It’s you. You’re the idea machine. Step one? Create an idea. Step two? Well, there is no step two. Okay, okay. Fine. Let’s break it down a little more, shall we? Ideation is the first step in outlining, writing, and publishing. In a way, it is what sets writers apart from machines. But how do […]
#02: The Idea Machine Read More »
Like the IRS (or even your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend), apostrophes are possessive. Everything is theirs. Michael Scott’s paper. Dwight’s beets. Jim’s pranks. Pam’s art. Stanley’s diabetes. So, this all seems pretty straightforward. Rule of thumb: use ‘s for singular case and s’ for plural case, right? Nope. If it was, why would apostrophes be style? Plural forms of
#02: Apostrophe’s Role in Ruining Relationships Read More »
Patent pending… Here is a quick summary of the Miranda Style: · Apostrophes: Always use ’s with singular possessive cases (i.e., Elvis’s song). · Colons: Use colons to introduce written texts, lists, and for multiple simultaneous conversations. · Commas: Minimal commas. Always use Oxford commas. · Dashes: Use em dashes for emphasis, interruptions, nonessential information,
#10: The Miranda Style of Punctuation Read More »
Does reading an article about commas bore you? Yeah, us too. We’ll keep it brief to keep you from going comma-tose. You’re welcome for the horrible joke. By definition, a comma is a soft pause in a sentence. This is because there is no other good way to show taking a breath in written language.
#04: The Oxford Comma Debate is Dumb, Stupid, and Idiotic Read More »
Thank God for clickbait… Most dictionaries and website sources say that a semicolon is “more pronounced than a comma yet less pronounced than that of a period.” But what does that even mean? Let’s cut through the BS, shall we? To be frank, punctuation is a visual tool used by writers to more effectively communicate
#09: Semicolons; More like Semi-Stupid! Read More »
Admittedly, we might be a bit biased, but we won’t apologize (and we certainly won’t use parentheses to apologize!). In fiction writing, parentheses are used mainly to provide additional, nonessential details to the narrative and for satire. They work very similarly to em dashes—if you aren’t familiar with this type of punctuation, then please review
#08: Parentheses (Are For Suckers) Read More »
Oh, the irony! Puns aside, hyphens can change the entire meaning of a sentence and are really the one form of punctuation that does matter. Well, kind of. More on that later. For now, let’s review a couple of real-world examples: A man eating chicken is a man who’s eating chicken. A man-eating chicken is
#07: Hyphenated. Non–Hyphenated. Read More »
Ellipsis… and Other Words You Don’t Know Like abecedarian. You know what that means? No? Ha! An ellipsis—plural form: ellipses—is a set of three dots that triggers a break in fiction writing. The primary uses in dialogue are to show visually that a character is pausing, trailing away, or shift the focus from dialogue to
#06: Ellipsis… and Other Words You Don’t Know Read More »
Because there are em dashes! Get it? …No? So much for our education systems. Let me explain. Before we can discuss the uses of dashes in fiction writing, we must first describe hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes: Hyphens are smaller than dashes and used for connecting letters of a compound word (e.g., twenty-four hours,
#05: Dashes—They’re Like M&M’s Read More »
Colonoscopies, on the other hand… Colons are surprisingly useful—unlike parentheses. However, you should still be careful in how often you use colons. By definition, a colon is a punctuation mark that introduces text. Remember that word: introduces. That’s what makes it different from other punctuation and can even allow a colon to replace a comma,
#03: Colons: They’re Not Awful Read More »
