How to correctly compose a travel note 5 grades. The role of the travel writing genre in displaying national characters

IN June issue Cosmopolitan published my article “Travel Notables”. Actually, I’m writing about this here in order to give you the idea to bring back from your summer trips not only inspiration, but also notes ready for publication.. It doesn’t matter where you publish your observations: in LiveJournal, in an almanac or in a collection, the main thing is to realize that the summer was not in vain! And travel notes are a great start for something more!

Previously, wide as the soul was brought from distant countries Soviet man, flared jeans and video equipment. Now tourist fashion requires us to be able to write travel notes or, in other words, modern language, travelogues.

In fact, travelogues have been around for a long time.. The tradition began with the Greeks and Arabs when they began to describe their travels in detail, in the smallest detail. A little later, the trend reached Europe. By the eighteenth century, “books of wanderings” had gained such popularity that almost everyone famous writer definitely resorted to this genre. For example, Alexander Radishchev, who anonymously published “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” in 1790, wrote a real travelogue, without even knowing it.

“When I lived in Malaysia for two years, friends suddenly suggested that I describe my observations in the form travel notes. I liked the proposal, and I began to think about what interesting things I could tell about the country. I didn’t want to simply state well-known facts. Then I had the idea to do a series of interviews with local residents, since I know the language well. Who did I meet during that year: from Indian taxi drivers to a stern, but incredibly attractive oil tycoon. For each interview, I included a portrait sketched in pencil and my impressions of the meeting. Thus was born a project that will soon be launched by a well-known publishing house. And now I have moved to Vietnam and have already begun to meet the Vietnamese.”
Lika, 29 years old

In travelogues, the author not only describes his journey, but also passes the national flavor through the prism of his perception. This is a piece of work in an individual style. After all, it’s one thing to copy the words of a guide who told why some temples of the ancient Angkor complex are closed to tourists. And it’s quite another thing to secretly explore these temples and describe your advice in notes, interspersing them with funny stories about how you were almost arrested by law enforcement officers, from whom you managed to pay off with two dollars.

In a travelogue, events are often presented in a certain chronology, but you can choose any topic. You can concentrate on serious thinking about the country and the fate of the nation, as I did Rebecca West in the book about Yugoslavia “Black Lamb and Gray Falcon”. You can settle in one of the cozy corners of the planet and convey in your notes the atmosphere of the place, like Peter Mail with his bestseller A Year in Provence. If you are in the country “on duty,” describe your impressions of your work, combining professional tales with local legends. This is exactly what I played on Denis Tsepov in his book “Keep your legs crossed, or Russian tales of an English obstetrician,” in which he described how British ladies give birth.

Look at search engines how many people for Lately were interested in the country you want to tell about. But if, for example, there is no demand for Djibouti, this does not mean that there is no need to write about it. Look for unique ways of presenting, think about how to interest the reader. It might be worth inserting scary legends or diluting the description with excerpts from old letters and diaries. For example, so much has already been written about treasure hunters that if you stack books, you can build the Great Wall of China. At the same time, the topic of diamond prospectors remains almost untouched. Write down everything that might be useful, get to know the locals, but don’t get carried away with “jokes, legends, toasts.”

Otherwise, you can end up stealing girls and communicating with charming horsemen. However, this can also make a great story!

Tips for beginning travel bloggers: 1. Brainstorm, on your own or with friends

. Collect all the facts, notes in notebooks, price tags and used tickets, guidebooks, maps, photographs. Think about what facts you are missing and where you can find them. Sketch out a plan on paper. 2. Decide what exactly you will describe: conversations with local residents, impressions of national cuisine , private accommodation or fun adventures Focus on one thing!

3. Think through the plot. If you are going to simply describe your life in the spirit of “woke up, ate, went to sleep,” readers will fall asleep with you. Add bright details, dialogues, interesting cases from your life abroad.

4. Introduce yours potential reader and think about what he can learn from your travelogue: a description of convenient routes, a master class on trading with local sellers, information about “secret places” where you can buy jewelry almost free of charge.

5. Make a “do’s and don’t’s” list for the reader- what you can do and what you cannot do in this country. If you know that in Thailand you cannot pat children on the head or give money with your left hand, write about it!

6. Use yours strengths, make your travelogue unique, decorate it with drawings or photos. It’s great if you know about cooking and can not only review the best Parisian restaurants, but also write how to prepare the “poor Parisian’s sauce” at home. Or refute the usual:who said ladies don't swear, ha, cross your legs!

Summer is vacation time. No not like this. Summer is the time to travel. Finally, you can see what is there, beyond the horizon. Minimum clothes, maximum impressions. And I really want this not to end.

Summer will end. There will be memories that will warm you for a long time winter evenings, will give a topic for conversation with friends. And that's what I thought. Looking at photographs is one thing. Human memory is not perfect. Very quickly you will forget that mood, those people, good and bad, you met along the way. We need to do something about this. Do not spill the memories of a unique summer, save it for yourself, for your children, for your loved ones. The only way out is to write travel notes.

How to do it? It’s one thing to say “I’ll write.” It's another thing to force yourself to sit down and write. When you are about to write, there are so many thoughts. If you sit down, a universal emptiness envelops the consciousness, subconscious and other parts of the brain. We will act according to plan.

First plan: technical side.

• Write down everything that happened at the same time every day. For example, at 21.00. It failed, then in the morning at 9.00. This will become a habit and it will become easier to sit yourself down at the table.
• Prepare accessories and workplace so that the search for all this does not interrupt the creative process.
• It's good to have a laptop. If not, you need a notebook. Yes, thicker. The place where you write should also be organized. You can add plan items.
• Let's not forget the camera!

Second plan: direct travel writing.
Here we act according to this plan. We start with the designation of date, time, place. Next, we begin to describe the place we are in, our fellow travelers, and events.

Describing the place is probably the easiest way. What I see is what I write. Let’s not forget the most important thing: to evaluate what we see, to describe our mood while admiring the area and the statements of others, if any.

It's a little more difficult with people. A person has not only an external, but also an internal. Everything is clear from the outside: name, approximate, by eye, age, Family status(if possible), what he does, appearance, demeanor, gestures, smile, features. The inner can be expressed by your conversations with him. Here you can not accurately reproduce what was said down to every word, but simply convey the essence of the conversation in a few words that reflect the views of the interlocutor. Again, let’s not forget the main thing: evaluate a person, you can listen to what others have to say about him, but we won’t stoop to discussing behind his back.

Describing the events of our trip, we will use works of art, or rather their plot structure. After all, how do writers write? According to plan. And in this regard there are only 4 points.

1. The beginning. We answer the question: how did the event begin?
2. Development of action. You directly describe what actions took place, who did what, said, thought.
3. Climax. This is the most intense moment of action, when everything is on the verge of life and death, pros and cons, good and evil.
4. Denouement. How did the event end? What lesson did you learn from it? How has it changed your life and those around you?

While traveling, we can become not only the heroes of an incident, but also its observers and witnesses. This is also a good idea to write down. After all, a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.
Don't forget that people love to read memoirs in the first place famous people(and now simple ones), secondly, notes from travelers. Who knows, maybe you will write notes about your journey not only for yourself? Unleash your talents!

Summer is vacation time. No not like this. Summer is the time to travel. Finally, you can see what is there, beyond the horizon. Minimum clothes, maximum impressions. And I really want this not to end.

Summer will end. There will be memories that will warm you up on long winter evenings and provide a topic for conversation with friends. And that's what I thought. Looking at photographs is one thing. Human memory is not perfect. Very quickly you will forget that mood, those people, good and bad, you met along the way. We need to do something about this. Do not spill the memories of a unique summer, save it for yourself, for your children, for your loved ones. The only way out is to write travel notes.

How to do it? It’s one thing to say “I’ll write.” It's another thing to force yourself to sit down and write. When you are about to write, there are so many thoughts. If you sit down, a universal emptiness envelops the consciousness, subconscious and other parts of the brain. We will act according to plan.

First plan: technical side.[ more]
1. Write down everything that happened at the same time every day. For example, at 21.00. It failed, then in the morning at 9.00. This will become a habit and it will become easier to sit yourself down at the table.
2. Prepare supplies and workspace so that the search for all this does not interrupt the creative process.
3. It's good to have a laptop. If not, you need a notebook. Yes, thicker. The place where you write should also be organized. You can add plan items.
4. Let's not forget the camera!

Second plan: direct travel writing. Here we act according to this plan. We start with the designation of date, time, place. Next, we begin to describe the place we are in, our fellow travelers, and events.

Describing the place is probably the easiest way. What I see is what I write. Let’s not forget the most important thing: to evaluate what we see, to describe our mood while admiring the area and the statements of others, if any.

It's a little more difficult with people. A person has not only an external, but also an internal. From the outside, everything is clear: name, approximate, by eye, age, marital status (if possible), what he does, appearance, demeanor, gestures, smile, features. The inner can be expressed by your conversations with him. Here you can not accurately reproduce what was said down to every word, but simply convey the essence of the conversation in a few words that reflect the views of the interlocutor. Again, let’s not forget the main thing: evaluate a person, you can listen to what others have to say about him, but we won’t stoop to discussing behind his back.

Describing the events of our journey, we will use works of art, or rather their plot structure. After all, how do writers write? According to plan. And in this regard there are only 4 points.
1. The beginning. We answer the question: how did the event begin?
2. Development of action. You directly describe what actions took place, who did what, said, thought.
3. Climax. This is the most intense moment of action, when everything is on the verge of life and death, pros and cons, good and evil.
4. Denouement. How did the event end? What lesson did you learn from it? How has it changed your life and those around you?

While traveling, we can become not only the heroes of an incident, but also its observers and witnesses. This is also a good idea to write down. After all, a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.

Don’t forget that people love to read, firstly, the memoirs of famous people (and now ordinary people), and secondly, the notes of travelers. Who knows, maybe you will write notes about your journey not only for yourself? Unleash your talents!

Summer - favorite time year of every schoolchild, because the long-awaited holidays are coming. Everything around becomes warm and sunny, the meadows are covered with a sea of ​​flowers, flocks of butterflies flutter over the beautiful flowers. Everything around seems fabulous and magical. Everyone feels free and tries to spend time with friends. So our class decided to go on a hike.

After passing the transfer exam on May 29, each of us ran home to pack our backpack. This was our first time going on a hike for several days, but even on this first serious hike we were given huge backpacks with a capacity of thirty kilograms and a list of products to take. When I packed my backpack, it was difficult for me to even lift it, and I had to walk more than one kilometer with it.

And then the long-awaited day, May 30, all those who were planning to go on a hike gathered at school. Everyone had huge backpacks and tents in their hands. Our hike started from the lake sea ​​eye, we got to it by bus. We barely made it down the mountain and found ourselves near the lake, we were struck by its beauty, it really resembled an eye, when we looked at it from above, it seemed blue color, and when they went down, it turned green. Some of our guys even swam in it, although the water was cold. Here we set up tents, lit a fire, and prepared lunch. On fresh air the food seemed especially aromatic and tasty. We, of course, did not sleep the night of May 31st. All 15 of us sat in one tent and talked for a long time.

On the morning of May 31, we barely woke up, had breakfast and hit the road. Being unaccustomed to carrying heavy backpacks and enduring swarms of angry mosquitoes, it was difficult, but we managed this moment we had a lot of repellent. We walked 10 km and rested, we were very tired, it was difficult to climb further. But we overcame ourselves and set off. Arriving at the new site, we set up our tents and immediately went to bed; we slept until the morning. We learned that our hike was 30 km long; it was hard for us to realize that we had not yet walked half the way. But even in this one day we saw so much beautiful places at the same time, it really amazed us.

On May 31st we walked all day, only by 10 o’clock in the evening did we arrive, we were happy that we managed to overcome such the hard way. We realized that we still had last night together, of course, we didn’t sleep, we sat by the fire all night and sang songs, we weren’t even bothered by the fact that all the repellents had run out and we were simply eaten by mosquitoes. Then we sat in the same tent and told many stories.

On the morning of June 1, we came to Maple Mountain and waited for the bus. He came and took us, on the one hand we were glad that, finally, we would no longer go, but on the other hand, it was sad because we had to part with our friends. Still, the hike is very cool, better than any trip abroad and sitting at the computer. I wish everyone to go camping during their school years!

St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. Photo from the Internet, may its author forgive me!

I stood with a group of tourists on a green hillock and looked at the tall snow-white Cathedral, it seems, St. Sophia. It was in Polotsk, I was 13-14 years old and this was my first independent travel without parents. I remember that I was holding a small notebook in my hands, where I tried to write down the names of attractions. I didn’t have any other gadgets then, in the late 80s. And the desire to at least somehow document the trip has already arisen.

It was later, years later, that I learned that there is a genre of travel writing in travel journalism, when a traveler writes down his observations, the most exciting moments of the trip and his impressions of it. Especially impressions that fade over time, like old printed photographs. Of course, in our digital age it is easier to photograph than . But it is still important to note some details in the notebook.

These are the names settlements, cities, names of people we met and talked to. By the way, it is important to record as accurately as possible. Take the time to write down what the weather was like and what nuances it brought to the trip. The names of streets, cathedrals and monuments, and most importantly - the state of mind that they evoked, because even cities have history, not just history.

I admit, I have never been to the sea, in foreign countries and in the mountains (except that I saw the Ural Mountains from the window of a train and car). For now I travel most often around Russia. It's a pity that I didn't always take notes. But even now I can remember some details. In the village of Mikhailovskoye I was surprised by the tall, powerful pines (or spruces?) and shady alleys with bridges, and in the Svyatogorsk Monastery, where Pushkin was brought to be buried, by narrow dark corridors and the poet’s death mask, similar to a theatrical one.

Minsk will be remembered for its neat station square and bright, uncrowded metro. In the mysterious town of Nesvizh, for the first time I saw a medieval castle with guardhouses, a courtyard, parks, earthen ramparts and deep ditches. In Yekaterinburg, I visited the scene of death royal family at a time when instead of the Church on the Blood there was a cross with a photograph royal family. And nearby you could see the hills from the blown up Ipatiev House...

Now I live in Kazan, but once I lived in Zelenodolsk and. I visited Bolgar, Urzhum, Malmyzh, Nolinsk... Even in the smallest provincial towns there are so many interesting and unique things that you won’t see anywhere else. In Nolinsk, for example, the ensemble of St. Nicholas Cathedral amazes with its grandeur and... abandonment. The tall white walls of the cathedral are being destroyed by time, and perhaps by people, although it is an architectural monument. I saw it and remembered it...

And one day we went to the Urals, to the city of Serov by car. Grandmother and grandfather lived there mom's parents. From Kirov region It’s a long way, we traveled for a day. But it was an unforgettable road trip! Through the sea-like Votkinsk Reservoir, the cozy town of Tchaikovsky in flower beds, the foggy bridge near Kachkanar... But a lot was forgotten because I didn’t write it down interesting names and the impressions they made.

Here we stand in Europe. And Asia is already around the corner!

I had a camera with me (a point-and-shoot camera with film), so they photographed some things, for example, the border sign between Europe and Asia, which is marked in this place by a white elegant pillar. On it you can see completely inelegant, but eternal inscriptions: Vasya was here... We were there too! Here we are showing off in a photo, an old one, still in print, and slightly blurry.

By the way, there are a great many such pillars throughout Ural mountains(and this is more than 3000 kilometers) and all of them different types. Everyone has their own story. Unfortunately, I forgot (because I didn’t write it down!) in which place in the Ural Mountains the pillar near which we were photographed is located. But maybe some of the readers will recognize this place?

And from the notes you can create a travelogue that will please the author and benefit other people. They may never visit there, but thanks to the author's travel notes they will learn a lot of interesting things.