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How do you write your trip reports?

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by tush17, Mar 5, 2010.

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  1. tush17

    tush17 Tourist

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    My Trip Report

    I am thinking of doing one for when I am in Vegas March 10th-15th staying at the Aria, however I feel like I will be so drunk and doing so many different things that I won't remember anything by the end of the trip.

    Maybe my only option is Live Reports.


    Just curious what do those of you who write fairly detailed trip reports do?
     
  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I'm a note taker. I'm pretty compulsive about keeping receipts for my recordkeeping too, so that always helps to reconstruct the night. We take breaks during our visits and I usually jot down a couple notes about something I want to remember to share and I write it all up when I get home.

    The smart phone phenomena is changing the approach to trip reports though. I still prefer one giant report that details the hilights of the trip from start to finish over the "chat room"/twitter type of postings on some of the trip reports here. But for the true TR addicts, any kind of report about Vegas is a good one. :wink2:
     
  3. tvon

    tvon VIP Whale

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    bring a compact camera that fits into your pocket.. and take lots of photos. Not only does it help you remember, but TR's with photos are always the best TR's
     
  4. tush17

    tush17 Tourist

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    Good tip. Good thing my smart phone also has a 3.2 megapixel camera. Looks like I'll be taking notes or posting live updates and also take alot of pictures.
     
  5. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    I can never do the play by play either so I always just catogorize my TR by Hotel, Restaurants, Gambling, Shows, etc...:beer:
     
  6. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    I used to do long and detailed trip reports.

    To keep track of the details I took a lot of photos (often 300+ per trip) and I carried a little note pad in my pocket as well as my camera has a voice record option that I could make quick notes with. Then at the end of each day I would flesh out notes back in the hotel room.

    When I got back home I would do my reports up as web pages with the photos within the report.

    That said, I actually wound up getting complaints that some of the pictures weren't very good and that with so much detail it made the reports long winded and boring :) :) :)

    From that I didn't bother to do up trip reports for my last three trips.

    The first 2008 report is still out there on the net though if anybody ever wanted to read it:
    http://www3.telus.net/public/cjpatt1/vegas2008a/

    My free web hosting doesn't give me space enough to post the other reports though, so just that one is still up there.
     
  7. luvlv

    luvlv Low-Roller

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    When I do one..

    It tends to be a day to day. I don't go into as much detail as some, but just a general outline of the day and any real highlights. But, I have to do it as soon as I get home, before things start getting muddled.
     
  8. BackInVegas

    BackInVegas VIP Whale

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    memory only

    strictly by memory. If I forget stuff, fine.

    Some things are better off forgotten.
     
  9. BlondWidow

    BlondWidow Low-Roller

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    I go by memory too. Sometimes I feel like I get too detailed, but who knows.

    I have to say, I like the ones where people post in days or sections. They are always cool to read. Doesn't necessarily have to be a live report, I just like that broken up, not all one long post (like I write) format. I may try it that way after our May trip. :)
     
  10. doctor_al

    doctor_al VIP Whale

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    Breakfast is a good time to make notes about standouts from the day before. It's a function of a good vegas trip that by then end, the stuff at the beginning seems like a long time ago, hence the notes.

    A couple thoughts on TR writing:
    Helps to ask, what story are you telling? Doesn't have to be a Hunter Thompson Gonzo story, but if you summed up your trip in 3-5 short headlines what would they be? Not all detail is bad but if you trim the detail to what supports the story, it makes for a better read. For example, if you document your gambling wins/losses, is the story that you were an overall winner, loser, or choppy break-even for the trip? If you detail every win/loss by the end the reader will have lost track.

    The other thing that helps people follow is if you group things, like all your restaurant reviews in one place, all your gambling in one, etc. Otherwise you have to work a little harder to help keep people up with the thread of the story.

    Also, whitespace is the reader's friend - meaning, break it up with paragraphs. People panic if it looks like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

    Lastly - don't worry about whether people will like it or not. People like all kinds of TR's. Epic, brief, foodie, miscreant, somebody will read it who will appreciate your viewpoint.
     
  11. HurricaneMikey

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

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    I see what you did there...
     
  12. sin

    sin VIP Whale

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    When I do a tr I go by memory. mine is pretty good. even when I'm blotto I remember lots of stuff. I have to write it fairly soon upon my return though or I brain dump a lot of details to fill my brain with the work stuff again.

    like Sonya, I prefer a well written report over the twitter/facebook short updates. My favorites are the ones that are written day-by-day.
     
  13. mesa

    mesa VIP Whale

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    I try to start out jotting things down but that falls by the wayside or I can't read my writing:drunk: Sally try's to keep all the dining receipts so at least we know where we ate. We also take a lot of pics but thats slowing down as we have a lot of the same shots just in different years:thumbsup:
     
  14. Blonde_4_ever

    Blonde_4_ever LasVegas4ever.com

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    Ah...trip reports...my favorite thing![​IMG]

    I love writing the report ALMOST as much as the trip itself.

    I prefer diary style reports, that take you thru EVERYTHING done on each day.

    I also jot down a few notes during the day, as the others have said. It is amazing how just a word or two will jog your memory .
    It would be awful to have your whole trip lost in an alcoholic haze!

    I also take lots of pictures and videos so I can illustrate my story as I go along.
    I want everyone to feel like they are right there with me on my journey.

    And joy of joys...I get to write another one soon! I can't wait!
    [​IMG]
     
  15. S'AllGoodMan

    S'AllGoodMan High-Roller

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    We do them from memory and some notes and texts from our phones... I like the detailed diary ones the best. It reads like a story and I just love that. New to this forum, but my husbands writes great reports! We're going back the end of May so watch for our first TR here.

    Beth
     
  16. RebelDiceMan

    RebelDiceMan VIP Whale

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    It tend to take notes. If my trip is over 4 days long, things tend to run together somewhat. Sometimes I forget some interesting stuff until I read that little reminder and then most of the details come back. My TRs tend to be pretty long since I never met a detail I didn't like but I always forewarn people of that up front. Lately, I have been having trouble finding the time to get them done. I hope to end that trend with my Spring Break trip next week.
     
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