Kia ora Some days the words flow so smoothly that you’re convinced you can smash out your first draft by the end of the week. Some days the words come as easily as picking your way through a field of nettles. Or gorse. Or cow pats. (We’ve all been there.) When the words aren’t coming,Continue reading “When the words won’t come easily”
Tag Archives: Self-editing
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 keep readers engaged, instead of having them go “huh?”
Quick writing wisdom: 3 tips
Kia ora, I missed writing last week’s email. I was on a tight deadline for my current edit, but it’s under control and I’m back in action. This week I want to give you three tips for your adventure writing. Do get help with your self-publishing project. You don’t have to do it all yourself.Continue reading “Quick writing wisdom: 3 tips”
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 finishing your book or abandoning it half way through. Let’s discuss why your word count matters, look at some examples, and look at ways to reduce your word count whenContinue reading “How long should your book be? A word count guide for travel and adventure writers”
Help me help you
Kia ora, Thank you again for giving me space in your inbox and letting me talk all things adventure books and book editing. I love what I do and the writers I get to work with – you all go on such awesome adventures! Here are some of the most common questions I get fromContinue reading “Help me help you”
Out vs in: 2025 edition
Kia ora, You know what I’m going to say: Happy New Year! I hope you had a good break over Christmas. My break was a bit chaotic 😅 Lots of house projects, garden work, a couple of walks, and a bike ride that sent me over the handlebars. I survived, and somehow want to doContinue reading “Out vs in: 2025 edition”
One last email before 2025
Kia ora, Given that you’re on my email list, chances are you love the outdoors and travel, and you love writing about your time outside. And chances are you want your writing to be the best it can be before you send it out into the world. That’s my goal for you too! That’s whatContinue reading “One last email before 2025”
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.
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.
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 