Thursday, October 12, 2006

 

To teach an alternative travel writers class at The Loft

Recieved confirmation this morning from the Loft in Minneapolis (www.loft.org) that my alternative travel writing class proposal was accepted and I'm scheduled to teach next spring.

Tuesdays, March 13-April 17 from 9:30-11:30 am

Here's an overview of the class. Please help me spread the word!

Overview: Alternative Travel Writing with Deborah McLaren

Learn what it takes to be an alternative travel writer, from pre-trip research and note taking to selective observation. Discuss story ideas; create structure for your story; and turn recollections into a draft travel piece. Be prepared to write in class: choose a past trip or a familiar travel destination for your topic; bring notes, travel guidebooks, photos, postcards, journals, promotion material, clippings, and any other source materials. Be prepared to discuss ethics in travel writing as well as various forms of “alternative travel,” such as ecotourism, voluntourism, cross-cultural exchanges, off-the-beaten path. The program is fast paced: lots of reporting, writing, rewriting, and first-hand experience, and then writing about it. Each student is expected to produce at least one draft by the course’s end.

Through readings, written assignments and individual critiques, students will gain a practical grasp of these techniques.

Alternative travel writers introduce readers to places where they can experience something that is not mass-marketed and often promotes locally grown food and products, activities such as hiking and biking, birding, art events, touring farms and wineries, etc. What types of corresponding photographs or artwork, such as maps, can help promote your piece?

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

 

BlogsRHard

So I started this blog in June before I left to travel India with my son. My last blog was on June 8th!!!!! Its been a long, strange trip. And India was FABULOUS. Especially meeting the fisherpeople in the coastal villages of Tamil Nadu. They are recovering slowly from the Dec 04 tsunami. Some interesting, magical things have happened there because of the tsunami. I'll try to write about that soon.

As a newbie blogger, I should be in serious detention. Luckily there is no one to put me in detention and I basically just feel sheepish. Any advice to help get me blogging on a more regular basis would be great. In India I just never seemed to have the time when I had access to the internet.

Well, let's see if I can turn a page (take a different route?) here.

Tomorrow (Oct 12) is the Minnesota Magazine Celebration at the Loft in Minneapolis - check it out at http://www.mmpa.net/. I'm looking forward to that - to meet other writers, editors and publishers and to network with writers about some of the magazines I'm associated with - especially Transitions Abroad www.transitionsabroad.com/ and Tika for Children http://www.tikapublications.com/.

I hope to go through all of my emails and look up some of the most promising sutainable travel information I've recieved to post and discuss. It would be great fun to round up my local colleagues and organize a travel talk night in the Twin Cities this fall.

Stay tuned.... I PROMISE TO TRAVEL TALK MORE OFTEN!

Happy Trails,
Deborah

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