp-worthy? Absolutely. But along Croatia's Adriatic coast, it's the
standard-issue view.
Minutes later I joined the mix of locals and tourists at the massive Pile
Gate, one of two entrances to Stari Grad, or Old Town.
Denver Post, May 21, 2005
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London’s Best Affordable Food
The culinary energy in London has shifted from celebrity-chef
restaurants to fun, funky street markets. Writer Anya von Bremzen
picks her three favorites and lines up for griddled Japanese
pancakes and chorizo sandwiches.
Although it was founded in AD 1014, Borough Market
has only been at its present location south of the Thames for
250 years. Packed with stalls, shops, pubs, and small
restaurants, the market helped spark London’s food
renaissance almost a decade ago and remains a prime
destination for snacking and for buying ingredients like
buffalo Parmesan cheese or Scottish venison sausage.
Food and Wine, July 2009
The Best Welcome in North America
By Jennifer Stevens
It's 11 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind is whipping blade-like
off the St. Lawrence River. Locals, shoulders hunched into the blow,
keep warm under fur trapper hats and long, black wool overcoats.
On snow-dusted cobblestone streets, against a backdrop of 18thcentury stone buildings with ceiling-high windows and gargoyled
porticos, we might as well be in Europe -- in a Victor Hugo novel.
You could argue Montreal wasn't the most prudent choice in
a two-night getaway in March. But it turns out the cold lingers only on
the streets. In the candle-lit cafes, the hearth-toasted restaurants, the
steamy-windowed coffee shops, the welcome -- always offered in
both French and English -- is unfailingly warm.
In winter, Montreal is all about ducking into tidy retreats
where you can thaw your ears and eat well. We’ve done both with
grand success…
International Living
 Description
approach
 Image… image… image…
Colorado Springs Excursion…
High Country Drama: Mueller State Park, Colorado
Down at your feet in the meadow grass,
impossibly purple wildflowers and white yarrowblossom bouquets… look up, and you’ll see range after
range of snow-capped peaks and the ridges of the
Continental Divide, mountains to the horizon…
overhead, a cobalt blue sky… and the rustle of aspens,
like the sound of paper bells…
Just 45 minutes from downtown Colorado
Springs, up and around the back side of Pikes Peak,
you’ll find yourself well into the Rockies at Mueller
State Park. It’s the easiest, most-rewarding, most
undiscovered way to experience Colorado’s mountain
drama.
Affordable First-Class Pampering at
Bethany’s New Rose Inn
Six-hundred thread count sheets… a Bose surroundsound system… and a mint-green cloth ribbon tied around the
four-stack of washcloths on the bathroom vanity. At the Rose
Inn -- a new establishment opened surf side in Bethany Beach,
DE -- no detail has gone neglected. I was sitting on our private
balcony, feet up on the rail, when a knock at the door brought a
steward offering a complimentary cocktail. 'Can I offer you a
glass of wine, or a gin and tonic?' he suggested.
If you’re looking for good-value pampering close to
Washington, DC, you’ll not find a more satisfying weekend
excursion than one spent pampered at “the Rose.”
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