Friends and family often ask why I enjoy writing personal stories about the lives of people around me. Mostly, I’m a curious writer. I love researching topics—whether it be a local winery, a new restaurant, something that happened during WWII, a historic cemetery, or an up-and-coming art show, I’m an insatiable sleuth. I want to […]
In 2013, when I attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Miami, instructors from GEP spoke a lot about having a niche—something to specialize in—as a travel writer. They also handed us a workbook to take home. In it, there was a page that encouraged us to list everything we were interested in, no matter […]
This year has been crazy, right? I find that my moods are all over the place—varying from worry to calm, anxious to confident, moody to hopeful, and everything in between. During the lockdown earlier this year, I was worried that my spark of creativity and imagination would dim. What would inspire me if I wasn’t […]
For me, travel writing is all about the pie. Of course, I’m speaking figuratively. But, thinking about pie—as a whole and then cut into eight slices—is crucial to me when I travel. Let me explain. Think about the town where you live—it’s filled with all sorts of beautiful places to visit, right? Picture the town […]
“It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ole’ buddy, let’s go exploring….” —Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes No wonder I loved reading this comic strip book to my kids when they were little; perhaps I knew, all those years ago, that words between best friends would someday mirror my own travel writing adventure. Because they do. I […]
If you’re serious about making it as a travel writer, it’s important to know what you need to do. But, I would say it’s as important to know what not to do. Below are seven things I didn’t do, that helped me become a successful travel writer with 500-plus published stories under my belt. 1. […]
You could speak to 50 successful travel writers and ask them about lessons they’ve learned along the way. I bet you’d hear something new from every one of them. That’s because travel writing is for everyone. I know people from all walks of life with different skill sets and varied professions who decided to become […]
Just yesterday, one of the local editors I often work with asked if I could write an article that was “right up my alley.” It sounded great—there’d been a fantastic contest during the COVID-19 pandemic, where local folks nominated frontline workers in the healthcare realm, and vendors throughout the Capitol District voted for one lucky […]
Imagine my surprise when my phone rang two weeks ago, and my PR contact from central New York was on the other end. “I’m not sure how you feel about travel right now, but there’s someplace I’d love to have you visit overnight.” I’d worked with Scott many times over the last few years—before COVID-19 […]
In January 2020, I was in NYC with thousands of other creatives, attending the travel industry’s leading media event, Travmedia’s International Media Marketplace (IMM) show. I met with 24 different tourism brands over the day, and walked away with 15 invitations to visit different places—locally, regionally, across the country, and internationally. How exciting! By the […]
