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Matthew Ward Writes

Short story author, Novelist in the making & Grammar enthusiast

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About me

Around eighteen months ago, my life hurtled off in a new direction…

Twas the first day of the school year. My brother and sister were ready to tackle long division and Roman history again. However, I had graduated. I had left the world of spelling and composition behind. Or had I?

A few weeks earlier, I had arrived late for breakfast nearly every morning. You see, I was devouring a couple of sci-fi novels . . . oblivious to the consequences . . .

Before long, I had my own sci-fi idea. Then, I had a skeleton of a story. Then, I was embellishing. Oh! That idea could go here. Ah! That can lead to that.

And when, on that first day of school, when my siblings were memorising the quadratic formula, when the hours between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. were silent around the house, I sat at my desk, placed my fingers on the keyboard, and realised that the world of spelling and composition was in front and not behind me.

And in the months that followed, I wrote a novel.

And had an absolute blast!

Now, around two years later, I’m sat at my desk again. I’ve got Mount Kenya for a backdrop with zebras, antelopes, and acacias completing the scene. I’ve got a wonderful mum, dad, brother, and sister, cheering me on. And I’ve got a plan—a plan that involves you, too.

In high school, I studied English Grammar for four years, and WOW did my curriculum hammer it into my head. How many times must a boy repeat the comma rules! However, I don’t regret it for a moment. I’m thankful, because now we can now exploit it and revel in it. Visit my Big Blog Directory, where you’ll be able to find a post that helps you.

I can also now share my short stories with you, hopefully spicing up your day with some entertainment. I’ll post more stories on this website as the weeks go by, but all eight that I’ve written are ready now in a stylish compilation that you can download. If you click the cover (just below), I’ll get it sent over.


And finally in this plan, I’d just like to meet you. Soon, I’m now embarking on my second novel, trying my very hardest to put everything I’ve learned into practice. So, whether you’re a reader, a writer, or a great combination of both, I’d love to go on this novel journey with you.

So, please do say hi!

There are comment sections at the bottom of every post. And you can find me on Instagram and Twitter. And finally, you can drop your email here if you’d like me to keep you in-the-know, up-to-date, and in-the-loop.

All the best! 

Matthew

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About Me

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.
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