Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers....

1. Learn to Craft a Perfect Author Bio

2. Why Writer’s Block is Your Secret Weapon

3. 5 Questions To Ask Before You Write For Free

4. How To Get Past The Blank Page By Creating Urgency

5. How to Give Yourself to Whatever the Moment Brings, and Forget Stress

Video: Travel Blogger Sherry Ott Talks to Dispatches 2.0...

Need some inspiration?

Look no further than Sherry Ott, who left the corporate world, took off around the world, and created the popular travel blog ottsworld.com

Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...

1. Q&A With the Travel Photographer Robert Caplin

2. 10 Reasons Why That Other Writer Always Seems to Get Ahead

3. 10 Ways to make your editor love you

4. Editing Help – Tips for Revising Articles, Essays, and Short Stories

5. News you can use: 10 top takeaways from the 2009 ONA (Online News Association) conference

Press Trips: ethical or not?

There's an interesting discussion going on over at twitter on press trips. It was triggered by the writers over at World Hum who posted about the continual debate about press trips - ethical or not.

This latest rounds of discussions started following a this Daily Finance post - Ethics takes a holiday: Newsweek, New York Times writers in swag orgy

You can follow the debate over at twitter thread #twethics

And for more about press trips, check out previous Write to Travel posts on this topic...

FAM and Press Trips - Good or Bad for Travel Writers?

The Press Trip: Great Deal or Big Hassle?

Everything you wanted to know about Press trips…

Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...

1.5 Choices You Will Face When Freelancing (And What You Should Choose)

2. Is Your Mind Holding You Back?

3. Ideas for Writers Who Travel, But Who Don’t Write About Traveling

4. How to Defeat Burnout and Stay Motivated

5. 45 Free Things for Writers

Wanderlust and Lipsticks 2nd Annual Travel Writing Contest...

Wanderlust and Lipstick, a travel site for women, are holding their 2nd annual travel writing contest.

Submission guidelines:

Choose a category

*Adventure
*Family Fun
*Food & Drink
*Off the Beaten Path
*Spiritual

Write a travel article for that category

Submit it before November 31, 2009 to WanderlustAndLipstick (at) gmail (dot) com

More specifically...

Must be a nonfiction travel story
Indicate which of the above categories your story fits in
Include the category, your name, address and contact information at the beginning of the article
Email article in an Word doc (no PDF’s, please) to WanderlustAndLipstick (at) gmail (dot) com
Make it fun, interesting and personal!
Note whether it has been previously published and where
800-2,500 words in length
Must be received prior to November 31, 2009 23:59 PST
Open to women only (sorry guys!)
DO NOT send images with your story unless you are contacted to do so.

The prizes:

Grand Prize is a 12-day Health and Harmony land tour of Vietnam with Buffalo Tours

5 Best in Category prizes including Bayliss bags from Overland Equipment and CoolMax Blankets and Travel Pillows from Cocoon.

Winners will be announced no later than January 15, 2010

Guest Post: Create a Sustainable Life by Sara Morgan

It's something that all freelance writers dream of -- to be able to live comfortably and successfully of the fruits of one's writing. But getting there is not easy. It's a path full of obstacles, self-doubt, and fear. So before you take it, it's a good idea to get advice from those who have already thrown off the shackles of corporate life.

Today, Write to Travel is pleased be part of the WOW blog tour for Sara Morgan who offers insight into how to make the jump from corporate worker to self employed.

Sara's book No Limits (How I escaped the clutches of Corporate America to live the Self-employed life of my dreams) offers inspiration and motivation for anyone thinking about making the leap into self-employment. Full of practical information and tips that will help you discover what skills are needed to become your own boss.

Create a sustainable life by Sara Morgan

Around the age of 30, I realized that my life was unsustainable. I instinctually knew, even though at the time I could not verbalize, that I was not happy. I had all the things that were supposed to make me happy (beautiful kids, a loving husband, a nice house and a good, well paying job). But yet something was wrong. I was not where I wanted to be and my life was not sustainable.

At that time, I embarked on a ten year journey that has brought me to where I am today; happy and content with the life I have chosen. My life is now sustainable and even better than that, enjoyable. I can now face the daily struggles and challenges of life and instead of seeing them as problems, I see them as opportunities. The only thing that can ruin my life now is death – everything else is just an experience.

So, how did I get here you might ask? Well, it wasn’t easy and I had to make really big changes in my life, like get divorced, quit my job, move to the country. But, all the changes were worth it and I hope that I can inspire other bright and energetic people to get out of their own way and start on a path towards happiness. Create a sustainable life for yourself. It’s worth all the efforts it takes to achieve it.

Sara Morgan is the author of No Limits: How I escaped the clutches or Corporate America to live the self-employed life of my dreams". For more information about Sara and her book, check out www.nolimitsthebook.com