I recently took an online session on this topic ‘Travel (Inspired) Stories in association with Rustik Travel.
I spoke about the different types of travel writing with popular examples in each category. These included
Commercial Travel Writing (Guides, Destination Pieces, Blogs, Reference Books),
Travel Narratives Nonfiction (Essays, Articles, Memoirs, Travelogues, Odysseys) and
Travel Literature Fiction (Novels, Stories where characters are set around Travel)
Later, I focused on Travel Nonfiction and Fiction in specific, and spoke about the things to keep in mind while writing these two categories of Travel Inspired Writing.
Non-Fiction: Blogs, Columns, Travelogues:
- First Person Narration is more effective
- Start with the Inspiration or Anecdote
- Vivid Descriptions, Flow but not Chronological
- Don’t Write what’s already in the guidebooks (Check the Facts but don’t focus on them)
- Make it Informal but avoid cliches (sun-kissed beaches, lush greenery, breath-taking landscape)
- Be Careful about humour (unless you are Bryson)
- It is about the reader experiencing the journey
Fiction: Short Stories, Novels:
- Third Person Narration is best
- Start with Character and Significant Conflict (desire, love, anger, greed, revenge, anxiety)
- Destination is the background, the setting
- Show, Don’t Tell (not ‘I walked on the trail;, ‘The dry brown leaves crunched under my feet’)
- Use the Senses (not ‘the view was stunning’, ‘He couldn’t take his eyes off the view’)
- It is the Character’s Journey in the actual journey
I proceeded then to give a few examples of Travel Inspired Stories (Fiction) from my own work. I briefly touched upon the stories I have written inspired by my visits to Loktak Lake, Majuli Island and Dhordo Kutch.
The audience had a lot of questions which I addressed at the end of the session.
If you would like to listen to the recorded version of this session, check it out on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/5QlJNSTLDro?si=uADAxjsvdkZ6xKix
If you would like to see only the presentation, check it out on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/pZMaulpReZY?si=qc72OBf6vgtZyibl