Punxsutawney Phil & Punctuation

Poor guy.

Both PP & P will be discussed in this, my first official Inkpot post in a long time, but if you thought I’d find a way to tie the topics together, sorry. The headline was just an irresistible alliteration as well as a shameless attempt to get picked up by search engines. This is mostly about punctuation and a little bit about Punxsutawney Phil. 

First, the groundhog.

I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Six weeks of winter means different things to different regions, so why is this always national news? Also, where is PETA when you want it? That poor rodent.

Now on to punctuation, specifically the semi-colon. A few of us on the Inkpot have taken on the topic of favorite and least-favorite punctuation. Liza Ketchum found and shared a lovely poem that made punctuation sexy and Anne Ursu introduced us to National Punctuation Day.  Em dashes and ellipses have also inspired Inkpotters. 

Today we’re discussing the semi-colon.  In my writing the semi-colon is more of a tic than a tool. When editing my last couple of projects I‘ve conceded as much, and I now do a search for all semi-colons when revising so that I can consider and likely change them all, just like I search for certain words (such as just).   

I did just such a search yesterday, and the result was 66 semi-colons in 282 pages. Too much? Some people would say that even one is too much. In case you’re one of those people, maybe you should read this interview with the semi-colon. It’s a much stronger defense than I would be able to muster. Enjoy.

PARENTHETICAL ASIDES (And Other Addictions)

We all have our ticks. Some conscious, others not. Have you ever noticed upon re-reading your first drafts you tend to use (often overuse) certain words or phrases? I am especially prone to beginning sentences with “But.” Sometimes a well-placed “but” can work wonders, but more often than not it’s just filler. BUT I also overuse “just” to the point of it sounding JUST plain weird. These words are easy to cut: “I overuse “just” to the point of it sounding weird.” Once you become familiar with your particular word habit it becomes second nature to eliminate them in later drafts. (“also” is a word I get carried away with, as I notice in the sentence above.)

BUT, (would “however” work better as an opener here?) one of my all time favorites is the parenthetical aside. I am still trying to figure out if this is a nasty habit that ought to be sliced from every first draft, or is it actually one that marks my individual writing style? I used to think I had to get rid of them all, but now I am beginning to embrace my love of parentheses. I use them in lieu of the comma (comma overuse bugs me), but mostly I use them as a little whisper into the reader’s ear that may add another layer to the meaning of my line. (Or is it merely a layer of contradictory cockiness I am adding?) I am sure I use them incorrectly at times, (and annoyingly). Like “buts,” “justs,” and “alsos,” they could be eliminated, but for now I have decided to embrace my predilection for parentheses and leave them be.

If you’re concerned about the correct usage of parenthetical asides (obviously I am not) you can always go here…

Perhaps I ought to write a book using as many asides as possible—this sounds like a thrill to me, even though it may end up being completely annoying to the reader. (However I’ll continue to cut the other nasty habits). BUT it ALSO may JUST be the cure I need to get over my obsession (I mean: “it may be the cure…”). Or perhaps it is the only way to figure out how to use them wisely (after all a well-placed parenthetical aside can work wonders, too!) It's all style, no?

PS. I love the em dash (—) as well, but that’s another story.
(Oh, then there’s the ellipses…!)