Since the advent of the internet, everyone and their uncle has been offering advice on travel writing. Most of this advice is well meaning, but much of it is outdated, ineffective or just misinformed. Therefore, it needs debunking.
Pooling the extensive travel writing knowledge of our writers, we’ve come up with a shortlist of questionable tips that are regurgitated online again and again. So, without further ado, here are four bad tips that are best ignored.
In travel writing, endings matter. They are the last words the audience will read and, when done well, they have a tendency to linger. A good ending is the feeling or image that survives, the thing that keeps the story alive and kicking in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished the article.
In our last writers’ blog, we dealt with the all-important opener. This time round, we’re turning our attention to the equally important conclusion. It may come last, but the ending should never be an afterthought.
Travel writing endings need to not only alert readers to the fact that the story is over, but they also need to reinforce the main points of the article. The chronological end to your experience is usually not the best choice (embarking on a return flight does not make a good finale); you’ll need to come up with something better. Anyone who regularly reads travel content will be aware that the quote has become a fairly standard way of wrapping things up. And although a juicy end quote can be extremely effective, it’s a trick that is fast becoming overused.
With that in mind, here are three other travel writing techniques that can help spice up your finale.
Good written travel content is the result of three main factors: an interesting idea, solid research and great writing. Attaining these goals is easier than you think; it’s all about the habits you form. Just as bad habits can ensure bad content, developing good habits can ensure consistency and quality throughout your written travel content.
Here are seven habits that we think are well worth forming…
When it comes to writing blog posts or web copy, your headline is your first impression. It is an ultimate do-or-die chance to grab attention and impress your reader. If you fail, everything else you’ve written is as good as wasted.
In the age of information overload, every Tom, Dick and Harry from Timbuktu to Slough is peddling content. But the truth is that no normal human being can possibly keep up with the constant onslaught. As a result, audiences have become extra discerning, quickly scanning and skimming through headlines to decide what is and isn’t of interest. The only weapon for content producers in the fight for clicks is an alluring, attention-grabbing headline. To help you reel in the readers, we’ve outlined the best approaches to writing killer headlines for your content…
