Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when I say 'when used creatively', I don't mean that you can make up the rules.
I am not saying that you can write sentences that are half a page long without a single comma, full stop, semi-colon or anything else to give the unfortunate reader a rest. That's not being creative. That's being lazy. That's being tiresome.
What your writing should do is... well, make music. The way you order your sentences and punctuate your work can guide the reader to 'hear' the words just as you want them to.
This Tipsheet is not going to be a guide to punctuation. There are plenty of websites devoted to teaching you the basics of grammar and punctuation. (I'll list some of them at the end of this article.) Instead, I'm going to comment on a few things that I've seen spoiling otherwise good stories, and I'm going to pass on a few tips.
THE FULL STOP (or PERIOD)
A full stop, or a period, is used to indicate the end of a sentence. I was actually going to leave this out, because it seems self-evident. However, I remembered the many, many manuscripts I've critiqued in which the writer has shown a fine disregard for any kind of punctuation to end a sentence. So... the full stop is in. NOTE: A full stop is NOT used at the end of a sentence that is spoken by someone if what they say is followed by a speech tag. Hence, you write:
"Come here, Mary," he ordered. NOT
"Come here, Mary." He ordered. The speech tag "he ordered" is part of the entire sentence, not a sentence on its own.
THE COMMA
A comma indicates a pause which makes the sense of a sentence clear. Unfortunately, many writers sprinkle commas through a manuscript like confetti. They seem to think that a comma can do the work of pretty well any other punctuation mark. I have a feeling that quite often, writers pause to think about what they want to write next, and add a comma while they're musing. Then they keep going... stop to think again and add another comma... and on it goes. This produces what is known as a 'run on' sentence. The writer has 'spliced' sentences together with commas.
An example of a run-on sentence formed by 'splicing' with commas:
Jack ran along after Pete, his legs getting more tired with every step, he wished he hadn't decided to come along on this trip, it had turned out to be a disaster, Pete was bossy and didn't care what happened to anyone else as long as he got his own way. (Believe me, this is mild compared to some sentences I've seen - the worst was a sentence that grew to a whole page without any punctuation but commas.)
A corrected version of the paragraph above:
Jack ran along after Pete, his legs getting more tired with every step. He wished he hadn't decided to come along. What a disaster. Pete didn't care what happened to anyone else, as long as he got his own way. This is not the only version that would be correct - there are usually a number of ways to effectively punctuate a sentence. I have chosen to use the sentence fragment 'What a disaster' as a sentence on its own because we are tapping into Jack's thoughts, and most people don't think in full sentences.
THE ELLIPSIS
... three dots in a row is called an ellipsis. (If it comes at the end of a sentence, you use four dots.) An ellipsis shows that something is 'trailing off'.
For example: someone runs out of steam when trying to defend himself, or he doesn't know what to say next, or he is thinking of how to explain something (in which case the ellipsis might appear in the middle of a sentence).
An example:
John hesitated. How could he explain what had gone wrong? "Well, it was when I was heading into the main pavilion... I looked around to say something to Jenny, and she wasn't there." He shrugged helplessly. "I dunno... she just... disappeared." THE DASH
The dash indicates that something after it is going clarify what has gone before. (For example: He hated being made to wash up - it always clashed with his favourite TV program.) Dashes can also offset an explanation. (For example: Mary - John's sister - was the last to arrive.)
In addition, the dash may be used to show that someone's dialogue has been interrupted. Use a dash rather than an ellipsis to show an interruption of dialogue, because an interruption implies a sudden event, not a trailing off.
For example: Tim protested: "But I wasn't anywhere near --"
"Don't bother denying it!" his father raged. "I'm tired of your glib explanations!" Bookmark a Good Grammar Site
There are plenty of websites to help you with your grammar. Just type "grammar help" into your web browser and you'll be inundated. Bookmark the one that you find easiest to use.
(c) Copyright Marg McAlister
Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
Creative Writing Tips ?By now you should have an idea... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new... Read More
Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how... Read More
1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art.... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?I have said above that if a... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More
LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their... Read More
Write Right - You have an all important business letter... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
No one is born a novel writer. But do you... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
Take out a white piece of paper and place it... Read More
GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More
You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it.... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
A few days ago, I critiqued a chapter for a... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?How we usually begin the preparation stage... Read More
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?By now you should have an idea... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
It's the funniest thing. When someone asks me what I... Read More
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More
You know you've got writing talent. Others enjoy your work... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?For a theme to work and the... Read More
Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
One of the nice things about being an author is... Read More
If you're a writer, you're in business. It doesn't matter... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
When I asked new ezine subscribers, "What is your Number... Read More
All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
What Makes a Great Headline?Headlines are far more important than... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More
A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More
It is satisfying to be a part of such a... Read More
My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More
PASSED, PASTPassed is the past tense of pass. Past means... Read More
When the writing bug hits you, get out your pencil,... Read More
Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of... Read More
You are the only one who knows what being a... Read More
Writing |