Dear Writer,
There is art and craft to travel writing.
The art is in identifying the best story subjects from your travels.
The craft is in portraying these subjects in a captivating narrative and weaving them together as a book, or blog to engage an audience.
We will be working on honing both these aspects in the next 12 weeks (or more if needed).
But the first step is to find out what you will be focusing on while traveling and what particular aspects of it you want to portray in your writing.
Writing a good travel story depends very much on finding the right subject or topic. A good topic is usually a marriage of passion and connection. You would want to choose a subject that will allow you to infuse your own story with the story of the place you are writing about. Only then you will be able to write with conviction.
To figure that out, it’s important to know what are you naturally drawn to while traveling.
Are you drawn to nature or architecture?
Do you prefer to explore the culinary places or art galleries?
Do you enjoy festivals, culture, and people or are you a history buff?
Are you a luxury traveler or do you like to travel on a shoestring budget?
Do you like to explore the heart of the city or the far-flung hinterlands?
Do you gravitate towards adventurous expeditions or spiritual journeys?
Knowing your inherent travel interests will determine the focus of your memoir and the type of topics you should choose to write about.
A notable example is
’s captivating travel memoir Eat Pray And Love. Right from the beginning, she highlights the central themes of the book: food, prayer, and love. She takes readers on a journey through Italian cuisine, meditation, and ashrams in India, and the experience of falling in love in Indonesia. The majority of the stories she presents in the book revolve around these key subjects.However, beneath the surface, the book carries a much deeper theme. It delves into a profound spiritual exploration, with the overarching theme being the quest for truth, equilibrium, and significance—something the author may not have initially realized when embarking on her writing journey.
Here’s the thing about the 'theme’ of your memoir. You don’t have to know from the beginning what it is going to be. You will figure it out as you go. After you have written a few stories, you will start realizing what are you seeking and what are you learning through your journey.
That's our plan. We'll select a handful of elements to be the focal points of our travel writing, and as we craft our stories, we'll uncover the underlying theme along the way.
This is what I propose we do:
Write a story a day (between 200 to 500 words) either from our current travels, previous travels, or as backyard travelers (those who will be exploring their own hometown and writing about it).
When we have written about 100 pieces, we will string them together in a book like Elizabeth Gilbert has done in Eat Pray And Love. That will be our travel memoir.
Eat Pray And Love consists of 108 chapters mirroring the count of beads found on Hindu and Buddhist prayer strings known as japa malas. The initial 36 chapters of the book detail the author’s time in Italy, followed by 36 chapters recounting her ashram experience in India, and the final 36 chapters dedicated to her stay in Indonesia.
While the book has the narrative flow of a novel, it is primarily composed of diary entries, richly infused with intricate details designed to immerse readers in the places she explores, the people she encounters, and the profound personal journey she undertakes.
That will be our aim too.
Let’s begin with finding the focus of your memoir.
Today’s Lesson and Writing Prompt: Finding Focus For Your Travel Memoir
Think about your recent trip and ask yourself a simple question: what impassioned you the most?
When you meet people and they ask, “So how was Vietnam (or whatever place you had been to)?’ what’s the first story that comes to mind? Focus on that story. Because, for some reason, your internal filter has decided that, that particular story embodies the quintessence of your trip.
Examine why this story particularly appeals to you and consider how it connects with you on a personal level. Reflect on the sense of connection and resonance it has evoked within you.
Is it so unusual that it stands out simply as an extraordinary travel experience? Or does it have a deeper meaning?
This is the seed of your story: seize it, explore it, look at it from different angles, draw it out. Think about what it means to you.
Ultimately, travel is all about connections - connections outside us and connections inside us. If you can bring those connections to life in your work, the readers will connect with your connections and your piece will remind them forever of the fundamental joys of traveling.
Today’s Exercise
In your notebook, (which you have assigned to do your travel writing from the previous week’s assignment) write detailed responses to these questions.
What are your travel passions?
Think about your three most recent trips. Which activities were common to all three?
What are the things you seek out when you travel, the experiences that really move you? Why?
Make a list of three things you love to do while traveling. For each consider the following: Why do you love it and what have you learned by doing it?
Could these be the focus of your memoir?
Please share your findings in the comments section.
Start here to join me in this exciting journey of writing a travel memoir.
If you are just starting here is the previous lesson:
#167: Let's Write A Travel Memoir
To write more books in the coming months, find more info here.
That’s all from me this week.
See you next Friday.
So, what are your travel passions? What are the things you seek out when you travel, the experiences that really move you? Why? What do you love to do while traveling? Why do you love it and what have you learned by doing it?
I’m on a road trip with a long-time friend to New Brunswick this weekend. For this trip my writing focus is, naturally, food...specifically convenience store snacks purchased along the way. I’m jotting notes about each store we’re stopping at and their surroundings. Your prompt and questions are timely, and I’m hoping to shape the notes into a flash piece later this week!