The British College of Journalism’s Ultimate Travel Journalism Course has impressed upon me the value of descriptive writing, good research, the balance between showing and telling, and writing a piece that is informative, salient, and entertaining. Through my writing, I aim to take my readers on a journey and create a sense of place so that they can practically taste the flavors, hear the sounds, smell the scents, and see the sights of the destination.
The tutorials are very informative, well-explained, thoughtfully put together, and provide plenty of writing samples. They emphasize that writing with a strong theme and angle gives you a better chance of getting published. I also appreciated that each tutorial includes great photos. The assignments and self-exercises are very realistic, relevant, and pushed me to be creative and resourceful. The tutorials are an excellent resource and have now become mainstays on my writing desk.
Daniel Scott is a wonderful tutor. He is very generous with advice and tips. He is very fair - he praises you when you deserve it, counsels and gives you suggestions when you need it. He highlights the good and tells you to keep at it and points out your weakness and encourages you to strengthen it.
The course has given me the confidence and courage to keep doing what I love doing --- writing. I now know how to get my readers hooked and ready to take the leap with me.
When we travel, we meet people with different backgrounds and cultures speaking languages different from ours. Since I started my classes at BCJ, I have become more tolerant, unbiased, and inclusive of others. It made me realize that travelling is a very humbling experience, reminding me of how big the world is and that I only occupy a tiny speck.
We travel not to search for answers but to search for better questions --- questions that if addressed properly can serve as a solid outline for our next story. BCJ helped me develop an enquiring mind and created in me a thirst for information.
Since finishing the course, I have been asked to write marketing and promotional materials for a find-a-local-tour-guide phone app. I have also started creating tour packages and designing experiences for a travel agency owned by a colleague.
I plan to keep writing and submitting finished articles to editors. Getting an article submission rejected is normal but BCJ provides tips on how to handle rejection, so I am prepared for this. In the future I would also like to write travel guidebooks and travel brochures.
Through mindful and vivid writing and the use of skills learned from the course, I hope to inspire my readers and convince them to book a flight, pack up their bags and go. If I can achieve this, then I have done my job as a travel writer. It’s a victory for me and for BCJ.
I highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in becoming a travel journalist and making a career out of it. BCJ will help you make it happen. Just believe in yourself, work hard, and complete the assignments.
To BCJ, thank you for offering this course. And to my tutor Dan, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the faith and encouragement.
