Sunday 15 February 2009

My First Blog Post - On the Road to Damascus

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How do you start a blog? Oh well, here goes.

I was already a freelance feature writer and doing quite well, when I had a "road to Damascus" moment and realised it might be possible to get people to pay me for going to see new places (like, indeed, Damascus).

So I became a part time travel writer. I never became a full time one, and I'm still not one but did lots of articles and eventually got together enough of a portfolio to join the British Guild of Travel Writers. It is a brilliant organisation, and what a bonus it is to be able to mix with top travel pros.

I've concentrated in the last few years mostly on Europe. But this blog aims to cover some of the curious quirky bits of travel both in Europe and outside it - little things that are part of the job of travel writing but don't always get into the final article. Not to mention a few things you wouldn't normally guess about the travel writing life - and some useful hints too, I hope.
In short, it's a glimpse of part-time, but (I like to think) very professional travel writing.

As for Damascus, that's a picture of it above, which I took from the roof of a house in the Christian Quarter. In many Arab countries, the roof of the house is a sort of open air attic.

I like it because it looks like a street scene at first glance, and then at second glance ... it doesn't.

1 comment:

  1. Oh this is great, I look forward to reading more, Jenny! I've done a bit of freelance travel writing and hope to do a whole lot more this year - focusing on small villages and towns around the Cape - mostly for local magazines and press.
    Nicky

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