Still aren't following me on Twitter? What are you waiting for?
Eighty percent of travel bloggers start their posts like this: “Just got off the bus in Santiago, Chile. I feel so tired after 30 hours in a cramped bus. After getting off the bus I waited for 15 minutes while they unloaded luggage….when I got the hostel my room wasn’t ready…”
Whhhhoooooooooo cares?
A lot of travel blogs are boring. No one cares about how tired you were unless that tiredness somehow comes into play later in your story. Maybe you fell asleep on the bus and wound up in a different city and you had an adventure because of it.
Plain and simple, people want to be entertained. Even when they’re learning they want to be entertained. My favorite professor in college was hilarious. I went to every single class during the semester - something I can’t claim for other courses. And, on final day, I felt like I had mastered the material.
Even though your travel blog might just be for family, it doesn’t mean your family wants to be bored to tears. Your parents shouldn’t look at your travel blog as a chore to read.
Provide Something New or Describe it in A New Way
A lot of travel blogs read like Lonely Planet. There’s nothing new and exciting here. Every traveler has read Lonely Planet or can go on the website now. Tell me something I don’t know.
The average travel blogger can provide valuable information for others. Such as cool places to go, pictures, how to pick up Argentine girls, etc. This valuable information should be provided in one of 2 ways:
1) Within an interesting story
2) Written like a Wikipedia entry
Don’t cloud your valuable information with how tired and sleepy you are. What good does that do for me? Always keep your reader in mind.
This applies beyond travel bloggers
If you’re telling a story don’t distract your listener with details that don’t make an impact on the characters involved. Stick to the point. If you must stray, make sure it’s something of value or entertainment to the listener.
P.S. If I’m ever completely boring I expect you to tell me. I don’t want my blog to suck.
I tell all my family and friends to read your blog and if they don’t I’ll simply cut them.
I miss ya Boo.
Dude, you are spot-on. I get these rediculous emails from friends abroad that say, “we stopped in prague for two days then took a train to Barcelona and…” to which I respond, “What the hell are you talking about?! I have no idea what goes on or why these places are even remotely interesting. On another note… Have you joined up with any Habitat for humanity or peacecore projects while you’re hopping around?
I haven’t joined up with any of those communities on this trip. Although I’m glad you mentioned that because I want to look into it.
Do you have any experience with them?
Question: I can’t seem to help being boring when i tell stories. If i dressed up in clothes a size to small for me and wore Buddy Holly glasses do you think it would help keep peoples interest?
Haha good shit bro. Way to go on your 30 day! Mission accomplished. FYI the Peace Corps is about as hard to get into as any volunteer thing ive ever heard of. Unless you know a trade or are a water reclimation engineer you may not get accepted. Also Peace Corps want a lengthy commitment i think. Habitat is great though and is probably a great way to meet Americans living there.
Peace.
http://images.smarter.com/blogs/buddy%20holly%20glasses.jpg