Questions to Ask of a Travel Writer


(not a comprehensive list)

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1. Who is the traveller? When did s/he live? Where did s/he come from? How and when did s/he travel?

2. To which genre of travel literature is the writer contributing? (Possibilities include Travelogue, Travel Guide, Travel Essay, Travel Memoir, Travel Fiction, Travel Fantasy, Travel Parody, Ethnography, Topography, History, etc.).

3. What is the geographic scope of the territory covered by the writer?

4. How is the work arranged? Topically? Topographically? Chronologically?

5. What elements of the traveller's experience does the writer comment upon? (Food, lodging, weather, distances, friendliness of the natives, etc.)

6. What aspects of features of the territory covered does the writer comment on or not comment on? (geographical features, flora and fauna, climate, customs and religion, local history, buildings and monuments, economy, etc.)

7. What distance does the writer have from the place s/he is visiting? Is s/he a first-time visitor or a seasoned veteran? Does s/he know the language? The terrain? Does s/he have friends among the locals? Does s/he come from a culture similar to the one he is visiting or vastly different?

8. What is the writer trying to accomplish? Does the aim of the work affect the way the writer portrays the journey? Does he have any biases or predispositions that colour his account?