PBNN Series: E13534 – TRAVEL WRITING
April 7, 2025
In this episode, Steve Harper and Michelle Cutler, a storytelling coach and screenwriter, dive into the overlooked power of travel narratives. They explore how sharing more than just “current situation” photos can deepen connection, expand your online presence, and reflect personal growth. Cutler offers practical strategies—from using sensory detail to naming emotional stakes—that elevate everyday posts into engaging, resonant stories. She draws on her own experiences living abroad, coaching writers, and navigating cultural difference to illustrate how what we bring to a place is just as vital as what we take from it. The conversation also touches on resume writing, SEO, and the ethical use of AI in storytelling.
Tell Better Travel Stories: How to Turn “Current Situation” into Connection
We’ve been writing about travel for centuries—explorers’ logs, ship journals, letters home. Today we post a photo with “current situation 😎” and keep scrolling. The image might be gorgeous, but words are what make your moment mean something to someone else.
Travel narratives aren’t just for magazines. They’re what you say to a friend after a trip, the caption beneath your photo, the update you bring back to your team after a conference. Done well, they transport your reader and quietly strengthen your personal brand (and yes—your SEO).
Here’s how to go beyond “wish you were here.”
1) Think story, not slideshow
A first impression is a punctuation mark; a story has movement.
- Before: What brought you there? (Curiosity, burnout, research, reunion?)
- During: What did you notice with your senses? (Smell of saffron at the market, the salt on your skin, the clang of cups at 7 a.m.)
- After: What shifted? (A belief, a routine, a plan you’ll change back home.)
Mini-template
I came for ___ because ___. In ___, I noticed ____, ____ , and ____. Now I’m leaving with ___ and I’ll ___ when I get home.
2) Make it useful for the reader
Ask, “What’s in it for them?” even if they never click a link.
Share 2–3 takeaways:
- A micro-tip (the cooking class that starts at the market, not the kitchen)
- A cultural cue (why dinner starts later and how it changes conversation)
- A tiny map (stand here at sunrise; order the thing not on the English menu)
3) Bring you to the place (not just the place to you)
We don’t travel as blank slates. Your lens matters.
- Name your bias or backstory (“I thought I hated anchovies; Portugal said try again—verdict: still no, but now I know.”)
- Share a contradiction you noticed (lively vs. noisy, unhurried vs. slow).
- Hold respect for what you don’t fully understand—observe before judging.
4) Use words to lift your images (and your searchability)
If your socials connect to your work, your captions are content.
- Include specific nouns (district names, ingredients, neighborhoods)
- Add verbs that move (haggle, steep, braid, ferry, kiln-fire)
- Sprinkle keywords you actually want to be found for (memoir coach, story development, narrative workshop)
5) Avoid the “then we… then we…” trap
It’s a tour, not a timeline. Choose one thread and follow it.
Pick a lens:
- A single taste (cardamom)
- A recurring object (blue doors)
- A soundscape (morning clatter)
- A person (the taxi driver who planned your day better than you did)
6) When the vibe is complicated
Not every moment is bliss—and that’s still a story. Let your draft cool before posting. A fast opinion is not a narrative; give it time to earn its beginning–middle–end.
Caption starters you can steal
- Senses: “The alley smelled like ___ and ___. We followed the sound of ___ to ___.”
- Shift: “I came for ___. I left knowing ___.”
- Tiny guide: “If you go: meet at ___ by ___. Order ___. Sit facing ___.”
- Character: “___ at the market taught me to ___; I’ll never cook ___ the same way.”
A 150-word example (from a single photo)
The coffee arrived with a leaf of mint and a small glass of seltzer—Granada’s quiet way of saying “stay.” Outside, the street was already arguing about where to have lunch. Inside, cups chimed against saucers and the air smelled like orange peel. I came because I’ve been writing too much from screens and not enough from scenes. The barista showed me how they zest the peel directly over the cup—tiny oil fireworks on foam. I’ll take that home: a small extra step that changes everything, including mood. If you find yourself near Plaza ___, grab the corner table by the door around 10:30; the light hits the marble like a stage. Order café con leche “muy caliente,” and ask for the orange. You’ll be here longer than you planned. That’s the point.
Quick checklist before you post
- Did I include context (why I’m here)?
- At least one sensory detail?
- Two tangible takeaways?
- A line that shows what changed for me?
Travel writing is an invitation: come see what I saw—and why it mattered. When you give your reader a path into your moment, you’re not just documenting a trip. You’re practicing the craft of story—one caption, one paragraph, one honest detail at a time.
If you want help shaping your travel notes into memoir pieces, newsletter posts, or stronger captions that actually connect (and get found), I offer short coaching sessions and workshops. Start here: michellecutler.com.
