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Welcome to the Travel Writing Course |
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This course - written by a leading travel writer – is designed to give you all the tools and tips you need to launch yourself into this exciting genre of writing.
Course Details:
Modules: 10 lessons
Duration: Course must be completed within 12 months
Cost: $895.00
Student completes:
- Seventeen short writing assignments
- One query letter to an editor pitching an article
- One original travel article of between 1200-1700 words of publishable quality
Admission Requirements:
- Students must be competent in written English
- Computer skills, e-mail and internet access required
- No previous tertiary qualification required.
Tutor:
 Yvonne van Dongen has been a travel editor and writer for over 20 years. She’s edited the travel section of the largest newspaper in New Zealand as well as the country’s first dedicated glossy travel magazine. She’s worked at Conde Nast Traveler in New York.
She has won numerous travel writing awards including a fellowship to study travel writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. Other awards include, among others: Dulux Junior Feature Writer of the Year (1983); Young Reporter of the Year (1983); Qantas best newspaper tourism/transport feature (1994); Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year (1995); Qantas Best newspaper health/medicine feature (1997); Avis Awards - best article about the travel industry (in 1995,1998 and 2000); Commonwealth Media Awards – winner tourism & transport (in 1997 and 1998); Qantas award for best government, diplomacy & foreign affairs feature (2000); Qantas Travel Journalist Award (2004); MPA Lifestyle Journalist of the Year (2004); Qantas Media Awards Winner Best Tourism & Travel Column (2007).Yvonne has a BA in English & Religious Studies, as well as a post-graduate diploma of Journalism from the University of Canterbury. She has previously taught travel writing at the University of auckland.
Course Content:
Module One - What is travel writing?
· Distinguish travel writing from other genres of writing
· Acquire an understanding of the elements that characterise travel writing
· Get answers to FAQ about a career in travel journalism
· Writing Exercise 1: Practise writing scenes that "show" rather than "tell" (assessment and feedback task)
Module Two - Targeting your market
- Analyse a magazine in terms of content, style, format, tone, target market and demographics.
- Learn how to match your writing with that of a selected magazine.
- Writing Exercise 2: Analyse the demographics, style, tone and format of a selected magazine (assessment and feedback task)
Module Three - Topics that sell
- Know where and how to find sellable ideas.
- Learn techniques for generating ideas
- Distinguish between a topic and an angle.
- Study an overview of prominent international publications.
- Exercise Number 3: Refining topics into angles; Coming up with an angle for an article (feedback task)
Module Four - The travel writing industry revealed
- Find out how to pitch the perfect query letter
- Distinguish between writing on speculation versus querying and being commissioned
- Writing Exercise 4: Write a query letter for your targeted magazine covering all aspects of style, tone, content and format (assessment and feedback task)
Module Five - The compelling opener
- Distinguish the critical elements for writing a compelling lead
- Identify the different types of introductions
- Writing Exercise 5: Write a compelling opening to your article (feedback and assessment task)
Module Six - Body-building Part I
- Identify the main components of an article
- Use a basic story structure to map out your piece
- Use transitions and logical flow to make reading easy
- Writing Exercise 6: Begin to write up the body of your article and hand in a first draft (feedback task)
Module Seven - Body-building Part II
- Identify the main grammar, style and punctuation rules
- Know the rules for apt usage of quotations
- Writing Exercise 7: Testing knowledge of grammar, style and punctuation (assessment and feedback task)
- Writing Exercise 8: Panel-beat the body into shape; hand in a second draft (feedback task)
Module Eight - Body-building Part III
- Find out how to create catchy sidebars and resource boxes
- Write your own byline
- Writing Exercise 9: Write a byline and two sidebars (feedback task)
Module Nine - Finishing off in style
- Identify the different types of closers
- Photography tips
- Writing Exercise 10: Write the closer to your piece (feedback task)
Module Ten - The final cut
- Edit your piece by following basic guidelines
- Understand the different kinds of cover letters and how to submit your piece in a professional way
- Invoice and organise payment for your stories
- Understand the basics of copyright, recycling stories and syndication
- Writing Exercise 11: Edit your piece and submit your final draft with a cover letter. Photographs included for bonus points (assessment and feedback task)
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
- Students must have completed all assignments for the course
- The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration.
- Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
How does an online course work? Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students, or students can download modules directly from the Student Centre online.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete one or two writing exercises. Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete. Students can also participate in ongoing online discussions by posting comments about the materials covered in the course, as well as give feedback to students who have posted their pieces in the Discussion Forum.
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