Gone are the days where travel writing is something that you can only find in magazines and books. These days, anyone can become a travel writer as many people take to blogs to display their travel writing. That said, a travel writer still needs to be able to create quality writing that’s well written. If writing is something that you’re passionate about, then it’s a skill that can be improved. Along with some mistakes you should avoid, consider the tips below on how to improve your travel writing.

Be broad

It’s important to not just read one style of travel writing. You need to make sure that you read lots of different topics and styles so that you pick up on the different techniques that are used and you may even find that you get some new ideas/thoughts.

Research other travel writers

A great way of improving your travel writing is to get yourself familiar with other people’s travel writing.  You will need to seek out successful writers and spend some time reading their work. 

Sources

The internet is not always the most creative and individual source to turn to, so you need to make sure that your sources are interesting and correct. A good tip would be to create your travel writing from your own experiences before you head to the internet. This way, your piece will be individual and not something that’s already out there for others to read. Where the internet is useful is that it’s a great source for inspiration,  checking facts and ideas. However, when it comes to fact-checking, make sure that you are using authority sites.

Keep it simple

It’s great to have a wide vocabulary but you need to make sure that you write to suit your style so you don’t need to use complicated words, phrases or sentences. Try and stick to language that you tend to use everyday day and avoid being over smart if it’s not really you. Travel writing needs to sound natural and your personality should come through in your writing.

It’s also important to avoid fluff just so that you hit a particular word count. Ideally, you want to avoid cliches and keep your sentences simple. Avoid using words such as ‘amazing’ or ‘stunning’ as they’re just overused.  It’s better to be more specific and try to describe things in your own words.

Take notes

The best travel writers are able to bring their travel experiences to life. Think about how a place smelt or made you feel. It’s the small details that really help your readers to capture the feeling that they are traveling with you. 

When you are on the move and traveling, it’s not always easy to remember small details so it’s important to carry a notebook or a dictaphone with you so that you can document your experiences. By making these notes, you’ll find that your memories will be sharper when it comes to writing your travel piece.

Subscriptions

It is worth signing up for subscriptions and publications such as broadsheet newspapers or the National Geographic. If you read these daily, you’ll soon get to grips with the techniques behind travel writing. 

Your experiences 

In order to be a successful travel writer, you need to have had plenty of experiences so that your writing is genuine and portrays a destination correctly. If you are a frequent traveler but finding it difficult when it comes to your writing, then you may need to consider an experience that goes against the grain for you. For instance, if you’re just the usual tourist when you’re traveling then when you go to your next destination, you could try and communicate with the locals. This way you will be able to add the perspective of a local person to your writing. 

Begin writing

As with anything, practice is key and that’s certainly the case when it comes to travel writing.  The first piece of travel writing that you do will never be your best, but you need to just have the confidence to begin. You’ll soon see that the more you write, you’ll soon develop your own style and voice. If you’re new to writing then it may be worth looking at doing an online writing course or reading a book related to travel writing. Although practicing something is a great way to learn,  you do need to have a good grasp of the basics. 

Avoid order

Writing does not need to begin at the start and then follow through to the end. You don’t need to follow a specific structure. It may be that you have different things to write about that don’t necessarily flow in order and that’s fine. Once you’ve got everything down on paper, you can look over it all and rearrange it to suit.

Professional writing services

Professional paper writing services like AdvancedWriters are also a good way of making sure that you get what you need from a piece. These services will be able to take your idea and develop it further. You will be able to have as much or as little input as you wish, whilst at the same time ensuring good quality work.   

The completed piece

Once you have completed your piece of travel writing it is worth printing it out and then reading it out aloud.  This will help you to spot if there are any changes that you need to make. You’re also more likely to spot any errors that you have made if you read your work aloud.