Did you ever hear of the "golden rule?" The golden rule states to "treat others as you would want to be treated." This is great advice for anyone who is about to travel, especially if you're visiting a foreign country.

Most travel writers are probably unaware of the "golden rules of travel writing." Whether you're an aspiring or experienced travel writer, it's good to know and review the golden rules of travel writing. These rules can help you stay on track with your writing. Refer to them at anytime if you're stuck or need inspiration.

Golden Rules

1. Travel as much as you can. It's not necessary for you to travel around the world. Travel within your own backyard and discover something new and then write about it. Your discoveries will be interesting to someone, somewhere.
2. Write every day. Even if you write for an hour each day, the point is to write! This is a great way to improve upon your travel writing skills.
3. Read publications such as National Geographic and Travel + Leisure Magazine. If you have a plan to reach a goal of writing for one of these publications then start by reading them. This is a great way to learn what types of articles are printed. Pay attention to the style and tone of each article.
4. Take a travel writing course or two. It will not hurt you to sign up for a travel writing course.
5. Join a writing group. You can join writing groups online or where you live. Visit Meetup.com and see what's available. Make sure to check out your local bookstore because they usually have book clubs and writing groups.
6. Purchase a couple of travel writing books. L. Peat O'Neil's book See the World, Sell a Story is a fantastic book. It's packed with useful information and you'll find great resources at the end.
7. Do not give up! Sometimes success takes time. Avoid giving up too soon before your dream is realized. Go with the flow and detach from your dream. This may sound contradictory from what you're used to doing. If you hold onto something and try to force it to happen, you can sabotage your dream. Take a step back, breathe deep, and just write. Visualize yourself being a travel writer but do not become obsessed with it. If you do, you" put out an energy that reeks of desperation. You'll create situations where you find yourself feeling desperate all of the time. This will only hinder your chances of being successful in travel writing.

Follow these golden rules and your travel writing will be good as gold! Refer back to them as often as you need to do so. It's important to nurture your travel writing and yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Remember, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey you take to get there.