“There is always room for improvement,” people say and they are right. No matter how great your blog is, you can always change a thing or two to make it even better. Writing is the foundation of the blog. Your travel adventures can be incredible but if you don’t know how to present them what’s the point?
Every skill demands work to get perfected and writing is no different. The passion you have for both traveling and writing is a good start but now it is time to take it one step further. If you want to work on your writing to improve your travel blog, here’s what you can do.
1. Get into the Habit of Writing Regularly
The actor Dwayne Johnson once said, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” And he was right. Consistency is an essential part of your path to being great at something. In your case, that’s writing. Write every day. Something, anything, just write. You don’t have to post every day on your blog but you should practice writing. Don’t let your writing skill to get lazy.
2. Read Good Writing
You are what you read. The writing that you expose yourself to will help you improve your own writing style. Greatness inspires greatness, did you know that? Read travel books by famous authors or browse for talented travel bloggers. There is always so much you can learn from the competitors. While reading, you don’t have to obsessively seek for inspiration. Let the impeccable writing do that on its own. Simply immerse yourself in what you read.
3. Write Down the Details
The details are what bring a story to life. The more details you include in a blog, the more easily will readers be drawn into the story. But who can remember every little thing that happened, right? That’s why you should write down interesting or relevant details during the trip. Keep a small notebook with you or use your phone to note down what happens. Write notes on prices, your feelings at the moment, how the place smelled, the sounds, situations that made you laugh, etc. Your blog posts will be much more engaging if you can present the emotion and thoughts that you had inside you during the trip.
4. Include Quotes
Add some diversity to your posts by including quotes from locals, tour guides, hospitality workers, and others. There is no better point of view of a place than the one shared by the people who live there. Follow up these quotes with background stories of those people, how you met them, and why their opinion can be of value to your readers. Besides the “touristy” aspect that you can provide, it could be fun for your readers to get the inside scoop from the locals.
5. Have a Strong Start
The first impression a reader has of your post will make him stay till the end or leave soon after. How you start the blog will set the tone for the rest of it. Instead of starting with your ride to or from the airport and other less exciting details, share something fun. It can be an anecdote from the trip or your overall impression of that place. Your readers will be much more intrigued to find out the rest of it in that way.
6. Ask for a Second Opinion
You probably have your family and friends read the blog and give you their opinion. As much as this kind of insight is valuable to you, they probably won’t be able to be objectively critical towards your writing. Unless you have another writer or editor in the family, you should get a second opinion from a professional writer. Finding a writer or editor who can take a look at your work isn’t hard. Just do some research on good writing websites and you’ll be all set. A professional writer or editor can give you a true assessment of your writing. The useful advice he or she shares will help you correct your common mistakes and improve your writing style.
7. Attend a Writing Course
Nowadays, access to learning is so easy that it would be a shame not the get good use out of it. Attend a writing course to learn practical skills and get insight from great writers on how you can approach writing. Take an online course or find out which writing courses your local college has. While an online course can provide you with a more innovative approach to learning, a course in a college will let you see the perspective of other writers who attend the course. The course will give you hands-on experience with writing and help you cone the craft much faster.
Conclusion
Some people find that writing a travel blog is a piece of cake. You take your laptop, share your travel experience, and that’s it. Your work is done. What those people don’t see is everything in between. The struggle with inspiration, the rising competition, the writing blocks, the dissatisfaction with some posts, the time you spend writing and rewriting, and much more. That’s also what falls under being a travel writer.
All creatives who pursue their passion find themselves questioning their skill from time to time. The same happens with travel writers. What can help you get more confidence in your writing and create a better flow in your blogs are the above-mentioned tips. Find the ones that work for you and stick to them. Persistence is what takes us to the top.
Guest post written by: Daniela McVicker
Daniela is a contributor to Essayguard. She is also an experienced writer with a degree in social psychology from Durham University. Daniela is primarily focused on writing about self-improvement. She has authored a number of insightful and motivating articles like “Making The Right Choices Every Day” and “7 Steps To Open Yourself To New Opportunities & Possibilities”.
