TED Talk: JK Rowling at Harvard University...

"Harry Potter" author JK Rowling offers advice to dreamers and overachievers at this Harvard University commencement speech.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

A Travel Bloggers Scholarship Fund for TBEX?

Travel blogger Caitlin Fitzsimmons has come up with a novel and innovative way of raising money to get to this years TBEX’10 Travel Bloggers Conference.

She has set up a Send Caitlin to TBEX in NYC project over at Kickstarter with the aim of raising $500 to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation in NYC during the conference.

In return for everyone’s support, Caitlin promises to provide up to date summaries of conference content and conversations to help people who can't attend.

And within two weeks of her trip to New York, will create and publish the following on her Roaming Tales blog:

- an edited video
- at least one post from each of the five boroughs
- two restaurant reviews
- a hotel review

As of today, the Send Caitlin to TBEX in NYC project has raised reached the goal of $500.

But all this got me thinking that maybe now is the time that a travel bloggers scholarship fund, similar to the one created by the Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC), was established to help travel bloggers get to TBEX.

Last year I was one of the grateful recipients of WBC’s scholarship fund. And while what I received wasn’t financially huge, it did make a huge difference to me being able to attend the event.

Dependent on donations on wineries, PR agencies, wine business industry members, and individuals, the WBC scholarship fund will be funding up to 11 wine bloggers at this year’s conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Anyone with a wine blog is encouraged to send in an application describing their blog, their financial needs pertaining to the Wine Bloggers Conference, and why they are deserving on sponsorship. The successful wine bloggers are then chosen through a committee selection process.

Sounds like something that TBEX travel bloggers could easily do. After all, travel bloggers are a generous lot.

All you have to do is look at the results of the Passports with Purpose fundraisers organized by four Seattle travel bloggers. The first one raised over $6000 dollars, the second one well over $25000.

So maybe it’s time we start being generous to each other as well by creating a TBEX scholarship fund for TBEX’11.

Sure sounds like something that everyone should be discussing at this year’s TBEX.

In the meantime, why not make Caitlin the ‘inaugural TBEX scholarship’ recipient by donating to the Send Caitlin to TBEX in NYC fund.

(For more on TBEX'10, check out the TBEX facebook page and follow on the TBEX twitter.)

(cross posted at Perceptive Travel blog)

Travel Writing Course in Morocco...

Tour operators Steppes Travel announced this week a one-off travel writing course in Morocco. Run by author Paul Gogarty, this seven day course will consist of personalised one-on-one private tutoring, feature-writing assignments and daily workshops intermixed with a series of field trips around Marrakech.

At £1,850, it's not cheap. But imagine learning the tricks of the trade while wandering around such a colorful and interesting place.

Dates: 27 September to 3 October 2010

For more information, visit www.steppestravel.co.uk

(via cntraveller.com)

TED Talk: Gary Vaynerchuk at Web 2.0 Expo 2008...

I found this TED talk video via Cuaderno Inedito

It's a talk that Gary Vaynerchuk from Wine Library did at Web 2.0 Expo 2008.

His advice - do what you love with no excuses!

Upcoming Travel Writing Seminar in Washington D.C.

Jason Clampet, editor of Frommers.com, is holding a 'Breaking into Travel Writing' Seminar on April 26, 2010.

Topics to be covered include...

- The fundamentals of compelling travel writing
- Useful insider tips for selling your articles
- How to identify markets
- How to earn money
- What makes a good travel memoir

For more information, head over to Mediabistro

TBEX '10 Calling for Entries for Community Keynote

TBEX'10, the travel bloggers event of the year, will take place in New York City on June 26 and June 27th.

I had hoped to go this year but life got in the way and instead I will instead be cruising on the high seas while TBEX'10 is on.

But thanks to the TBEX'10 Communtiy Keynote, there is a way that I and others unable to attend, can participate.

The community keynote offers independent travel bloggers a chance to have their work presented by Pam Mandel and Mike Barish at the TBEX ’10 Community Keynote session.

Interested?

Then check out Kim Mance's post, CALL FOR ENTRIES: TBEX '10 COMMUNITY KEYNOTE, over at Travel Exchange.

Here's the highlights...

You do not need to attend TBEX ’10 to submit work for inclusion in the Community Keynote (though we’d love to see you). Simply review the list below and submit one of your favorite blog posts that fits into a specific category. All work must be original, written by you, and published on your blog (whether old or new). There is no compensation for entries chosen (beyond TBEX fame and a link), and author retains their own copyright. One submission per person, only!

1. Twinkle in a Traveler’s Eye – The Ideas That Inspire the Trips

2. In Transit – The Perils (and Joys) of Transportation

3. Talking to Strangers – The People You Meet

4. Spit or Swallow – Culinary Conundrums

5. The Power of Places – Inspiring Destinations

6. You Did What? – Adrenaline Rushes and Adventures

7. Love at First Flight – Tales of Romance on the Road

8. Trips & Falls – Embarrassing Tales & Travel Fails

9. Home, Bittersweet Home – Reverse Culture Shock & Many Happy Returns

Heather Hapeta to Hold Travel Writing Course at Daku Resort, Fiji...

New Zealand travel writer Heather Hapeta aka 'the kiwitravelwriter' is running a 7 day travel writing course at the Daku Resort in Fiji in August.

Sounds like a great way to combine a beach holiday with your writing and travel passions. The course is geared to teach you the ins and outs of writing travel articles, blogs,etc.

Topics include (but not only):

· How to write for specific publications
· Know your market
· What works – what doesn’t?
· Where to sell your stories – locally and internationally
· Finding your own style, and the secrets of style
· Use your senses; quotes; fact files
· Query letters, and the taxman
· Considering other markets
· Photography and travel writing

. . . plus exercises, daily expeditions, and lots of talking in-between, and one-on-one time with your tutor as required.

By your last day you should have a perfectly formed (and critiqued) article ready to pitch to an editor and start earning.

Course requirements: enthusiasm and curiosity are essential.

Add notebooks and pencils; a camera; perhaps your laptop or an audio cassette – and, as we are on a Pacific island – sunscreen and swimming costumes are highly recommended!

$NZ500 discount for early-bird bookings – by end of April 2010 - for THIS travel workshop only. The price includes flights from New Zealand, accommodation (twin share) meals, and visits associated with the course, and naturally, an exciting week-long holiday retreat at Daku Resort.

For more information on click on travel writing course at Daku Resort.

Travel & Words 2010: A Pacific NW Travel Writers Conference...

If you are heading for the Pacific Northwest this summer, you might want to consider attending TRAVEL & WORDS 2010.

Where: Courtyard Marriott, 1515 Commerce Street, Historic downtown Tacoma Washington

When: June 26 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m

A one day workshop for freelance travel writers, journalists, photographers, editors, and travel and tourism industry professionals, TRAVEL & WORDS 2010 is designed to provide participants with...

...timely information on changes and trends in the freelance writing world, particularly the use of social media in managing and marketing one’s brand and developing income-producing web sites related to travel writing.

...encourage networking with editors and travel and tourism industry professionals who highlight Pacific NW destinations, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia.

...discuss the process of marketing freelance articles and photography to both print and online publications in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

For more information, check out the Travel & Words 2010 Conference website.

Rolf Potts to Lead Travel Writing Workshop in Iceland...

Travel writer and author Rolf Potts, fresh from his Paris workshop in July, will be leading a 5 day Travel Writing Workshop in Iceland on August 1st, 2010.

At this travel writing workshop, the emphasis will be on participants creating travel stories, memoirs, and experimental essays that examine sense of place, cross-cultural inquiry, and personal discovery. Rolf will be offering direction and guidance, with the aim for each student to have one completed non-fiction article ready for publication by the end of the workshop.

The cost - $$1950.00 - includes:

5 days travel writing workshop with Rolf Potts
7 nights accommodation (based on double occupancy) at House of Spirits Guesthouse
7 breaksfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners

For more information, head over to Angela Richie's Ace Camp website.

For more on Rolf Potts, read this Write to Travel interview with a travel writer.

Study Travel Writing With World Hum

Anyone looking to learn more about Travel Writing in the Digital Age might want to consider enrolling in one of the World Hum two-day travel writing workshops on offer.

The workshops, taught by World Hum’s founders and editors, Michael Yessis and Jim Benning, will run on the following dates at the Travel Channel headquarters in Washington, D.C.:

April 10 - April 11
June 5 - June 6
Aug. 7 - Aug. 8
Oct. 16 - Oct. 17
Dec. 11 - Dec. 12

The workshops are aimed to provide participants with information on how to turn travel tales into compelling travel stories that magazine and website editors will want to print, on how to create and write dynamic travel blogs and audio slideshows, and how to utilize social media networks to establish firm travel writing credentials.

Click here for more information.

Bloggers Meetup in Los Angeles

Travel bloggers in Los Angeles (or even just passing through) might want to check out this Blogger meet up co-hosted by The Vacation Gals and Uptake and television producer and freelance writer Kim Tracy Prince.

Here's the details:

Date: February 28, 2010 from 3.00 pm.

Location: The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica

What's on offer: Uptake, one of the fastest growing travel sites, is running the Blog Traffic Seminar from 3:00 to 4:00PM, with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and networking to follow.

If you think you can attend RSVP here.

2009 Book Passages Travel Writers Conference: Tim Cahill talks...

Here's a video presentation from Tim Cahill for all of us who didn't manage to get to this year's Travel Writers Conference...

Write to Travel Heads for Wine Bloggers Conference...

Posts on Write to Travel have been few and far between these days and the main reason is because of new blog project I've been working on for the past six months or so.


There's a litte bit of travel, a little bit of green, and a little bit of wine involved in this new project called The Green Wine Guide. It's a site that aims to focus on everything about eco-friendly, sustainable wines and wineries. Right now, there's not much there except a few articles and a design that illustrates where the site will eventually be heading.

Meanwhile, I'm heading to Northern California wine country to learn more about many of their wineries sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Right now, I'm sitting in San Franscisco, but first thing this morning I headed for Santa Rosa and the 2nd annual Wine Bloggers Conference to meet up with fellow wine bloggers and learn more about wines and wineries.

As you can imagine, heading over to California isn't cheap, especially with how the dollar exchange rate is right now. But I applied for and received some assistance from the Wine Bloggers Scholarship that was set up by some dedicated wine bloggers who set out and found companies interested in donating to the cause.

The donations from these companies - Vin 65, vintank, Click Media Works, Gundlach Bundschu, WARK Communications, domaine547, Sobon Estate, Enobytes.com, St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery, Benson Marketing Group, Hahn Wines, Travessia, Iredisse, Hello Vino, cruvee, Cornerstone Cellars, and Flamingo Resort Hotel & Spa - has provided financial assistance to over 11 wine bloggers (me included) and for that I offer heart felt thanks.

Blog Highway Twitter Transcript Available at...

Did you catch the Blog Highway seminar at twitter? If not, do not fear. The transcript remains for those of us who missed the live action to get a replay.

To read it in order, though, you have to start at the end and at the bottom of each page. Once you've finished a page, then click on newer and you'll be able to follow the whole show.

So here's the link to the live twitter sessionstarting from the beginning of the sesssion.

I'm off now to read it myself...

Follow 'Blog Highways' Session at SXSW Live on Twitter Tomorrow...

Good news for those of us who won't be in Austin, Tx tomorrow for Sheila and Pam's Blog Highways: Travel Blogging for the Wanderer session (Saturday, March 14 3:30 - 4:30 Central time) at SXSW. It's going to be live twittered by the following:

Shannon Hurst Lane of Traveling Mamas and Kelly Goodman of Travellious.

Others to follow include Sheila from Family Travel Logue, Pam from Nerd's Eye View and Wendy Perrin from The Perrin Report.

Maybe I'll see you in twitterville...

Upcoming Conferences and Events for Travel Bloggers and Travel Writers....

Here's a list of some of the conferences, events, and workshops happenng in the next few months that sound interesting.

Unfortunately, I can't make any of them, but you might be able to...

March 10th 2009 San Francisco, CA

Travel Blog Meet-up sponsored by Roots Restaurant, Frommers.com and UpTake.com - an informal meet-up for travel bloggers and the travel industry but you'll need to RSVP as the room's only big enough for 20.

March 14th 2009 Austin, TX

Blog Highways: Travel Blogging for the Wanderer workshop at South by Southwest Conference 2009 - listen to Sheila Scarborough (my co-blogger at Perceptive Travel)and Pam Mandel (Nerd's Eye View) discuss how to create a sense of place and build a community of fellow travelers.

July 25, 2009 Chicago, IL

The BlogHer conference finally has a travel blogging panel - Identity/Passions: TravelBloggers as Boundary-Breaking Evangelists with panelists A. L. Venable (Portland place-blogger), Pam Mandel (globetrotter and field trip enthusiast), Nancy Brown (travel writer), and Rosalind Cummings-Yeates (cultural TravelBlogger) who discuss how they close the gap between their front door and the rest of the world.

July 26, 2009 Chicago, IL

TravelBlog Exchange is hosting a Travel Blogger MeetUp with Wendy Perrin, Craig Martin, Christopher Elliot, Jen Leo and a whole heap more speakers during the BlogHer Conference. All travel bloggers are welcome and the event will be free of charge to all attendees.

Have I missed any??? Let me know...

They're Talking Travel Blogging at the BlogHer 2009 and SWSX Conferences.

Not only are travel bloggers finally being recognized by the Weblog Awards, they are also, finally, finding a voice at some of the larger blog-focused conferences.

Here's the scope...

Sheila Scarborough from Family Travel Logue (and my co-blogger at Perceptive Travel blog) will be hosting “Core Conversation” about travelblogging alongside Pam Mandel from Nerd's Eye View at SWSX 09 this March in Austin.

And in July, at the BlogHer conference in Chicago, there will be a session devoted to travel blogging. Debbie from Delicious Baby and Kim Mance from Galavanting are also organizing a half-day meetup for travel bloggers.

Sure would like to go to these but that won't be happening. I just hope there will be some videos / podcasts / live twitter of these events for those of us who won't be able to make either of these conferences.

Writers in the Sky 2008 Keynote Address by travel writer Rob Story...

Rob Story, winner of the 2003-2004 Lowell Thomas Award, doing the keynote address at the Writers in the Sky 2008. Rob is a Telluride-based Outside magazine correspondent and also the author of Outside Adventure Travel: Mountain Biking.

Reviews of the Recent TravelBlog Camp...

Last week in London, two events were held that attracted the attention of travel writers and bloggers.

One was the annual World Travel Market, a four day gathering of the global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry.

The other event, smaller and lesser known, as the inaugural TravelBlog Camp (BlogCamp08) set up by Darren of Travel Rants.

If, like me, you weren't able to attend, you can still get the feel of the event by reading these reviews...

Sandwagon - Travel Blogcamp, London 2008 - pints and pondering

Midi sur l’Asie - Travel Blog camp: When Travel meets Social Media

Mr and Mrs Smith - Travel Blog Camp 2008

Roaming Tales - Travel Blog Camp in London

A full list of reviews can be found at Travel Rant's Wrapup of the Travel BlogCamp and World Travel Market

Join the conversation on the ‘The Future of the Travel Blog’...

Karen from the Europe a la Carte blog is hosting a live blog session on 22 October looking at ‘The Future of the Travel Blog’.

Set for Wednesday 22 October at 20:00 British Summer Time (one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Use this calculator to work out what time that is wherever you are and join in the conversation.

With panelists such as Pam Mandel (Nerd‘s Eye View), Sam Daams (Travellerspoint), Sean O’Neill (This Just In), Tamara Heber-Percy (Mr & Mrs Smith), it should be a lively discussion.

To give you a head start on what’s going to be discussed, check out what these panelists predict for the future of travel blogging.

Hope to see you there…