Kia ora, I went on an unplanned adventure last night. My sister-in-law’s motorbike broke down three quarters of the way along a four wheel drive road. She did have her tent and food with her, so she could have camped, but her bike was not going anywhere and would still need extracting. So we initiatedContinue reading “Are you going on any adventures this summer?”
Author Archives: Deborah
What types of editing are there?
Broadly speaking, there are three types of editing and each one focuses on a different stage of the writing and publishing process.
A quote for you
Deborah shares a quote from Amy J. Schneider, encouraging writers to prioritise storytelling over rigid grammar rules. She acknowledges that while some conventions are important, breaking rules can enhance narrative flow. Deborah invites writers to embrace their unique style, offering assistance with editing to refine their work later.
A guide to travel & adventure writing genres
Reading all sorts of travel and adventure stories can inspire your own writing and give you ideas about different storytelling techniques. Here’s my list of travel and adventure genres, along with some of my favourite books for each.
How to write scientific names for animals, plants, and fungi
As an adventure writer, you probably don’t often use scientific naming in your stories, but occasionally you might want to use the scientific name of a creature that you come across during your travels.
Here is how those names are formatted.
How to avoid overloading your descriptions
It’s tempting to load your adventure scenes with detail-rich descriptions that capture what you experienced in the moment. But too much detail can overwhelm a scene and slow the pace.
The problem with colonial charm
The phrase “colonial charm” often pops up in travel writing, such as in accommodation listings, descriptions of architecture, or the general vibe of a town. There’s just one problem with it. Or rather, three problems,
Benefits of working with a human editor
Automated grammar and spelling tools can help improve your writing, but there are still benefits to working with a human editor (like me!).
When you work with a human editor, you benefit from our encouragement, suggestions, queries, and experience.
Is that creature venomous or poisonous?
Knowing your venomous creatures from your poisonous ones will go a long way in building trust with your readers. Using the correct words shows you know what you’re talking about.
How to reduce the number of ‘I’s in your writing
I went here, I saw this, I did that. Too many ‘I’s can make your narrative all about you, which makes for a dull narrative akin to a report from Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 