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Matthew Ward Writes

Short story author, Novelist in the making & Grammar enthusiast

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

Matthew Ward · 06/08/2020 · 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.

In the near future, flesh and blood soldiers, with families and sweethearts, are forced into battle again. But robotic technology can do something for those left at home… something to stop hearts from breaking.

A sleepy boy’s bed tumbles through the floor into a dark world where something soft brushes his pyjama-clad leg. Something that makes his knees quake.

An energetic marathon runner stops for lunch on the way to an African wildlife conservancy—the venue for the race—and overhears a conversation. Something’s wrong with the marathon. The runners aren’t safe.

Click the button below for your free copy.

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  1. Sentence cadence. Uncovering this secret of great prose in "The Pillars of the Earth" - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    05/03/2021 at 15:26

    […] But if you’d like some entertainment instead, take a look at Glimpses. […]

    Reply
  2. What's an Oxford comma? How do I use it correctly? And do I need one at all? - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    05/03/2021 at 15:35

    […] if you’d like some entertainment instead, let me present Glimpses—my free book of short […]

    Reply
  3. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" teaches story structure - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    05/03/2021 at 15:43

    […] if you’d like some entertainment instead, let me present Glimpses—my free book of short […]

    Reply
  4. How to punctuate dialogue - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    05/03/2021 at 16:01

    […] if you’d like some entertainment instead, take a look at Glimpses—my free book of short […]

    Reply
  5. Can a single comma change the meaning of a whole sentence? A simple guide to placing commas before ‘which’ and ‘that’ - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    05/03/2021 at 22:02

    […] if you’d like some entertainment instead, take a look at Glimpses—my free book of short […]

    Reply
  6. Dash, Colon, Semicolon—which is right for my sentence? - Matthew Ward Writes says:
    06/03/2021 at 11:36

    […] if you’d like some entertainment instead, take a look at Glimpses—my free book of short […]

    Reply

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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.