Travel Writing as Narrative
Books or articles in the travel narrative form are nonfiction accounts of a writer’s particular experience. As exemplified in the Best American Travel Writing series published by Houghton Mifflin, travel narratives are creatively written to entertain readers, not unlike fiction stories do.
They draw a reader through the experience as if s/he had been along side of the writer on the road. They weave drama and adventure, successes and defeats. They color the travel experience with the personalities met en route.
In short, narrative writing for travel is about portraying the truth of an experience, including the uglier moments that how-to writing tends to gloss over.
Examples of authors and books that fit into the travel narrative genre are:
- William Least Heat-Moon: Blue Highways, PrairyErth, River Horse
- Kira Salak: Four Corners, Cruelest Journey
- Bill Bryson: The Lost Continent, A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island
- Jonathan Raban: Arabia, Bad Land, Passage to Juneau
- Paul Theroux: The Great Railway Bazaar, The Patagonian Express, Riding the Iron Rooster
- John Steinbeck: Travels With Charley
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery: Wind, Sand and Stars, Flight to Arras
How-To Travel Writing
While narrative focuses on the human experience of travel, how-to travel writing – also known as prescriptive writing – is a resource for readers who want to visit a location.
One of the biggest names in the travel guide business is Lonely Planet. They are approaching 100 million books that have been printed since the founders began publishing more than 30 years ago.
They offer guides in eight languages (Italian, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese and Chinese). The editors describe at LonelyPlanet.com what their travel guide writers do:
“Lonely Planet authors are professional writers and journalists who nail down all the practical info about a destination then build on that with insider knowledge, thorough reviews, little-known facts and authoritative recommendations. Their aim is to get you straight to the heart of the place they're in.”
There are several other travel guide book publishers, as well:
- Moon
- Rick Steves
- Rough Guides
- Bradt
- Frommer’s
- Fodor’s
- Let’s Go
Travel Writing for Newspapers and Magazines
Travel writing for newspapers and magazines can be narrative or prescriptive, or a combination. It depends on each publication’s preference.
Well-known national travel magazines, such as National Geographic Traveler and Conde Nast Traveler, often include narrative stories and information segments throughout any given issue of their publications.
Newspapers often require a travel journalist to write a few complementary pieces for the same assignment, including a main story, an information how-to box, and a sidebar story.
The main story, depending on the editor’s and publication’s interests, may afford a writer an opportunity to write in a creative, first-person style about a travel experience. The “info-box” includes contact information and suggestions for choosing accommodations, dining options, transportation methods, and the like. The sidebar is a separate piece written on a related topic; it's a shorter, bonus story, and may be written in narrative or prescriptive style -- or a combination of the two.
Related stories: Books About Vagabond Travels
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