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Welcome to the exciting world of Freelance Travel Writing - one of the largest and most enjoyable markets for freelancers!
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This course has been designed to give you all the tools and tips you need to launch yourself into this exciting genre of writing. Topics include: how to come up with ideas for articles, how to pitch stories to magazines, how to conduct interviews and research, and how to make an income as a freelance writer.
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Course Details:
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Admission Requirements:
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Other Options:
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Modules:
Duration:
Course Fee:
Start date:
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10 Modules
5 months
R3795
At any time; applications all year round
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Basic writing skills are essential.
E-mail and Internet access required.
No previous tertiary qualification required.
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Magazine Journalism
Hard News Journalism
The Writing Coach Course
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Course Tutors :
 Don Pinnock is a former editor of Getaway magazine in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the author of 13 books and has written countless travel articles for magazines and newspapers. He is a director of Southern Write, an association of top travel writers and photographers in Africa.
Don has a PhD in political science, an MA in criminology, a BA in African history and has published a post-doctoral study on gangs, rituals and rites of passage. He has held lectureships in Journalism (Rhodes University) and Criminology (University of Cape Town) and completed his PhD research at London University.
 Yvonne van Dongen has been a travel editor and writer for over 20 years. She's edited the travel section of the largest newspaper in New Zealand as well as the country's first dedicated glossy travel magazine. She's worked at Conde Nast Traveler in New York. Yvonne has won numerous travel writing awards including a fellowship to study travel writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
Other awards include: Dulux Junior Feature Writer of the Year (1983); Young Reporter of the Year (1983); Qantas best newspaper tourism/transport feature (1994); Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year (1995); Qantas Best newspaper health/medicine feature (1997); Avis Awards - best article about the travel industry (in 1995,1998 and 2000); Commonwealth Media Awards - winner tourism & transport (in 1997 and 1998); Qantas award for best government, diplomacy & foreign affairs feature (2000); Qantas Travel Journalist Award (2004); MPA Lifestyle Journalist of the Year (2004); Qantas Media Awards Winner Best Tourism & Travel Column (2007).
Yvonne has a BA in English & Religious Studies, as well as a post-graduate diploma of Journalism from the University of Canterbury. She has previously taught travel writing at the University of auckland.
Course Curriculum:
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Module One - What is travel writing?
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Distinguish travel writing from other genres of writing
Acquire an understanding of the elements that characterise travel writing
Get answers to FAQ about a career in Magazine Journalism
Writing Exercise 1: Practise writing scenes that "show" rather than "tell" (assessment and feedback task)
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Module Two - Targeting Your Market
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Analyse a magazine in terms of content, style, format, tone, target market and demographic.
Learn how to match your writing with that of a selected magazine.
Writing Exercise 2: Analyze the demographic, style, tone and format of a selected magazine (assessment and feedback task)
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Module Three - Topics that Sell
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Know where and how to find sellable ideas.
Learn techniques for generating ideas
Distinguish between a topic and an angle.
Study an overview of prominent international publications.
Writing Exercise 3: Refining topics into angles; Coming up with an angle for an article (feedback task)
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Module Four - The travel writing industry revealed
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Find out how to write the perfect query letter
Distinguish between writing on speculation versus querying and being commissioned
Writing Exercise 4: Write a query letter for your targeted magazine covering all aspects of style, tone, content and format (assessment and feedback task)
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Module Five - The compelling opener
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Distinguish the critical elements for writing a compelling lead
Identify the different types of introductions
Writing Exercise 5 : Write a compelling opening to your article (feedback and assessment task)
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Module Six - Body-building Part One
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Identify the main components of an article
Use a basic story structure to map out your piece
Use transitions and logical flow to make reading easy
Writing Exercise 6: Begin to write up the body of your article and hand in a first draft (feedback task)
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Module Seven - Body-building Part Two
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Identify the main grammar, style and punctuation rules
Know the rules for apt usage of quotations
Writing Exercise 7: Testing knowledge of grammar, style and punctuation (assessment and feedback task)
Writing Exercise 8: Panel-beat the body into shape; hand in a second draft (feedback task)
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Module Eight - Body-building Part Three
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Find out how to create catchy sidebars and resource boxes
Write your own byline
Writing Exercise 9: Write a byline and two sidebars (feedback task)
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Module Nine - Closing off in Style
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Identify the different types of closers
Photography tips
Writing Exercise 10: Write the closer for your piece (feedback task)
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Module Ten - The Final Cut
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Edit your piece by following basic guidelines
Understand the different kinds of cover letters and how to submit your piece in a professional way
Invoice and organize payment for your stories
Understand the basics of copyrighting, recycling stories and syndication
Writing Exercise 11 : Edit your piece and submit it with a cover letter. Photographs included for bonus points (assessment and feedback task)
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How Does The Course Work?
Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete one or two writing exercises. In total, the course includes ten short writing assignments, all of which count towards the final result of the student. Students must also produce one query letter (300 - 600 words) and one feature-length article (1500-2200 words).
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete. Students can also participate in ongoing online discussions by posting comments about the materials covered in the course or other issues pertaining to writing in the college blog.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive a SA Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
- Students must have completed all 11 assignments (namely: 10 writing exercises, 1 article)
- Students must have attained a minimum average of 50% for the course
- The course must have been completed within five months of registration.
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
- Reading time: 10 hours
- Writing time: up to 20 hours
- Research time: 2 - 5 hours, depending on the complexity of the selected topic for article.
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