About the Course:

Travel writing has been transporting readers for centuries and remains a popular area of publishing. This workshop discusses the various genres, including trip reports/ travelogues,  postcards, marketing, but we’ll focus on travel writing as memoir. We’ll look at the elements of theme, structure, dialogue, descriptive language, and tone. You apply what you’ve learned in free-writing exercises that you can develop at home. The goal is to fully develop one polished travel essay (600-3,000 words) and generate material for future essays. All work generated will be considered for publication in Wanderlust-Journal.

 

Goals:

Consider the different genres of travel writing

Consider the motivations for travel writing as memoir

Complete free-writing exercises

Discuss how to conduct research as preparation

Discuss how to take field notes toward essays

Discuss how to reflect on the effect the travel had on you personally

Look at themes, dialogue, setting, cultures

Consider challenges and ethics of travel writing

Look at universality of experiences

Identify publishing outlets for your writing

Develop one first draft

Generate ideas for future pieces

 

Students:

Bring writing materials.

 

Presenter:

Sarah Leamy, MFA, is an award-winning travel writer, photographer, and Founder/Managing Editor at Wanderlust. She also runs Wild Dog Press, a micro-publisher of travelogues. www.sarahleamy.com

She has taught workshops at Overland Expo, Northwest Overland, as well as at USD, ASU, and VCFA colleges. Sarah also runs workshops for her community in New Mexico.