Course Syllabus

Travel Writing B

Course Description

The world is full of fascinating people and places – and stories waiting to be told. Travel writers capture these stories and pass them on to their readers. Good travel writers make us care.

In this class, you will learn how to identify relevant stories, how to gather material and how to release all of this in well-written pieces. Our main focus is narrative journalism - the kind of stories you would normally see as features in travel magazines.

This is a hands-on workshop-based class. You will be writing your own stuff from the very first day, and we will spend a lot of time giving each other feedback on our writings. This way you will get to improve your ability to read both your own and others’ work in a critical light, which will strengthen both your analyzing skills and writing skills.

You will also read inspiring articles by published authors, meet interesting guests and get an insight into travel writing on a professional level.

Instructor

Tommy Heisz. Author and freelance writer, primarily working with documentary, reportage and long-form journalism. BA from The Danish School of Journalism 2003. With DIS since 2016. 

Email: tommyheisz@gmail.com

Objectives

• To learn how to use writing as a tool for discovering, sharing and interpreting personal encounters with people, places, and cultures.
• To master important narrative techniques like writing scenes, finding your own voice and structuring the story.
• To learn the conventions of good travel writing.
• To develop a portfolio of work that draws on your experiences during this term abroad and includes observation, description, and reflection.
• To raise awareness of ethics in travel writing and pitfalls like stereotyping foreign cultures.

Expectations

I expect you to attend all class sessions unless prohibited by an emergency. Participation makes up 20 % of your grade, and if you are not in class, you cannot participate. Regardless of whether the work under consideration is by a famous published writer or by a fellow student, I expect you to read it closely and come to class prepared to discuss it respectfully and thoroughly. I expect you to turn in assignments on time (this is necessary to give your readers a chance to thoroughly consider your papers before they are workshopped) and to incorporate the constructive opinions of the workshop as you revise. I also expect that, while being honest, you will be kind and respectful when you critique others’ work and will strive to be open and receptive when others critique yours.

Evaluation

You will write three complete papers over the course of the semester. Two classic pieces of travel writing (Paper 1 and Paper 2) and one reflection essay, where you can express yourself in a different way. In this paper, you are expected to reflect on why people travel and how you approach the world as a traveler yourself. The two classic pieces of travel writing are handed in as drafts and workshopped before you submit the final version to me. The grade will be based mainly on the final version, but I will also consider the effort you put into improving the piece throughout the entire process.

The grade breakdown is as follows:

PARTICIPATION - 20 %
Participation includes attendance, coming prepared to class, joining thoughtfully in class discussions, completing the readings and doing in-class writing exercises.

PAPER 1 - 20 %
2-4 pages (line spacing 1,5) from Copenhagen or from one of your travels this semester. Focal points: Characters and descriptions. 

PAPER 2 - 30 %
4-6 pages (line spacing 1,5) from Copenhagen or from one of your travels this semester. Focal points: Characters, descriptions and journalistic relevance.

PAPER 3 - 15 %
3-5 pages (line spacing 1,5) where you reflect on your own role as a traveler. This paper can be based on more than one travel experience and will also give you a chance to reflect on your entire study abroad experience. Focal points: Reflection and inclusion of various external sources.

GROUP WORK AND PRESENTATION - 15 % 
During the semester, you will be working on a group project. You work in groups of 5-6, formed by me. Through interviews with locals, you gather material for our common project Humans of Copenhagen. In one of our last sessions, your group is supposed to pass on these stories to the rest of the class through an oral presentation. The grade you receive for this part of the course will be based on a combination of your effort throughout the entire process and the final presentation. 

Readings

All readings will be posted on Canvas.

The following titles are examples of readings, not a complete list.

Thomas Swick – A Moving Experience
Pico Iyer – Why we Travel
Karl Ove Knausgård - A Literary Road Trip Into the Heart of Russia
William Zinsser - Travel Writing
Alexandra Fuller – Patagonia Cowboys
Jack Hart - Story Craft
Wendell Berry - An Entrance to the Woods
Geert Mak – The Bridge – A Journey Between Orient and Occident (extract)
Chris Fitch – Serving the Community
Will Hunt – A Three-Day Expedition To Walk Across Paris Entirely Underground
Dervla Murphy - Between River and Sea
Geert Mak - In Europe (extract)
Tore Grønne - The Road Over Kunzum La
Lavinia Spalding – The Cabin