Holiday Tip #3: An Old Spy Trick...

Today’s holiday tip is an old spy trick I picked up from freelance travel writer, Jennifer Stevens…

Most travel writers depend on their trusty notebooks to remember specific details for their stories. But sometimes notebooks aren’t an option (like when you’re snorkeling or when you’re traveling with kids and you need even more hands than you’ve got).

In those cases, you need to think like a spy, taking in your surroundings detail by detail. When you enter a room you want to write about (or any place, really), scan it slowly from left to right, describing it in detail to yourself in your head. You have to make a conscious mental note of what you see, checking in every nook and cranny. You’ll find that when you “itemize” things like this, you’ll remember them better.

When you get back to your journal or computer, jot down all of the details. Then you’ll have a quick reference when you sit down to write a story.

Jen wrote about this technique in our archives, here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/?p=107.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]