Tell me your opinion on this

Kia ora,

I’m heading away this weekend, so I’m getting my gear together. Snacks are a key part of the day walk and tramping experience. 

My go-tos: One Square Meal bars (apricot or cranberry) and Whittaker’s Peanut Slabs. But I’ve got to tell you: I can’t do scroggin. Even if I lace it with M&Ms. There’s something about the peanut, almond, raisin mix that dries out my mouth, and then I’ve got to gulp down all my water, and then I get stressed about not having enough water…

Just me? Or do you swear by scroggin? What’s in your scroggin bag? Reply and let me know. I want to up my scroggin game.

To bring this email back around to adventure writing, here’s something I love: seeing how writers take my feedback on board and make it their own. I’ll often leave suggestions in manuscripts for where the writer can go deeper with descriptions or emotional reactions, or how they could clarify a knotty situation they found themselves in. 

When I read later drafts or the published manuscript, I give a little cheer when I see how they’ve tackled those scenes and improved their writing. Spending that extra time on the story is worth it!

Have a great week. Enjoy your snacks.

Cheers,

Deborah

PS: I read great reviews about North Bound: Four seasons of solitude on Te Araroa, by Naomi Arnold. I picked up a copy yesterday and will be putting it in my bag.

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📚 What I’m reading

The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed, by John Vaillant

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Currently booking manuscripts from late-May. 

If you’re thinking of getting your manuscript edited, do get in touch now. I can give you a free sample edit and we can jump on a video call to chat about the editing process too.

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