Kia ora,
I read an excellent article on The Spinoff last week: Why the word ‘tribe’ makes some Māori uneasy. It’s a great read, and I think even if you’re not from New Zealand, you’ll still find it interesting and valuable.
It got me thinking about how word choice matters so much. You’ve heard me talk about that before. I often encourage writers to be more direct, choose stronger words, go for words that increase immersion and depth.
But word choice matters so much when it comes to talking about people. I do my best to follow conscious language principles, though no doubt I miss the mark sometimes. The key is to be open to learning.
One of my favourite resources is the Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors created by Crystal Shelley. If I’m not sure about a word or term that an author has used, I’ll check this guide and get ideas for what could be more appropriate for the context. I can then leave a comment and the author can decide what they’d like to do.
That’s the important part: you, as the author, have the final say about what goes into your book. If you decide not to make a change, that’s up to you, but I’d rather point out a potential issue so you can choose what to do, than just pass it by and hope for the best.
I know you aren’t setting out to be deliberately offensive, so a second pair of eyes can help give you that sense check.
How we describe the people we encounter on our trips is a big topic and one worth exploring in more depth. So just take this as a starter.
Cheers,
Deborah
PS: Check out my related article on Base Camp Writing called The problem with colonial charm.
📚 What I’m reading
The epic city: the world on the streets of Calcutta, by Kushanava Choudhry.
Okay, I have to be honest: I got this book out the library, and it’s due back soon. I still have a ways to go, and I’ve already renewed it once, and renewing it for a second time feels like a failure of some kind. My slowness is nothing to do with the book or the writing. Rather, my evening energy has been all about sewing these last few weeks, so I haven’t been reading as much as I usually would. If I can give myself a final push before the due date, I will.
📅 Availability
I have spaces available from early May. Get in touch if you want a sample edit so you can see what editing can do for your story.
✍️ Ways to work with me
Read the Base Camp Writing blog
Check out my self-publishing guides
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 