Aug
30
Visionary Travel Writing
August 30, 2011 | 3 Comments
What is a “Visionary” Travel Writer? What is a “visionary” writer in general? How about a writer who considers the spiritual, cultural, social, emotional, physical, psychological, racial, and political context in which they travel and write, not to mention live and breathe. Where ever you go there you are, right? We take ourselves everywhere. So a visionary writer is one who travels first into the miraculously complex depths of their own soul, and is willing to look at and express the whole kit and kaboodle, the “full catastrophe”—dark AND light, joy AND sorrow, beauty AND terror—with humility, insight, humor, and integrity.
Aug
30
Laura Fraser’s Mexican Writing Fiesta Oct. 23-29, San Miguel de Allende
August 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment
| October 23, 2011 | to | October 29, 2011 |
Immerse yourself in writing, relaxing, and exploring one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial towns. The workshop is intimate, with a maximum of nine students, and held in a luxurious villa in the center of town, with lots of nooks and terraces for writing, reading, and dreaming. Workshop includes daily writing sessions in the morning, a reception, lunch at the villa, a cooking class and lunch in the country, a tour of town, an excursion to a private folk art museum, and a celebratory dinner and reading. $995 does not include airfare or accommodations (we’ll help arrange those). Visit Laura’s website for details and photos.
Aug
30
Grocery shopping in Thailand
August 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment
How close to a train track can you set up a vegetable market? Watch this video to find out.
Apr
19
Creating iPhone Apps | Tales Told From The Road
April 19, 2011 | 1 Comment
Thanks to travel writer Dick Jordan (Tales Told from the Road) for his review of the App Happy class Suzanne Rodriguez and I (Laurie McAndish King) taught for people who want to develop and market their own mobile travel apps. We developed so much content for the class that we’re nearly finished with an an e-book on the same topic.
Nov
17
Literary Abruzzo and The Heart of Memoir
November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| June 12, 2011 | to | June 18, 2011 |
Helen Free and
Kathryn Abajian held a memorable and inspiring workshop this past summer in Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Now they are excited to announce their extended program for June 12 – 18, 2011: Literary Abruzzo and The Heart of Memoir, a unique and inspiring literary experience in a less traveled and intriguing area of Italy.
Their website, ItalyInOtherWords.com, provides details about the new program, as well as photos and endorsements from last summer’s program.
Sep
28
Travel Writing and Photography in Jordan
September 28, 2010 | 2 Comments
| February 6, 2011 | to | February 16, 2011 |
Petra Treasury © John Montgomery
Award-winning travel writer Diane LeBow and award-winning photographer John Montgomery will lead a travel writing and photography workshop in Jordan from February 6-16, 2011. Tour coordinator Alena Bartoli, an American and a Yale graduate, has lived and worked in Jordan for several years.
More info about the Jordan Tour is on the downloadable PDF. A $200 discount is available for travelers who register before November 1.
Sep
28
Photography class
September 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 2, 2010 | to | October 3, 2010 |
Jak Wonderly is offering a photography workshop on October 2nd and 3rd in Petaluma, California, and has just a couple of spots still open. If you or someone you know is interested in deepening skills with a digital SLR camera, this is an excellent opportunity.
Jak’s website shows examples of his photography, and some of his beautiful animal portraits are here.
Jun
26
Book Passage Travel, Food & Photography Conference
June 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
| August 12, 2010 12:00 am | to | August 15, 2010 12:00 am |
Time to make your plans for the 19th Annual Book Passage Travel, Food, & Photography Conference. It promises to be better than ever this year, with inclusion of food writing classes and panels, as well as expert advice and instruction for travel writers and photographers. The conference runs from August 12 to 15, 2010. Call Book Passage in Corte Madera (800-999-7909, ext. 239) for more information or to register.
From the website:
The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference covers
Jun
26
| July 22, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Grover Sanschagrin
From our friends at ASMP NorCal:
Join us on July 22nd at Blue Sky Rental Studios as PhotoShelter co-founder Grover Sanschagrin demonstrates how web sites must evolve in order to support photographers’ online business goals.
Grover’s talk draws on 26 years of photo industry and web technology experience as well as the research and findings of five PhotoShelter e-books he has helped to author on online marketing for photographers. (These exhaustive reports are free downloadable guides offering useful tips, expert advice and useful strategies for photographers looking to continue their education and build thriving photo businesses online.)
Apr
26
Send your book to BEA
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The 2010 BookExpo America New Title Showcase takes place May 25-27 in New York City. Register your Lulu print-on-demand book by May 7th and Lulu will display it physically at their New Title Showcase booth and will also list it, along with your contact details, online and in the printed catalog given to BEA attendees. The cost is $399.
Apr
26
A Thousand and One Words – Find your Writing Setpoint
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| May 29, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
| June 3, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
| June 19, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
Check out this writing workshop with Camille Cusumano, who brings more than 30 years of experience in publishing as researcher, writer, editor, and instructor in a vast array of subject areas including essay, memoir, food, travel, fitness, health, mind/body/spirit, creative non-fiction, fiction, and more.
WRITE WITH CONFIDENCE AND FLAIR
Apr
26
Write and Sell Your Book Now!
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| October 1, 2010 | to | October 6, 2010 |
April 26 update: here’s a link to a video with more info about the writing workshop in Bali.
Robin Sparks is at it again: The Write and Sell Your Book Now! workshop will be in Ubud, Bali from October 1st to 6th, 2010. It is followed by the Ubud Writers Festival. Register for the workshop before April 15 for a $300 discount on the workshop, plus a discount on the festival. Maximum 15 participants.
Apr
6
| June 18, 2010 |
April 6 addendum: thanks to Constance Hale for pointing out that “The first 40 people to register get a one-on-one meeting with an editor, so it’s a good idea to register early.”
March 29 addendum: Here’s the link we’ve been waiting for: freelance.stanford.edu. Registration opens April 9th for ASJA members and Knight Fellows, and April 16th for other experienced journalists.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Thanks to Connie Hale for forwarding this information about an upcoming class at Stanford: June 18-19, 2010 ~Â Stanford University
Sponsored by The Knight Fellowships and the American Society for Journalists and Authors
Mar
29
Smartphones and the Future of Photo Publishing
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| April 13, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
You know you need to go: The Northern California chapter of the Society of American Media Photographers (ASMP) presents: Smartphones and the Future of Photo Publishing.
“If you thought the personal computer revolution of the 1980s and the Internet revolution of the 1990s were big, well, they were. But a new revolution merging the best features of personal computing, instant anywhere, anytime communication, and carry-everywhere portability promises to dwarf them both.
Mar
29
I’ll be teaching at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010.
March 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
| September 17, 2010 | to | September 18, 2010 |
Fellow travel writer Diane LeBow and I (Laurie McAndish King) will teach three classes at the 26th annual Central Coast Writers Conference on September 17th and 18th, 2010. Class descriptions are below. Registration info is here. If you register before July 29, the conference is only $129—a real bargain. And the Inn at Morro Bay is offering a good deal as well.
Travel as a Basis for Creative Writing and Publishing: a 3-part series
Mar
29
Travel Writing: Map Out the Route to Your Dream Profession, with Lisa Alpine
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| May 15, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
“Do you love to travel? Keep a travel journal? Why not take the next step and turn your daily scribbles into salable articles? You can do this by learning two things: 1) how to improve your storytelling abilities, and 2) how to market your work. ‘I’ll lead you through the steps of writing a travel story and then targeting and querying your markets [short story anthologies, newspapers, magazines and ezines],’ says instructor Lisa Alpine. ‘We’ll also discuss ways to generate other travel-related sources of income,
Feb
16
Fundamentals of Freelance Editing
February 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| February 20, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
Saturday, February 20, 2010 ~Â Berkeley, California
A one-day workshop with Constance Hale, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Are you a writer, editor, or copyeditor interested in being a freelance editor for magazines and nonfiction books? This workshop covers the role of freelance editors in the publishing world. Topics include understanding the mission of the magazine or the program of the publisher; evaluating queries and proposals; tailoring narratives to specific audiences; developing strong story structure; editing for clarity, brevity, and vigor; and working effectively with authors. The class ends with a discussion of how to find freelance work and develop a robust editing business.
Feb
16
Gold Rush Writers Conference
February 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| April 30, 2010 | to | May 2, 2010 |
The fifth annual Gold Rush Writers Conference will be held  April 30, May 1 and 2 in picturesque Mokelumne Hill, the Sierra town that time forgot. The event, which includes your choice of 16 workshops, plus readings, talks, a picnic supper in a Victorian garden, lunch and dinner in a Gold Rush hotel, and a poolside brunch, is priced at just $145 — if you sign up before March 30.
Genres and topics covered include mystery, memoir, historical fiction, mainstream fiction, non fiction, poetry, short story, plus the basic tools of digital research, media marketing, plot, dialogue and point of view.
Feb
16
An Evening in Conversation with Erin Van Rheenen – Travel Lectures Series Event
February 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
There’s a Meet-up of the San Francisco Travel Book Club and Lecture Series on Thursday, February 18, at 7:30 p.m. Books, Inc. (2251 Chestnut Street in San Francisco, CA).
Speaker Erin Van Rheenen is the founder of Miss Move Abroad.com (www.missmoveabroad.com), author of Living Abroad in Costa Rica, and has been interviewed on CNN on the subject of moving abroad. If you have ever dreamed of moving to another country for an extended period of time, RSVP above and stop by to meet a woman who has true been-there-done-that savvy!
Dec
14
Travel Writing 101 Workshops, Buenos Aires
December 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
| February 11, 2010 | to | February 12, 2010 |
| March 9, 2010 | to | March 10, 2010 |
| March 17, 2010 | to | March 18, 2010 |
Have you heard about Camille Cusumano’s travel writing workshops in Buenos Aires?
“If you can write, there’s a reader waiting to read what you have to say. Why not start publishing your prose? The time has never been more auspicious—and I’ll tell you why. If you are coming to Buenos Aires for your first time, be prepared to find inspiration daily in this lively Latin city and its culture, full of surprises.
Dec
14
Travel Writing: Map Out the Route to Your Dream Profession with Lisa Alpine
December 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
| February 6, 2010 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
“Do you love to travel? Keep a travel journal? Why not take the next step and turn your daily scribbles into salable articles? You can do this by learning two things: 1) how to improve your storytelling abilities, and 2) how to market your work. “I’ll lead you through the steps of writing a travel story and then targeting and querying your markets [short story anthologies, newspapers, magazines and ezines],” says instructor Lisa Alpine.
Nov
18
Katy Butler Workshop at Esalen
November 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment
| November 29, 2009 12:00 am | to | December 4, 2009 12:00 am |
I’m posting this information about an upcoming memoir workshop because Connie Hale (herself an exceptional writer and instructor) recommends instructor Katy Butler. In fact, when Connie was running Harvard’s Nieman Narrative Conference she brought Katy in (twice) to teach.
Here’s the scoop:
What: “Straw into Gold: the Alchemy of Memoir” 5 day writing workshop.
Who: Leader Katy Butler is a former finalist, National Magazine Award, and
a current contributor to the New York Times magazine, MORE, & elsewhere.
When: Nov. 29 through Dec. 4.
Where: Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California.
How: Sign up at Esalen.org or 831 667-3000.
More info from Katy Butler at 415 789 8366.
Do you have a story you are longing to tell? This is your chance to take a great leap forward with the help of a writer whose memoirs and literary nonfiction have appeared in the New Yorker, Vogue, the New York Times, Salon and elsewhere.
Nov
18
New Orleans: A T(w)een Travelogue
November 18, 2009 | 1 Comment
Twelve tween and teen writers spent a week in New Orleans last summer, touring, eating, enjoying music, and participating in a writing and photography workshop. The resulting book (!) is now available on Amazon.
“The stories and photos that comprise New Orleans: A T(w)een Travelogue offer a rare look at the Crescent City through the savvy words and sassy eyes of 12 young women ranging in age from 11 to 14. Follow them through the narrow streets of the French Quarter as they spend eight days among tarot card readers, restaurant chefs, Mardi Gras floatmakers, street performers and vampire guides. The girls’ strong and varied voices celebrate New Orleans as a destination for t(w)eens, teens, and families of all ages. So, curl up with these stories and a steaming cup of cafĂ© au lait. Before you know it, you’ll be making reservations for the entire family.”
Nov
16
Self-Publishing Boot Camp
November 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment
| January 30, 2010 | ||
| 9:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
Lisa Alpine and Carla King are offering their next Self-Publishing Boot Camp on January 30, 2010. They’re both experienced writers, editors, and self-publishers; you’re sure to come away with lots of useful information. Call 415-887-8820 or email info@selfpubbootcamp.com for more info or to sign up.
“Whether you’re a new author or a published author, you have got to be thinking, “There has to be a better way!” Yes there is. We’ll show you how in 10 easy-to-follow steps.” And here they are:
Nov
16
Writing Class in Abruzzo, Italy
November 16, 2009 | 2 Comments
| June 13, 2010 | to | June 19, 2010 |
Kathryn Abajian will be teaching travel writing in Italy from June 13 to 19, 2010. The week-long writing workshop takes place in the medieval fortified hill town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a World Cultural Heritage site located high in the Gran Sasso National Park in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Daily writing instruction and workshops are for both beginning and seadsoned writers; emphasis wil be on memoir, travel, and food writing. Yum! For more information, visit www.ItalyinOtherWords.com.