If you grew up writing, whether you were forced to by teachers or wanted to as a creative outlet, you probably have at least a basic understanding of how to punctuate any written communication.
But then, maybe you’ve forgotten.
Or you read something that makes you question everything you ever thought you knew.
I’m here to reassure you—you can read these guidelines and say, “Yes! I knew that already!” Or you can say, “Oh, that’s what I thought but it’s good to know for sure.” Or you might say, “I never knew that. Good thing April clarified it for me.”
Whatever your responses, I hope these are helpful.
Commas
Seems straightforward, doesn’t it?
Put a comma where you’d naturally pause. Makes sense. Not quite true-true, but it’s a guideline!
However there are a couple of instances where I see consistent misuse: using only one comma to set off a parenthetical sort of phrase or ‘comma splicing.’ which means joining two independent clauses with a comma (sometimes it’s okay; more often it isn’t).
The most common misuse I see is what I call the parenthetical comma. Basically, if you could reasonably use parentheses instead, there should be one comma at each end of that phrase. They’re a matching set and they always go together.
(you wouldn’t use one parenthesis, don’t you see, so you can’t use one comma.
(Did leaving off the closing parenthesis make you twitch?) 😉
The second most common error I see is omitting the comma in what I call the verbing-phrase intro, followed by a full sentence. For instance: Locking the door behind her, Emma left for work. That comma is vital. It needs to be there.
As an aside, the action sentence part (Emma left for work.) also has to be a complete sentence: subject and verb.
Semicolons
Semicolons are a great way to connect sentences without using a humdrum period. They’re best for closely related sentences. You could have a single sentence with a conjunction, but these add a little something when used judiciously.
Remember, though: the phrases on each side of the semicolon must be able to stand alone as a sentence. The semicolon is not a straight-up replacement for the comma.
Think of it as a replacement for a period when you’re not done clarifying your thought yet. 😉
use a semicolon; if you really want to give the second bit some emphasis, the dash is your friend.
Dashes
Dashes are a great way to add subtle flair to your writing. Keyword: subtle!
I have to admit to an extreme affection for dashes, and in my own writing, there are lines all over the place! My journal looks like someone went nuts with the hyphen key, but in written form. 😄
However! When writing fiction, you’ll want to use them more sparingly than I do!
Used strategically, they help the reader see disjointed thinking, interrupted speech in dialogue, or important clarifying statements in the narration.
*by dash, I mean an em-dash, which is the one most often used in narrative fiction. I’ll save the others for another time.
Final Thoughts
Not sure how to put all of this into practice? Read your work aloud.
Pay attention to where you naturally pause or break or where you rush on. A pause might be a comma or a semicolon. A break—depending on the sentence—could be a period or a dash. If you rush from one idea to the next you may want a steady flow of words to convey the run-on nature of your character’s thoughts while using the comma, strategically of course, to string your phrases (and sentences) together.
They underscore the meaning of your text with (seemingly) little effort. Your reader will know exactly how to read/hear dialogue and narrative because you’ve led them there with your delivery.
Have fun with punctuation!
Next time you sit down to write, make it a goal to use a mark you normally shy away from. The beauty of it is you can always edit your work (or have someone do it for you).
No one—probably—will die because you used a comma instead of a semicolon or period and, more likely, you’ll learn from experience how you best like to use the whole gamut of our marks.
Ping me to set up a free consultation anytime!