Category Archives: Writing Tip Wednesday

September 18, 2013 · 9:04 pm

Writing tip Wednesday: “From on high”

REWRITING? TRY SOME “HIGHER EDITING”

By DAN POLLOCK

“Do you like Kipling?” goes the old joke. Answer: “I don’t know, you naughty boy, I’ve never kippled.”

At age 23 Rudyard Kipling’s sensational debut was comparable to that of Charles Dickens. “The star of the hour,” aid Henry James when Rudyard was only 25. “Too clever to live,” said Robert Louis Stevenson.

Astronaut in space

Higher editing

But the shooting star did not flame out. While he continued to produce stories and poems at a prodigious rate, he never joined his own rabid fan club. His approach to the craft of writing remained ever that of a conscientious workman. He edited himself ruthlessly.

“Higher Editing” he called it, and I’ll get to the specifics of his technique in a few moments.

My first thriller, Lair of the Fox, was sold on the basis of an outline and the first 100 pages to a small publisher (Walker & Co). The completed manuscript weighed in at 120,000 words – every one them perfect, I’ll have you know.

But my editor informed me that, in order to reduce their printing and binding costs, Walker never published trade books over 80,000 words. Would I mind cutting 40,000 words from my manuscript? I did it — with the help of Kipling’s “Higher Editing” method. And the book is much the better for it.

DIGEST YOUR WORDS
A famous American editor had this advice: “Play ‘digester’ to your manuscript; imagine that you are an editorial assistant on a digest magazine performing a first squeeze on the article to be digested. Can you squeeze out an unnecessary hundred words from each thousand in your draft?”

Mystery writer John D. MacDonald used the reductive process as an intrinsic part of his creative plan. A magazine profile once described him “tapping out the 1,000-page drafts that he whittles down to 300-page manuscripts in four months.”

For this reductive process to work, however, you have to put your heart and soul into that first draft, like Tom Wolfe or John MacDonald. Don’t edit or second-guess yourself the first time through; let yourself be driven forward by the compelling emotion of your story; to switch metaphors, trowel on the raw pigment, which you can shape later at leisure.

To quote editor Gorham Munson, “Write as a writer, rewrite as a reader.”

THE LEONARD METHOD
Elmore Leonard went from a journeyman paperback writer (westerns and detectives) to best-sellerdom and Hollywood fame by taking an opposite tack. He began to edit himself in advance – on his first draft. As he famously put it (his rule No. 10 of good writing): “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”

If you can do that, bravo! Most writers have to go back over their work and painfully cut out the deadwood.

Here is the method used by Belgian mystery master Georges Simenon:

INTERVIEWER: “What do you cut out, certain kinds of words?”

SIMENON: “Adjectives, adverbs, and every word which is there just to make an effect. Every sentence which is there just for the sentence. You know, you have a beautiful sentence — cut it. Every time I find such a thing in one of my novels it is to be cut.”

To quote Leonard again, “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

HIGHER EDITING
So we come, at last, to Kipling’s “Higher Editing.” Here he describes how he used it on his debut story collection, Plain Tales From the Hills:

“This leads me to the Higher Editing. Take of well-ground Indian Ink as much as suffices and a camel-hair brush proportionate to the interspaces of your lines. In an auspicious hour, read your final draft and consider
faithfully every paragraph, sentence and word, blacking out where requisite. Let it lie by to drain as long as possible.

“At the end of that time, re-read and you should find that it will bear a second shortening. Finally, read it aloud alone and at leisure. Maybe a shade more brushwork will then indicate or impose itself. If not, praise Allah and let it go, and ‘when thou hast done, repent not’…. The magic lies in the Brush and the Ink.”

—————-

Dan Pollock is the author of four thriller novels: Lair of the Fox, Duel of Assassins, Orinoco,and a specially commissioned “logistics” thriller, Precipice. He and his wife, Connie, a writer-editor, live in Southern California with their two children. You’ll find his blog at: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=O8uEK&m=IhM0eF8OM_LsQz&b=kuZLqdii5DpvdVIbrBuqlw

[Editor’s note: This entry comes courtesy of Bruce Hale. Bruce has written and illustrated over 25 books for kids. His Underwhere series includes Prince of Underwhere and Pirates of Underwhere. His Chet Gecko Mysteries series includes: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Big Nap, The Malted Falcon, Hiss Me Deadly, and others. More at http://www.brucehale.com/]

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September 11, 2013 · 9:11 am

Writing tip Wednesday: “How to write good”

How to Write Good

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice, practice, practice.

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.

2. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.

3. Employ the vernacular.

4. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

5. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

6. Remember to never split an infinitive.

7. Contractions aren’t necessary.

8. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

9. One should never generalize.

10. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”

11. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

12. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.

13. Be more or less specific.

14. Understatement is always best.

15. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

16. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

17. The passive voice is to be avoided.

18. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

19. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

20. Who needs rhetorical questions?

21. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

22. Don’t never use a double negation.

23. capitalize every sentence and remember always end it with point

24. Do not put statements in the negative form.

25. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.

26. Proofread carefully to see if you words out.

27. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.

28. A writer must not shift your point of view.

29. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)

30. Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!

31. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to the irantecedents.

32. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.

33. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.

34. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.

35. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.

36. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.

37. Always pick on the correct idiom.

38. The adverb always follows the verb.

39. Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; They’re old hat; seek viable alternatives.

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September 4, 2013 · 9:04 am

Writing tip Wednesday: “The Great Ellipsis”

Connecting the dots

PenPal says:

Use an ellipsis (. . .) for:

1. The omission of a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or paragraphs; the points must always appear together on the same line. Do not split an ellipsis at the end of a line of text.
Example:
Over the clatter of dishes, Marcy could hear only certain parts of Dan’s conversation with Elicia. “I had to tell her . . . after the wedding . . . and then she blew up at me . . . not something that could be helped.”

2. Academic / research writing when indicating text removed from a larger body of text.
(I will not include an example here as this is beyond the scope of the literary writer’s needs. See style guides for scholarly writing.)

In a nutshell, ellipses should be used for missing text [and sometimes for the trailing off of dialog or thought where missing words are implied]. When using them, be sure to type and space correctly for current standard usage. The Chicago Manual of Style says this (paraphrased):

*Use only three points for general works and some scholarly writing regardless of how many words are missing or where they occur in a sentence (or between sentences).
*There should be one space between the previous word and the ellipsis.
*When typing the ellipsis, place one space between each point.
*There should be a space between the last point of the ellipsis and any following text.
*Leave no space if end punctuation follows the ellipsis.

Examples:
1. “The brightness of the students was not in question . . . At the same time, they were undoubtedly undernourished in literary minerals and vitamins.”
[Note the space before and after the ellipsis. The ellipsis lets the reader know that some of the speaker’s words are missing here.]

2. “I never meant to hurt you, Marissa, but did you really expect . . .?” John’s voice faltered, and over the roar of the plane’s engine, she couldn’t tell if he finished the sentence.
[In this example, the question mark comes immediately after the final dot of the ellipsis—no space.]

When not to use ellipsis points:
1. Before the first word of a quotation, even if the start of that sentence has been omitted.

2. After the last word of a quotation, even if the original end of the sentence has been omitted.

Note: Publishers and editors warn against overuse of the ellipsis in literary / genre writing. Use it sparingly and for best effect.

Please see The Chicago Manual of Style, “Ellipses,” for detailed and comprehensive information.

________

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

About PenPal…
Cathy Kodra works as an independent editor in Knoxville, TN. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Roanoke Review, New Millennium Writings, Common Ground Review, Now & Then, Cavalier Literary Couture, Slow Trains, Still Crazy, The Medulla Review, Prime Mincer, Yemassee, and others. She is a contributing editor for New Millennium Writings and past guest poetry editor for The Medulla Review. She was first runner up in Prime Mincer’s 2011 Poetry Contest, judged by Rodney Jones, and took first place in the 2012 Old Gray Cemetery Poetry Contest. Cathy’s first poetry chapbook, Thin Ice, was published in 2011 by Medulla Publishing.

Cathy is a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and of two local writing groups. An avid reader and writer, she is currently working on two poetry collections and a collection of short stories. Her hobbies include gardening and vegan cooking, and she lives happily with her husband Ron, two dogs, and a cat. She can be reached at www.cathykodra.com.

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August 28, 2013 · 2:58 pm

Writing tip Wednesday: “Juicier plot”

THREE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PLOT JUICIER

by BRUCE HALE

http://www.brucehalewritingtips.com/

Plots are like Christmas turkeys — we’re always looking for ways to fatten them up. Juicier plots feel more complex, more satisfying. They keep readers up late turning the pages, and keep editors asking for more.

How do you make sure your book’s plot is a juicy one? Here are three quick tips to help.

1. UP THE “UH-OH” FACTOR
Throw roadblocks into your character’s path. Disappoint him or her. Frequently. Give your hero bad luck.

(Bad luck is bending over to pick a four-leaf clover and being infected by poison ivy.)

Yes, I know – your main character is a version of yourself. Few people would knowingly put themselves in jeopardy, but you’ve got to cold-bloodedly throw your surrogate into the soup — even more than you think you do.

Always be asking, “How can I make it worse?”

The more danger, the better. It can be physical, emotional, or spiritual danger, or a threat to life and limb. By piling on troubles, you hook readers into wanting to find out how the hero gets out of it. I call it the “UH-OH factor.” They read it and go, “uh-oh, she’s really gonna get it now.”

2. RAISE THE STAKES
You see this in movies all the time. A regular schmo is trying to solve some small problem in his life – like a romantic breakup – and then he stumbles into an even bigger problem. Or something happens to make it even more urgent that he solve his small problem (like his ex decides to get married and he has to win her back before the wedding).

In movies, the stakes often become “the end of the world as we know it.” No need to go that far, unless your story warrants it. But you can always up the ante in smaller ways.

For example, in my book, FAREWELL, MY LUNCHBAG, Chet Gecko is hired by his friendly cafeteria lady to discover why her food is going missing. But then, while Chet’s on stakeout, the real crook frames him for the thefts. Chet then has an even stronger reason for solving the case: clearing his name.

3. MAKE HIM FACE HIS FLAW
If you want to make it even harder for your hero to solve the story’s central problem, give them a flaw and put them in a situation where they have to overcome it.

(Warning: This technique can be over-used, but if done with finesse, it adds another layer of richness to the story.)

For example, if your hero is afraid of the dark, let her come up against this fear a few times and get off fairly easy — not investigating that dark alleyway, or enlisting a friend with a flashlight to help her. But at the climax, when it’s do-or-die time, stick her in a cave as black as midnight. She must overcome her fear in order to find the missing kid/treasure/whatever.

Simple enough? Absolutely. But employing any of these tips can add a juiciness to your story that makes a reader want to dig it with gusto.

___________

Bruce Hale

Bruce Hale

About Bruce…
Bruce Hale began his career as a writer while living in Tokyo, and continued it when he moved to Hawaii in 1983. Before entering the world of children’s books, he worked as a magazine editor, surveyor, corporate lackey, gardener, actor, and deejay.

Bruce has written and illustrated over 25 books for kids. His Underwhere series includes Prince of Underwhere and Pirates of Underwhere. His Chet Gecko Mysteries series includes: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Big Nap, The Malted Falcon, Hiss Me Deadly, and others. More at http://www.brucehale.com/

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August 14, 2013 · 10:58 am

Writing tip Wednesday: “Perfection Sucks”

Save it for the angels.

Save it for the angels.

By DAVID E. BOOKER

Don’t get slowed down by the idea, notion, goal, belief that what you write has to be perfect. Perfection is an illusion and a way to subjectively enthrall yourself to a writer’s block from which you will never be free. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be working to improve your writing talent and skills. It just means that you can expend a nearly infinite amount of time and energy getting your story, poem, essay, novel, article perfect and never be there.

Here are three things to remember if you feel you have to have it perfect before you go on.

1) No matter how perfect your writing is, you may still face rejection. For example, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was turned down 121 times. In other words, perfect does not guarantee publication.

2) Study long, study wrong. Many years ago when my father was teaching me to play cribbage, if I took too long to decide which card to play next, he would say, “Study long, study wrong.” While this may have reflected some of his impatience with my timidity, it is also a good piece of advice to keep in mind. Often it is the after getting something on paper that you can adjust it to make it better, not before.

3) Resistance is futile. It is true that, as Mark Twain said, the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and lightning bug. Yet, it is also true that rewriting is writing, too, and the resistance you put up into not moving forward because you don’t have the right word or words will often times lead more toward futility than fruition. Better to start with the lightning bug and work you up to the right flash than do nothing and continue to curse the darkness of having written nothing.

None of this is meant to say your first draft should be the one your rush to publication. Very, very few writers have that level of mastery. But if you don’t get it done, you will never get it better.

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August 7, 2013 · 11:52 am

Writing tip Wednesday: “…try, try again.”

If at first you don’t succeed…

PenPal asks, Which is correct?
A. “I will try and schedule a dentist appointment for Tuesday.”
B. “I will try to schedule a dentist appointment for Tuesday.”

My excellent high school and college English instructors taught this well, along with the reasoning behind it, and I’ve never forgotten this grammar point. In fact, it has become a pet peeve of my editorial life!

Here is a somewhat simplified but completely adequate explanation:
In Example A, we have a compound predicate, which means we have two or more distinct actions (verbs or verb phrases). The sense of this is the following: the subject will both try [something] and schedule [a dentist appointment]. If we read it correctly, we are left wondering what the subject is going to try—it could be anything! In my case, it would be to avoid the dentist.

In Example B, we have a simple predicate, which means there is one distinct action (verb or verb phrase). The sense of this is as follows: the subject will try to schedule [a dentist appointment]. Example B contains correct verb usage and syntax; Example A is not correct.

More and more often, I see this phrasing [try and . . .] misused in publications. If you take a moment to think it through logically, it’s an easy and important error to correct in the quest for excellent, rather than mediocre, substandard, writing. Try the brief quiz below to see if you understand the distinction. There is one “trick” question; try to spot it and choose correctly.

Select the correct wording in each sample set below:
A.
1. My mother will try to attend my baby shower even though she lives in Tucson.
2. My mother will try and attend my baby shower even though she lives in Tucson.

B.
1. Mark’s dragon would try and fit into seven pairs of boots that morning before he’d find the perfect pair.
2. Mark’s dragon would try to fit into seven pairs of boots that morning before he’d find the perfect pair.

C.
1. If you don’t mind, Zelda, try and schedule our meeting before 2 p.m. Friday afternoon.
2. If you don’t mind, Zelda, try to schedule our meeting before 2 p.m. Friday afternoon.

D.
1. Try and fail; it’s better than never trying at all.
2. Try to fail; it’s better than never trying at all.

E.
1. Try to pay attention the first time I explain this proof, will you, Zachary?
2. Try and pay attention the first time I explain this proof, will you Zachary?

Answers:
A:1; B:2; C:2; D:1; E:1

[Explanation for D: This is clearly a different usage for “try.” In this sentence, two abstractions are presented. Rather than a subject trying something or failing at something, the author is discussing the broader concepts of effort and failure. We presumably don’t try to fail at anything. Always consider the context when applying grammar rules.]

________

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

About PenPal…
Cathy Kodra works as an independent editor in Knoxville, TN. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Roanoke Review, New Millennium Writings, Common Ground Review, Now & Then, Cavalier Literary Couture, Slow Trains, Still Crazy, The Medulla Review, Prime Mincer, Yemassee, and others. She is a contributing editor for New Millennium Writings and past guest poetry editor for The Medulla Review. She was first runner up in Prime Mincer’s 2011 Poetry Contest, judged by Rodney Jones, and took first place in the 2012 Old Gray Cemetery Poetry Contest. Cathy’s first poetry chapbook, Thin Ice, was published in 2011 by Medulla Publishing.

Cathy is a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and of two local writing groups. An avid reader and writer, she is currently working on two poetry collections and a collection of short stories. Her hobbies include gardening and vegan cooking, and she lives happily with her husband Ron, two dogs, and a cat. She can be reached at www.cathykodra.com.

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July 31, 2013 · 7:29 pm

Writing tip Wednesday: “Plotting, part 2”

MAKE PLOTTING EASIER WITH THE PLOTCLOCK – PART 2

By JOYCE SWENEY

FROM LOW POINT TO DENOUEMENT

Plotting time

Plotting takes time.


Last time we covered the first half of the Plotclock template, up through Act 1; this month, we’re taking it home with the rest of the story structure.

Act 2 is usually a series of failures, losses and attempts to navigate the new world using the old skills. Events will punish the main character for refusing to change until they are at a breaking point and all seems lost. Fun to observe that at this point in stories, main character is often actually shown making a physical descent of some kind, like a symbolic falling to their knees. The story “breaks” them here and opens them to:

THE CHANGE

Right after The Low Point in the beginning of Act 3, the main character makes a major tactical change, the one the reader has been hoping for: the shy person starts to speak up, for instance. In Act 3, the main character is rewarded for the change by gaining strength and power. But at the same time, the forces against her react and also become stronger.

Stakes and hopes for the reader begin to climb in Act 3, but reader is encouraged to think no one can stop our Main Character now until:

THE TURNING POINT

More like a curveball, this is a surprise that comes from left field and changes the game, raising the stakes and making the eventual climax look much more difficult for the main character than we ever could have guessed. This is the most often overlooked plot point and probably the one that separates a good plotter form a great plotter. The classic example would be Luke Skywalker doing very well in his battle with Darth Vadar until….”Luke, I am your father.”

THE CLIMAX

Another moveable plot point, this is the mother-of-all battles in the novel, when the main character gets his final exam, as it were… when all the marbles are at stake and tension is at the highest. The climax will change everything one way or another. In action/adventure, it’s literally a battle, but there should be a high stakes climax even in the quietest, most literary work.

A main character who stands up to a bully might just do it with words, but it should still be big and powerful as a moment. In a very commercial story, the climax comes almost at the end (because who cares about denouement when the monster is dead?) In a literary story you can take almost a quarter of the book to clean up the emotional havoc wreaked at the climax.

THE DENOUNEMENT

Whatever you need to clean up the mess and let the reader know what they need to know about how things turned out after the battle was won. No more, no less.

The joy of The Plot Clock is this: that it guides you when you’re lost, helps you realize which plot points you might be missing, clears up the terror on where to begin, and just in general, is a good friend to hold your hand as you plot your novel. If you’re a plotter, you probably will consult it before you even start to write. If you like to plunge and discover as you go, it’s a great revision tool.

—-

Joyce Sweeney is the author of 14 novels for young adults and one book of poetry. A writing teacher and mentor to aspiring authors, she runs writer’s workshops, critiques manuscripts, and conducts classes and seminars throughout the state of Florida. This article is just one of the ten lessons included in her Fiction Writing Essentials which starts in July and is taking registrations now at: www.sweeneywritingcoach.com.

[Editor’s note: This entry comes courtesy of Bruce Hale. Bruce has written and illustrated over 25 books for kids. His Underwhere series includes Prince of Underwhere and Pirates of Underwhere. His Chet Gecko Mysteries series includes: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Big Nap, The Malted Falcon, Hiss Me Deadly, and others. More at http://www.brucehale.com/]

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July 17, 2013 · 8:22 pm

Writing tip Wednesday: “Three pieces of advice”

In his recent 2013 ThrillerFest session “The Series Character: How to Do it Right,” Michael Connelly (author of the Harry Bosch series) offered three of his favorite bits of advice that he’s collected from other writers.

“I’ve carried these with me for decades,” he said. “I think they really sum up where you should be if you’re going to do this”—especially if you want to write crime fiction.

1. The best crime novels are not how cops work on cases; it’s how cases work on cops.
–Joseph Wambaugh

In other words, Connelly said, it’s all about character. Character is key, especially in series fiction. Readers don’t return to your work because of a plot twist—they return because of character.

2. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
–Kurt Vonnegut

Regarding series characters, Connelly said this ties into a character’s sense of searching (which, he added, when unfulfilled, is what draws people to the next book).

3. When you circle around a murder long enough, you get to know a city.
–Richard Price

Connelly said this was Price’s reply when asked why a great writer would spend their time writing crime fiction. He pointed out that a writer should have a higher aspiration in their work—to use the form to say something about society, something about one’s city.

Source: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/3-of-michael-connellys-favorite-bits-of-writing-advice?et_mid=627736&rid=1985858

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July 10, 2013 · 8:35 pm

Writing tip Wednesday: “Cat got your keyboard?”

by DAVID E. BOOKER

To be or not be stuck...

To be or not to be stuck…

Stuck? Writing stuck? No, not writer’s block, just not quite sure what to do next or even how to start that article, story, or novel? Here are three suggestions that might help. There are plenty of others, so if these don’t help, don’t hesitate to look for something that will. You only fail at writing when you don’t try.

1) Write a letter
Put what you want to say in letter form. The writer Tom Wolfe once was stuck on an article he was doing on stock car racing. He had spent time researching and talking with drivers, mechanics, and any number of people. He had the information, but he couldn’t quite figure out how to write. His deadline was fast approaching, but he couldn’t get traction. Finally, he called the editor at the magazine where the article was to appear and explained he couldn’t write the article. He would type up his notes and send them in and the editor could find somebody else to write the piece. So, he wrote up the information in a letter form and sent it in. When the editor received it, he immediately saw that it was an almost complete article just the way it was. The editor and Tom Wolfe made a few edits and adjustments to the piece and it was published pretty much as Tom Wolfe had written – that is, like a letter.

2) Keep several things going
The late Isaac Asimov, author of over 500 books (fiction and non-fiction), used to keep two or three writing projects going at the same time. That way, if he got stuck on one, he would turn to work on another. Once when asked what would he do if he was told he had only six months to live, he replied, “Type faster.” Keeping two or three things going at once can help prevent you from getting stuck on any one piece of work.

3) Free writing
Free writing is writing what comes to mind without regard to how it fits into what you “need” to be writing or even what may be the next sentence. Sometimes to get going in the “write” direction, you need a little gibberish to get you going. Maybe even write a silly poem, like
Roses are red
violets are blue
I suck at writing poetry
how about you?

Do free writing for about fifteen minutes and see if gets you going.

These are not the only ways to get your writing unstuck, but whatever you use, I hope you realize from these examples that even published and prolific authors can get stuck, too.

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July 3, 2013 · 7:03 am

Writing tip Wednesday: “Dash-ing, aren’t we?”

What the heck is an em dash, and why use it?

PenPal answers:

Em dashes may be used for the following grammatical constructions:

1. Amplifying or explaining
[Example: She outlined her strategy—a strategy that would, she hoped, keep the peace.]

2. Separating a subject from a pronoun that introduces the main clause
[Example: Broken promises and lies—such were the obstacles he encountered in their marriage.]

3. Indicating sudden breaks or pauses:
[Example: “Will you—can you—please help me just this once?” asked Jared.]

4. Used in place of or with a comma (often to avoid comma confusion):
[Example 1: Although I can’t call you on Sunday—I’ll explain why later—expect an e-mail, probably early in the morning.] [Example 2, where both em dash and comma are needed: “I promise you I will never—,” Sylvia began, but Raymond cut her short.]

5. With other punctuation (a question mark or exclamation point—but never a comma, semicolon, or colon, and rarely a period—may precede an em dash. [Example: Only if—heaven forbid!—you do your homework first.]

6. Index entries
Example:
—Abelson, John
—Abernathy, Susan
—Bennington, Frank
(etc.)

Note: The em dash is a handy and legitimate punctuation tool often saving a sentence from comma confusion. For more information on correct usage, see The Chicago Manual of Style and William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.

[Next time around, watch for my explanation of ellipsis usage!]

________

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal

About PenPal…
Cathy Kodra works as an independent editor in Knoxville, TN. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Roanoke Review, New Millennium Writings, Common Ground Review, Now & Then, Cavalier Literary Couture, Slow Trains, Still Crazy, The Medulla Review, Prime Mincer, Yemassee, and others. She is a contributing editor for New Millennium Writings and past guest poetry editor for The Medulla Review. She was first runner up in Prime Mincer’s 2011 Poetry Contest, judged by Rodney Jones, and took first place in the 2012 Old Gray Cemetery Poetry Contest. Cathy’s first poetry chapbook, Thin Ice, was published in 2011 by Medulla Publishing.

Cathy is a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and of two local writing groups. An avid reader and writer, she is currently working on two poetry collections and a collection of short stories. Her hobbies include gardening and vegan cooking, and she lives happily with her husband Ron, two dogs, and a cat. She can be reached at www.cathykodra.com.

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