Want to transform your trip into a feature that demands to be read? Start with this expert advice
A trip is not a story in itself, it’s just a series of events. Some of these events will be interesting (you made it up Kilimanjaro!) and some will not (you arrived back at the airport on time*). As a writer, your first job is to decide on the particular story you want to tell, and the events which make up that story.
To see the kinds of stories that get published, look at the bold line of introductory copy (known as ‘standfirsts’ in the trade) of articles in papers, magazines and websites. Try writing the standfirst for your own story, and then use it as your brief.
*Actually, that might be interesting, but only if your story was about how everything ran late in Tanzania.
a few journeys have a bodily goal (reaching the pinnacle of Kilimanjaro, crossing Costa Rica, seeing a tiger) that offers your article direction and motive. The reader (optimistically) sticks with you because they need to recognise in case you’ll achieve your intention.
but many trips don’t have an apparent intention; they may be greater approximately coming across a place, unpicking its history or assembly its human beings. In this case, create a personal purpose to provide your reader a sense of in which you’re taking them. Sentences like “I desired to discover…” or “i used to be eager to understand…” supply readers an concept of what’s to come back, as opposed to you surely plunging them into the unknown.
stories have characters, talk, tempo, plot, suspense, drama – they want shaping and setting up to maintain the reader's interest. as soon as you know your storyline, accumulate the experiences that suit it – and unload the rest. most travel articles can be 1,000 to two,000 words: that’s only 10-20 paragraphs. You don’t have time for detours.
you can start a travel article any way you like, as long because it grabs the reader’s attention. you can use drama, humour, talk, (or all 3) – however the ones first sentences need to grip like glue. maximum travel articles start in media res – in the thick of the story – after which backpedal to explain how you passed off to be in this case.
“appearance! There! The lions are on the prowl,” whispered Joseph. Or: we could see the lions fending off searching. Which sentence is extra interesting to study? speak brings a scene to life, offers character to the humans to your tale, and allows you to deliver crucial facts in a punchy way. whenever you journey, make notes of what humans say and how they are saying it.
