Your resource library for travel and adventure writing craft
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Avoid boring travel narratives: six ways to bring your readers along for the ride
When you’re writing for readers who aren’t your mum or best friend, you want to avoid sounding like all you’ve done is gone from a to b to c. That’s a sure-fire way to turn off readers.
The best way to avoid that “I went here, then I went there” trap is to pepper in…
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What editors do behind the scenes
A writer admitted this to me after we’d worked together on her manuscript: she didn’t really want to work with an editor, but her writing mentor told her to, so she did. She thought editors were human spellcheckers and I’d just go through and fix her grammar. She didn’t know what editing is, what it…
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What to expect from an edit
No matter the type of edit you’ve had – manuscript assessment, developmental edit, or copy edit – when you receive your manuscript back from your editor, you’ll still have work ahead of you. This doesn’t mean that your writing is bad or that you’ve somehow failed as a writer. This is exactly how the editing…
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How to use quotes and epigraphs
You’ve probably read a book that has a quote at the start, or maybe each chapter opens with a quote. They’re called epigraphs, and their purpose is to give the reader an idea of the tone or theme the story intends to set. But did that person actually say those words? And were those words…
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Why adverbs deflate your writing
The best travel and adventure writing immerses readers in the story. We feel the cold water tugging at you as you’re struggling to make a river crossing; we hear the growl as you fend off wild dogs; we feel your serenity as you experience a transcendent sunrise. That immersion happens through precise word choices, and…
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When do I capitalise animal names?
You meet all sorts of animals on your adventures, from dogs and cats to tigers, birds, snakes and centipedes. They’re generally easy to spell, right? But what about when you get into the details, when you’re writing about Labradors, Main Coons, snow leopards, tūī, and damselflies?
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Having the right tool for the job
When you’re writing and self-publishing, you can get a lot done by cobbling together different tools, but having the right tools makes your writing stronger. And at some point, calling in professionals makes the publishing process so much smoother and the end result that much stronger.
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One phrase that weakens your writing: “it was”
Sentences that start with “It was” and “There were” can weaken writing by adding clutter and obscuring focus. Replacing them with stronger, direct language deepens your writing and draws your reader in.
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Why “thing” weakens your writing (and how to fix it)
Small words can have a big impact on your story, and not always for the right reasons. One of those small words is “things”.
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Why “decide” weakens your writing (and how to fix it)
Is “decide” weakening your writing? This small word can slow pacing, strip emotional depth, and trap you in telling rather than showing. My latest blog post shows how focusing on actions, rather than decisions, creates more engaging scenes.
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 