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Davethefox.com Home

Seattle Travel Journaling and Essay Writing Safari

April 18-19 and 22, 2009

It's a road trip writing workshop all bundled into a weekend adventure!

Dave Fox has been teaching his lively travel journaling workshops for years. Now it's time to shake things up and hit the road! Join us for a weekend of travel journaling and essay writing classes, a mini-vacation, some tasty food, and nifty people!

The Plan

We'll gather Saturday morning, April 18, from 9 until approximately 10:30 a.m. for a travel journaling and essay writing class, and a light breakfast, at Seattle's Wayward Coffeehouse. (Wayward is located in North Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood, near Phinney Ridge, Ballard, and Green Lake.) The class will focus on travel journaling basics, turning your journals into essays, and common types of travel essays including humor, personal discovery, biographical sketches, and more. Dave will also share tips to help launch you on your afternoon road trip adventure.

You'll have the rest of Saturday to strike out on your own. You can go alone or with a partner. Visit a place you've never been within a couple of hours of Seattle, or stick within the city and explore a neighborhood that's not your usual turf. Choose your own destination, or be extra bold and let Dave send you someplace random and fun!

Sunday is your day to work on your travel essay. You don't need to perfect it in a single day. You'll just need an hour or two to scribble out a rough draft. Then, from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, we'll meet in a private classroom for a follow-up class on how to break into freelance travel writing.

After our Sunday class, we'll wander down the street to the Pig & Whistle for a tasty group dinner and the chance to chat in a more casual setting about our weekend's experiences. (The Pig & Whistle is both a bar and a restaurant with a menu of upscale pub food. We'll sit in the restaurant area, so participants who are not of legal drinking age are welcome to join us.)

Finally, if you like, join us the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. for an optional open mic essay-reading session. We'll do this at Dave's condo (also in Greenwood). Dave will provide wine and cheese, non-alcoholic beverages, and a few other snacks. You're invited to bring an appetizer, a favorite beverage, or something else to share if you like. You can read your polished essay to the rest of us, or just listen to others.

Your Mission

After the Saturday morning class, you're on your own for the rest of the day. You can visit a small town an hour or two from Seattle, get out into our surrounding nature, or explore a part of the city where you don't normally hang out. The idea is to go someplace that's not familiar to you. Dave will have tips on places to go, things to do, and ways to find unfamiliar cultures close to home. This is your day trip to mold however you like!

During the day Sunday, set aside an hour or two to write about your excursion. Depending on your goals, you can write a broad journal entry about everything you've encountered, or choose a more focused essay topic, such as a person you met, a local event, an interesting tourist spot, or even something like a colorful diner or scruffy dive bar.

In our Sunday afternoon class, Dave will talk about how to get started in freelance travel writing, and we'll share our experiences from the day before.

Then, if you like, polish your story Monday and Tuesday and join us for a follow-up "open mic" on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. We'll do this in the privacy of Dave's perpetually cluttered condo in Greenwood. (Hey, he's a freelance writer! Clutter is a sign of writing productivity!)

Finally, to top it off, you'll have the option of putting your essay online, right here at traveljournaling.com. (This is optional! You do not have to put your essay online if you don't want to. Dave will explain the professional pros and cons of doing this.)

What Does it Cost? What's Included?

The workshop, including breakfast Saturday and dinner Sunday, and a free copy of Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals, is being offered at a special introductory price of $149 per person. Here's what you get:

Other Stuff You Might be Wondering

Am I the right kind of person for this Travel Writing Safari?

If you've read this far, you probably are! We're looking for people who are fun and curious. This is not a workshop solely for super-advanced travel writers! It's for anyone who likes to explore new places, who wants to learn more about writing and hone their skills.

We're expecting a mix of participants — some who are curious about breaking into professional freelancing, some who have already been published, and some who have no publishing aspirations whatsoever, who simply want to learn more about how to write lively and meaningful travel diaries, blogs, or essays to share with friends and family.

While we expect most participants to be adults, people of all ages are welcome. (Well, okay, screaming infants are not allowed. And for that matter, neither are screaming adults.) If you are younger than 18, you must have a signed permission slip from a parent or legal guardian, or a parent or guardian must accompany you for all activities.

Will I go on my writing safari by myself or with someone else?

You can go on your day trip alone or with a partner. If you would like to go with somebody else and would like to be paired up with another participant, please let Dave know in advance, and he will do his best to match you up with someone.

If there is nobody available to pair you up with, you'll be on your own (and please understand that occasionally, people do need to cancel at the last minute). However, many people find that this sort of activity is a bigger adventure when they take off by themselves!

Can I participate if I don't drive?

Absolutely! In fact, even if you do drive, you might find some of your best adventures will happen on public transportation. (Remember, part of the idea here is to go do something you don't normally do!) Dave will have suggestions for excursions that are accessible by Seattle Metro bus, ferry, or other public transport.

Alternatively, if another participant has space in his or her car, and would like to have a co-pilot along for the ride, Dave is happy to pair people up together. (In this event, he encourages the non-driver to be a nice person and help pay for gas... but that's between the two of you. Minors will not be paired up with people they do not know.) Please understand, however, that Dave cannot be responsible if your "chauffeur" has to cancel.

If you will be driving and would like to have a partner along for the ride, please let Dave know when you sign up!

(All of the locations in Greenwood where we will meet as a group are served by the number 5 and 48 Metro buses.)

Woe is me! This sounds incredibly cool, but I don't live in Seattle!

Hey, what a great excuse to come visit for the weekend! Even if you can't make it to the Wednesday night open mic, you'll still have a fun couple of days here!

If you live elsewhere and can gather a group together, you might be able to sweet-talk Dave into arranging something where you live. And... if you would like to arrange a journaling safari for a private group, e-mail Dave and let him know what you're looking for!

Seattle is cool and all, but does Dave ever do any journaling trips to more far-flung destinations?

Stay tuned! Plans are in the works for small group writing tours next year in Botswana and Vietnam! (To stay up to date on all of Dave's classes, readings, and other events, please sign up for his e-mail list.)

Who is this Dave Fox guy and why does he think he's special enough to lead a journaling safari?

Dave Fox is a freelance humor and travel writer, the author of two travel books, and a veteran tour guide for Rick Steves' Europe. His first book, Getting Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad, won the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Book Proposal Contest in 2004. His second book, Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and still have time to enjoy your trip!) teaches readers how to write more exciting and insightful travel diaries.

Dave has been teaching travel journaling classes for many years. He has taught for a variety of organizations including Rick Steves' travel seminars, Holland America Cruises, and a variety of community colleges, bookstores, civic organizations, and private groups. His classes have been recommended in the Wall Street Journal.

For more about Dave, please visit his main website at davethefox.com.

How Do I Sign Up?

Space is Limited! To keep our classes and discussions to a manageable size, there is a limited number of spots available Sign-ups are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

To reserve your space, please e-mail Dave Fox at dave@davethefox.com. He will confirm your spot, and you may then send him a credit card payment online, or mail him a check or money order. If you want to reserve a spot, but aren't sure you can make it, you may change your mind within 72 hours of sending your e-mail for a full refund! (For other refund policies, please see the Terms and Conditions page.)

Please include the following in your e-mail:

Ready to join us? Want more information? Send Dave an e-mail!