Kia ora, I have teetering piles of books on my coffee table. Most of them are travel and adventure, some are histories. As I was reordering them last night, I admired the covers and layout and photos, all the love and effort that goes into writing and making such gorgeous books. And that got meContinue reading “Five reasons I love adventure books”
Tag Archives: Self-editing
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.
Easy wins for your writing
Kia ora, Yesterday I sent out the final part in my three-part series on words that weaken your writing. Check out all three: These are just some of the words and phrases I watch out for when I edit travel and adventure stories. On their own, “decide”, “thing”, and “it was” are fairly tame, butContinue reading “Easy wins for your writing”
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.
How many drafts do you have?
Kia ora, How many travel or adventure drafts do you have sitting unfinished? Those drafts could be blog posts or articles, or full manuscripts. Reply and let me know your number. I want to know, and I’m not judging. Cheers, Deborah P.S. Don’t like your number? Want help with those drafts? I can help. ReplyContinue reading “How many drafts do you have?”
Metaphorical pickles
Kia ora, A pickle some travel and adventure writers get into is writing all about themselves. It’s easy to do because that’s the natural angle to take when you’re writing about your trip. Naturally, when you write about where you went, what you did, and how you got yourself out of different pickles, you writeContinue reading “Metaphorical pickles”
Being intentional with your words
Kia ora, I had a great weekend away at Arrowtown, just outside of Queenstown. A group of us heaved ourselves around the Sawpit Gully track. Steep on the way up, steep on the way down! The crisp, blue skies and autumn colours were just gorgeous. In last week’s email I talked about my dislike ofContinue reading “Being intentional with your words”
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”.
I’m so inspired
Kia ora, A few weeks ago I sent an edit back to a new writer. I always find this to be a nail-biting experience. Will they like my edits? Will they find my suggestions helpful? Have I caught everything I can? My main goal is always to help writers bring out the best in theirContinue reading “I’m so inspired”
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.
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 