Writing a Travelogue

My first writing project of any significance was a travelogue. In sixth grade, we studied world history. Our teacher gave us the choice of writing about all the places we studied or taking the final exam. I chose to write the travelogue.

It started out to be a fun project, writing as if I had traveled to all these places. Flipping through my history book, I wrote about the people, how they dressed, what they did, and what kind of country they lived in. Night after night by the light of a kerosene lamp, I sat at the kitchen table with paper and pencil and wrote about my adventures. Many was the night I would rather have given up and gone to bed.

This was my first writing with a deadline. As the deadline drew near, I knew I had to pick up the pace. So I turned to the chapter summaries, picked out the important events, and wrote about them. I’m sure the last part of my story reflected my hurry.

When that paper came back with an A+ and a handwritten “Very Good” at the top, I was on my way to becoming a writer.

What I Learned from This Writing Venture

• Writing is fun, but it is also hard work.
• Keep on writing even when you’d rather do something else
• Encouragement from someone you respect keeps you writing