Do you dream of hitting the open road and writing about your adventures?
World Nomads have teamed up with Lonely Planet to bring you their 2015 Travel Writing Scholarship – and this year, they want to send you to the U.S. on your ultimate American summer road trip!
Yes, said road trip – again! They are looking for three talented aspiring travel writers to write their way across the U.S., Whether you want to explore the Pacific Coast, the deep south, Route 66, the Rocky Mountains, or New England this is your chance to discover the places and personalities that make America the confounding and captivating melting pot that it is.
So, it’s time to stop dreaming, and get writing, because they want to send not one, but three budding travel writers to be mentored by a veteran Lonely Planet author and explore the U.S. on their own terms.
The Prizes
The 3 scholarship recipients will receive:
- A 3-day custom travel writing course in San Francisco with mentor and Lonely Planet author John Vlahides
- A 10-day road trip across the U.S. (including a $3000 USD stipend to spend on food, transport, activities and accommodation)
- Round-trip airfare from your country of residence to San Francisco, CA
- Travel insurance for the duration of the trip from World Nomads
What You’ll be Doing
The three scholarship recipients will be flown from their countries of residence to San Francisco where they will spend three days in a Travel Writing workshop. Under the mentorship of veteran Lonely Planet author John Vlahides, you will learn how to find a great story, create solid pitches, improve your writing skills and gain a better understanding of the travel writing industry.
After the workshop, each writer will be off solo on their own customised 10-day road trip itineraries across the U.S. to explore the nooks and crannies of this vast, diverse and colourful country.
You will be required to produce and submit 20 point-of-interest or “travel discoveries” reviews (plus photos) from your road trip (within 2 months of your return) that will be published on World Nomads as a U.S. Road Trip Guide. You will also post photos of your top road trip moments and Travel Discoveries to Instagram on a daily basis so that we can follow your adventures.
Who can apply?
- This opportunity is open to students, emerging and non-professional writers and lovers of travel looking for a career change
- The scholarship is open to all nationalities; however, you must have an exceptionally high degree of proficiency in written English
- The opportunity is designed to give you a taste of what it’s like to be a travel writer on the road, so you must be comfortable travelling and working on your own
- Minimum age 18 by the date the scholarship application closes (May 27, 2015)
- You need a current passport with at least six months left before expiry
- You must be available as per the dates set out. Please note these dates are not changeable in any way, you must be available for the entire assignment
- You should be an exceptional writer with a lust for adventure travel, a desire to experience new cultures and above all, a burning desire to become a professional travel writer!
Am I considered a professional travel writer?
Essentially this is a ‘learning opportunity’ for someone who is looking for an introduction into the travel writing industry and more importantly, is keen to be mentored.
As a guide, for the purposes of the opportunity, they would consider you to be professional writer if you have been published regularly in newspapers, travel magazines or travel journals. The organizers would also consider you to be a professional writer if you derive more than 25% of your income from writing of any kind.
If you have had a few stories published, or keep a regular travel blog then they would not consider this professional.
How to apply
To apply, the organizers want you to write a mini-guide to one of your favourite places or experiences that you’ve encountered on your travels. We’re trying to unearth Travel Discoveries, or hidden gems that you know other nomads would enjoy.
Limit your Travel Discovery to a specific location – a temple, a museum, a beach, a park, a train carriage. But tell they what happened to you, why it was special, how it made you feel. Then most importantly, include tips on how others could replicate your experience (where do they go, when, etc.). You can also make some suggestions on improving the experience, things you’d do differently if you were planning to do it again. Give the insider’s knowledge on the experience – tell why we should shun the obvious, and choose the alternative you discovered!
- Write 2500 characters (including spaces) about your Travel Discovery showcasing your writing skills and your personality in a fun piece celebrating the hidden gems we all seek.
- Plan your itinerary. Tell them two places in U.S. you would like to visit and write about on your road trip and why.
- Complete an entry form which includes contact details and a maximum 1500 character essay on why you should be chosen and what the opportunity will mean for you. Your answer will provide considerable weight in the judging process.
One entry per person. The entry must be submitted in English.
What the judges are looking for
It’s up to you to convince the judging panel through your writing that you have the spirit of adventure and passion for travel writing to be chosen for this scholarship.
They will be looking for:
- great descriptive ability (without getting flowery)
- strong eye for detail
- ability to uncover a great Travel Discovery and tell a compelling and original story about a specific place
- excellent spelling and grammar and a knack for avoiding clichés
The 3 recipients of the Scholarship, along with the shortlist of best entries will be published on the WorldNomads.com website on June 24th, 2015.
Application closes on May 27, 2015.
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