7 Golden Rules of Travel Writing

Updated: Mar 27th, 2010

Did you ever hear of the “golden rule?” The golden rule states to “treat others as you would want to be treated.” This is great advice for anyone who is about to travel, especially if you’re visiting a foreign country.

Most travel writers are probably unaware of the “golden rules of travel writing.” Whether you’re an aspiring or experienced travel writer, it’s good to know and review the golden rules of travel writing. These rules can help you stay on track with your writing. Refer to them at anytime if you’re stuck or need inspiration.

Golden Rules

  1. Travel as much as you can. It’s not necessary for you to travel around the world. Travel within your own backyard and discover something new and then write about it. Your discoveries will be interesting to someone, somewhere.
  2. Write every day. Even if you write for an hour each day, the point is to write! This is a great way to improve upon your travel writing skills.
  3. Read publications such as National Geographic and Travel + Leisure Magazine. If you have a plan to reach a goal of writing for one of these publications then start by reading them. This is a great way to learn what types of articles are printed. Pay attention to the style and tone of each article.
  4. Take a travel writing course or two. It will not hurt you to sign up for a travel writing course. Review our Top 10 Writing Courses and find a course that best suits your needs.
  5. Join a writing group. You can join writing groups online or where you live. Visit Meetup.com and see what’s available. Make sure to check out your local bookstore because they usually have book clubs and writing groups.
  6. Purchase a couple of travel writing books. Visit our Top 10 Travel Writing Books sections and buy a book or two. L. Peat O’Neil’s book See the World, Sell a Story is a fantastic book. It’s packed with useful information and you’ll find great resources at the end.
  7. Do not give up! Sometimes success takes time. Avoid giving up too soon before your dream is realized. Go with the flow and detach from your dream. This may sound contradictory from what you’re used to doing. If you hold onto something and try to force it to happen, you can sabotage your dream. Take a step back, breathe deep, and just write. Visualize yourself being a travel writer but do not become obsessed with it. If you do, you” put out an energy that reeks of desperation. You’ll create situations where you find yourself feeling desperate all of the time. This will only hinder your chances of being successful in travel writing.

Follow these golden rules and your travel writing will be good as gold! Refer back to them as often as you need to do so. It’s important to nurture your travel writing and yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey you take to get there!

Rebecca

About Amandah Blackwell 198 Articles

Amandah Blackwell is a creative, freelance and ghost writer for industries that include but are not limited to the arts & entertainment, travel, publishing, real estate, pets, personal and professional development, and much more.

Amandah's personal writing projects include screenplays, teleplays, YA, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. 

You can find more of her writing at www.MisticCafe.com, savvywritingcareers.wordpress.com, and www.savvy-writer.com.

You can follow Amandah on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/savvy_writer

4 Comments

  1. This is so cool! I just love your book because it’s “jammed packed” with such good and useful information! I will definitely check out Pyrenees Pilgrimage.

    I will be traveling to OH in a few weeks with my kitten. I will be writing about it because I know traveling with pets can be an experience, especially during the holiday season:)

  2. Lots of scope for articles — traveling with kitty, making new friends through kat-tales, finding a convenient place to do the litter box….Are you driving, flying, train? Each offers different challenges I suspect.

  3. I’ll be flying the friendly skies on Dec. 26. It will be interesting. I’m not sure if I’ll take a cab to the airport or drive and park. Plus, the little kitty needs a certificate to say he’s ok to fly…Oh! Boy!

    This is my first time flying with a pet so it will be an adventure:)

Sorry, Commenting is automatically closed on all Posts older than two years.

Some links on this page do earn us a small amount of money if you click on them and make a purchase. Not much, maybe enough for a cup of coffee or a beer, but we would never recommend any item if we didn't believe in it's value to you. Plus, every little bit helps keep this site going and helps us continue to provide you with great information.  We appreciate your support!