Punctuation is more than a set of grammatical rules. It can add emphasis, halt an action, or create a dramatic pause. When used well, punctuation becomes a series of subconscious cues that tell readers exactly how the author intended the story to sound.
I’ll start with a confession: I hate colons and semicolons in fiction. They have their place in technical writing, educational material, and nonfiction, but I don’t want to see them wandering through an epic fantasy. They feel too formal for dragons, magic, and sword fights. I will literally split the sentences to avoid them.
Then there are em dashes. Lately, they’ve been vilified as the hallmark of AI writing, even though they’ve existed long before modern fiction. If that’s the case, then Mary Shelley and Mark Twain would be crucified, because their works are filled with them. Don’t worry, we can still enjoy their work, em dashes and all.
Personally, my issue with em dashes is much simpler…they’re too much work. It takes four keystrokes for me to type one when I could use a comma and move on.
My favorite punctuation mark, however, is the ellipsis. Unfortunately, my husband and co-author insist I use it incorrectly. Technically, an ellipsis is three dots that create a pause in dialogue. But here’s my argument: if three dots create a pause, shouldn’t more dots create a longer pause?
……See? Dramatic.
It is called the “pregnant pause”, that lingering silence that builds anticipation before the next line. Sadly, every time my husband or editor edits one of my manuscripts, my carefully crafted dramatic pauses are reduced back to the standard three dots.
So, if you ever read one of my books and notice an ellipsis with only three dots, just know there were probably more there once. They didn’t survive the editing process.
Do you have a favorite punctuation mark? I would love to hear your thoughts on ellipsis.
Until next time…..keep reading.
April Nia Raine