Travel writing workshop with Dea Birkett and Rory Maclean

Now I can write about our fun on the beach.

YESTERDAY I laughed, cried and sent myself a postcard.
And how often can you say that, exactly? I'm now a graduate of a travel writing workshop run by esteemed authors and journalists Dea Birkett and Rory Maclean.
At turns encouraging, challenging, surprising and entertaining, it was an unforgettable day.
There's plenty about what the course involves on its website but I just wanted to pass on a personal recommendation.

I went because I wanted to be able to realistically pitch travel sections. That was after a very polite rejection from an editor who wished me luck in placing my piece elsewhere...and I thought: "Hang on, I haven't got a bloody clue where to go next."
That's why guest editor Frank Barrett's input was a revelation. Out of 13 would-be contributors pitching him, two stories caught his attention - one about learning to paraglide in Portugal while newly pregnant, the other, a tale from some sun-drenched isle where an iconic film was shot. (Don't ask me which one, I couldn't quite hear.)
My idea, in case you are wondering, clashed with one that's going in the paper next week. So I didn't cover myself in complete disgrace but of course can't help beating myself up that I didn't take the time to think of another one beforehand or get off my arse and pitch it earlier.
As Dea made us all write a postcard to ourselves making a promise to advance our travel writing endeavours, there'll be a next time and the ideas are already bubbling for what that knock 'em dead pitch will be.
For me, the afternoon session with Rory Maclean was just wonderful, bringing a chink of light and praise for more personal and evocative writing after nearly 20 years of bashing out copy to order.
I've always been embarrassed by my attempts at more 'literary' writing or fiction, well except this one . But Rory's gentle encouragement has helped me see things differently.
He asked us (in a matter of minutes!) to write an opener to a travel story from the heart which captured a "riding into town" moment. Then he listened to each, nodded, smiled or laughed and now and again offered counsel on how a sentence could be worked on.
I wrote:
The second I clapped eyes on our Keswick guest house, I laughed, a belter of a belly laugh, as if my life depended on letting it rip.
This was how I thought I could start a piece about my experience of a weekend in the Lakes which accompanied a recovery from depression.
When I read it aloud, Rory smiled slowly, thought for an instant and said it was good. Then he asked me to read it again. Wahay!
Seriously, whatever stage of your career you are at, if travel writing appeals then find out more about this course. It's not an easy ride, but boy will it be worth it.

Comments

[katie]

So where are we going first Linda? Should our first book be 'The Passionate five go to Dorset?' We can have lashings of strawberry jam and some positively super fun.

[Tony]

Sounds great. I take it this is in London though?