I read somewhere recently that Mick Jagger and Cate Blanchette were once asked what other profession they would of pursued if they hadn’t done what they currently do. Without any hesitation both answered,

“ We would have been travel writers.”

I have come to this profession rather late in life even though I always had a secret desire to pursue what is undoubtedly a ‘dream job.’ I spent years working as a copywriter and creative director and even though it paid the rent, contributed to my children’s education and kept those mortgage payments flowing to the bank, I was never really satisfied.

When advertising no longer held any appeal I was fortunate enough to be asked by a travel publication to write a piece on a small island in Indonesia.

Suddenly I found this harder than dreaming up a clever slogan for a consumer product for I realized that, whoever read the piece might just consider taking a journey to the destination I had just written about and that anything I said would be treated as ‘gospel’.

A few years into the job and in between writing a novel each year, I have had to developed a sense of responsibility and moreover, a new way to write so that my words do the destination justice and hopefully leads the reader on a journey of discovery.

So, for what its worth, here are my ten things you should know before throwing caution to the wind and chasing that ‘dream profession; but please keep in mind, I am still a novice!

MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY WRITE.

Most commissioned pieces are anywhere between 800 to 1200 words long. Within that short article you will have to, capture the ambience, explain how to get there, what to do once you are there. What to eat, where to sleep, what not to do …sometimes the list is endless. If you can’t craft a piece and cover almost everything in the allotted word count no editor will accept you.

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH.

Before go make sure you know. Stepping into an unfamiliar environment without at least some rudimentary knowledge of the destination will leave you high and dry. Work out a strategy before you arrive at the destination for if you do, you are halfway there.

DEVELOP YOUR POWERS OF OBSERVATION.

“See, and see more.” as Bill Bryson once said. The great travel writers of the world have developed this ability and in doing so are able to take you on magical journeys where the reader can ‘see’ the destination they are writing about.

READ ALL THE GREAT TRAVEL WRITERS.

The likes of Wallace, Twain, Young, Rabin and Marco Polo as well as hundreds of others who have captured the essence of their journeys through their fine writing. Ask yourself the question. Why do millions of people read their work?

Aspire to write like them.

TELL THE TRUTH.

Even if you are writing a ‘commissioned ‘ piece on a destination, a hotel or resort and it doesn’t live up to your expectations you have a duty to convey those particular shortcomings. Remember future travellers will be relying on your observations even if the owner of said resort might be a little miffed.

BE A COPIOUS NOTE TAKER.

It’s amazing how quickly a memory can fade. Something you have seen or experienced in a morning can, oh so quickly be forgotten by the afternoon so, write it down, for without your notes you will flounder like a fish out of water.

CHECK YOUR FACTS.

The information in an article has to be correct. Phone, e-mail and street addresses must be spot on as readers will be relying on these facts when they eventually arrive at the place that you have so glowingly promoted.

 LIVING BY DEADLINES.

Editors, TV stations and the like are relying on you to file a story on time, on budget and all within the brief. Miss a deadline and you might want to consider a career change to say…plumbing.

FIND A FIXER.

A fixer is the lifeblood of any journalist or travel writer. A good fixer will guide you through the ups and downs of an unfamiliar environment. Permits for no go areas, dealing with local officials, transport, out of the way areas …the list is endless. Having a great fixer can result in a great article.

BE A PASSIONATE (and  a responsible) TRAVELLER.

Travel is a wonderful education and, if you are someone who absorbs the experience like a sponge and want to tell others about it, you are well on your way. However, never forget that when on foreign soil you have a responsibility to the local populace to ‘do the right thing,” after all it is you who are the visitor.

Finally don’t expect to earn oodles of money doing this, but console yourself when sitting scribbling on a beach in Thailand on a Monday morning that it doesn’t get any better than that!