4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing Your Travel Article

When it comes to travel writing, editors are less interested in sending writers to try out five-star hotels and more interested in well-told stories that capture a place, feature memorable characters, and showcase a destination in a new and compelling light.

Whether you’re looking to break into the travel beat or want fresh travel writing ideas, read on for four key questions to ask yourself before pitching and writing your article.

What is new and fresh about this destination?

Harriet Baskas is a Seattle-based writer, radio producer, and author of the book, Hidden Treasures: What Museums Can’t or Won’t Show You. She recommends looking past landmarks and instead going behind the scenes.

Of her travels, she said, “I was going around to a lot of museums. My [favorite] question was, ‘Show me your favorite thing.’ And they said, ‘You think that’s interesting? Let me show you the back room!'” Seeing those undiscovered treasures “led to literally 20 years of stories.”

So if travel writing is your goal, find new, unusual angles for your stories. You’ll distinguish yourself from less creative freelancers, and you might just carve out a niche for yourself.

Which interesting characters did you meet?

As with crafting a work of fiction, a travel article or essay needs memorable characters.

Baskas said that on one assignment aboard a new flight on a new plane to a new destination, her fellow reporters were “writing about the chairs and the overhead bins. But I did my whole story about the person sitting next to me. I had eight hours to get this man’s story – it happened to be a great story!”

It was a story about that passenger, rather than the aviation geek writer.

So see if you can focus on a main character. Document that person’s insights, and leverage his or her voice to craft a compelling travel story for your readers.

What was the most memorable story of your trip?

When deciding what to write about, quit looking at your trip itinerary and instead think back to the most unforgettable moments.

For example, Writing Tools author Roy Peter Clark said that travel writers should capture details like the following: “Man in a black apron just flung a big fish from the back of a truck to a wheelbarrow. Missed my head by about 20 inches…”

Editors seek lively and underreported stories. So whether that means covering St. Tropez through the lens of a fishmonger or – as Baskas has done – covering Paris but focusing on the lock museum, hone in on your most surprising or funny travel tidbits, and take it from there.

What interests you about this place?

It’s easy to get sidetracked by what other writers are covering, whether it’s food trends, hot restaurants, or hip events. But remember to follow your reporterly instincts and focus on what you are interested in – no matter how unconventional your subject matter may be.

Baskas, for instance, has an obsession with airports. She said that if she had two free days in Paris, she wouldn’t head to the Eiffel Tower or the designer shops. “I would spend one full day at both the airports, walking around them, touring them to get the material,” she said.

Unlike other travel writers, Baskas highlights unique aviation-related finds on her blog Stuck At The Airport. “If I go somewhere,” she said, “I’m just interested in the airport, and no one else is.”

When writing about your travels, notice what you’re passionate about, who you meet, and what’s unexpected and distinct about a destination. This may make for more offbeat stories, but think about it: sometimes the most offbeat stories are the ones you’ll never forget.

Image courtesy of katerha/flickr