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How to write about a place? How to avoid making those broad generalizations and cute inside jokes that so often poison the journals of travel writers and tourists? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t pretend to be anything other than a tourist, but I guess I’m also learning to be a journalist, although that’s not my motivation.
I get frustrated sometimes in observing certain scenes and realizing that I won’t be able to convey them to my friends or family because I lack the facilities. I try to sketch, but I can only do buildings – and only just; same more or less goes for filming; so all that’s really left is writing.
Still, I feel as though even if I were a master of these media there’d still be something missing. Because it’s more than just the aesthetic of a place in time, more than the buildings and people, sounds and action: it’s a feeling of being ”there.” It’s so powerful, and it can be beautiful, or sad, or humbling, but I always struggle to describe it.
I guess that's what drives me to write.
Anyway, not sure if these blogs are supposed to be strictly related to SC. Hopefully not.
Cheers,
elgran.
 
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You could purchase what is known as a photographic camera, what this does is capture an image of what you point it at, suspending it in time along with the souls of those you capture, trapping them between worlds and denying their eternal being from transcending to the afterlife.
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I've never tried anything like this, but I suspect the only answer is practice. Blogs here are not at all restricted to SC, so this might be a great venue to practice writing about places you've visited, while asking for constructive criticism.
I also support the above poster's suggestion to include pictures. I'd imagine they'd go a long way to bolster the reading experience, while possibly providing a focal point (or series of points) for your exposition.
The other suggestion I might make is simply to read a lot of travel writing. I'm sure a lot of it is bad or has various stylistic aspects which are distasteful to you, but there must be some good stuff out there. I have personally quite enjoyed selections from collections such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Travel-Writing-2008/dp/B001TODOAE/ref=pd_sim_b_8 Besides, even if you do read a lot of crap I should think it's fairly useful to know how you don't want to sound as well as knowing how you do.
Anyway, as I said I know nothing about this sort of thing, but I hope that's at least marginally helpful. Good luck!
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Canada2480 Posts
you should try to write something and have us look at it, it's hard to throw some general tips without a sample of your writing.
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On July 22 2011 12:23 floor exercise wrote:
You could purchase what is known as a photographic camera, what this does is capture an image of what you point it at, suspending it in time along with the souls of those you capture, trapping them between worlds and denying their eternal being from transcending to the afterlife.
I just realized that I didn't include that in my list of things that I'm not good at but would still be somehow inadequate even if I were. There's a lot of technique and even some artistry in good photography (I'm a broadcast journalism major, and I work with cameras a lot) that I don't possess. Framing, composition, etc. are all crucial in trying to capture the image you want to capture. I'll include some pictures in future posts, especially if what I'm describing hasn't been widely documented (if it has I'll just google image or something).
I'm working on a piece about a trip I made recently to Mendoza, Argentina, so I'll post that when I'm done. Thanks for your help/interest!
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On July 22 2011 12:35 Freyr wrote:The other suggestion I might make is simply to read a lot of travel writing. I'm sure a lot of it is bad or has various stylistic aspects which are distasteful to you, but there must be some good stuff out there. I have personally quite enjoyed selections from collections such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Travel-Writing-2008/dp/B001TODOAE/ref=pd_sim_b_8 Besides, even if you do read a lot of crap I should think it's fairly useful to know how you don't want to sound as well as knowing how you do. Anyway, as I said I know nothing about this sort of thing, but I hope that's at least marginally helpful. Good luck!
Yeah that is a good idea. I'm a journalism student so I've got a more efficient writing style than a lot of my fellow amateurs, but I try to be descriptive. I really admire the imagery of Mark Twain, Steinbeck, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, so if you've read any of them you might notice when I try to imitate them XD
Thanks for you advice!
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And to clarify a bit, I'm not so much aiming to do travel writing per se, more the kind of personal journalism of Orwell in Down and Out in Paris and London.
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Well uh, i know no ones posted in a while, but i thought that maybe if anyone is interested, you may want to check this out, or even email subscribe to it. Two of my friends have decided that they want to go traveling in South America, while im crazy about the intro thing they left on the blog, i support them. They're basically leaving with no particular plan or objective, just to go down there for years probably and see what happens. They left yesterday, and in about an hour or so they will land and begin their journey in Quito Ecuador. Edwin i think is like 23, while Spencer is 19 or 20, i think 20. They got a big backpack rippling with things they're bringing, and are hoping to document their journey/adventure throughout South America on this blog:
http://dirtroads-southamerica.blogspot.com/
Both are from Southern California, USA
don't hate cause their American's you fools, if you do your a straight idiot.
anywho, i thought others would appreciate maybe following my two friends on their long adventure that will probably take years and years.
Enjoy!
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EPT
