The Masterclasses by National Geographic Traveller (UK) returned this week with a series of one-hour writing and photography sessions.

Having explored how to turn your travels into travel writing on day one, yesterday evening saw our expert panellists discuss the nuts and bolts of a travel feature.

Our moderator, former British Travel Writer of the Year Jonathan Thompson, steered the conversation through every stage of a travel feature, from the attention-grabbing first paragraph to the all-important conclusion.

Here’s some of the fantastic advice shared during the session:

• When it comes to grabbing the reader’s attention straight away, award-winning travel journalist Zoey Goto said, “I love a drop intro where you place the reader into the heart of the story. Think about the most colourful or evocative moment of the trip — it’s a nice way to get in on the action.”
• The panel also discussed the importance of using quotes, with The Telegraph’s travel correspondent Chris Leadbeater explaining, “It’s essential to have voices other than your own as part of a wide-ranging travel feature. I always find that chefs or restaurant owners are a good source of quotes, and I’m a big fan of overheard conversations.”
• Travel and food writer Carolyn Boyd talked through the challenge of creating new stories for well-known destinations. “It’s up to you to find the angle or approach that hasn’t been covered,” she said. “That’s the skill in the research — you can always bring something new to a destination.”

Tickets are still available for the remaining sessions. Click here to learn more and here to buy tickets.