New Travel Writing Workshop

I'm holding a new Travel Writing Workshop for the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre this March. On this one day workshop you'll learn how to give yourself the best possible chance to earn an income from your adventures.

Travel writing is about engaging the reader and making the travel experience as real and exciting as possible. It's also about selling your work to publishers. This workshop will introduce participants to the requirements of this style of writing, from choosing destinations, to writing the article, to selling your work. Travel photography will also be discussed.

Where: SCU room, Byron Community Centre
When: Sunday, 18 March
What time: 10.00am-4.00pm
Cost: $70 NRWC members; $85 non-members

Only a few places are still available, so don't miss out. Contact the NRWC for details.

Feedback from my previous workshops include:

"Kim has a lovely presence & communicates exceptionally well - I like the ways she structured the workshop to lead us step by step through the process from thinking about the idea to how to get it published, as well as challenging us to actually write during the workshop. Her feedback on our efforts was very generous, positive and helpful." Virginia Clarke, Byron Bay

"Kim, I would recommend your workshops to any aspiring writers. Your experience and the friendly atmosphere made the weekend a very engaging learning experience." Sue Evans, Northern Rivers

"Kim Wildman lead a clear and inclusive travel writing workshop which not only focused on the skills of writing and storytelling but the business of travel writing and having your work published. A fun and valuable course by an experienced travel writer." Holly Galbraith, Go Future Media

"Excellent! The course was very useful and exceeded my expectations." Amy Dalguish, Travel Editor, Total Travel

"Inspirational and dynamic presenter. Engaging real life experiences of her travels and success in travel writing."

"A shame the workshop is over – onto the hard work now!"

Postcards from Bangalow: The countdown is on

It's now just over a month until the first-ever Postcards from Bangalow Writing and Gourmet Experience kicks off. Tickets for this unique writing event to be held in the beautiful hinterland village of Bangalow on the Far North Coast of New South Wales from 10-13 June are selling fast. Don't miss out - the clock is ticking!

The three day writing retreat will take participants on a travel writing journey through the sights, sounds, scents and flavours of Bangalow. Joining me for the journey are a prominent line-up of local writers, authors, foodies and identities including co-owner of Foodscape Tours, Karen Hirst, author of Boys' Home to Broadway, Kevin Palmer, publisher of Sample magazine, Remy Tancred, and TV presenter and author, Scott McGregor, who'll help me unearth the best of the region through a series of workshops, dinners and tours.

With food as well as writing a main focus of the weekend, tastebuds will be tantalised with many of the region's best restaurants and producers highlighted on the menu for the event. Participants will enjoy gourmet meals at three atmospheric local restaurants including Bangalow Dining Rooms, Fishheads @ Bangalow and the Harvest Cafe and will meet local producers on a half-day Foodscape hinterland tour and a guided visit of the Bangalow Farmers' Market.

If a weekend of writing, reflecting and enjoying the tastes and flavours of Bangalow isn't enticement enough, Sample magazine - the epicurean bible of the Northern Rivers - has offered to publish the best travel article written over the weekend in the travel section of the spring edition of the magazine. All participants too will go into the draw for a three-day pass to the Bangalow Music Festival. So grab your pen and paper, bring your appetite and get ready for a fun weekend of good writing, good food and good company.

The three day event costs $450 per person and includes the three restaurant meals, tours and workshops. Accommodation can be arranged in a variety of local venues in and around the village. Places are strictly limited. Contact me on 0400 887 991 or kim[at]wildwriting[dot]com[dot]au to make a booking.

Tales from the road: An introduction to travel writing

As has probably been made fairly obvious by the slowdown in my blog postings over recent months, I've been keeping myself very busy with work (which is a blessing for a travel writer in today's economic climate!). Not only have I been continuing with my regular writing assignments for both Ninemsn and MSN NZ as well as organising my research trip for my next guidebook assignment in Ghana, I've also been working hard to break into several new markets, finally cracking The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age....But that's not all. I've also been secretly organising a new travel writing course for the Byron Bay Community College.

Following on from the feedback and queries I received after my guest lecture on travel writing at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, I decided to put my knowledge and skills to good use with a series of new workshops on travel writing. The first two-day course, Tales from the Road: An Introduction to Travel Writing, will be held in Mullumbimby on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, over the weekend of 1-2 August. The course itself will take a practical approach to travel writing, giving an overview of the market from writing for newspapers, magazines and on-line, to authoring guidebooks. Students will learn how to evoke a sense of place, how to dress up articles with photographs and how to approach an editor with the perfect pitch.

Date: 1-2 August
Time: 10am - 4pm
Cost: $120 Full Fee; $108 Concession

If you happen to be in the Byron Bay area around this time, I would love for you to come along!