Learn to Write Stories That Hook People
Do you dream of literary success?
Do you want to improve your blog, get a story published, or write that bestseller that is bursting to break free?
Are you looking to improve your writing? Break into the travel industry and land assignments that send you to far reaches of the globe?
Do you wish you had access to teachers and experts who could help you?
There’s a storyteller inside all of us.
The trick is getting it out.
There’s an art to putting your story on paper.
And, like any art, it’s one that can be learned – and improved on.
Becoming a good writer takes practice and, most importantly, a good teacher.
When you are traveling, living in a small town, or have limited funds, getting the help you need can be difficult. I know. I’ve been there. When I started out I looked high and low for a course that would help me improve my writing while I traveled.
I never found one.
But what if you could get a college writing course for a tenth of the price – with personalized feedback from a college professor?
What if you could learn from the best – anywhere in the world and whenever your schedule allowed?
Get Your Own Private Mentor
We’ve partnered with award-winning travel writer David Farley, author of An Irreverent Curiosity, host for National Geographic, and professor at Columbia and New York University to teach an in-depth course on the nuts and bolts of travel writing.
David is considered one of the top travel writers in the country. He’s hosted a National Geographic Channel show, and his work has appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, AFAR, and countless other publications.
Through video lectures, interviews with successful travel writers and editors, detailed examples of edited stories, graphics, real-world examples, and writing assignments, you’ll get the course David teaches at NYU and Columbia University — with added information for online writing — at your fingertips (and without the cost).
From crafting a story to self-editing, improving your grammar, writing a book proposal, coming up with ideas, creating narrative arcs, and pitching editors, our course covers everything you need to know to succeed as a writer – and even includes templates for pitching editors and David’s actual book proposal.
What Our Students Are Saying
“Writing is a skill, and David Farley is an exceptional teacher. This travel writing course is everything you would expect out of a university course, except with the added luxury of doing it at your own pace in the comfort of your chosen environment. With tutoring, editing, writing examples, videos, advice, and feedback, being a part of this course is like having your own private writing mentor. It’s helped me improve my own writing, as well as helped me think like a writer and spot errors before I publish them!” – Toni
“David not only explains the ins and outs of what it means to be a travel writer but inspires and teaches his students to become professional storytellers. The feedback and insights David gave me on homework assignments have carried over into everything I’ve written since and have changed the way I read other people’s work, edit my own, and find ideas. The best part of all — the course actually gets you excited to sit down and write!” – Corey
Are you ready to succeed?
We know that when the barrier to entry is low and Buzzfeed-style lists dominate the Internet while publications shutter, it can seem like there’s no hope of making it in the travel writing world. While there is a glut of potential writers, there’s still a dearth of driven ones. There’s quantity but not quality, and I want to show you how to break free from the crowd, find the big breaks, improve your writing, and make it in this industry.
This course covers all aspects of travel writing. It will teach you how to craft the perfect story, improve your writing, self-edit, and enhance your research through video, writing samples, examples of edited work, and much more.
When we were young, there were only a couple of “how to become a travel writer” type of books — and they didn’t seem very good. And there were no classes — online or live — where a successful travel writer could lay out for you just how one successfully travels down this path.
In David’s 10+ years of teaching, his students have gone on to write for the New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, and other publications. Some have even published books.
Those successful students were not necessarily the most talented writers in the class. THEY WERE ALWAYS THE MOST DRIVEN. THEY REALLY WANTED THIS. They wanted to make it. That propelled them to become better writers and successes in the field.
And we want to help you get there like those other students!.
Our Course Syllabus
Each week, you’ll get a number of lessons taught through video lectures, text, and step-by-step breakdowns as well as assignments to turn in for editing and personalized feedback. It’s like having your own personal teacher. This course is self-paced so you can learn and write at your own speed.
Week 1
Introduction to travel writing
Understanding the writing lifestyle
How to create a story
How to find your angle and peg
How to come up with story ideas
BONUS: Writing resources
Week 2
The anatomy of a story
Various types of commercial writing (and their differences)
How to craft the perfect lede
Week 3
How to be descriptive (and avoid clichés)
How to edit like an editor
Grammar dos and don’ts
BONUS: Revision checklist
Week 4
The difference between print and online writing
How to write for an online audience
How to create viral content
Week 5
How to write memoirs
How to create perfect story arcs
How to research effectively
BONUS: Research checklist
Week 6
How to find freelance work
How to find and pitch editors
How to sell your work online
How to blog and succeed on social media
BONUS #1: 93 PLACES TO PITCH YOUR WORK
Get a list of publications that hire writers so you can step out the gate with places to pitch right away! Instead of spending fruitless hours trying to find this information online, we’ve included it all in one place for you. We include their rates, email addresses, and contact information.
BONUS #2: PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK ON YOUR WORK
Writing is a skill that requires practice and feedback. That’s why you’ll be able to submit your writing samples to us. David and I will help you refine your writing, editing, story planning, and craft so you can become a better writer from day one. That’s our commitment to you.
No other online travel writing course features this!
BONUS #3: Printable Cheat sheets
From grammar dos and don’ts to editing guidelines, revision checklists, we provide a number of cheat sheets and checklists that you can download, print out, and reference as often as you like to continue to improve your writing.
13+ Hours of Expert Interviews
Listen to interviews with 13 award-winning writers and editors as they share their travel writing tips, failures, and successes with you.
Don George
Travel Writer, Editor
Don has been a travel writer and editor for 40 years. In this interview, he talks about how to break into the industry, his early mistakes, and advice for new writers.
Cullen Thomas
Author, Travel Writer
In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses how to brainstorm stories, create a narrative arc, and publish a book.
Stephanie Griest
Author, Educator
Stephanie is currently a teacher at UNC. In this interview, she talks about how to write and pitch a successful book.
Carol Cain
Girlgonetravel.com
Carol talks about creating a niche you can grow with, supporting your family on a freelancer’s salary, and the lack of diversity in travel writing.
Nathan Thornburg
Roadsandkingdoms.com
Nathan discusses long-form writing on the web, how to create story ideas, and how NOT to pitch editors.
Derk Richardson
Travel Writer, Editor
Derk is the former editor of AFAR magazine. In this interview, he discusses what writers can do to improve the quality of their writing and pitches.
Thomas Swick
Writer, Educator, Teacher
Thomas is the editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In this interview, he covers the dual life of writing and editing.
Matt Gross
Food and Travel Writer
Matt discusses his journey from writer to editor, the mistakes he sees freelance writers make in their editing, and how to successfully pitch online.
Jessica Clarke
Freelance Writer, Traveler
Jessica talks about life as a freelance travel writer and how to be a “reporter” in your destination.
Jason Cochran
Editor, Frommers.com
Jason is an award-winning travel journalist and current editor of Frommers.com. In this interview, he discusses how to write service articles.
Caroline Kepnes
Author, Former TV Writer
Caroline shares her advice on how to create stories, develop a narrative arc, and write dialogue that engages and captivates the audience.
Spud Hilton
Travel Editor, SFChronicle.com
Spud shares how he picks and assigns freelance work as well as how writers can self-edit their work and improve their writing.
Rolf Potts
Travel Writer, Essayist, Adventurer
Rolf discusses his evolution as a writer, how to use traditional writing skills for the web, and finding unique story angles.
perks of membership
Personalized Feedback
Private Facebook Group
Monthly Q&A Webinars
Downloadable Cheatsheets
Expert Interviews
Special Discounts
Lifetime Updates
Get Started Today!
This course will teach you writing and editing skills from world-famous and best-selling authors, writers, and editors. Start today risk-free with our 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Money-Back Guarantee
We’re fully committed to helping you improve your writing and become a success. You can test-drive the course for 30 days, read the material, listen to the webinars and interviews, and check out the case studies. If you still don’t feel the course is right for you or will improve your writing, we’ll happily refund 100% of your money.
Meet Your Instructor
David Farley
David has been writing about travel, food, and culture for over twenty years. His work has appeared in AFAR magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, and World Hum, among other publications. In 2006 and 2013, he won Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers for magazine articles he wrote. He has lived in Prague, Paris, and Rome and now lives in New York City. He is the author of An Irreverent Curiosity and was a host for National Geographic. He teaches writing at Columbia and New York University.
What Our Students are saying
“This course surpassed any writing course I have ever taken in college, as a homeschool teacher, or as a travel professional. I really enjoyed the content and how it was presented, along with the fact that I could send in my writing for David and Matt to review and give feedback on. This course is really is the best of the best! Thank you, David and Matt!” – Whitney
“I noticed an immediate improvement in my writing after starting the course. David illuminates the fundamental concepts of travel writing in such a relatable way that you will be hard-pressed NOT to have a few lightbulb moments as you progress. From the nuts and bolts of grammar to research, composition, and marketing, David dives into it all. Moreover, the feedback David provided was extremely helpful in helping me identify and correct mistakes! If you want to understand the concepts behind the best travel writing in the world, this course is where to start!” – Christopher
“I took this course to learn the underlying physics of being a great travel writer. Through detailed course notes and video tutorials mixed with bespoke and actionable feedback, I found this course suited me perfectly to find structure in my storytelling and also writing for the reader. Supported by a community of bloggers, I now have the confidence to tackle any writing task thrown at me.” – Warren