Kia ora, We’ve passed the halfway mark: for us in the southern hemisphere, winter solstice happened on Sunday. Longer (but colder) days ahead! Hoorah! I’m keeping it short this week with six adventure-related updates about books, movies, and gear. Got any links you want to share with me? Reply and send them my way! Cheers,DeborahContinue reading “6 adventure-related updates”
Author Archives: Deborah
There are already so many memoirs about walking this trail – is there space for mine?
I recently saw someone ask this question online: “There are already so many memoirs about walking Te Araroa. Is there even space for mine?”
YES! There is space for your story! It doesn’t matter if you’re writing about Te Araroa or the Pacific Crest Trail or the Camino de Santiago or any other popular trail. There is space for your story.
Writing a book one moment after another
Kia ora, Writing a book is hard! Do you know how many chapters that is? How many pages? How many words? It’s hours and hours of thinking and staring and typing, and thinking some more, and getting distracted and typing… But you don’t have to write it all at once. You don’t even have toContinue reading “Writing a book one moment after another”
One for the Kiwis
Kia ora, I don’t often get political in this newsletter, but my god, I cannot wait to vote out this government on November 7. I could bang on about what bollocks the coalition have been doing, but I’ll stick with a summary of the Conservation Amendment Bill this time. This bill opens up around 60%Continue reading “One for the Kiwis”
How to write accents in travel and adventure memoirs
We all speak with an accent. It might not feel like we do, but that’s because our own voices sound “normal” to us. But I know I have a Kiwi accent. When I worked in the UK, my accent wreaked havoc in the workplace. To my British colleagues, “Fish and chips” sounded like “Fush andContinue reading “How to write accents in travel and adventure memoirs”
Being edited makes you a better writer
Kia ora, Many years ago I worked with an author on his first book. He was a journalist by training, so he knew what it was like working with a subeditor. But he’d never worked with a book editor before, nor had anything as long as a manuscript edited. He was a little nervous aboutContinue reading “Being edited makes you a better writer”
That time I suggested an author add a … tasteful? … joke to his story
Kia ora, That tasteful joke in the subject line. It was actually a dick joke. But I didn’t want to say it that obviously in case the spam gods banished my email. But yes, I once suggested an author add a dick joke to his story. This author had a particular writing style – self-deprecating,Continue reading “That time I suggested an author add a … tasteful? … joke to his story”
Author scams – stay safe out there
One of my regular authors had a run-in with a scammer recently. I want to tell you about it so you can notice the red flags should the same thing happen to you. A senior editor from Penguin Random House emailed this author and told him Penguin were keen to acquire their latest book. ButContinue reading “Author scams – stay safe out there”
A fresh idea for dealing with a writing rut
Kia ora, Yesterday I spent the morning staring at a blank doc trying to figure out how to get a blog idea out. I had the topic, and I knew what I wanted to say, but … the thoughts were not connecting with the fingers on the keyboard. Feel familiar? I’m sure you’ve had yourContinue reading “A fresh idea for dealing with a writing rut”
Super quick writing wins
Some days you don’t want to have an in-depth revision session. You just want to make a few easy changes to your manuscript and call it a day. I get it. Here are a handful of straightforward changes you can make today.
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 