NPR host Tom Wilmer after audio bootcamp - Photo by Marielle Coyne

Our class has been commissioned by NPR Audiolog host Tom Wilmer to do a 15 minute travel log on Moraga and environs. The is the second year we’ve partnered with this 22-year radio veteran. He came to class, recently, to do some training. Here is Marielle Coyne’s blog on his visit:

Our intrepid travelers go “quacky” on a class tour of San Francisco via Duck Boat

Class mascot “Mr. Pickles” on the town – Photos by Laura Silangil

Spud Hilton had just finished an hour and a half presentation on some of the most interesting ideas on writing I had ever heard and yet all I could begin to think about was the amount of Red Bulls he claimed to have drunk[en] in the past year.

“I actually calculated it, over the past year I believe I’ve drank somewhere around 1,100 Red Bulls.”

Everyone in the room stopped laughing for a minute and began the process of equating that to a daily intake.

After pulling out a calculator to do the math it worked out to be just over 3 sugar free Red Bulls a day.

Spud Hilton is the editor of the travel section at the San Francisco Chronicle. In his ascent to boarder line celebrity status in the travel writing industry, Hilton has visited over 33 countries and his work has appeared in over 60 magazines and newspapers around the world.

Hilton spoke to our class candidly about his position as an editor for a major newspaper. Being an editor he has seen it all when it comes to journalism. Spud has been handed fully completed stories that lulled him to sleep and he has also received amazing ideas for stories in the form of bullet points. The latter of these two inquiries would receive a back-handed email from Spud telling them “Great! Now enjoy your trip and go write it”; a comment that left us all looking at each other while Spud chuckled over recalling the volume he receives these messages in.

I realize I’ve just depicted Spud Hilton out to resemble Peter Parker’s editor in the movie “Spider Man”. Laughing hysterically in his chair and throwing pictures of Spider Man in Parker’s face as he chomps on a cigar and waves the destroyed Peter Parker out the door.

While extremely comical to picture, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Hilton has made a living off printing well thought out, concise stories that paint the travel destination in a light not typically conveyed by what a prospective tourist would normally hear. After years spent receiving hundreds of lackluster stories Hilton has lost all subtlety in carving out his responses to the many rejected travel writers.

Above all, Spud gives one underlining idea that should be expressed in every piece of travel journalism.

HAVE A POINT

When it comes to writers block in regards to an angle for your story Hilton has two very enlightening go to stock angles as he calls them. They consist of “it used to suck but now it’s better” and my personal favorite “It’s not as bad as you think it is”. It may seem like a joke at first, but with these two ideas a travel writer can go far in life.

His tips on writing were accompanied by tips on a travel writers best friend; photography. One of the first things Spud stressed to us was that you will grossly over estimate the value of the photos you take because you were able to be there when the photos were taken.

What he means by this is that you are able to get a feel for the sensory feelings around you as you took the picture (touch, taste, smell etc…). Because of this the picture in your eyes has a far greater meaning than to someone looking at it in a magazine or newspaper.

With these two ideas in mind I was provided with a strong basis to further my writing. This, along with a stronger personality portrayed within my writing will further progress my writing ability.

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: January 20, 20112

By Ginny Prior

Spring hasn’t sprung – but wedding season has already begun in one of the Bay Area’s most romantic destinations – the Sonoma Valley. And it’s not just because the hit show ‘The Bachelor’ is being shot there this season.

The mild weather has couples flocking to the Sonoma wine region to check pricing and venues for their upcoming nuptials. There was even a big wedding fair in the barrel room at Cline Cellars, last weekend.

An interesting fact about Cline Cellars – it was the original Sonoma Mission site before it proved prone to flooding. The good news for Catholics, they say, is that the church recognizes weddings at this winery. Indeed, it’s a heavenly place for a ceremony, with lush lawns and colorful gardens accented by fountains and ponds.

Not everyone who comes here cares about weddings, though, or even wine. Some find these things downright “yucky”. We’re talking about the 4000 fourth-graders a year who come here for their mission projects – and to see donkeys Fancy and Pudding – furry reminders of the beasts who carried water and supplies at the mission camp.

“In 2004, Nancy [Cline] got a phone call,” says tour guide Mike Alberigi, “offering her the replica of the Mission Sonoma that had been on display at the 1939 World’s Fair on Treasure Island.” Cline bought all 21 of the replicas and they’re on display in their own separate building at the winery. It’s a big draw for grade-schoolers in Northern California. “The kids never hear about the wine,” says Alberigi, who adds that the parents, meanwhile, are treated to wine tours and tastings.

Ten minutes away, the old Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma stands as the cornerstone of Sonoma Square, a watch guard of history in a town blazing trails in the food and wine industry. Here, too, there are weddings. The old mission chapel provides a sacred sanctuary for couples who want history to be part of their future together.

How serendipitous, then, that this season’s star of ‘The Bachelor’ should be from this town. The hit show has been on set in Sonoma for the last several episodes, giving the region even more cache when it comes to romance.

If you go: Cline Cellars: http://www.clinecellars.com/

Mission Sonoma: http://www.parks.sonoma.net/sonoma.html

Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau: http://www.sonomavalley.com/

Check out this video of Geo talking about the intelligence of llamas. It was shot and produced by Tracy Vasquez

By Tracy Vasquez

Writer’s Boot Camp. When I heard the words I almost expected a large burly woman ready to whip our class into travel writers. “One, two, three, four, write!” she’d shout. However, when the small gentle woman with the pixie haircut walked in, I exhaled. Our guest this past Friday, Lisa Alpine, an author, writer, teacher, and travel journalist was there to teach us how to be better travel writers but without the whip. 

“Be confident, really know yourself and your special interests” were some thoughtful insights that Alpine emphasized. As an inexperienced travel writer these words of wisdom were difficult to swallow. How can you be confident when you’re just starting out? Alpine described honing your own writing style, trying to differentiate yourself with how you write and what you choose to write about. You can show more confidence as a writer when you are writing about something you really enjoy. Famous travel writer, Tim Cahill as Alpine noted, has found success by developing a theme for all of his pieces. “Something has to go wrong on his trips” she said, “He makes himself the butt of the joke, that’s his style.”

Good travel writers are someone who can transport you into a place and makes you a part of the story. Alpine compared it to sitting in a movie theater one minute and walking the streets of Paris in the 1920s the next. This feeling comes when the article is filled with descriptions of what the writer sees, hears, tastes, smells, and touches. As we have learned through our previous guest, Don George, evoking emotion through description of the senses is difficult and often writers do not get past describing what they see. Alpine took this point further, telling us to focus on one sense to lead the reader into the scene, and then add the other senses from there. For example, starting with describing the sounds only like a blank movie screen and adding the other senses little by little.

“The parade of feet, shuffling up and down the stairs” was the line I jotted down during one of our writing exercises. Throughout the class, Alpine had us begin to write spontaneously, which I found very difficult. At one point, she described how great writers use humor initially to draw the reader in and use their laughter to drawn out deeper emotion. “Get them to laugh, you can get them to cry” she said with a smile. Humor opens people up to more, whether that is more laughter or sadness, it can add richness and leave a lasting impression on your reader.

What tools does a travel writer need to be able to write an article that evokes emotion and leaves a lasting impression? The starting mark, according to Alpine, is the handy dandy notebook. Most people cannot remember all the quirky details that are said or occur on a trip. These are the details needed in a good quality travel article. If these quotes or events are not written down right away, you may lose the heart of your article. Alpine emphasized the use of good quotes “let the people speak about the place” she said. It’s important to correctly quote, not only ethically, but if someone is quoted incorrectly, it may take away from the original meaning and feeling of what the person said.

While I entered the class room that morning with trepidation, I left feeling like our mini boot camp was helpful. Learning to push yourself in your writing can bring a more honest and overall better result. When traveling, I’ve found that it’s important to note right away what you are feeling, smelling, tasting that causes you emotion. Describing these senses and emotions will drawn the reader into your article and cause it to linger in their mind long after. After another successful guest, I feel that I am starting to reveal the writer I would like to be.

The author of our textbook kicks off first week of class

By Alana Armstrong

Don George has a resume that would impress superman. He has traveled to over 80 countries and gets paid to travel. I was so excited to meet him. I myself had used his guidebooks as faithful companions on my own adventures. When he walked into our class the first thing that really surprised me was the fact that he seemed normal.  In a crowd I would never have guessed that his voice was the one that I faithfully followed for almost four months as I studied abroad.

The second thing that noticed about Don George was how quick to laugh he was. He seemed generally amused at everything that was going on around him. Even in a small classroom he seemed perfectly at home and even more interesting he seemed happy to be there. For someone who has gone and done some amazing things in his life to look so engaged and interested in the simple workings of a small college class really impressed me.

He then gave advice to our class, who like him were writing travel stories. His advice was very simple and catchy. He used headers to highlight the things that would really help like “show not tell”. He also was able to really illustrate how important word count is in an article.

The most interesting point though was his style. He is an expert in travel writing. Millions of people use his guides and know his name.  Yet when he came to the class he did not preach, or lecture he simply just talked. It could have easily been a discussion with friends over coffee and yet it informative.  He was casual not forceful, he had no need to prove his reputation or defend it, he just lived up to it.  Of all the writers and role models that I have had the opportunity to meet he was the first that seemed to be from the same planet as me.

The class was also given an amazing opportunity to read one of our travel pieces that we had written to him for critic. At first this paralyzed me in my seat. How could I ever hope to be even for one second a good enough writer to read something of mine to this superhero travel journalist. Yet after listening to his critic of some of my classmates I decided it would be unforgivable to pass up this one amazing chance. My heart almost stopped when I reached the front of the class to start presenting my story but again Don’s friendly nature radiated from him in a way that just made me feel better and my professors slight smile put me at ease. If the professionals in the room wanted to hear my story then the rest did not matter. When I was done I went back to my seat and braced myself for the worst. It did not come instead I received some praise and some very good advice.

For the rest of the day I glowed. I had met someone that I had truly looked up to and he had not been a complete disappointment. Instead it helped me realize that I might have a spark of true interest in travel writing. Don George is the perfect guest speaker to have because he is able to demonstrate just how down to earth a person can be even though they have done some amazing things. I would rate him a ten out of ten.

Here are some student podcast video productions:

This radio vignette was produced as a slide show by Joey Medeiros. Joey won class honors for best podcast.

Below is the radio vignette – produced with visuals – by Kristine McCracken:

Here is a different take on SMC as a destination with this radio vignette/slide show produced by Caitie Healing: