Writers Tool: Journals

What writer would ever think about taking a trip without a journal? I certainly wouldn't. On past trips though, I made the mistake of only writing about my feelings and thoughts about the country or city that I was in. I skipped the little details like the names of restaurants and hotels. Granted this was before I became serious about travel writing. But had I written those details down, I could be selling articles from those trips today!! So learn from my mistake -- write everything, and I mean everything, down. Here's a short list of some ideas to get you started:

*~*The names of airports, train stations and other modes of transportation (these can be easily located online, but keeping notes will save you time later)

*~*The names of all of the hotels with addresses and a price/amenities list (I still don't remember the name of that cheap hotel I stayed at in Paris??)

*~*The names of all the restaurants you eat at (menu and pricing if available). A little note on restaurants: A lot of restaurants have little brochure type cards that you can take

*~*The names and contact information of the people you meet along the way (if appropriate, get a photograph with them. It will help you have a clear picture when you write about them!)

The names and address of all museums and other cultural organizations that you attend

This is just a short list. Be sure to also write about your feelings -- those have come in handy for me when I've written articles.

Looking for a nice journal? Click here.