Jul

30

Georgia Hesse

July 30, 2004 | Comments Off

Georgia Hesse is the founding travel editor of the San Francisco Examiner and now a freelance travel writer. She has visited more than 200 countries and island groups, is the author of several guidebooks and holds many awards including the French Ordre du Mrite.

Jul

30

Writers’ websites

July 30, 2004 | Comments Off

Need to get your work “out there”? Here are a couple of writers’ websites to inspire you.

Georgia Hesse has figured out a way to offer a sample of her writing without making it available for free. If you haven’t checked out her website yet, here it is.

And for another well-designed site, thanks to Diane LeBow for telling me about Amanda Castleman’s site.

Jul

25

How I Met My Wife, by Jack Winter

July 25, 2004 | Comments Off

Ten years old and still a fun read:
How I Met My Wife, by Jack Winter, Published July 25, 1994 in the New Yorker

It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate. I was furling my wieldly umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way.

Read the full post . . .

Jul

21

Sally’s Place

July 21, 2004 | Comments Off

Sallys-Place.com boasts more than three million readers/year, and publishes both food and travel writing. “Our writers have scoured the planet for the best restaurants, chefs, recipes, books, products, cooking schools, ethnic cuisines, travel articles, lodgings, and more.” Don’t be put off by entries like July 18, 2004’s 101 More Things to do with a Cake Mix; there’s actually a lot of good travel content on the site. Here’s the travel writing section.

Jul

19

David Laws

July 19, 2004 | Comments Off

David Laws has self-published souvenir/guide books about Steinbeck Country, Silicon Valley, and the SF Coastline. His imprint is Windy Hill Publications.

Jul

19

Jan Pehrson

July 19, 2004 | Comments Off

Jan Pehrson’s site includes some great America’s Cup 2000 action shots for you sailors. Also: Everglades wildlife, Everglades kayaking, and more.

Jul

19

Keys to the Outback

July 19, 2004 | Comments Off


This story about the time I inadvertently locked the keys in the car in the middle of the Australian Outback was published as in the Travelers’ Tales anthology The Thong Also Rises. You can read it at Travelers’ Tales or below. (1700 words)

“I can’t believe you left them there,” Jim muttered as I squeezed the handle and pulled hard for a third time.

“What do you mean, you can’t believe it? You can see them as well as I can. You’re not going blind, are you?” The keys were clearly visible in the ignition. People were beginning to stare.

Read the full post . . .

Jul

18

At a Crossroads

July 18, 2004 | Comments Off


This story is included in the award-winning Lonely Planet anthology, The Kindness of Strangers, edited by Don George and with a preface by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The book includes original stories by Jan Morris, Tim Cahill, Simon Winchester, Pico Iyer, and Dave Eggers, and won both a Lowell Thomas award and an Independent Publishers award. You can read the story here or at Lonely Planet. (2250 words).

I didn’t know whether I was being kidnapped or rescued — that was what made my one big decision so difficult. That and the fact that I was young and foolish, and more than a little anxious about being stranded in the North African desert.

It all began quite innocently. Our bus had deposited Alan, my affable traveling companion, and myself at the door of a small, clean hotel in a dusty Tunisian village …

Read the full post . . .

Jul

16

Which Way is North?

July 16, 2004 | Comments Off


You can read “Which Way is North” below or on the Travelers’ Tales site, where it’s an is an Editor’s Choice. (800 words)

They say the Polynesians navigated by squatting low between the two hulls of their ocean-faring canoes, testicles dangling into the water. The combination of ultra-sensitive skin, keen attention to the subtleties of ocean swells, and nautical lore handed down from father to son enabled these ancient tribes to explore the uncharted waters of the South Pacific, and eventually to locate and populate the thousands of tiny islands there.

Read the full post . . .

Jul

14

Banana Tower

July 14, 2004 | Comments Off


This story won an honorable mention in the 2006 Solas Best Travel Writing competition, and was published in Travelers’ Tales’ 30 Days in Italy.

Paris has la Tour Eiffel
Babylon had its tower as well
But neither has the power to SEIZE YA
Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa

This was my father’s rhyme. When I was young, he bounced me on his knee, reciting the words in a hushed and tuneless monotone. Every time he got to SEIZE YA, he grabbed my shoulders and squeezed, and I shrieked in a confusion of fear and delight.

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Jul

7

Swink

July 7, 2004 | Comments Off

From Writer’s Digest: “RETURN OF THE LITERARY A relatively new magazine on the scene is looking for new, fresh writing voices.

“Swink,” a biannual, bicoastal literary magazine launched last March, aims to provide a diverse collection of stories and poetry. The nonprofit mag accepts fiction, creative nonfiction, interviews, poetry and other innovative submissions. Learn more about this magazine here.

Jul

7

Too Busy to Write?

July 7, 2004 | Comments Off

From Writer’s Digest: “A new site, titled Writing on the Run, offers one quick, creative idea each week to help professional and aspiring writers make time and space for writing. To subscribe to this free e-newsletter or to view past tips, head to their Web site.

Jul

7

Software for Writers

July 7, 2004 | Comments Off

From the July, 2004, issue of Writer’s Digest “we serve up our picks for the top writing software programs. Here are a few worth looking into:

“Power Tracker” makes it easy to keep detailed records of your submissions. It tracks the pieces you’ve already sent out, manages your personal files, and updates your expenses and contact information.

“Xdrive” is an online file storage system. For a monthly subscription fee, it keeps duplicate copies of all your articles safe, just in case your computer crashes.

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