Matt Kendrick
Writer | Editor | Teacher
The "Free Lunch" Scheme
They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, don't they? And contrary to its name, this scheme doesn't actually involve free food. Not nutritional food at any rate. Instead, the free food is of the (hopefully) intellectual kind. It's a no-fee chance to chat about your writing with a professional editor and creative writing teacher. You bring your lunch, I bring mine, and we spend forty-five minutes or so chatting about your writing.
Who the scheme is for
Any writer who'd like to chat with me about their writing can take advantage of this opportunity. You might be just starting out on your writing journey or you might have been writing for several years and wondering where to go next. You might have a particular project in mind or you might want to discuss your writing more generally.
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I'm particularly keen to work with low-income writers who wouldn't normally be able to afford to pay for mentoring or editing services, but this is very much open for anyone and everyone, and I'd love the chance to meet all sorts of writers through this scheme, no matter what your background, identity or writing pedigree.
How it works
Writers apply for a "lottery" place and every time I open up a new slot, I'll simply draw a name out of the hat. If the writer can't do that particular time slot, their name will go back in the hat and I'll draw someone else's name. Hopefully, in this way, everyone will get a chance to take part eventually. Some people might even get a second chance, or a third...
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The lunches will be one-to-one (just me and one writer rather than a whole group of us) and each writer can use the opportunity however they want. You can bring along a particular piece you've been working on and ask me for "live" / first-reaction feedback. You can bring along an idea you want to discuss. You can bring along a problem you've been struggling with. Or you can simply bring yourself and see where our conversation leads.
The nitty gritty
These sessions will be scheduled to correspond with my normal meal times. In order to make them possible to writers across the globe, "lunch" might therefore sometimes mean "tea" or maybe even "breakfast." Times would therefore be between 12-2pm GMT / BST, 6-8pm GMT / BST or 8-10am GMT / BST.
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The sessions will be facilitated through Google Meet. Selected writers would get a link by email in advance. Please note that sessions won't be recorded and that AI notetaking or other tools won't be permitted unless there's a strong reason for needing this (i.e. linked to accessibility).
Apply for a spot
This scheme will run on a "lottery" system. In order to apply, simply fill in the following form and hopefully your name will come up in due course.