Matt Kendrick
Writer | Editor | Teacher
Write Beyond the Lightbulb:
Colourful Characters
How do we bring our characters to life? How do we get them to interact in their own unique fashion with the world around them? This flash fiction course explores body language, senses, dialogue, internal thought and perspective.
Write Beyond the Lightbulb:
Glorious Words
How do we choose the right words to sharpen up our prose? Is the road to hell really paved with adverbs? This flash fiction course explores language in all its guts and glory, focussing on unique images, concision versus specificity and how to create original tone.
Write Beyond the Lightbulb:
Go With The Flow
How do we create flow in our writing, sentences that slip one into the next like a river of words? This flash fiction course explores sentence craft at a molecular level, thinking about the connection of ideas, rhythmic patterns and thematic cohesion.
Write Beyond the Lightbulb:
Lyrical Writing
How do we craft writing that is so infused with musicality it deserves to be read out loud? This flash fiction course explores various tricks and techniques which can be used to lend a lyrical quality to your writing.
The Editorial Funnel Part 1:
Structural Engineering
How can we create psychological distance from our work? How do we focus our writing on what we're actually trying to say? How do we edit to create structural integrity and emotional build? This editng course explores the concept of an "editorial funnel", working through the editing process from zoomed-out to zoomed-in. Part 1 explores how we might effectively edit for narrative focus, narrative structure, originality, emotional build and structural form, considering editing as both a thing we do for our own writing and as a thing we might do for others.
The Editorial Funnel Part 2:
Fine Tuning
How can we fine tune our work? How do we hear it as a reader would? How do we embed layers and get to grips with character and character voice? This editng course explores the concept of an "editorial funnel", working through the editing process from zoomed-out to zoomed-in. Part 2 explores how we might effectively edit for perspective, theme, clarity, concision, specificity, rhythm and textural inconsistencies, considering editing as both a thing we do for our own writing and as a thing we might do for others.
Dates: Coming soon!
Price: Pay What You Can (Recommended £130)
MORE DETAILS COMING SOON
Time and Tide: The ebb and flow of temporal modes
Workshop
What different temporal modes are available to writers? And how can we use these in our writing to structure and deepen our work? This workshop is all about time - how we speed it up, how we slow it down, and how we send it around in loops.
Taught by Matt Kendrick
Tying in the Ends: Titles and endings in short fiction
Workshop
Titles and endings can be among the hardest elements to master when writing short fiction. What different options are available to us when it comes to titling our work? And how do we round out our stories with the perfect knot?
Taught by Matt Kendrick
Testimonials
"I’ve been lucky enough to secure a place on all four of Matt’s Write Beyond the Lightbulb courses and each one has brought light and life to my writing by examining a different aspect of the process. They are enormously helpful for relatively new writers but also challenging enough to engage experienced writers. Whatever level you are at, you will find them inspirational and the skills you learn will resonate through your writing journey, wherever it takes you."
Hilary Ayshford
"Matt’s Write Beyond the Lightbulb courses are exceptional and his new Colourful Characters course is just as refreshing and invigorating. Beautifully researched and readily accessible, this course not only offers the writer new angles and approaches for writing vibrant characters, but will send you away yearning to get on with it."
Ruth Brandt, Author of "No One Has Any Intention Of Building A Wall"
"For me, creative writing is like a relationship. All exciting and sparky at the start but so easy to fall into a rut. We were on the verge of divorce and then along came Matt's latest workshop, which has revitalised everything. #WriteBeyondTheLightbulb: date night for your words!"
Michelle Christophorou, Author of "Kipris"
"Matt’s courses and materials are an absolute goldmine for anyone who takes flash fiction (or any form of writing) seriously. He is a meticulous teacher, encouraging yet exacting – and his editing is always spot-on. When Matt says he likes your piece, you know you’re onto a good thing. His astute comments will guide you to edit and re-edit till your story has reached a level of near perfection. I can’t recommend him enough!"
Nora Nadjarian
"Matt takes writing down to the syllable level, the lyrical place where music meets words in a magical way. This stellar course and feedback made me rethink how I write, how my writing sounds, how each word is part of a symphony. I knew Matt was a great editor; he's also an awesome teacher! The workshop was generative, but also shared new self-editing techniques that go beyond the lightbulb."
Amy Barnes, Author of "Mother Figures"
"I've always enjoyed Matt's courses and learned a lot. He provides richly detailed information in an entertaining and concise way and follows up each topic with a short practical exercise which is always imaginative and stimulating. The icing on the cake is the thoughtful written feedback he offers to each participant. And did I mention the comprehensive course handouts you get afterwards? These courses are exceptionally good value and I cannot recommend them highly enough."
Dr Sarah Mosedale
"Matt Kendrick's online flash fiction course, Write Beyond The Lightbulb, was imaginative, challenging and fun! It was crammed full of writing exercises, wise advice and flash fiction links. It inspires in a giving way. Fitting around your life, with no pressure to post up on the forum. Matt's critique to a submitted piece was insightful, thorough and constructive. This course is a bargain for all that is offered. Can highly recommend"
Mairi Sutherland
"Just completed the last of Matt's four courses - wish there were more. Enriching, inspring, took my writing forward. His courses are superbly structured. Explanations of important writing elements, stories to illustrate, and inspiring exercises - from warm ups to final pieces - engage you with the course materials. Add a supportive group with whom to share stories and feedback, and you have a powerful writing experience. My advice, try not to plan much else during those two weeks! "
Elizabeth Feld
"Matt's writing courses provide exceptional learning content and writing support. Game changing stuff from a true expert. From Day 1, he fosters excellent peer support within an organised and supportive environment. His writing feedback is off the scale brilliant. My confidence has increased daily. Matt's resources and exercises have renegotiated how I read and write fiction."
Paula Turner
"These past few weeks I've been taking part in Matt Kendrick's Glorious Words online course. It's been such a wonderful experience. Not only have I had the opportunity to read and analyse flash fiction I might not have seen before, but the course has helped me really focus on the words I've chosen in my own writing. It's made me consider whether the tone and voice in my stories are what I'm intending them to be. I've also had such insightful feedback from Matt about a new story. I highly recommend Matt's courses for those of you who have already written flash fiction and would like to develop your craft in a supportive and flexible online environment. I look forward to taking part in another course in the near future. Thanks Matt!"
Marie Day
"Matt Kendrick provides a treasure-trove of information within this Glorious Words course. One of the primary take-aways was the idea that every word matters and everything on the page needs to relate to the story that is being told. The writing exercises illuminate his advice like a rose window in a cathedral of words. The course material demonstrates a great delight in and a mastery of language. Matt (and fellow participants) provide feedback that is kind but very specific and useful. The detailed course materials are really well put together and I will be re-reading them for some time to come. My only complaint is that it was all over too soon! Try any one of Matt’s courses – you won’t regret it."
Clodagh O'Connor
"I thoroughly recommend the Colourful Characters course – it’s utterly brilliant with fantastic reference stories and creative exercises supported by Matt’s wonderfully encouraging and constructive feedback."
Hilary Coyne
“Matt knows his stuff and he knows how to teach. His materials are extensive and thought-provoking and interwoven with insights from his background in music and linguistics. Like the best teachers, his feedback gets you asking the right questions about your work to make it the best it could possibly be.”
Kathryn Aldridge-Morris
"Matt’s Lightbulb courses are beyond brilliant (I’ve done all four). The craft notes, example stories, discussion prompts and writing exercises are different, full of insight, and meticulously presented. And you get to keep them for ever! And the courses are ridiculously good value."
Chris Cottom
"I would highly recommend "Go with the Flow". This course has enhanced my skills in creating rhythmic flow by combining different sentence structures and utilizing other techniques. The micro fiction exercises were extremely useful in helping me apply theories to practice. Matt's course notes were detailed and thought-provoking. His constructive and encouraging comments on my final flash fiction story have inspired me to continually experiment and find scope to improve my writing.."
Tak Chiu Chessell
"Matt's courses are always hugely positive experiences for me. The course structure, the supportive communities that form and Matt's invaluable feedback allow me to experiment with freedom and dramatically improve my writing in the process."
Tom Spooner
"Had a blast in Matt Kendrick's 'Lyrical Writing' workshop! Learned so much in two weeks! Matt is such a thorough teacher. His feedback is so thoughtful and actionable."
Yunya Yang (Twitter)
“Can’t rave enough about Matt Kendrick’s course on ‘Lyrical Writing’. Meticulously prepared, layered, inventive, generative; with his keen eye / ear and ever-present generosity - and fabulous participants!”
Karen Schauber (Twitter)
"Writers, get yourself a place on this course! It is absolutely fantastic, and Matt is so generous with his feedback. I'm not exaggerating when I say it genuinely made me think differently about aspects of my writing and (I think) has made me a better writer!"
Sarah McPherson (Twitter)
"Matt is so generous with his knowledge, time and resources. I can't recommend this course enough."
R. J. Kinnarney (Twitter)
"I've just completed Colourful Characters and learned so much. The tasks and story examples really got me to notice how and where I can improve my writing in ways that would never have occurred to me, and Matt's feedback is always so thorough and helpful. This is the second course I've completed and they've both been brilliant. More than brilliant!"
Sarah Masters
“Over the years, I’ve participated in writing workshops, most were instructive and offered useful feedback on assignments. Matt Kendrick’s Colourful Characters workshop, however, took me to an entirely higher level of instruction. His course offered focused lessons detailing specific topics using instruction and underscoring the goal of each lesson with published stories. I learned more than I’d expected to learn and am now revising not only the stories crafted during the course but also my existing stories using what I’ve learned.”
Anne Anthony
"Matt, thank you so much for this course and all the effort you've put into it. It's been a great experience - feeling creatively re-energised by all the course materials as well as meeting all the wonderful writers and reading their work."
Rosie Mccaff (Twitter)
“This is an incredibly good value for money course, in my opinion. You get A LOT of top grade quality input from Matt, plus really good resources, plus a workshop environment where you get feedback on your writing from other participants. And it’s at your own pace, too.”
Jackie Morris (Twitter)
"Been struggling with words lately, but I LOVED this course! Inspiring readings, fantastic pieces on the forum, amazing feedback (making me want to edit straight away - that's rare!) - really recommend it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"
Noémi Scheiring-Oláh (Twitter)
"I've just completed
Matt Kendrick's
#WriteBeyondTheLightbulb “Glorious Words” course!
This is definitely one of the best courses I have ever done. Thoroughly recommended."