Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Home from the big trip, let the writing and editing begin

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - I am on the last leg of my month-long voyage from the Finger Lakes to California to the Kingdom of Tonga (and back), landing tomorrow morning in beautiful Elmira, New York.

To steal a phrase, "What a long strange trip I have been on."

All of that now has to be translated into stories, publishable photos and videos. In other words, the real work begins now.

The cornerstone assignments were for Cruising World magazine and also a Zumba publication. But we have quite literally more than a dozen secondary markets already in the pipeline, as well as many others yet-to-be contacted.

We ran across so many different possible stories while in Vava'u, Tongatapu and Fiji, I filled two notebooks with story ideas and notes. Adm. Fox shot thousands of photos to illustrate the stories. And video? I think I have about five hours of raw footage - maybe six.



One story might be about the fellow in this photo, a chap named Billy who has a tiny - and I mean tiny - theater right on the main drag. He packs in - and I mean packs in - an audience several nights a week, working with an actor named Augustine.

I have video interviews with both Billy and Augustine that might make for an interesting mini-movie all by itself.

After reading several short travelogue style books, I'll bet a 50-100 page memoir book might be within my reach (and grasp, I hope), time permitting, of course.

The organizers of Regatta Vava'u want exposure for their corner of paradise so more tourists will visit next season - May through September.

I'll do my best.

But I should probably go visit next year to see how it all turned out.


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