©L. Peat O’Neil 2012

Personal desire is the best motivator for exploring and writing about a place.  After all, if you want to be there — if you’re truly interested and engaged — you’ve a better chance of communicating  your experiences.  Care about the places you choose to write about. Cultivate passion for the places and the people.  Learn and appreciate various cultures.

Travel Writing: See the World Sell the Story by L Peat O’Neil, Writer’s Digest Books.

The Bucket List, as some call it, might include far away wonders of nature or the world’s famous cities.  See the Pyramids, the ruins of Rome, magnificent Angkor Wat, the Andes and Alaska.  Follow elephants in the wild before they’re gone.  Just where do you want to go and do before you ‘kick it?  I say: why base your dreams on one lifetime? There are universes out there!

What the Sphinx sees.

Get started by taking a few minutes to jot down ten destinations or longer journeys that you truly want to experience within the next three to seven years.  Don’t think about the cost, child-care arrangements, your day job or financial commitments. Set your imagination free and scan a world map for your special trips.  Write a sentence  about why you want to visit these places, what influenced you to select them. Your motivation and desire.

Perhaps you’ve read a book or seen a video online that inspired you.  Remember that

©L. Peat O’Neil 2012

hero or heroine from history, literature or the arts?  Regions where your ancestors lived may draw ties of personal significance.  Search your memory back to childhood for places that have dear personal meaning.  Motivation and action follow interest.

This list is your dream sheet.  It helps focus your travel plans, research and marketing.  You can always add to it, but don’t erase places you dream of seeing.  So what if there’s a war on now — things change; life goes on.  You’ll get there in a while.

The trip list is a reminder for the travel writer in you: it represents your potential and your opportunity.  Focus on your goal, put action behind it and stay confident!