Society of American Travel Writers
Avoid clichés like the plague. Here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip from LA Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm: Cliches are easy to latch onto because they grow from kernels of truth but become so shopworn that they lose their punch. Worse, they can weigh down your otherwise crisp prose. They […]
In your writing, watch out for redundancies. Here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip from LA Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm: All bullies are mean, all jinxes are bad luck, and all redundancies are repetitive. We’ve all done it, and it’s embarrassing when we don’t catch it. Sometimes these creep into […]
Like what we wear, the way we write and talk changes. Certain things go in and out of fashion. But lately, we’ve noticed a bad fashion choice – the use of the word “so.” Here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip from LA Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm: The word “so” […]
Active voice makes for vibrant prose. Here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip from LA Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm. When we write, “The lumberjack chopped down the tree” or “Serena Williams crushed the shot over the net,” you can picture the action. But sometimes, we paint word pictures in the […]
Being a talented writer is just the beginning. To be successful, you also have to be great to work with. I’m Westways Travel Editor Elizabeth Harryman, and here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip. Be professional. That means turning your story in on deadline, on word count, and make sure the […]
It seems like, increasingly, publications want shorter and shorter articles. Don’t let that throw you. I’m Westways Travel Editor Elizabeth Harryman, and here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip. You can write tight and bright by following a few rules: Use Active Voice: Don’t say, “My story was ruined by an […]
Quotations are one of a writer’s most useful tools. I’m Westways Travel Editor Elizabeth Harryman, and here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip. Which of these two bits of text is more compelling: In Chesky Krumlov, a local guide in period dress gave us a tour of the town and explained that […]
In your writing, use all the senses. I’m Westways Travel Editor Elizabeth Harryman, and here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip. Most writers are pretty good at describing what they see. But they often neglect to use the other senses. Describing how things taste, feel, sound, and smell can fill in […]
What are “reliable sources?” I’m Westways Travel Editor Elizabeth Harryman, and here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip: When you research a topic, use accurate, trustworthy sources. If the tobacco industry funds a report on smoking, for example, the results might not be as reliable as a report done, say, by […]
Be your own editor. You can save yourself trouble and ingratiate yourself with your editor by taking some precautions before submitting your story. Here’s a 60-Second Travel Writer Tip from LA Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm: –After you’ve finished your story, walk away for a couple of hours; then come back […]