I developed these workshops while working as the lead faculty member of MatadorU; now that I am no longer with MatadorU, I am offering them independently in New York City and online. Workshops can be run for individuals or for small groups. To inquire about dates and prices, please email me at collazoprojects[at]gmail[dot]com.
Ways of Seeing
Overview: This four-hour workshop will help you develop your skills of observation and description. You will be immersed in three distinct settings and will be given specific prompts for observing the people and settings around you. After sharing your observations, you will receive feedback about how you can both deepen and expand your ways of seeing, and will learn specific techniques for using these observations in your writing.
**
Food and Travel Writing
Overview: Food is a central part of most travel experiences. In this four-hour workshop, you will learn how to pay more attention to what you eat while you’re traveling, as well as how to write about food in a compelling, memorable way.
**
Travel Writers’ Reading Group
Overview: This weekly group meets online via Skype to discuss assigned readings of classic and contemporary travel writing. Through close, critical reading, learn what narrative and stylistic techniques make a text resonate with readers. All readings will be available online or will be sent to participants via PDF, so no additional purchases will be necessary. The course is offered in six week cycles.
**
Narrative Writing Workshop
Overview: This weekly group meets online via Skype for the purpose of building narrative writing skills in the context of travel writing. Through readings and assignments, students will develop their narrative writing skills. All readings will be available online or will be sent to participants via PDF, so no additional purchases will be necessary. The course is offered in six week cycles.
**
Press Trip Preparation Workshop
Overview: This weekly workshop meets online via Skype over the course of four weeks, teaching participants how to prepare for press trips and location-specific writing assignments. Emphasis on conducting research beforehand, collecting information on site, methods of recording/observing, how to network, and how to prepare finished articles for publication are elements of this workshop. Etiquette and ethics will also be discussed.
**
Pitching Boot Camp
Overview: This eight-week course delivered via Skype is led by instructors who have successfully pitched travel, general, and special interest publications, both online and off, Pitching Boot Camp gets you crafting pitches for publications you’ve never considered, helps you understand what elements make a pitch turn into a published piece, and keeps you pitching beyond the boot camp. You’ll be expected to produce at least 10 solid pitches for at least eight publications. Be prepared for constructive feedback.
