September 12, 2003 -- All those who like to travel -- and really, who doesn't? -- picture "travel writer" as a dream job, a perfect remedy for the annoying need to make a living. Who wouldn't like to replace a briefcase with a backpack, take a jet to an exotic place instead of a subway destined for that all-too-well-known office cubicle and instead get paid for writing about your adventures? Sound too much like idle daydreaming over a cafeteria donut? Not if you add a dash of sobriety into it and get the skills to turn your dreamy musings into an actual career. Yes, despite the widespread accounts of "a friend of a friend" who published his unadulterated vacation scribblings, got handsomely paid, and was immediately hired to travel to a destination you can hardly find on the map, travel writing is a serious business which requires serious know-how.
That's what our contributing editor, Bob Fisher, has been trying to teach every winter for the past decade down in Key West. Participating in his Travel Writing 101 class will acquaint you with various types of travel writers and uncover the hidden challenges of subject and audience research, as Bob himself will lead you through the maze of choosing the media and point you in the right direction on the rocky road to being publish. This year he presents his updated curriculum to a maximum of 42 students (hurry up, aspiring travel writers; these spaces fill up fast), 14 each in three sessions starting in February. The workshop costs $275 and includes two days of instruction (four hours per day), an evening reception and optional tutoring and critique sessions.
If Bob's expertise won't be enough to kindle your talent and enthusiasm, the place certainly will. The workshop takes place in the delightfully preserved Heritage House, the second-oldest building in town. It just might have been the luscious gardens surrounding the house (and containing the island's biggest and best orchid collection) that lured poet Robert Frost to spend his winters here, in the cottage since named after him. While there is no guarantee that the surrounding beauty and his lingering presence will inspire you to write your first travel piece in perfect Shakespearian sonnet form, the chances are, they will help in developing your personal writing style. Not to mention the ability to perform a swift and elegant deconstruction of "a friend of a friend" myth at the next weekend soiree.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to Key West and accommodations while there. The website below gives current recommendations for moderately priced lodging and other helpful information about the town. The dates are:
- Class I: February 6-9
- Class II: February 13-16
- Class III: February 20-23
All events take place at Heritage House (410 Caroline Street, Key West FL 33040). You can register online at www.heritagehousemuseum.org, or contact them at 305/296-3573 or via e-mail at heritagehouse@aol.com.