Writing Workshops

The Art of Travel Writing with Matt Ortile

$345

4 Sessions

In stock

Once a week Sundays, 12:00 pm EDT - 2:00 pm EDT August 2 to August 23, 2026

Online via Zoom

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Those who said that travel would forever change after the pandemic were certainly right, though perhaps not in the way they’d expected. Nowadays, everyone is traveling—or longing to travel, at least—and travel writing can be read nearly everywhere, in publications big and small, from Travel + Leisure and AFAR, to the New York Times magazine, the Atlantic, and beyond. These publications are meeting the moment by offering readers inspirational articles, service stories, reported features, best-of lists, and more to guide readers on their journeys. This class is an introductory compass to deciphering all of it—and, if one so desires, diving into the fray.

In this four-week course, we will study travel articles published in magazines today to better understand the anatomy of different types of stories and how they function, thereby learning how to create similar travel stories of our own. After group discussions of readings and generative exercises, class participants will leave each session with ideas for their own articles and stories. Potential authors to be read in and outside of class include: Maggie Shipstead, Gary Shteyngart, Saki Knafo, Ligaya Mishan, Stephanie Danler, Mary Holland, Betsy Andrews, Chris Schalkx, Christine Chitnis, and others.

This class is for students who are new to travel writing or those who wish to hone their skills in narrative place-based nonfiction. No prior writing (or travel) experience is required.

Course Outline:

Week 1: This first session will focus on “front-of-book” and digital stories, with an emphasis on service journalism (guides, lists, reviews, trendspotting). We will also discuss the importance of “desk reporting” and how those new to travel writing can get a foot in the door.
Week 2: In the second session, we will move closer to narrative and experiential travel writing by studying stories that prioritize a reader’s immersion in an exciting elsewhere by telling the story of that place, be it the local culture, history, environment, cuisine, or community.
Week 3: The third session will offer practical tips for research and reporting as it relates to covering travel: observational and interviewing skills, reaching out to sources and PR contacts, working with tourism boards, and more. Additionally, we will learn how to write a pitch and go over best practices for pitching editors at publications.
Week 4: To close the class, the fourth session will be dedicated to a “pitch symposium” where students will volunteer to share their ideas and story pitches, then get feedback from the instructor. We will also close with a Q&A, time permitting.

Teaching Style: In my writing seminars, I encourage discussion and conversation among participants (whether as a complete class or in smaller breakout groups) and generative exercises that invite everyone to immediately put to practice what they are learning in that session. After taking classes with me, students leave with the beginnings of essays that they can develop on their own time, as well as a better understanding of best practices as a professional/working writer today.

Level: Introductory

This course is held online via Zoom.

We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for our Reading Groups and Writing Workshops, covering 50% of tuition. Applicants selected for scholarships will be notified one week prior to the first meeting. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.

Led by

Matt Ortile

Matt Ortile

Matt Ortile is a writer, editor, and instructor who has taught creative writing seminars for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, Poets & Writers, Kundiman, PEN America, Off Assignment, the McCormack Writing Center (formerly Tin House), and elsewhere. He is the author of the essay collection The Groom Will Keep His Name, and at work on a novel. After editorships at BuzzFeed News, Catapult, and Condé Nast Traveler, he now lives in Paris.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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