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On
Sale Now:
"Getting
Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad"
Winner
of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Book Proposal Contest
"When you travel, things go wrong." That
might not sound like uplifting advice, but in this hilarious collection
of stories about mishaps in faraway places, Dave Fox proves otherwise.
Find Out More
"Dave
Fox's writing is hilarious. It's rare to find a person who has
such unique stories to tell and can write about them to boot."
--
Tim Bete, Director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop
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Writing the Inner Journey
Self-Discovery Through Travel Journaling
A Lecture by Dave Fox
[This is the class outline used in the one-hour version
of the Inner Journey class. For more information on this class, please
see the Classes page, or e-mail
Dave.]
Benefits of Travel Journaling
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Creates cheap and powerful souvenirs.
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Self discovery: Using foreign cultures as a backdrop, we gain a
deeper understanding of our core personalities.
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Great writing practice. If you are interested in publishing your
writing, journaling for yourself serves as a great foundation for
what you write for others.
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Being Foreign
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When we step outside our "comfort zone" and go where
we are foreign, it stirs up a lot of different emotions.
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Being foreign can be stressful, but it can also be liberating.
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When we don't know the local "rules," we can only rely
on our instincts. We can experiment with parts of our personality
we don't usually explore.
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Two Key Elements to a Great Travel Journal
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The outer journey: All of our senses. What we see, hear, smell,
taste, etc., as well as what we do, who we meet, etc.
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The inner journey: Our thoughts, emotions, desires, fears, plans,
anxieties, etc.
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The Outer Journey: Capturing the Moment
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As you journal about your day, picture the scene. Go back there
in your mind and examine all the senses (sight, sound, smell, etc.)
that you experienced there.
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If journaling is a big part of your trip, make mental notes throughout
the day. Journal in your mind. You won't recall it all when you
write about it later, but your writing will flow more quickly if
you have already thought about it.
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The Inner Journey: Eluding Your "Inner Censor"
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Your "inner censor" is there to "protect" you
from your subconscious mind. It means well, but it prevents us from
exploring what's really going on in our heads.
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Your "inner censor" is inefficient. Avoiding our thoughts
usually requires far more energy than experiencing them.
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Natalie Goldberg's Rules for Timed Writing
1. Keep your hand moving.
2. Lose control.
3. Don't think. Don't get logical.
4. Don't cross out.
5. Don't worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar.
6. Be specific.
7. You are free to write the worst junk in [the world].
8. Go for the jugular.
(From Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg.)
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"Timed Writing" is great because it's fast, efficient,
and it doesn't censor. As a souvenir, some people prefer something
more organized. (Timed writing is still a great starting point to
loosen up your mind.)
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Other Techniques for Travel Journaling
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Take a "written snapshot." Sit down and journal about
the immediate scene.
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Choose a specific event in your day rather than trying to document
everything.
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Instead of writing about everything in your day, choose a different
theme each day and write about your overall experiences with that
theme (i.e. transportation, food, children, telephones, toilets,
art, money, night time, etc.)
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Write about one person you encounter each day.
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Draw cartoons or sketches and add captions.
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Journal about a photograph you have taken each day. (Works great
with digital cameras where you can review your photos on the spot.)
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Poetry
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E-mail: Send a copy to yourself.
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Pre-Journaling, Post-Journaling, and Re-Journaling
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Pre-journaling: Write about your trip before you go. Your plans,
expectations, etc.
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Post-journaling: It's not too late to capture an old trip. Again,
timed writing is a great starting point. It will jog your memory
and splash a lot of thoughts down on the page quickly.
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Re-journaling: Read a journal you wrote on a trip. Weeks, months,
or years later, journal about what you wrote then, how you were
feeling, and how you feel about the experience now.
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Finding Time to Journal
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Find "hidden moments" in your day. Trains, restaurants,
while your travel partner is showering, etc.
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Journal in a place where you are experiencing the culture at the
same time so you don't feel like you are skimping on your vacation:
Cafes, parks, pubs, inside museums, etc.
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To stay motivated, offer yourself rewards based on how much journaling
you do. These can be small rewards, such as ice cream or a fancy
meal on the days you write… or big rewards, such as a pricey
souvenir you really want to buy at the end of your trip if you journal
every day.
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More Journaling Resources
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| Travel
Journaling Cruise |
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 Become
an expert journaler as you cross the Atlantic Ocean! Travel with
Dave Fox as he teaches a unique series of writing classes in the
spring of 2009 aboard Oceania Cruiseline's Insignia.
Visit Brazil, Cape Verde, Morocco, and Spain, with journaling lessons
en route. Writers of all skill levels welcome!
Prices start at less than $3,000 per person — including
airfare! Splurgier options are also available. Space is limited,
however, and filling fast.
More Details...
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| New
Book Coming Soon!
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Dave's new book, Globejotting:
How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and Still Have Time
to Enjoy Your Trip) is at the printer and on its way to
bookstores soon!
Read Chapter One online for free, and pre-order your autographed
copy at a special discount!
Find Out More
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