5 ways to find the extraordinary in the ordinary

Image by: jamesjustin

Seductive travel reporting – whether by writing, photographing, or filmmaking – lies in the details. There are far too many clichéd travel pieces yammering for readers and viewers attention. How many times do you want to read about the “charming native children of ____”? How many times do you want to see a sunset dropping behind a tropical island? Hook your readers with the intriguing details of what some might see as the ordinary: a mimed conversation with a woman cooking in front of her home; how weather changes the colors of a mountain range minute by minute. Move out of the easy way. Move into Roadheart*

1. Get off the Internet and out of the hostel. The incredibly detailed word lies outside. (See #5.)

2. Walk – and talk – with locals. More important, listen. Choose people you might not normally communicate with.

3. Leave your judgments behind. Let the details of the world teach you something new.

4. Make notes. Carry a notebook – works for any travel reporter. Jot down anything that leaps out at you.

5. Remember that we use all our senses in the real world. We see, hear, taste, touch and smell. We only use two senses on our computers. Work full sensory details into your work. If you are photographing or making videos/films, consider how to do that.

*Roadheart: The much to be desired condition of suddenly finding everything astonishing, fascinating, and unique the second you are on a roadtrip…so that even the local gas station becomes full of characters and stories.