About Amanda Castleman
Student Comments
Complete List of Writers.com Classes
This genre stretches from iPhone review applications to some of the world's most powerful narrative nonfiction, as modern explorers tackle journeys both interior and exterior.
Writers.com offer three modules. Longtime instructor Amanda Castleman teaches her classic Travel Writing: From Press Trips to Punctured Tires roughly four times each year. Students may then progress to Advanced Travel Writing with Edward Readicker-Henderson or Amanda's Ongoing Travel Writing Workshop (with occasional assistance from Edward when she's on the road).
Both instructors have won the genre's ersatz Pulitzer, the Lowell Thomas. The Society of American Travel Writers honored Amanda for adventure coverage (Calm As the Hurricane's Eye) and Edward for cultural tourism (Under the Protection of the Cow Demon). He's also netted multiple mentions in the Best American Travel Writing series.
The glamour of travel writing attracts many people. After all, who wouldn't want subsidized trips to exotic destinations? But it's not all easy living. Journalists must concoct ideas, sell them, plan the trip, research extensively in the field and then craft a gripping article. It's work. Nice work, if you can get it, but a far cry from slobbing on the beach with a margarita.
The ten-week course prepares you to enter this competitive arena. Explore the different types of travel writing, including first-person memoirs, destination guides, historic reflections and news flashes for globe-trotting executives. Learn to devise appealing pitches and target the right editors. Discover the tricks of the trade, from filing taxes to building a journalism portfolio.
Other topics include photography, narrative devices, research and interview techniques, new media as a marketing tool, and – perhaps the greatest challenge – how to earn a living wage. The class also covers ethical considerations (for example, subsidized trips alienate publications like The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times).
You don't need to be a world traveler to become a "writer about place". Reveal the secrets of your hometown for visitors. Record an exceptional hike or festival. Share family holiday hassles and tips on how to avoid friction. The important thing is to learn how to capture a journey's details and sensations – even the frustration of a flat tire – then spin them into published work and paychecks.
This course takes you through the process step-by-step, with weekly lectures, discussions and feedback. Amanda works intensively with students' prose, interleaving comments (line-critiques). She fine-tooth-combs the text, figuring out what's naughty and what's nice – and why. The process can help amateur and seasoned writers alike discover a new voice and inspiration. By the last lesson, you should have a polished draft ready for submission – and be on your way to making vacation a vocation.
Dates for 2010: January 4, March 22, June 7, August 23, November 1. Late-enrollment open until day ten, space permitting.
CLASS OUTLINE
Class 1 : Specializing
What is travel writing? Controversy. Three catchall categories: inverted pyramid, commentary and features-style. The different facets of travel writing, including essays, adventure tales, destination guides, news briefs, special interest and historic articles. Capturing the moment. Goals and experience. Assignment: Travel brief (500 words or less).
Class 2 : Bright ideas
Generating concepts. Angles. Write what you know. Spotting trends. Press releases. Media kits. Press trip and tour traps. Online options. Research. Travel writing and literature. Guidebooks. Review brief. Assignment: Brainstorm ten story ideas (500 words or less).
Class 3 : Selling the goods
Researching your market. Keeping an eye on the competition. Writer's guidelines. Writing succinct and successful queries. Approaching editors. Simultaneous submissions. Writing on speculation. Portfolios. Trappings of the trade. Snail mail vs. electronic pitching. Do you need a Web site? Review story ideas. Assignment: Query letter. Focus on one story idea for development (500 words or less).
Class 4 : Building blocks
A colorful palette. Universal themes. Gathering quotes. Interview tools – digital and analogue. Key volumes. Guidebooks. Online resources. The future of your work and your library: cybersolutions versus tangible media. Review query letters. Assignment: Find ten resources for your article (500 words or less).
Class 5: Story structure
Themes. Capsule sentence. Plot and narrative arc. A snappy start. Prioritizing information. Transitions. A strong finish. Sidebars. Review resources. Errors to avoid. Finishing touches. Fact-checking. Assignment: Article outline (500 words or less).
Class 6: On the net and on the road
Establishing expertise. Building a brand. Social media as a research and promotional tool. Blog basics. Self-publishing. Writing sticky content. Introduction to SEO (search engine optimization). Content sharing. Citizen journalism. Media convergence. Reality versus romanticism. Freebies and junkets – the controversy. Editorial transparency. Ethical double-standard? Pre-trip research. Planning, but not over-planning. Tools. Cultural sensitivity. Review outline. Assignment: Begin the rough draft (500 words or less).
Class 7 : Toning up
Target audience. Viewpoint. Colorful language and metaphor. AP style. Punchy headlines. Short, clear sentence structure. Avoiding word repetition. Revise concepts. Why redrafting matters. Writers to emulate. Review rough draft. Assignment: Finish the rough draft (500 words or less).
Class 8: Travel multimedia
The pros and cons of self-sufficiency. Basic image composition. Photojournalism versus snapshots. Model release. Equipment: getting started. Lenses. Accessories. Film and slide. Digital. Submissions. Stock shots. Showcasing art: Flickr and other photo-sharing sites. Assembling a digital slideshow. Introduction to Audio and Video. Review rough draft. Assignment: Polishing your article (1,000 words or less).
Class 9 : Ethics and etiquette
Subsidized trips. Freebie ethics. The middle road. The benefits of anonymity. Recycling material. Following up a pitch politely. Dealing with rejections. Courtesy in the face of frustration. Advertising pressure. Coping with rewrites. Review article. Assignment: Prepare package for submission (1,500 words or less). Post questions.
Class 10 : Nuts and bolts
Rates. Syndication. Earning a living wage. Rights. Invoices. Tax and Accounting. Where to go from here: Conferences, organizations and books. Q&A.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I travel during class?
Students - and the instructor - frequently travel during the course. The lessons and discussions remain online, and late submissions are welcome by special arrangement throughout the ten-week period. The decision should hinge upon your work habits: can you work and focus well on the road? Will you have the discipline to make up assignments back home?
Is the introductory course suitable for experienced writers?
Absolutely. Amanda's taught full-time travel journalists and professionals jumping genres or reviving skill-sets (including former staffers for Shape, The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal). Most find the pitching advice and line-critiques (detailed feedback on assignments) the most valuable aspects, as well as the class camaraderie.
How much time does it take?
The time commitment varies, of course, but students seem to average 30-60 minutes for the lectures and at least 60-90 for the assignments (some may be quicker, like the outline). Ambitious readers can delve deep via links and articles: some study is self-guided and entirely optional.
Why only one article?
Resources and rewriting separate beginners from the pros. This course addresses the typical weaknesses of fledgling authors.
What sort of success can I expect?
Students have landed work in outlets like Islands, Sunset, National Geographic Traveler, The Independent, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Toronto Sun and The Christian Science Monitor, among others. But placement depends on timing, connections and marketing savvy, as much as talent. I work to boost each student up a few ladder rungs from where he or she began. For some, that's publishing a first clip, for others breaking into A-list publications.
I live outside the U.S. Is this a problem?
The class is entirely online with no fixed hours. All you need is a word-processing program, Internet access, a browser and a credit card. A recent session included students from Ireland, Scotland, Prague, India and New Zealand, as well as across North America; such a mix really invigorates the class. Amanda's staffed in the US and UK – and continues to work for publications around the globe. Thus she's sensitive to Anglophone dialects and how they might effect publication-ready prose.
What if I have another question?
Mark Dahlby can answer any queries (writers@writers.com).
:: to top of page :: About Amanda Castleman Student Comments Complete List of Writers.com Classes
An ongoing writers' workshop for anyone who has taken Amanda's travel-journalism class. No lecture, no lesson and no assignment. Instead, the course focuses on works-in-progress: from queries to articles to book-length memoirs. Whether you're trying to rough out a first draft or polish pieces for publication, each week you'll submit up to 750 words for feedback. You'll also critique other writers in the workshop. Via Nicenet, Amanda will post links, commentary and conferencing material. Advanced Travel Writing Instructor Edward Readicker-Henderson may "guest star" occasionally.
Dates for 2010: January 18, March 22, June 21, September 6, November 15. Late-enrollment open until day ten, space permitting.
Suggested texts:
The Best American Travel Writing 2008 by Anthony Bourdain
Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark
:: to top of page :: About Amanda Castleman Student Comments Complete List of Writers.com Classes
Taught by a retired Microsoft programmer and a full-time freelance writer,
this workshop focuses on the art and the craft of new media. Instructors Mike
Keran and Amanda Castleman offer a crash course
in self-publishing, online promotion and social networks, suitable for raw
recruits to intermediate bloggers.
The brave new media world has revolutionized self-expression, so even hobbyists
can create professional-looking platforms for their prose, photography and
graphic design. The instructors' wide skill-sets and wry styles help them
painlessly coach any pupil to his or her comfort level, whether that's an
intimate family chronicle, a monetized commercial site or a shingle in cyberspace
for an author or communications expert.
Students lab-test blogs, while learning about Web 2.0, social media and responsible citizen journalism. They explore the history of new media and its future, ethics, syndication and traffic generation. The workshop also focuses on literary aspects: developing a distinctive voice, thematic continuity, content pacing and shaping short narrative. It touches upon "other voices, other rooms:" adding diversity though interviews, memes, images, links and multimedia. From basic SEO to CSS-hacks, this class provides new-media newbies with the tools to grow more serious.
New Media: Explore the Publishing Frontier runs on Blogger (lectures, comments) and Nicenet (feedback, calendar, messaging). More comprehensive than any other new-media class online – and likely the most affordable– this workshop provides any amount of challenge you crave.
Dates for 2010: January 13, April 21, July 28, October 27. Late-enrollment open until day ten, space permitting.
Week 1: Hang a shingle in cyberspace
Media revolution; Introduction to Web 2.0, Wikis, User-generated and crowd-sourced
content; Rise of the indie geek; Blog stars are born; History and highlights
of blogging; Ripples outside the pond; Citizen journalism; Why should you
blog? You're not alone – or screaming into the void; Bloggers making
it work; Successful bloggers who have moved on; Why write without pay? Introduction
to freeconomics; Ponder your genre; Naming and branding your blog; What's
in a name? The hit list and examples; Taglines; Choosing a blog host; Anatomy
of a blog; Introduction to design principles; Choosing a template; Posting
– compose mode versus edit; Finesse your settings; Blog software tips;
How to ask the right questions; Site navigation
Assignment: create a blog or assess your current one, answering these questions in 25 words or less: Why is this blog important? Who cares (target audience)? What skills do I bring to this subject? What community is my blog building? Make at least one entry
Feedback: (Amanda) critique of design, tone and overall effect
Week 2: Start the press!
Matching design to topic; Feature original material and context high; Post-frequency.
Archiving; Adding, deleting and repositioning sidebar elements; Private or
public? Pseudonyms versus transparency. Kicky bios and other profile tactics;
Single author versus group submissions; How to link; How to be linked to;
Page-specific URLs (permalinks); The importance of art; Sourcing images legally:
an intro to public domain and Creative Commons; Photo editing and management
(Flickr, Picasa, Photoshop Elements: what's best for you?); Prepping images;
Web-friendly formats and compression; Image upload; Art alignment and text
wraps; HTML and CSS – the mysteries revealed;
Assignment: settle on a template, make at least one entry including a link and photo. Post/refine your bio.
Feedback: (Mike) tech and design suggestions
Week 3: Strong, Sticky Content is Key
Master the headline; Tantalizing openers – how to make your first 25 words pop for search engines; Writing for narrative or thematic continuity; News vs. features vs. opinion; Finding the right format; News angles attract audience; Avoid the echo chamber; DJ your blog: mixing expertise and entertainment; Content pacing; It's all in the timing; Creating static pages and teaser text for longer material; Fact-checking; Redrafting and self-editing; Text-trimming tips
Assignment: Three posts – one 25 words, another 100 words, the last 350
Feedback: (Amanda) writing line-critique
Week 4: Meet the reader
Target audience; Keep the home court advantage; Genre refinement; Building communities; Blogrolls; Link farms; Comment interaction; Organizing blog material; Labels; Search capacities; Hitlist; Dynamic Sidebars; Widgets and gadgets; Intro to Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools; Exposure – yours, interviewees' and readers' (ISP data-harvesting etc.); Who's reading? Alterting search engines; Test blogs
Assignment: Add Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools, and make two posts
Feedback: (Mike) Q&A, tech troubleshooting
Week 5: Mix It Up – Adding Diverse, Original Content
Digging down: creating distinctive, original content; Interviews; Citizen journalism – Reporting 101; Classic blog entry formulas; Blog jump starts; Mining press releases for ideas; Tapping pro-writer tools like media kits; Memes; Sourced content; How to access and credit multimedia – or create your own; Introduction to audio, video and podcasts; Open Source Movement; Redefining intellectual property rights; Creative Commons License
Assignment: Incorporate at least three sources - quotes, memes or multimedia - to add texture to your blog. Bonus points for original audio or video uploads!
Feedback: (Amanda) writing line-critique
Week 6: Step Into the Spotlight
Building readership; Link review (internal and external); How search engines
work; Page rank – the pixie dust of the pixelverse; Squeezing Googlejuice;
Basics of nabbing higher rankings; Introduction to SEO (search engine optimization);
Wooing the Googlebots; Avoid the false prophets; Attracting even more eyes:
aggregators; Keywords; Developing a presence in the blogosphere; Technorati
and other portals; Blog review sites; Social networking and microblogging
(Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, etc.); Followers; Syndication (including RSS
feeds); FeedBurner; Blog networks (Gawker, Blogher, Weblogs, Examiner, etc.);
Resources to learn more about SEO (search engine optimization); Web and mobile
(cell) devices
Assignment: Burn your feed, add a subscription/email subscription widget to your blog, claim your blog on Technorati.
Feedback: (Mike) Q&A, tech troubleshooting
Week 7: Shaping Short Narrative
Storytelling in the age of content curation; Snappy ledes (starts); Plot your posts; Bring the context (enter the nut graf); Suspense; Transitions: write the sweet segue; Plot arc; Points of insight; Climax; Denouement; Satisfying conclusions; Envelope ending; Short, clear sentence structure; Colorful language and metaphor; Avoiding word repetition; Tips for trimming
Assignment: either a longer post (500 words) or three thematically linked entries (no more than 600 words)
Feedback: (Amanda) writing line-critique
Week 8: Advanced Geekery, including Multimedia Uploads and Embeds
Do I need a domain? Know your Frenemy; Is dot.com da bomb? Making your custom
domain search-bot friendly; Creating a three-column or custom template; Analyzing
Google Analytics; Web-prepping images, a review; Altering images ethically;
Image quality versus download speed; Compression troubleshooting; Image placement
for ace design; Art alignment and text-wrap review; Video embeds (YouTube,
Vimeo, etc.); Viral video; Slideshows; A primer to uploading original video;
Teaser text for multimedia; Challenges of the "backpack" journalist
(aka the one-man-band); Sourcing free or cheap online software to rock your
at-home multimedia studio
Assignment: Comment on at least five newly discovered blogs and respond to all feedback left on your site. Make at least two posts, one with an image, the other with a video
Feedback: (Amanda) holistic critique
Week 9: Money Makes the World Go Round
Death of tangible media? Can it pay? Freeconomics; Amazon and other affiliates;
How pay-per-click works; Google Adsense; How Adsense interacts with feeds,
Google Reader, etc. Display adverts and providers; Newsletters role in the
blogosphere. Poindexterish? Spreading the word: public relations tips; Micropatronage
and blog sponsorship; Merchandise me a la Cafepress; Pay, why it matters and
the cruel truth about exposure...
Assignment: Add one or more of the following: Google AdSense, a widget, blogroll, a "best of" panel or labels. Monitor statistics, especially referrals, from last week's community outreach, then report on your findings.
Feedback: (Mike) Q&A, tech troubleshooting
Week 10: Protecting Content and Yourself
The enemy: Scraper sites and Made for AdSense blogs; Digital watermarks and
other plagiarism detection tools; Allowing some content sharing; Strike back
at copyright thieves; Don't be a pirate; More ways to be a good cyber-citizen;
Derivative works; Images as derivative works; Libel; Slander; Freedom of speech
protection; The future of citizen journalism; Growing further; Segueing into
"mainstream" media; Book deals; Self-employment; Blookers; Brave
new gadget world – how Kindle, epaper, video books and Apple's tablet
may change the landscape; Media convergence; More resources; Q&A.
Feedback: (Amanda) final evaluations
MIKE KERAN retired from Microsoft in his late twenties. For the last decade, he's run a regional nonprofit, been a stay-at-home parent, and worked as a freelance website developer and contract programmer. His clients range from photographers to ski resorts, non-profits to the Univ. of Washington's Climate Impacts Group. This broad spectrum has taught him to clarify tech issues for the uninitiated: a skill now prized by students.
Seattle's still home, where Mike indulges his less geeky pursuits: ultimate, photography, biking, canoeing and raising two daughters. He's fluent in PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript; conversant in Perl; and has vague memories of C and C++ from his Microsoft days. Thus Mike can hack templates when students panic. This is a Very Good Thing. His website is www.mikekeran.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much time does it take?
The time commitment varies, of course, but students seem to average 30-60 minutes for the lectures and at least 60-90 for the assignments (some weeks are just Q&A, however). Ambitious readers can delve deep via links and articles: some study is self-guided and entirely optional.
I'm a professional writer. Why should I dabble with new media sans pay?
The Internet is revolutionizing how – and where – we tell stories. Better to understand and use these tools than be roadkill on the information superhighway...
As Tom Brosnahan points out on the Writers' Website Planner, the industry's turbulence can be a content-generator's gain. We can eliminate the shareholders and middle-management, taking 100% of the revenue as publishers.
Technology scares me. How much hand-holding can I expect?
As much as you need. Mike and Amanda have coached young world-travelers and silver surfers alike. Students praise their patience, humor and ability to break concepts into bite-sized, palatable chunks.
But I didn't understand half the stuff on the syllabus!
That's just fine. In fact, it's hugely enjoyable to watch folks accelerate 0-to-60mph. By the end of ten weeks, even technophobes can confidently talk about wikis, memes, analytics, social media and citizen journalism, among other topics.
I want to promote my business. Would this course help?
Absolutely. Marketing isn't the main focus, but this class gives you the savvy to oversee those directing your campaign – or the tools to do it yourself, grassroots style. Additionally, Amanda has PR-consulting experience, while Mike develops both commercial and academic websites.
What sort of success can I expect?
Sky's the limit, from a polished personal blog to an author's showcase online – or even winning awards and free trips like alumna Mardi!
What if I have another question?
Mark Dahlby can answer any queries (writers@writers.com).
:: to top of page :: About Amanda Castleman Student Comments Complete List of Writers.com Classes
AMANDA CASTLEMAN is a freelance journalist,
specializing in travel, adventure, the environment and women's issues. Her
articles have appeared in The International Herald Tribune, MSNBC.com,
Wired, Salon, Italy Daily, The Athens News and The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, as well as the UK's BBC, Guardian and Mail
on Sunday. Despite her yoga-and-yogurt appearance, she's a former wilderness
guide. Her Honduras dive article won a 2007 Lowell Thomas award (travel writing's
ersatz Pulitzer).
A regular contributor to Sport Diver and The Sunday Express,
Amanda has also worked on 30-odd books, including Greece, A Love Story
and Rome in Detail, as well as titles for National Geographic, Frommer's,
Michelin, DK Eyewitness, Time Out and Rough Guides.
American by birth, this author spent eight years in Europe. She lived on a traditional narrowboat, moored on the Oxford Canal in England. She also endured two years swilling espresso in Italy, as a Visiting Writer at the American Academy in Rome, then ranged farther afield to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. Seattle, her native city in the Pacific Northwest, is once again her home base.
She has also worked as an editor, staff writer, graphic and web designer. In addition to Writers.com, Amanda teaches through the Richard Hugo House and Travel Writing Class.com, which offers week-long spring workshops in Rome. Her website is www.amandacastleman.com and she ego-casts further on the blog Road Remedies.
"Amanda is a phenomenal editor and a patient teacher – precise but not nitpicky, critical but not harsh. My writing is clearer and more focused than ever before. I spent eight semesters in creative writing classes at UC Berkeley, and Amanda offered more guidance and carefully directed help than any professor I took there."
Jenny Williams
"Her approach to teaching is clear and concise. I'll not be surprised if one day she writes a book on Travel Writing. ... She is an inspiration, an ideal to aspire to."
James Polk
"Fab experience, again! One word describes Amanda: awesome. Her critiques were thorough, encouraging us to aim for excellence. Her lectures were chock-full of practical advice (and humor) about writing on the road. She is a dream teacher, just the right balance between a knuckle-rapping tutor and a mom full of hugs. Thanks again for Writers on the Net. The course fees are lots cheaper than a shrink!"
Linda Petrucelli
"Amanda manages to establish a rapport with and among her students. It surprised me that I felt more of a sense of community in her classes than I experienced in the live workshops.
"Her teaching style is informal and lighthearted, yet professional and businesslike. I have found her always approachable, flexible, encouraging, and insightful. Best of all, Amanda is a wonderful editor, both sensible and sensitive. I can always understand the rationale behind her suggestions. She helped me immensely to make my writing more concise and effective, and to use my quirks to best advantage.
"Here's the proof: in my first workshop with Amanda I went through all the stages of writing and marketing an article on Magellanic penguins in southern Chile. To have my first article accepted by the first publication I approached –Christian Science Monitor –was like rocket fuel for me, and I have Amanda Castleman's expertise to thank."
Anne Clippinger, PhD
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of English, Montgomery College, MD
"Amanda Castleman leads her courses with thorough precision. She inspires careful attention to detail so that essential elements of the writers' work shine."
Kayla Allen, also published in the Christian Science Monitor during class
"I rate Amanda Castleman's course A+. I finished it last month and promptly sold an article. Amanda is a first-rate instructor who reviews every word of each student's assignment and offers detailed comments in a constructive, supportive way."
Leon Oliver
"After taking her class, I went on to publish a number of travel writing stories and currently have 20 travel assignments due to my favourite editor (Canadian Living's online presence: www.canadianliving.com) before July 1. I started picking up assignments while taking Amanda's class and have kept all my notes for easy reference. Cheers."
Dee Van Dyk
Professional Member
Periodical Writers Association of Canada
Travel Media Association of Canada
"I thought that the class was EXCELLENT and well worth the time and money... The overall structure of the class, literary critique/criticism tied with the "business" end of travel writing, is a great approach... I would definitely recommend this class to friends."
Timmy Williams
"A very generous, knowledgeable person! Amanda was definitely worth every penny. Without your program, my writing would have stagnated. As it is, it remains one of the most important things that I do."
Nina Camic
"I haven't taken Amanda Castleman's class –I already make a living as a travel writer – but because she's a friend, she just looked over a 6,000-word piece I was doing for National Geographic Traveler. Plain and simple, her comments and suggestions were the best I have ever seen from any editor, anywhere. Amanda's a genius."
Ed Readicker-Henderson
Winner of a 2004 Lowell Thomas Award
" She is an excellent teacher, with plenty of knowledge. Most important, with her words and comments, she not only teaches, but inspires... This is my second class already and definitely I will take more. Of course I recommend my classes to friends."
Gabriela Romo
"Amanda Castleman's class is one of the best learning experiences I've had. She was very attentive, offered great and instructive feedback. Within the critiques there were hyperlinks you could jump to to learn more. The learning was PACKED. The class had a lot of energy. She seemed very devoted to her charges and was always extremely helpful. The tone of the class was very warm and friendly and professional. I was very happy with the class content and the instructor. It was a great experience."
Sandra Braden
"Topnotch...excellent balance of being supportive as well as having high expectations I love her genuine, witty humor as well as her creative way of approaching writing. She is extraordinary... I already have recommended Amanda's class to many people. YES! I would take another."
Sandra Kennedy
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About Amanda Castleman
Complete List of Writers.com Classes
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