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ENTRY

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008

The meaning of ?compunction? as I?m using it, just to be clear, is a ?twinge of misgiving due to principles.? Related to punctuation, this twinge (my twinge) comes from having learned proper punctuation rules and applied them professionally as an editor, while being a novelist who practices punctuation with artistic license. Sure, I still can play a badge-wearing member of the Punctuation Police, especially for egregious crimes against apostrophes: ?bless it?s heart,? ?lots of book?s for sale,? ?childrens? clothes.? But I'm willing to break some of the rules for a good reason.

Let?s start with the semicolon, perhaps the ugliest of the punctuation marks (bless its heart). Review: the semicolon is used to connect two related complete sentences. I recall clearly a college English professor opening the first day of composition class (do they still call it that?) with a lesson on the semicolon. His eyes glinted with steely precision writing on the board something like, ?The professor takes a dim view of late assignments; however, he will consider emergency excuses case-by-case.? When I used a similar construction in my first assignment he wrote in the margin ?Excellent!?

Kurt Vonnegut (whom I now mention as the one big name American author, RIP, closest to my style of writing when people ask ?What kind of books do you write???see previous post) eschewed using the semicolon. He wrote in a simple style. If he wrote two related sentences, each got its own day in the sun. In other words, separated by a period. I don?t mind connecting two related sentences, but I tend to go with the simple comma. E.g., ?The professor hollered from his podium, he yelled until his veins popped.?

Sure, in the above example, a semicolon would be technically correct instead of the comma. And a period would also work. But when I wrote the two sentences, I hear them rushed together, two thoughts almost on top of one another. I want them connected, loosely, not rigidly. For me a comma works best. It?s what I think is the best punctuation for the situation.

Of course, this punctuation violation drives editors crazy. It would have driven me crazy when I worked as an editor. It?s against what the editors learned, are paid to do. Don?t get me wrong, I sympathize with them. I feel their pain. I even experience compunction over my irregular usage. Unfortunately, explaining to the editor why I chose a comma over the semicolon does little good. Most don?t get it and I have to pull out my artistic license card. Usually. Sometimes, though rarely, I relent, admit defeat, pick another battle.

I?ll leave it there for now. In future posts I?ll give other examples.

#

© 2010

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 3
click here to add a comment

Jo Reed
I hate reading and running into a semicolon; they should be buried along with the m dash--at least in my opinion.

Lee Witte
I use the semi-colon maybe once every two pages or so. Maybe too much?

Jo Reed
I think the point, Lee, is that if it works it works.

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 The meaning of ?compunction? as I?m using it, just to be clear, is a ?twinge of misgiving due to principles.? Related to punctuation, this twinge (my twinge) comes from having learned proper punctuation rules and applied them professionally as an editor, while being a novelist who practices punctuation with artistic license. Sure, I still can play a badge-wearing member of the Punctuation Police, especially for egregious crimes against apostrophes: ?bless it?s heart,? ?lots of book?s for sale,? ?childrens? clothes.? But I'm willing to break some of the rules for a good reason. Let?s start with the semicolon, perhaps the ugliest of the punctuation marks (bless its heart). Review: the semicolon is used to connect two related complete sentences. I recall clearly a college English professor opening the first day of composition class (do they still call it that?) with a lesson on the semicolon. His eyes glinted with steely precision writing on the board something like, ?The professor takes a dim view of late assignments; however, he will consider emergency excuses case-by-case.? When I used a similar construction in my first assignment he wrote in the margin ?Excellent!? Kurt Vonnegut (whom I now mention as the one big name American author, RIP, closest to my style of writing when people ask ?What kind of books do you write???see previous post) eschewed using the semicolon. He wrote in a simple style. If he wrote two related sentences, each got its own day in the sun. In other words, separated by a period. I don?t mind connecting two related sentences, but I tend to go with the simple comma. E.g., ?The professor hollered from his podium, he yelled until his veins popped.? Sure, in the above example, a semicolon would be technically correct instead of the comma. And a period would also work. But when I wrote the two sentences, I hear them rushed together, two thoughts almost on top of one another. I want them connected, loosely, not rigidly. For me a comma works best. It?s what I think is the best punctuation for the situation. Of course, this punctuation violation drives editors crazy. It would have driven me crazy when I worked as an editor. It?s against what the editors learned, are paid to do. Don?t get me wrong, I sympathize with them. I feel their pain. I even experience compunction over my irregular usage. Unfortunately, explaining to the editor why I chose a comma over the semicolon does little good. Most don?t get it and I have to pull out my artistic license card. Usually. Sometimes, though rarely, I relent, admit defeat, pick another battle. I?ll leave it there for now. In future posts I?ll give other examples. # © 2010	COMMENTS Number of comments: 3 click here to add a comment Jo Reed I hate reading and running into a semicolon; they should be buried along with the m dash--at least in my opinion. Lee Witte I use the semi-colon maybe once every two pages or so. Maybe too much? Jo Reed I think the point, Lee, is that if it works it works.	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)