Steph Dyson

2025 travel writing mentoring scheme open! The Talking Travel Writing mentoring scheme is back thanks to sponsorship from TravMedia - find out how to apply here.

Together with @stephdyson.bsky.social and @travmedia.bsky.social, we're using the Talking Travel Writing newsletter to launch our latest mentoring scheme for aspiring travel writers! Details here - please share: travelwriting.substack.com/p/2025-trave...

For a Talking Travel Writing series, I'm looking to speak to PRs about how journalists can get the best out of your destination knowledge to chat about potential story ideas.

Are there qs you wish more journalists would ask? What do you wish more journalists knew about working w/PRs?

Devastated to look closer and realise someone hadn't stuck a googly eye on the plane wing

After reading @johannhari101.bsky.social's fantastic Stolen Focus I've realised there's so much more we need to be doing to regulate tech companies - but I can't find any organisations whose sole purposes seems to be this. Does anyone know of any that need donations or support?

Happy to watch it with you while feasting on comte?

I saw a brimstone on the Cotswold Way today too! Such a beautiful butterfly

Just One Thing: stupidity Inspired by the late Michael Mosely, this month's series is a Just One Thing tribute.

What one thing would you suggest every travel writer needs to be good at their job? We're running a series on this very topic in #TalkingTravelWriting this month, so here's my take:
travelwriting.substack.com/p/just-one-t...

I'm writing a piece for Talking Travel Writing for April about whether there's ever a place for AI in travel writing. Do you have strong opinions on the topic? 👇🏻

Last chance to apply for the FWJ New Directions bursary You've got until midday today.

Writers, this really is your last chance now! You've got until noon to apply. open.substack.com/pub/freelanc...

So what you're saying is I should shrink my working day down to two hours and I'd be far more productive??

Spring cleaning! Perfectly acceptable at this time of the year

At LATA we want to celebrate the incredible work being done across the Latin American travel industry. Entries are now open for the LATA Excellence Awards & the LATA Responsible Tourism Awards and will be announced at LATA Expo in June. Media awards coming soon!

travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/ent...

It does worry me how much time I spend pissing around at my desk. Got 8 hours to write a feature? I'll fanny around for six of those and then get stressed that it has taken so long. Got two? Complete it, plus have time for a cup of tea.

Always available for a blurb endorsement 😉

@jenrosesmith.bsky.social the undisputed queen of the good idea

I love this! What a great idea

I sadly failed to do this when I was at uni

I would be curious to know how many times the street sign has been pinched

It's also ironically the shortest road in York

Surely Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate in York is up there, too?

There's still time to sign up for next week's webinar on how you can use data to help you find fascinating story angles for pitches and how it can add substance to your features 👇
travelwritingwebinars.com/product/data...

Always

My toxic travel trait is swearing blind that I won't book six-week-long work trips again because they're exhausting, and then proceeding to do it anyway. Oops!

Patagonia and the Atacama Desert followed by the Pantanal is going to be totally worth it though 😂

Thanks for sharing Katherine! And yes, environmental impact isn't something I had space to go into but is a huge issue as you point out

It always such a pleasure to write for Adventure.com and researching this piece about the realities of AI's impact on travel was fascinating adventure.com/artificial-i...

We'll, @lottiegross.bsky.social always has opinions 😂

@lottiegross.bsky.social also has opinions I think?

Sian's newsletters are always informative and involve excellent GIFs. 10/10, would recommend

I think it depends on who you want to meet. It tends to skew very France heavy, with some other destinations in there too (but rarely anyone from Latin America, for example, which is why I've never bothered).

Passive income: the holy grail of travel writing? Steph chats about earning money while you sleep

Starting Talking Travel Writing's 2025 content as we mean to go on with a series on how passive income should be a staple part of your strategy for the coming year.

Read it here: substack.com/inbox/post/1... (the first newsletter is free!)