Get Your Grammar Fix(ed): Semicolons, a Balancing Act

How do you feel about semicolons? 

This super cute card is available from Fishcakes by Voz on Etsy. Oh, the stuff.

There's a movement to oust them from polite fiction society. But whether or not you're a fan, Grammar-me says correct usage is important. 

I've met some semicolon-haters; I've met adoring believers.

Some writers use them sparingly; some overuse them.

A disappointing number of published writers use them incorrectly. (This is why editors earn their keep). *wink*

Today, my plan is to: 

• explain the balancing act, the role of a semicolon
• give you other options with the "degrees of separation" 
• mention one other way semicolons can be used in fiction and
• hear back from you 

Are You Seriously Asking Me That? Get Your Grammar Fix(ed)

Dearest peoples of Writerdom,

Grammar Fixes are short and spicy. A minute or less.

I'll announce last week's contest winners at the end of the post.

Today, we're talking about a common mistake that has become a pet peeve of mine. I see this pet so often I've thought about naming it. (Comment with your suggestions. Winner receives a virtual fist bump and a public accolade.) 

It's a sentence that's terribly, devastatingly insecure. Like this one:

I'm so confused?

I must admit, it's clear that the speaker does have a question in her mind. She's confused. Here are some possible things she could legitimately ask:

Which should I choose?

What do you think?

Am I crazy for wondering about this?

Those are questions and should be graced with a question mark.

But the original example is a statement of a fact. It's declarative. The speaker is sharing something about herself. She's saying she's confused. The only question is in her head.

And the only question mark should be at the end of that mental question.

Remember:

A declarative sentence states a fact, an opinion, or an observation.
An interrogative sentence asks a question.



When in doubt about which end mark belongs at the end of your sentence, use this little gem to help you discern.

"Am I seriously asking that?"

If you are truly, literally asking something, then use a question mark. 

But if your mind is full of questions or uncertainty, and you're telling someone about it, then TELL them, and punctuate it with a period.

Quiz time: Which end mark goes at the end of this one?

Kayla wondered what was wrong with the children__

If you said, "A period," I congratulate you. She wondered. If the sentence stopped THERE, the period would be obvious. All we've added is that you now know WHAT she wondered.

If you said a question mark, it was probably because you were thinking of a sentence like this one instead.

Kayla wondered, "What is wrong with the children?"

In the second sentence, Kayla is asking a literal question.

Got it? 

And now to announce the two winners of a free Genesis contest entry or first chapter edit (up to fifteen pages).

Drum roll, please...

The winner of Bethany's edit is Dana Black!

And Alyssa Leonard gets to work with Erynn! 

Congrats, ladies. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you. You can email us when you're ready at 

alittleredink@gmail(dot)com

If you're entering the ACFW Genesis contest for unpublished authors and were seriously hoping to win, we've got a special offer going until March 1 at midnight. 

To the tune of $30. 

Don't wait until the last minute. 

Now, if you feel so inclined, help me name my little pet peeve.

Thanks for swinging by,

Thanks to Russ Allison Loar and Tsahi Levent-Levi for the pics.

Get Your Grammar Fix(ed): Let's Chat Awhile

"Awhile" does not equal "a while," but the trick to remembering the difference is one a lot of people never quite grasp.

The key is to see "a while" as two very separate words--an article and a noun referring to a quantity of time--similar to "a second," "an era," or "a moment."

"Awhile" as one word is an adverb. Only. It answers the question "How long?"

How long will we wait? 

Let's wait awhile.

So, in today's title, "awhile" modifies "chat." How long will we chat? Awhile.

We sat outside awhile.

Tom and Jerry spent a while (as in a few minutes) ice skating in the newly frozen kitchen. 

That's one of my favorite episodes ever. Not my absolute favorite, mind you. THAT would be when Tom sings, "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?"

Anyhoo, the only time the awhile/a while issue really needs to be confusing is when you use the word "for" and make it into a prepositional phrase.

We sat outside for a while. 

In that case, "for" is a preposition, and "while" is its object. The tricksy part is that the entire prepositional phrase acts as an adverb answering the question "How long?"

Make sense? Think about it awhile, and you'll get it. And if you don't, hire an editor who knows the difference when you're ready.

Let's do something fun to finish off the day. In the comments, tell me what YOUR favorite episode of Tom and Jerry is.

Thanks to cmdrfire for the use of the photo.

Get Your Grammar Fix(ed): New Series and a Giveaway

If I were to offer help getting a handle on the grammar of the English language in a minute or less each week, would you take me up on it?

Think of it as one-minute professional development. 

You spend time learning how to structure your plot, how to research and win an agent, how to balance life and career, how to market...the list goes on. Among all these writerly musts is the craft of writing itself. When an agent sees a manuscript with excellent grammar, it adds to the author's esteem. "Here’s someone," they think, "who took the time to master the language as well as tell a story." It’s a professional bonus.

You know who else appreciates it? Readers. 

If you're going the traditional route, you'll be assigned an editor. The publishing house will make sure that your book is as error-free as possible. But if you're an indie or hybrid author, then it's largely up to you. You want to offer a quality product, to be known for your characters, story-world, and whiplash-inducing plots. You want people to talk about your book like it was an experience—but not about your typos and your grammar. 

Of course, the best thing to do is to hire an editor.

I'm here to tell you I understand that it's expensive. Plan for it from the beginning. Budget for it. Research and find an editor you trust. And this: make sure your manuscript is as polished as possible before you send it off. 

If you find someone who charges by the hour, realize that it will save you money if they have less to do. Sure, I might be shooting myself in the foot here, but I'm a writer first, editor second. I get it. I'm also a grammar nerd. (It's okay. I don't balk at the title. I bask in it. If you've read my bio, you've heard this before.) 

I've decided to launch a new series: Get Your Grammar Fix(ed). Life is busy. Nobody wants to spend their spare time dwelling in grammar land—not even me. But I do love grammar, and I want to see it used well. Starting next weekend, I'll post a new bite-sized lesson each week. We'll cover sentence structure, verb tenses, comma splices, and anything else you need. I'll even address passive voice (as in not active voice). Dull writing skulks around introducing himself as passive, but we'll tackle him in a different post. 

Understanding the rules and seeing an example are all you need to learn to do it correctly on your own. I believe all writers should know the language well-enough to bend—and occasionally break—the rules with flair.

Take a minute to bookmark this baby (and share it, too!) Let me know in the comment section what topics you need me to cover, and I'll do it. We'll never run out of grammar, but if there's something that's particularly irking you in your writing, and you can't nail it down, ask me.

Right now, if you sign up to follow the blog and comment below with a grammar topic or common mistake, Erynn and I will choose a random winner for a $5 Starbucks gift card. Jump into the conversation!