By Jeremy Cowen (Twitter:
@JeremyCowen)
(Tags: Travel
blogging, blogging, travel writing, writing, editing)
At
our first JMC 5273 class meeting, back in November 2016, I remember huddling
over my keyboard wondering how I was going to turn (what seemed to me as)
mundane into the sublime.
Our
task was to describe our own living room as a tourist destinations – portray it
as a legitimate getaway spot for those who have never visited before. The duty
seemed a bit herculean to me: although I love my house, specifically my living
room, I couldn’t exactly classify it as a “tourist destination” of any sort.
My
first effort at it, in hindsight, appeared rough and unorganized. After studying
travel blogging over the past few months, however, I can see it began to
coalesce into its final form, which was handed in for a grade on Jan. 5. Even
since then, however, I see language I wish I could revise – describing things IN
to too-grandiose of terms to try to cover for the fact that I was, literally, attempting
to make a common living room into the next Palm Springs.
Travel
blogging is more than simply enticing readers to visit a place: It’s trying to
put the visitor IN that particular place. A good writer should let the readers
decide if they should visit by bringing them to the place through their
writing. Descriptive and exciting writing is only ONE of the weapons a good
travel writer can wield on his or her quest to bring readers closer to their
destination.
I
think I’ve learned a lot in the last few months and it was interesting to look
back and over one of the first writings for this course. Here are some
resources I came across over the past few months I found helpful in travel
blogging:
Before the storm — Jeremy Cowen’s living room stands mostly
undecorated early in the move-in process. A rather bare living room belies what
will soon become a haven for outdoor photos, paintings and other décor. Photo courtesy Jeremy Cowen.
Indoors/outdoors — Jeremy Cowen’s living room displays the many
decorations he collects from his love of the outdoors. The décor stands as a
testament to the room’s ability to be a proxy for being outside. Photo courtesy Jeremy Cowen.
Literary sense — Signs and photos from the famous novel “Lonesome”
Dove adorn Jeremy Cowen’s living room walls. Besides actual first-person
representation of Cowen’s love of the outdoors, books that glorify outdoor
loving, such as Lonesome Dove, are prominently featured as showcase décor. Photo courtesy Jeremy Cowen.
