While my subconscious works out a problem in my romantic comedy, I've been editing the first novel I completed—fourteen years ago. As I read, it became apparent I was a little too fond of the em dash. I think I used at least one on every page. So I decided to run a search for them.… Continue reading Taking an Ax to My Old Flame—
Tag: punctuation
Might as well face it, I’m addicted to …
Commas! There. I said it. I’m a comma addict. I love them. They’re beautiful little things that add pause and sense and order to sentences—if you know how to use them correctly. Apparently, my lack of education is appalling. You’re probably aware of this quote: "I have spent most of the day putting in a… Continue reading Might as well face it, I’m addicted to …
How do you punctuate after a terminal ellipsis?
We tackled this question with the em dash in the last post, so this time let’s turn our attention to the terminal ellipsis. Like many writers, I use an ellipsis at the end of a line of dialogue to indicate the character’s voice trails off. Since this leaves the sentence unfinished, it seemed logical to… Continue reading How do you punctuate after a terminal ellipsis?
How do you punctuate after a terminal em dash?
A particular use of punctuation jumped out at me as I read a recently published book. In general, I observe punctuation rules, so I’d like to know if the one used in this book follows an old rule, a new rule, or a house style. I question whether it’s a house style though--unless those change… Continue reading How do you punctuate after a terminal em dash?
Your sentence deserves a good beating!
Do you hear the music in your writing? I’ve finished another round of red-pencil editing on my manuscript and next week I’ll start a read through. This time I’ll be reading aloud and recording it. Yes, I know, novels and short stories aren’t usually read aloud, but the voice in our heads is not really… Continue reading Your sentence deserves a good beating!
Linda Cassidy Lewis 