Do you love to travel? What about travel writing?
As a travel fan, author and blogger, I find that Trade Day at the LA Times Travel Show is the place to learn what’s new and hot in the travel business.
I follow several travel bloggers, but did not know about professional organizations that link travel bloggers with the travel industry. The Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA) is an organization created by the efforts of almost fifty travel bloggers over the past year or so. They have specific requirements to join:
- For travel bloggers: a minimum of nine months blogging and more than 3,000 page views in the last thirty days on your website. The annual fee is $75.
- For travel industry and PR members: there is no minimum statistical requirement. The fee for a group/company/DMO/organization that wants to join is $300 per year.
There are several lists of professional travel bloggers specializing in family travel, eco-travel, luxury travel, and many other categories, you can join.
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Rob Holmes, founder and chief storyteller of GLP Films, spoke about “The Power of Storytelling–in Travel.”
Yes, even travel films and videos need authentic storytelling in order to engage their audiences.
Introducing GLP Films in a short video.
Holmes breaks down storytelling for film in a way that can help writers.
The Key Elements to storytelling:
- Purpose
- Journey
- Location
- Characters
- Keywords (yes, that surprised me too!)
1). Purpose:
- Ask yourself why am I telling this story?
- Who am I going to target? (my audience)
- What is the potential impact? (sales)
2). Journey:
- What is the journey? (for example a great rafting trip)
- What is the conflict? (to make it engaging)
- What are the key themes in this journey or film?
3). Location:
- You want diversity. What are the key locations?
- How are the locations relevant to the characters?
- Observe and obtain a diverse mix of shots.
4). Character:
- Who are your characters?
- What are their stories?
- How can your audience connect?
- In film-making, sometimes your best characters are not the CEO or employees, but some local character you didn’t expect.
5). Keywords:
- Identify 10+ keywords or phrases to describe your story.
- Research what your film partners, (or similar writers) are using as keywords.
What do you mean by keywords?
I asked Rob Holmes what he meant by keywords, and how to find new keywords for your content.
Rob suggested inviting 5-6 friends who know you well, and brainstorm. Ask them to come up with keywords that fit your theme. A glass of wine may help the process.
A great story just like a great film, needs to be:
- Powerful
- Engage the audience
- Educate (or entertain)
- You need to take risks to make it unique
- It needs to be perpetual (do not date it)
I was impressed with the quality of GLP films, and also the power of storytelling in film.
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Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?
Click on cover to go to Amazon
Would you like to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” and get published in our 2nd anthology?
Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.
You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here
Our January 2014 “My Gutsy Story®” series started with:
Monday, January 27th, Shirley Showalter will share his “My Gutsy Story®.”
VOTING for your favorite January 2014 “My Gutsy Story®” starts on January 30th and ends on February 12th. Winner will be announced on February 13th.
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