Matt Kendrick

😂 Eagle eye for the editorial shy?

PS - if anyone is interested in this course, I'm probably going to run part 1 (editing is too big to fit into one single course, so I'm going to split it into two) for the first time in April next year. If you want to be on my priority list, please holler.

I also like evolve! You're very good at this!

Also makes me wonder about "Embrace your inner critic"? That's kind of summing up the mindset you need for effective editing 🙃

Embrace is such a great verb - thank you! How about "embrace your eagle eye" to keep it alliterative?

Excellent logic. And yes, it's so important to be clear with these things. Thank you - really helpful!

a bald eagle with its beak open says scrawww Alt: A bald eagle against a pine forest background, turning its head to the camera and making a scrawwww sound (which is the sound that is constantly playing in my head whenever I'm editing my own work)

Currently in the foothills of writing a new course about editing / feedback skills, and I need a title. What should I go with? Initial thoughts:

- Edit Like an Eagle
- Edit Like a Pedant
- The Editorial Lens

What's your favourite? Any other suggestions?

ICYMI my #WritingCraftArticle for OCTOBER (not September as I've written below 😂) is all about feedback skillz (with a Z because that makes it kool {with a K} 🧐) 👇

You're so lovely to say that. A wonderful boost for a misty Sunday!

That's very kind of you. Not sure it fits the bill though. At least, it's not supposed to be head-hoppy / polyphonic 🙃 but you can never account for how a reader is going to interpret what you've put on the page (which is half the fun of writing, right?)

Denise, thank you so much. Definitely so much responsibility for teachers. Having worked as a middle school teacher for a short period of time, I take my hat off to you!

Bronwen, thank you so much. That is so kind of you. This was a fun one (but also slightly frustrating) to write.

Thanks, Clodagh. Look forward to reading.

Anyone have any suggestions? Polyphonic or head-hopping flash?

Thanks so much for sharing. I'll check this out.

I feel like it's a tricky challenge - let me know how you get on!

Emily, thank you. This means so much coming from you. You and Cole have made my morning. ❤️

Cole, thank you so much. This has made my morning. It's always lovely when a piece from a while back gets re-shared. Glad you enjoyed it.

twenty-two — Tiny Molecules

An example of what I mean by a head-hopping / shifting perspective piece: www.tinymolecules.com/issues/twent...

Polyphonic flash I am drawing a blank but there must be some great examples... 🧐

Does anyone have any good examples of polyphonic flash fiction / short stories (from several voices / perspectives) or flash that uses head-hopping / shifting perspective (like my piece in the link below)? Your own or others. Pieces that are freely available online. Thanks in advance!

I thought so. A punctuation mark I use every other sentence 😬

😬 All my writing is peppered with impostrophes. I maybe use this more than em dashes, snark marks and percontation points!

You really are!!

If you can't see the number, you need to: [the number 7 in a blue circle] go for a swim, [the number 2 in a green circle], hug a tree, [the number 4 in a red circle], go to sleep, [the number 8 in an orange circle], drink tea, [a yellow circle with no apparent number] sign up to my Story Shapes workshop, [the number 9 in a purple circle], play Monopoly

I keep seeing this meme (is that the right word?) everywhere, so I made one for my workshop on story shapes which is coming up tomorrow or Saturday - a couple of spots left in both sessions: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/live-worksho...

Hurrah for the difficult thing! And glad you enjoyed the newsletter. Part 2 is (I think) scheduled for a week on Sunday. I'm not quite sure when I picked. If you're subscribed it will land in your inbox whenever it lands, but I always post here as well so hopefully you won't miss it.

A comma with two "perspiration" marks and a question mark sparking out from the dot

This is where my afternoon has descended to. I blame it on
@sugarpigblog.bsky.social. Introducing the IMPOSTROPHE, a punctuation mark for all the writers out there who need a way of representing their impostor syndrome on the page...

Yes, Stella Yin is so clever. We read it as part of the NIFTY book club a couple of years ago and it was such an interesting book to discuss. I've been lucky enough to read an advance copy of this and it's a stunner - you're in for a treat.

It's really good. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy having read a previous draft a couple of years ago and it's stunning from beginning to end.

I feel like it sums up your always-brilliant feedback, Myna. You are particularly good at giving mirrors which I feel lots of people (including me sometimes) skip out.

Hope the thing you don't want to do / didn't want to do isn't / wasn't as bad as it first appeared - doesn't sound like fun!