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Matthew Ward Writes

Short story author, Novelist in the making & Grammar enthusiast

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Could I help you write? My Big Blog Directory

05/03/2021 By Matthew Ward 30 Comments

Ever lost time humming and hawing over a comma?

Or simply wished ‘further’ and ‘farther’ were more straightforward?

Or wanted to investigate how a truly great novel describes its setting?

Since July last year, I’ve indulged my inner writing geek and tackled these issues—and many more—across 32 blog posts.

And I want to make it as easy as possible to find exactly the blog that will help you.

So, welcome to my Big Blog Directory!

[Read More…] about Could I help you write? My Big Blog Directory

Could I entertain you? Glimpses—your free book of 8 short stories.

06/08/2020 By Matthew Ward 6 Comments

In late-19th-century Boston, one lonely figure strides past closed curtains and shuttered windows, hurrying to catch the earliest train to New York City. Hers is a life defined by death and hell-bent on revenge.

Two years and eight drafts into writing his novel, a frustrated author leaves his manuscript on a cafe table while he dashes to the washroom. He returns to find it in the hands of a beautiful woman, who won’t give it back.

[Read More…] about Could I entertain you? Glimpses—your free book of 8 short stories.

Popular Posts

To Comma or Not to Comma? When to put commas before “and”, “but”, “or”, “nor”, and “yet” made simple

06/07/2020 By Matthew Ward

Do you want to write clear sentences that use grammar and punctuation correctly? But do phrases like "compound … Read more » about To Comma or Not to Comma? When to put commas before “and”, “but”, “or”, “nor”, and “yet” made simple

How to write Riveting Description with “The Pillars of the Earth”

06/07/2020 By Matthew Ward Leave a Comment

Writing description can be a tricky business. Too much and the reader might get bored. Too little and they’ll … Read more » about How to write Riveting Description with “The Pillars of the Earth”

Sentence cadence. Uncovering this secret of great prose in “The Pillars of the Earth”

23/07/2020 By Matthew Ward 3 Comments

Ken Follett opens The Pillars of the Earth with a stark and unsettling line.  The small boys came early … Read more » about Sentence cadence. Uncovering this secret of great prose in “The Pillars of the Earth”

What’s an Oxford comma? How do I use it correctly? And do I need one at all?

07/08/2020 By Matthew Ward 6 Comments

I’ve got a book on my shelf printed by the Oxford University Press and another printed by the Cambridge … Read more » about What’s an Oxford comma? How do I use it correctly? And do I need one at all?

Can a single comma change the meaning of a whole sentence? A simple guide to placing commas before ‘which’ and ‘that’

02/10/2020 By Matthew Ward 2 Comments

‘Place a comma before “which” but not before “that”.’ I’ve come across this simple guideline many times, and … Read more » about Can a single comma change the meaning of a whole sentence? A simple guide to placing commas before ‘which’ and ‘that’

Recent Posts

From tighter prose to cooler novel openings: More Awesome Writing Lessons I Learned in 2020

26/02/2021 By Matthew Ward 1 Comment

It’s October 2019. I’m applying to university. I’m filled with anticipation, excitement, and no shortage of … Read more » about From tighter prose to cooler novel openings: More Awesome Writing Lessons I Learned in 2020

Dash, Colon, Semicolon—which is right for my sentence?

19/02/2021 By Matthew Ward Leave a Comment

Over the past few weeks we’ve been dashing and colon-ing and semicolon-ing. But we’ve been doing them all … Read more » about Dash, Colon, Semicolon—which is right for my sentence?

Hyphens, EN dashes, and EM dashes. What’s the difference? And how do you type each of them?

12/02/2021 By Matthew Ward 2 Comments

There a three punctuation marks that look like a dash: The hyphen - The EN dash –  The EM dash — … Read more » about Hyphens, EN dashes, and EM dashes. What’s the difference? And how do you type each of them?

Oh, dash!

12/02/2021 By Matthew Ward 2 Comments

Grammarly.com compares dashes to Swiss army knives. They can stand in for commas, colons, and parentheses, as … Read more » about Oh, dash!

Semicolons—What in the world do they do?

05/02/2021 By Matthew Ward 3 Comments

Welcome to week two of our foray into punctuation marks I wish were easier to use correctly. Last week, we … Read more » about Semicolons—What in the world do they do?

Colons—How in the world do you use those?

29/01/2021 By Matthew Ward 3 Comments

If I could have it my way, three punctuation marks would have permanent how-to guides hovering above … Read more » about Colons—How in the world do you use those?

3 Awesome Writing Lessons I Learned in 2020

25/01/2021 By Matthew Ward 1 Comment

In a box somewhere there’s a stack of pencil-written pages bearing my first story. I was eleven or twelve, I … Read more » about 3 Awesome Writing Lessons I Learned in 2020

What is passive voice?

15/01/2021 By Matthew Ward 2 Comments

‘Avoid passive voice.’ That must be one of the most common pieces of grammar advice. And one of the most … Read more » about What is passive voice?

‘Further’ vs ‘Farther’ as simply as possible

08/01/2021 By Matthew Ward 2 Comments

And I thought writing a blog about further and farther would be easy! Or at least somewhat straightforward. … Read more » about ‘Further’ vs ‘Farther’ as simply as possible

“If I was” or “if I were”? Simple methods for choosing the right one every time

20/12/2020 By Matthew Ward 1 Comment

If I was you, I’d keep reading.  Wait, though … shouldn’t it be “were”?  If I were you, I’d keep … Read more » about “If I was” or “if I were”? Simple methods for choosing the right one every time

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I’m a nineteen-year-old budding writer with a passion for grammar, short stories, and novels.

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“What about milk?” Debbie asked. Mark reached for the milk. “Let me see.” He shook the carton. “There’s only a drop left.” “I’ll add it to the list.”

This paragraph includes several mistakes.

The paragraph starts with Debbie’s dialogue. Then, it moves to Mark’s. Then, it returns to Debbie’s. We need to start new paragraphs with each new speaker.

And we need to make sure that information about Debbie is alongside her dialogue, and information about Mark is placed alongside his dialogue.

When we put this into action we get this:

“What about milk?” Debbie asked.

Mark reached for the milk. “Let me see.” He shook the carton. “There’s only a drop left.”

“I’ll add it to the list.”

Now that’s perfect.

Mark, standing in the kitchen and hearing her call, opened the fridge. “I think,” Debbie continued, “we might be low on cheese.”

This paragraph includes a mistake. The dialogue in the paragraph is Debbie’s. Therefore, information that is primarily about Mark shouldn’t be in the same paragraph.

This is how it should be written:

Mark, standing in the kitchen and hearing her call, opened the fridge.

“I think,” Debbie continued, “we might be low on cheese.”

Mark moved one block of cheddar and checked behind it. “No, we’ve got two blocks.”

This paragraph is perfect. It involves Mark’s dialogue and information about Mark.

“Have we got enough groceries to last the week?” Debbie shouted from the living room.

This paragraph is perfect. It involves Debbie’s dialogue and information about Debbie.


There’s no need to wait for my next post because I’ve got an offer for you.
I’ll edit the punctuation and grammar in any two paragraphs of your writing for free.
You could choose the most awkward ones if you like!
(I’d probably do that if I were you.)
Then, when I return your paragraphs, I’ll include full explanations of every edit so that you can apply them to the rest of your writing. I’d love to help.
For more information and to take up my offer, click here.