Kia ora,
A friend asked me about my editing work recently. I had great joy in explaining how I created a custom Google Map for a recent edit so I could follow the places the writer visited. For another project, I zoomed in even further and followed the adventure street-by-street. The friend was surprised – they thought all I did was check grammar and spelling.
No, I do more than that! By following the street-by-street adventure, I could check that the turns the author made lined up with the real world. That sort of detail is a must when you’re writing about a real place. When people from that place read your story, they’ll notice if key buildings aren’t on the correct street or if you seem to be driving the wrong way down a one-way road.
Having me ask those questions means you can check your notes and make changes before your story lands in readers’ hands.
That custom map has another handy purpose: it’s the perfect base for making a map that you can include in your story. You can share it with an illustrator and let them do their thing. I’ve had authors do that, and it’s something that lots of readers appreciate.
Some of my favourite maps:
- The Pacific Crest Trail in Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
- The maps of Tanzania (and further afield) in A Training School for Elephants, by Sophy Roberts
- The super simple map in Coasting, by Elise Downing
Happy writing, and happy plotting!
Cheers,
Deborah
📚 What I’m reading
The Outrun, by Amy Liptrot.
📅 Availability
Currently booking manuscripts from early November.
If you’re thinking of getting your manuscript published early next year, reply to this email and we can set up a call.
I can give you a free sample edit, and we can jump on a video call to chat about the editing process too.
✍️ Ways to work with me
Get your manuscript evaluation
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 