Transcript Denver, CO ● July 23-25, 2009 ● American Writer’s & Artists, Inc.

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
One of Substance…
…One of Style
“Nobody turns so quickly into a bore as
a traveler home from his travels. He
enjoyed his trip so much that he wants
to tell us all about it – and “all” is what
we don’t want to hear. We only want to
hear some. What made his trip different
from everybody else’s? What can he tell
us that we don’t already know?”
William Zinsser, On Writing Well
 The
beach was sandy
 The waves sloshed steadily in
We know!
 On
the beach, from the jagged high-tide
mark down to the retreating surf, slumped
thousands of jellyfish -- stranded gelatinous
blobs. So many it was like walking through
an acid-laced-Jello minefield.
 Ask
yourself:
• What was most significant?
• What image struck me as most noteworthy?
• What moment do I think about when I recall my
trip?
• What did I like best?
• Why will this place stay with me?
• Ten years from now, how will I refer to this trip?
“Nowhere else in nonfiction do writers
use such syrupy words and groaning
platitudes. Adjectives you would squirm
to use in conversation – “wondrous,”
“dappled,” “roseate,” “fabled,”
“scudding,” – are common currency.”
William Zinsser, On Writing Well
 Fashionable, quaint, pretty, lovely,
charming, upscale, idyllic, cozy, colorful,
fancy, beautiful…
 Don't really say anything
 What they say to you is not necessarily
what they say to your reader
Nestled on the edge of the Appalachian foothills, in
Adams County, Ohio, a one hour and 15 minute drive from
Cincinnati, is one of the most charming Bed and Breakfasts that
we have ever visited.
First, lets be honest. We are not Bed and Breakfast
people. We like fancy hotels with lots of service. We’ve stayed
at Bed and Breakfasts on occasion and felt crowded and
uncomfortable.
But our stay at Murphin’s Ridge Inn has changed our
opinion of the Bed and Breakfast experience.
This extraordinary inn is surrounded by 140 acres of
beautiful country, not far from the Amish community in the
area. No matter what the season, the Inn is awash with color. It
offers a cozy stopping place in beautiful, natural surroundings.
Now is the time to visit Australia. When it’s
summer in the United States, it’s winter in Australia. At
this time, prices are less, it’s less crowded and the
weather is mild, particularly in sub-tropical Brisbane,
the capital of Queensland state.
Many travel to Australia, spend time in Sydney
and Melbourne, then, maybe, fly northeast to Cairns
and the Great Barrier Reef. But consider visiting
Brisbane, third largest Australian city–but with a smalltown atmosphere. There is lots to experience, and it’s
easy to get around, while Aussie winter temperatures
are normally in the seventies.
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.
Summers, K.C., “Croatia reborn: The ravages of war over, tourists discover a south European gem.” Denver Post, May 21, 2005.
When I was growing up, Norfolk was
not a popular place for tourists – it was a
place where people just lived. And it was a
kind of rough-around-the-edges seaport
city. My friends, Mike and Ilona, who still
live in town, like to remind me that there
was a monkey at the zoo who’d smoke
cigarettes and flip kids the bird. That
monkey was the real Norfolk.
Berger, Thomas. “Of Time and Tides,” Budget Travel, July/August 2008
For coffee connoisseurs who like their java
undercover, Crave Café is the place to be. Nooks
lead to crannies that end in cubbies that reveal
walk-in closets sheltering a table and chair. The
furniture – mismatched couches, tables and chairs
– has been battered into comfortable submission.
The smoking section is a nest of rooms upstairs in
this converted frame house. Ask to see a menu; the
boards doesn’t list all of the house specials, such as
the Devil’s Frenzy (mocha with cayenne and
cinnamon, served very hot).
Forbes, Seanan, “Roast of the Town: Coffee Culture is Big Business in Kansas City.” MyMidwest, Nov./Dec. 2007
 Find
specific examples (small details =
big impact)
 Use more than just your eyes (what do
you hear, smell, feel?)
 Use descriptive verbs
 Rely
on more than just your eyes
 Count
 Pick up papers -- maps, brochures, local
newspapers and magazines, brochures,
postcards, menus, business cards
 Talk with locals
 Shop with locals
 Get into a local’s home
 Travel more
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