Your resource library for travel and adventure writing craft
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Writing advice and tips designed to improve your adventure writing and create a more immersive reading experience.
Never worked with an editor before? Don’t know what we do? Let me break it down for you.
My yearly reading round-ups from the travel and adventure genre.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Editing lingo: What is a pass and what is a round?
If you’re talking to an editor about getting your manuscript edited, you’ll likely hear us talk about how many rounds of editing we provide and…
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The effect “before” and “after” have on your travel writing (aka timeline nudges)
Let’s start with an anecdote: When I arrived in the clearing, I set up my tent before putting my sleeping bag inside, then got my…
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My digital tools and AI policy
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Perplexity are ever-evolving. Equally, our ability to turn off features or minimise their use isn’t always straightforward…
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Busting myths that travel & adventure writers have about editing
Too many new writers let common myths about editing hold them back from working with the very people who can kick their writing up a…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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?…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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Writing a travel memoir can be cathartic
The travel and adventure genre has many sub genres, and one of the most challenging to write is memoir. Writing a memoir can be a…
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How to include flashbacks in your writing
Flashbacks send readers back in time to events that happened outside your story’s “present”. Knowing how to nudge your readers in the right direction will…
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How long should your book be? A word count guide for travel and adventure writers
The short answer: as long as it needs to be. While this is a vague answer, understanding word counts can make the difference between readers…
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 