Comments on: Rolf’s advice from Lonely Planet’s guide to travel writing

By: Rolf Potts

Rolf Potts — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:01:40 +0000

Shashi, it sounds like the best bet for you is guidebook writing, as that will give you more leeway to focus on informative material.

Mike, the best way to use your blog as a springboard to other writing opportunities is simply to write as well (and choose your topics as interestingly) as possible. Good, insightful, entertaining writing always stands out.

And Paul, my best advice for having a blog you can look back on and share with friends/family is to keep things brief and punchy and simple. Don’t overwhelm the reader with too much info every day — just focus on the best, most colorful stories and pictures.

Good luck everyone!

By: paul

paul — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:44:21 +0000

hey man, quick question. i’ve been keeping a travel blog for myself with no real intentions of pursuing travel writing. but i’d like to look back someday and share the blog with friends and family. any advice for how to make it more interesting?

theramblingsofawanderingmind.wordpress.com

By: Katie, Tripbase

Katie, Tripbase — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:08:03 +0000

very insightful stuff. Interesting how perceived glamor doesn’t always live up to reality…!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:58:20 +0000

Thank Rolf, good advice here for those wishing to share this lifestyle you have led. It is really exciting to read that this website was a huge pitch to the Salon! I hope that we can do the same thing with our website. Please let me know if you have any recommendations or have to time to check it out. Thanks again for all of this great advice. Abandon the Cube

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:39:37 +0000

This is a great interview. Thank you for clarifying the difference between writing for newspapers and magazines. Also, thanks for the insight into what constitute “bad travel writing.” I agree that you must be able to tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

By: Great Advice From Rolf Potts « Voyageek

Great Advice From Rolf Potts « Voyageek — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:47:34 +0000

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By: Shashi

Shashi — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:48:13 +0000

Wise words those! Thanks a lot Rolf.
Could you let me know if you have some ideas about approaching travel writing in a technical kind of way, with it having a lot of history, culture, in-depth matter about architecture and music and political history? How could I approach a more perceptive audience who would like to invest some psychic energy into knowing about the places they visit rather than interesting stories that entertain but do not do a whole lot to inform and educate the reader past the obvious?

Any advice would be great!
Thanks.