Writing 101 Redux: Hey, Don't Double-Space

Do you double space? Read today's Throwback Thursday Writing 101 to find out why that's wrong...very, very wrong.

If you double-space your books, maybe this Writing 101 tip will change your mind (and your spacing).

Writing 101 Redux: Quotation Punctuation

Every good book has dialogue in it, and that means you're going to have to use quotations. Are you using them right way...or do you just think you are? 

Read this week's Throwback Thursday Writing 101 post to find out, and master quotation punctuation.

Writing 101 Redux: Colons and Semicolons

When you're writing a book, the simple period and comma aren't always enough. Sometimes, you have to start using somewhat fancier punctuation -- like colons, semicolons and ellipsis. Today's TBT Writing 101 will help you remember how to use them perfectly. 

Perfect punctuation is important in every book, because (trust me) some reviewer is going to notice the first colon you put in the wrong place. Learn how to use colons and semicolons the right way, and you can do a lot more with your sentences. Read all about it in this throwback Writing 101.

Writing 101: How to Use Dashes

The dash is one of the most under-valued pieces of punctuation, and one of the most improperly-used. Learn to master the art of the dash, and you can avoid all your complicated punctuation problems. Ignore this lesson, and you'll find yourself mired in a morass of commas from which there is no escape.

Dashing off Good Punctuation

A dash functions as a super comma, and that's why all writers should love it. When you already have a lot of punctuation to deal with in a sentence, the dash can be employed to break up the sentence to make it readable (and grammatically correct) again. Learn how to use the dash, and it will be your friend.

Writing 101: Several Years' Worth of Punctuation Frustration

I often write about the writing problems that I encounter, and this is one that just won't go away. I have so much trouble when it comes to apostrophes and time, I'll usually find a way to re-write the sentence instead. The rule is confusing, and it's one that you'll have to memorize in order to get right. 

Punctuation Frustration

You can wait for a package to come for months, and you can wait for a month of Sundays. You can even wait a week's time for that package to come to your door. But when you have two weeks' worth of waiting piled up, punctuation gets totally flipping confusing. Yes, I'm about to come up with some better examples of how to do it correctly. 

Writing 101: Of Course, Comma

Commas are so confusing, I and just about every author who blogs about writing has tried to sort them out. I've written multiple posts about how to use commas, and when, and why not. But sometimes, you have to forget about all those rules. Some phrases are so special, they come with their own personal comma rules. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it... 

Of Course You Need a Comma There

I get hung up on little punctuation rules all the time. Of course, there's a lot of them to remember. But I found myself asking, several times, whether or not I was required to use a comma every time I use the phrase of course. It's confusing, because the phrase can be used in a multitude of ways. 

Writing 101: That Is, Unless

The word unless is a tricky one, but sounds so nice writers like to use it anyway. I was writing something the other day with unless, and had to stop. I stared at the screen. And I realized that I didn't know if you're always supposed to use a comma with unless or not. I had to find out. Now, I'm going to tell you. 

Unless You Want to be Wrong

Unless is often used as a subordinate clause, and don't worry. That's the most confusing thing you'll read in this post. To answer the question, no. You don't have to use unless with a comma all the time. But knowing when not to do it does get pretty tricky.

Writing 101: The Ampersand, Percent Sign and Other Stuff You Can't Use

As an author, you're free to use words any way you want to paint pictures, evoke emotions and tell your story. But you're not free to use any symbols you want. It's time to find out about the ampersand, the percent sign and the other stuff you can't use.

Symbols vs. Punctuation

The ampersand, the percent sign and the slash actually are not punctuation. That's the first thing you've got to know and that's what you'll need to remember. These parts of the keyboard are actually symbols, not punctuation. And that's why you can't use them.

Writing 101: Commas and Using Names

I tell you, readers, it's a problem. Commas aren't being used the right way...and as an author, you can't let it happen to you. Are you sure you know how to use commas and names -- the right way? 

Comma, Comma, Come On! 

Using commas gets confusing. Use too many and you've fouled up the sentence. Use too few and there's no natural pause to your narrative. Use them the wrong way, and I'm liable to come after you. 

Writing 101: How Should I End Dialogue?

To comma or not to comma. If you're writing a book, you're going to face this question maybe 100 times...if not more. With each line of dialogue you write comes an important question: am I supposed to end it with a comma or a period? 

The End of the Sentence

Punctuating dialogue is one of the most confusing tasks you'll face as an author. You're already introducing quotation marks into the mix, which is extra punctuation, and you can't ignore all the normal rules of the game, either. So every time you write a new line, it's a new challenge. 

Writing 101: Serial Comma

I don't often wax poetic about the finer points of punctuation (or even, really, address them), because everywhere I look people are still using 's to pluralize words so I don't much see the point in it. However, the serial comma question keeps coming up again and again. So how are indie authors supposed to address it in their books? 

Once, and for All

Serial commas are the kind of thing that only writers would ever think about. Most people don't even notice whether or not they're using them. Are you...or do you only think you're using serial commas? 

If you list specific items such as books, ereaders, and tablets, you might be using a serial comma. I just did, in fact. 

Writing 101: 'S

Language is an ever-changing entity. It lives and breathes. You can easily find the proof of it. Open up a novel written 100 years ago, something by Mark Twain for example, and now go open one that was published this year. You'll find extreme differences in the language used. But there are some grammar and punctuation rules that won't ever change, and never have changed...and yet somehow, people still manage to get it wrong. 

There's No Apostrophe in Yours

The rules of using 's are extremely clear. They're hard and fast. And they have not changed since the very first rules of language were invented. So why, why, do we keep getting it wrong?

It's a riddle for the ages. But I am dedicated to repeating this rule, and pointing to it, until no one is making the mistake anymore.

I'm going to make it very clear again: 's is not used to pluralize. It never makes anything plural, not ever. That's why all of the following examples are wrong: 

Did you see all these envelope's?

How many Twitter follower's do you have?

Have you watched all those episode's?

Yes, all of the above examples are wrong because all of the above examples are pluralized words. Eliminate all the apostrophes,  and now everything is correct. You see, 's is only used for two reasons, and neither of them have anything to do with making something plural. 

Let's look at the first example of 's: substitution. 

In the sentence above, I'm actually saying let us look at the first example. The same thing is true for the word it's. Such as it's a beautiful day. What I'm really saying is it is a beautiful day. The apostrophe in the sentence is used as a substitution for the missing letters. This is how all contractions work. 

But 's is also used in another way: to show possession.

That is Becky's envelope.

It was my follower's tweet.

That episode's final scene was crazy.

The above examples use the same subject matter as the first wrong examples we looked at, but all of these examples are correct. In the first, we are talking about something that belongs to Becky. This is why it becomes Becky's, with the 's. The tweet belongs to a follower on Twitter, so it is the follower's. The final scene in one episode is crazy, so it is the episode's. 

Use 's in any other way, and you're using it wrong.

Writing 101: When Fiction Writers Use Brackets

The Internet has totally blurred, if not altogether obliterated, the lines of good punctuation. Now, people are using punctuation to make little faces at the end of the sentences. This is not the use for which punctuation was originally intended, and it's darn confusing. Maybe that's why it's so difficult to know when to use brackets in fiction writing. It's almost never okay for authors to do so...even when you're writing about what happens on the Internet. 

Thou Shalt Not Use Brackets

Brackets are not a parenthesis...they're the more twisted cousin. While parentheses have gently curving lines, brackets have hard edges. That's to remind you that they're used only in the most extreme of circumstances. In fiction, they're used almost ever.

In other types of writing, brackets can be used for a handful of different reasons. 

• Math: In some complicated mathematical problems, brackets are used to show specific number groups or functions or what-have-you.
• HTML: Look at an HTML how-to anything online, and you're likely to see brackets. They're commonly used to show how the code is written.
• Quotations: Brackets are found in online articles and other pieces that contain quotes. When a word needs to be added or a pronoun needs to be changed to a proper noun, the word is put inside brackets.
• Direct address: The direct address is the only time you're likely to see brackets in fiction writing. As the name would suggest, this is when the author directly addresses the reader with the words inside the brackets. This by no means requires that you have an entire conversation with the reader. It's usually one to three words at most. It's always done to clarify or emphasize. Example: "Bob and Hugo stared on in shock. He [Hugo] decided to open the umbrella."

Fiction writing doesn't necessarily need brackets, because there are much better ways to clarify what you mean. Using them can help streamline and save time where otherwise a long explanation may be required. Brackets definitely have their place, but like any good punctuation they have to be used sparingly and correctly. Use too many, and it will just become disruptive.

Writing 101: Quotes Within Quotes

Ever told someone about a song you like, and they didn't recognize it, so you had to sing a few lines? Ever mention a great line you heard on that TV show you love? Ever told a friend what another friend said about them, word for word? Yeah, there are lots of reasons why you might need to use quotes within quotes when you're writing. Don't ignore the simple punctuation rules that dictate exactly how you're allowed to do it. 

Double Punctuation, and Other Disasters

Lots of things have to be enclosed in quotation marks when you're writing. Proper titles of magazine articles, exact quotes, clever nicknames, popular sayings -- you might use quotes around all that stuff. But if you're already using quotes because you're mentioning these things in dialogue, then you've got to use a form of double punctuation: quotes within quotes.

It's really easy to get them wrong. It doesn't help that there's a lot of confusion surrounding proper quotation punctuation in the first place; the British do it differently than the Americans, and it turns into a punctuation free-for-all where authors have trouble figuring out the proper format and going a wildly inconsistent route instead. 

But I digress. Here's all you need to know about quotes within quotes: you can't repeat the same mark consecutively. What's that mean? I'll show you:

"Mary told me that her and Johnny are just 'friends.'" Christie rolled her eyes when she said it, making her own opinion on the matter pretty clear. 

It goes without saying that you won't put quotes in red when you're writing, but I'm making a point. The single quotation mark is surrounding friends because Christie is repeating a direct quote from Mary, as the passage explains. Both the single quotation and the double quotation, which is at the end of the sentence because it closes the dialogue being spoken aloud, are behind the period. It looks terrible. 

But it's technically correct. Now, you may not always be ending a sentence on a quote, but basic punctuation rules still apply. 

"She told me last week that she would 'consider it' if he asked her out, though," Becca offered.

No additional punctuation is required with the single quotation mark inside the dialogue above; I'm treating it the exact same way I would treat double quotation marks. 

More importantly, I'm not repeating quotation marks. The double quotes go around the entire piece of dialogue, as is proper, but I'm using single marks around the quote inside that dialogue. I wouldn't use double quotes around consider it (to use the previous example) because it's just too darned confusing (and also incorrect). 

If you're writing in the Queen's English and you read the Oxford English Dictionary instead of American Heritage, flip it around. Sometimes, British writers use single quotations around dialogue instead of double, but the rules don't change. Don't repeat the same quotation mark type if you're writing quotes within quotes. It's either double-single-single-double, or single-double-double-single, and those are your only two options.

That's what I love about punctuation. It's always very cut-and-dry, with definite rules. Punctuation is one of the only things you can get right for sure, because readers are going to have an opinion about everything else.

Writing 101: Double-Spacing...and Why It's Wrong

Double-spacing after a period.  Like this.  Is wrong.  But so many people have so many different opinions about double-spacing and single-spacing after punctuation, it's difficult to point to just one reason why it's wrong. I'm going to try anyway.

 Single and Fabulous?

The number of spaces that should be placed after a period is actually a hot point of contention among writers, editors and typographers. This is the kind of stuff that gets word nerds all kinds of hot and bothered, and I guess I'm no exception. I passionately believe that only one space should be used following any sentence, and the general school of typography agrees with me. 

Typesetters are the people who actually put the words on the page. They're responsible for making everything fit together and using all the space they've got in an economical fashion. Since the early 20th century, it's been an industry standard in Europe and the Americas to use a single space, not a double, between the period and the new sentence.

Standards were much looser before the 19th century, and in the early days of printing typesetters often used enlarged spaces following their periods. But a 19th-century invention would screw all the spacing up and confuse writers even 200 years later.

 Doubles, Anyone?

Ironically, it was the manual typewriter that changed spacing forevermore. The standard space on the manual typewriter was considered by many to be too small to properly separate sentences. Many writers began hitting the spacebar twice, not just once, after every period in order to provide the necessary separation. It became the norm to do this, and double-spaced typing was even taught in typing classes. No one uses manual typewriters anymore, but the error is still being repeated all the time. 

If it's an error. The debate continues to rage on to this day, with many hotly defending the usefulness of the double space. I hate it, and I advise against using it, and I'm going to tell you why. 

The Way It Is 

Typesetters and printers established the single-space standard for a pretty important reason: money. When words take up less space, fewer pages may be used to print out a whole book. Fewer pages equals less cost to make the books, and that means they can be priced more competitively.

It's something no indie author can ignore. CreateSpace is easy and affordable, but it ain't free. Self-published authors can't afford to be less cost-conscious than those huge publishing houses.

It's also important for indies to conform to all industry standards in matters of grammar, punctuation and spacing -- both to fit in with all the other books and to prove that they can. Indies have a bad reputation as being amateurs and hacks, so don't visually separate your books from the ones the big box publishers are churning out by the million.

And because it is a standard, you could get called on it if you do it incorrectly and use a double space. If you do any guest posts or freelance writing assignments, you could easily draw the ire of a blog owner or editor who has very strong opinions. Conform to the standard; they'll definitely let you know if they want you make changes. If they do, just use your search-and-replace function to fix your spacing.

Writing 101: There's a Word for That

There are so many words in the English language, the actual number can't even be provided. Some experts have tried to estimate, but there are new words being added all the time (and a ton of weird ones that people never really use). What I'm saying is, when you're writing about or writing with punctuation and letters, there's a word for that. There's a word for every itty bitty little piece of punctuation, for the extra add-ons in letters, for every wacky symbol you might find when you're reading.

Dotting the Is 

Everything has a name, even in punctuation. Knowing the proper words for things comes in pretty handy, especially if you've got a question about proper usage. Trying to use a search engine without knowing the right words is an exercise in frustration...and won't you sound learned and impressive if you know that the little dot over the i and j is properly called a tittle?

It's a fun little word, a lot more interesting than the name for the little bar that crosses the t (which is simply known as a T-bar). We can thank the Germans for giving us umlauts, the double dots that sometimes appear over foreign words (like naïve).

The French love letter symbols. They gave us the circumflex, that little half-triangle over certain vowels, but you can find this mark in all sorts of languages. Depending on where and how it's being used, the circumflex represents stress on a vowel sound, a rising and falling tone and all sorts of other pronunciations. 

Accent marks are those sweeping, slanted marks that appear over words like protégé. Sometimes, you'll find a weird mark underneath the letters. The funny little doodad hanging around on façade is called an ogonek, a Polish word that actually means little tail. You'll find funny n-words in Spanish with a curvy line over them (like piñata); that funny thing is called a tilde.

Put them all together, and what do you get? Diacritics. Sounds like a bunch of angry book reviewers, but that's the actual proper name for all those funny little letter extras that are used to denote specific pronunciation in words.

And once you know what they're called, you can actually use them. Digging through font and symbol sets in order to find the exact letter you need is such a tedious process, most writers don't bother (I don't). Many words that should have diacritic marks are written without them in American English, but technically that's not right. You can, however, keep a list of codes handy so you only have to type in a few numbers and make your correct marks. There's a word for everything. Once you know it, there's nothing you can't find out.

Writing 101: How to Use Apostrophes

Apostrophes are an essential element in punctuation, but so many authors get their placement confused -- or worse, leave them out entirely. A tiny little apostrophe can change the meaning of a sentence entirely, and when a wrong one appears it might just lead readers astray. Always be careful with your apostrophes, and learn how to use them well to make sure your words are getting the point across.

Using Apostrophes, Let Me Count the Ways

Apostrophes serve many extremely important functions in language; certain words could never even exist without them. To understand how to use apostrophes correctly, you've got to understand how, exactly, they're used.

• Missing letters

In certain circumstances, apostrophes can be used to represent missing letters -- this is the case in absolutely every single contraction. Words like can't, don't, you're and all the rest rely upon apostrophes to exist. We get so used to seeing contractions, it's easy to forget what they mean, easy to forget the function of the apostrophe. But without it, you've got two words that sound stiff and formal. In the examples above, without the apostrophes you're working with cannot, do not and you are. The apostrophe takes the place of the letters and spaces that you've eliminated.

It's important, because many writers have used the apostrophe as a device in dialogue. Certain regions of the world have their own specific accents and sayings. For example, no self-respecting southern writer would pen a tome set in the southern US without the word y'all in it. Brits are known for saying i'n'it, a bastardization of isn't it, and in words like this the apostrophe is essential to make the text understandable to readers who might not be familiar with regional speech. Because the apostrophe in y'all takes the place of the missing o and u, you can never write this word as ya'll -- though I've seen this in several situations. It's wrong, and it's truly an insult to apostrophes everywhere (not to mention southerners). When you use contractions for any reason, don't ever forget what the punctuation actually means.

• Possession

Apostrophes don't always represent missing letters; they're also an integral device if you want to show ownership, or possession, of any object (or idea, or person, or what-have-you). For example: This is Jade Varden's blog. Now, the apostrophe clearly shows that the possession (the blog) belongs to Jade Varden (that's me!), and the apostrophe placement is correct.

See what happens when I put it in the wrong place: This is Jade Vardens' blog. When the apostrophe appears after the s, rather than before, it's used to denote plural possession. In the sentence above, the apostrophe suggests that there is more than one Jade Varden (which is no good for anybody, not to mention confusing for all the readers). The only time, and I mean the only time, the apostrophe is placed after the s is to show possession of any object or objects by more than one person. It's used for plural possession, and only then.

• Getting it Wrong

I touched on this problem briefly in a previous post, but it bears repeating because this is a mistake that I see literally every single day. It seems the apostrophe is a little too common and a little too useful, because a ton of writers from the casual to the professional want to shove it into the middle of words where it absolutely doesn't belong. It certainly is a cunning little piece of punctuation, and I love using it as much as the next blogger, but there are times when you're going to have to keep the apostrophe from crashing your party. Otherwise, everyone's going to know you have no idea what you're writing.

Again, and I cannot seem to stress this enough, apostrophes are coupled with the letter s only to show possession. I can have possession of this blog, the words I write, an idea, the pair of glasses I wear when I don't have my contacts in my eyes, my fingernails. I can have possession of all these things because I am a person. Animals may also have possession -- I might say my cat's coat was shiny. The cat is mine, but I'm not in possession of the shiny coat of hair -- my cat is, so that's where the apostrophe goes.

But when I am pluralizing something, because there's more than one of those things, I only need the letter s. For example, my cats have shiny coats. No apostrophe, because I'm already showing possession with the word have. If I eliminate that word, I'll have to bring the apostrophe back to show the possession (otherwise, the reader won't know who has the shiny coats): my cats' shiny coats.... 

When you are simply pluralizing an object, you only need the letter s. Remember that, and don't let a spare apostrophe show up and completely change the meaning of the sentence. By the same token, if you're attempting to show possession and you don't include an apostrophe, you're muddying the reading waters in a different way. Proofread all your apostrophes, and make sure they're only where they're supposed to be, and nowhere they shouldn't.

Writing 101: Quotation Punctuation

Without quotations, you can't have dialogue. It seems simple enough -- every time a character speaks, just wrap quotation marks around every word they say. But where do the commas go? How should the periods be placed? There's nothing simple about using quotations in a story, because you've always got to add extra punctuation along with them. Are you doing it the right way?

The US vs. The UK

There are different styles of using quotation marks around the world, and therein lies the confusion. But on either side of the Atlantic, there are specific rules to follow -- and I love having specific rules to follow. Always embrace the rules of writing, because they're your friend.

Writing 101: How to Use Parentheses

No, it's not a typo -- parentheses is the plural of parenthesis. The first rule of using them is that there should always, always be two, but thanks to their natural shape it shouldn't be too hard to keep track of that. The rest of the rules of using parentheses may not be so easy to remember.

  When Are They Used? 

 The parenthesis doesn't appear a whole lot in fiction writing, but it can be an effective tool when it's added rarely. In fiction, parentheses most often indicate an aside, or an extra bit of information, that the author is giving to the reader or reminding the reader about. In most all situations, parentheses won't appear inside dialogue. When they do appear in dialogue, parentheses usually denote something that has not been spoken aloud by the speaker; rather, they are used to express the speaker's thoughts or provide some extra information. Using parentheses inside dialogue is very rare, and shouldn't be added just for the heck of it. 

How Are They Used? 

Parentheses quite literally isolate a single phrase, sentence or thought from the rest of the words around it -- and you don't have to use any special punctuation before or after using a parenthesis. The parenthesis by itself is a punctuation, so you don't want to double up unless you're ending the sentence directly after the parentheses are closed. With the exception of separate thoughts and sentences within the parentheses, no punctuation should appear inside the parentheses. If you're ending a sentence immediately after the parenthetical text ends, always put the period outside the parenthesis. Some examples might make it easier to understand: 

Johnny and Anne appeared to be in love (though they'd broken up about a dozen times in the past).

Notice the period placement in the above sentence. If the period were to appear before the final parenthesis, it would be woefully incorrect. However, punctuation may sometimes be necessary even inside parentheses. Example: 

Johnny and Anne were fighting again, and everyone was holding their breath to see what would happen next (and save their wind for the rush toward the nearest exits, an exodus that would surely begin once the argument escalated).

Without the comma that appears in the middle of the parenthetical text, that phrase isn't going to look pleasant or read correctly. However, you'll notice that the period of the sentence still appears outside the parentheses. Remember, only punctuate inside them if it's relevant to the specific phrase that's being isolated -- normal punctuation rules still apply to the sentence as a whole. 

When used sparingly, parentheses can be a powerful tool for making text stand out and getting points across to the reader. Like every other kind of special punctuation, however, overuse of parentheses will have a negative effect on the entire book.

Writing 101: How to Use Commas

Seems a little silly, doesn't it? Using commas is as basic as learning the alphabet, and every writer has peppered them into their work at some point. But honestly, I'm not trying to waste your time. I'm trying to help, because in the vast majority of indie books I've read I have learned something: many indie writers don't know how to use commas correctly. You might think you've got a firm grasp on them, roll your eyes at today's lesson and move on to greener tip-giving pastures. I beg you not to do so, especially if you know that I've read your book in the past. Because chances are, you've already made more than one unforgivable error in your ebook.

What Role Do Commas Play?

If you're going to use commas, you ought to know what they represent. You can't just shake up a bag of commas and throw them into your work at will. They're used to create natural separation and pauses in the middle of sentences, and they're an important part of speech. I'm using them now to link related thoughts and split up different phrases, because otherwise everything I'm writing might read as flat and monotone. 

Speaking Names

There seems to be some confusion about where to include commas when one character is speaking to another. Let's clear that up. Any time any character addresses any other by name -- and it can be a nickname, a proper name, a pet name, any kind of name -- that name must be prefaced and ended with a comma unless the name starts the sentence or ends a sentence. Examples:

"Susan, did you get that book?"


"Did you get that book, Susan?" 


"About that book, Susan, did you get it?"

Commas before and after, every single time unless the name starts or ends the sentence. You do not need to follow this rule if the character is talking about another character, only if they are talking to the character. Examples:

"Did Susan get that book?"


"That book I told her about, did Susan get it?"

Serial Commas

It's easy to get confused when using serial commas. In the traditional AP style guide and in most journalism, serial commas are used in a very specific way -- they are not used before the word and. Examples:

The mugger was tall, thin and grey-haired. 


She was wearing a pink, ripped and baggy pair of overalls. 

However, you are writing a book. You are not writing in traditional AP style (and you should not be if you are, because prose is different). Therefore, you can use serial commas before and if that is your desire. In book-writing, either way is correct. You can also eliminate and entirely if the sentence still reads well without it. Examples:

The mugger was tall, thin, and grey-haired. 


She was wearing a pink, ripped, baggy pair of overalls.

Conjunctions

It's a little tricky to know where to put your commas when using conjunctions (linking words). What's a conjunction? Glad you asked: among others, they include for, and, but, or, because. In most cases when you're using basic conjunctions, the comma goes before the conjunction. Examples:

She asked me to move, and then scooted around the chair. 


He was smiling at me, but it didn't look very sincere.


Either I was crazy, or the commas were totally in the wrong places.


Mastering Commas

Once you learn the specific rules of comma usage, your book will flow more smoothly and look much better -- and you'll actually look like you know what you're doing to your readers. There are lots of ways to use commas, and these are only a few of them. Always read over what you've written, commas and all, and "say" the words to yourself in your mind. Pause at every comma, just for half a second or so, and "listen" to the sound of those words. If you're pausing in the wrong place, or the writing sounds jerky, you've got your commas in the wrong places. Fix them!