#overuse of exclamation points

[scenedenial]

what are your fanfiction icks that will make you stop reading immediately. can be general or fandom specific

[spair-m]

If anyone feels like silently judging my music tastes, here’s my playlist

Also just cause, why not

(You can ignore the occasional danish songs)

[karebear923]

I finally finished Pit Babe!

What a wild ride!

It really took me months (cause I’m a fool lol) but it was very enjoyable! I’m excited for season 2!

Ok let’s get into the finale:

My NorthSonic feels!!! 😭 look at North protecting his boy!!! If they don’t get together in season 2 I’m rioting!!! Maybe even with Kim too, fandom says poly could happen!

And poor baby Kenta!!!! 😭 all he’s ever wanted was for his dad to love him, but Daddy Tony (who didn’t actually die!?) is evil and never loved him 😞 I wish him lots of healing in season 2 🙏🏽 pls don’t turn evil!

WAY’S DEATH GOT TO ME OKAY??? 😭 I said all season long how I hated him but he was forgiven by Babe and so I forgive him too 🥺 when everyone surrounded him and Alan was crying hard cause that was one of his kids he’s known for 10 years, I actually shed tears too!!! 😭 idk where season 2’s taking him but if he’s alive then I hope he’s honestly changed and is good again! No more being seduced by the dark side!

I think Babe was so strong for wanting to forgive his dad! He did it for himself too cause he doesn’t want to carry that pain anymore. I hope we get to see more of their relationship in season 2! And maybe something plot-wise with the science his dad knows.

EXCUSE ME!?!?! WE GOT TWO RIDING SCENES!?!?!? THEY DID THIS FOR ME!!!! THANK YOU OMEGAVERSE FAST & FURIOUS SHOW!!!

I’m sorry to the writers but Babe is pregnant and it’s canon because the fandom says so! Anything season 2 might say that goes against that is just wrong 🤷🏽‍♀️

This as the final shot is so beautiful. I’m not good with words but it’s something about the scenery and the sunset and how happy and comfortable both couples are just basking in each other’s presence!! The two brothers with their lovers get their happy ending!!! 🥰

Overall I enjoyed the show more than I thought I would! I didn’t think it’d be for me but I had a good time with it. And I’m super glad me thirsting after the spicy gif sets helped me make a new friend! 😅

I’m excited to see where season 2 takes the story and to have the fandom going insane over these crazy plots again! This time I’ll be ready to join in! 😄 until next time, Pit Babe! 👋🏽😘

[becomegold]

@cardiomyapathy

[ SMS → connard ] i still hate you [ SMS → connard ] ALSO !!!! [ SMS → connard ] miss u !!! [ SMS → connard ] i'm in new york for the week 😎

[alkeneater]

*raises hand* since magic is confirmed to be canon to the clone high universe, does the same apply to your au? orrrr is it just purely sci fi no fantasy elements?

I know magic is cool and everything but I'm not a big fan of it personally 😭 "it can happen just because of MAGIC" sounds like a weak explanation (no judging btw, I'm not calling fantasy a bad thing), so i prefer scifi in my AU.

Actually, it's even more fun trying to explain how some magic powers work. It doesn't have to be extremely accurate, you don't have to research for hours just to understand how electricity works or anything. Just tie the magic to some fictional high tech gadget. For example: if your character can generate electricity with their hands - make them a pair of electric gloves. They can read minds or hypnotize people? Make them a hacker who can hack brain implants. If they can transform... well...... that's a hard one... make them being able to transform in augmented/virtual reality? After all, many people in my au are constantly wearing ar/vr sets so their vision is very easy to manipulate. See? If you try hard enough you can come up with a (half-)realistic explanation to any magic trick.

😔 BUT i don't want to restrict people too much... If you want, you can use magic in my AU, sure... Just don't make your characters godlike or anything. We want everyone to be equal in their struggles 🙏

yknow, cyberpunk genre is all about high tech and low life, negative effects of capitalism, dying nature and pollution, depression and inequality. I just don't think magic fits there... It makes the concept a bit too hopeful 😭 Like, some supernatural powers can change the world suddenly. And it's just... WELL... Impossible 💔

But still, if you have troubles with following this universe's rules, I can't forbid you adding a little bit of magic in my universe. After all, I'm open to anything as long as it makes things more fun to yall!! I want you to enjoy this story as much as possible so ❤️ yeah a little bit of magic won't hurt

[misc-obeyme]

this is extremely random, but i really love how you answer asks 🥹 they're all so thought out and you always seem so interested. its just really nice to see, and i wanted to tell you that! debating on going anonymous but i choose bravery haha

Ahh!! Hello, my friend!!

I really love to answer asks, though I sometimes worry that my response can get kind of lengthy lol! But I am indeed always interested and I try really hard to convey that the best I can. So I'm really happy to hear that you like my responses!!

Honestly, I'm just excited to be here and to have people interested in interacting with me at all. And I think it's so fun that we can all bond over the same game, whether that's talking about the characters or discussing OCs! (Although I am happy to talk about anything at all lol.)

People sometimes express that they're nervous to talk to me and it baffles me every time, so I'm glad you chose bravery! I really enjoy your art, thank you for blessing us with long haired Asmo and Barbatos! As a person who enjoys men with long hair, I am continually displeased that we don't get even one in the game. Who was in charge of that decision?

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to send me this lovely message, I truly appreciate it!

[likeclarabow]

Ok I've heard about Emma Lord. Hit me. Where should I start?

ooh ok i think Tweet Cute is my favourite out of her books, but you really can't go wrong. there's something very charming about all of them that always fills a hole in my heart

like don't get me wrong they are quite cheesy but its charming and fun and i always have the best time with them

a quick rundown of what i remember from each of them:

tweet cute: rivals-to-lovers! social media is very important to the plot (thankfully no mention of tiktok)!, an overachiever who needs a break! food descriptions!

you have a match: summer camp! secret siblings! falling for your best friend while being at summer camp (its an underused setting in ya books ok)

when you get the chance: new york! broadway! mamma-mia levels of lovable potential parents! also rivals but they're both theatre kids!

begin again: university > high school (this is imo another deeply underused setting in books outside of dark academia the sheer potential for chaos is unmatched)! fun friend groups! bagels!

[virmillion]

housekeeping!!! finally migrated all my ragt shit over to its own scrivener document (again... don't pour water on ur laptop bossmen), so here is this post! everything older than this is already in the doc and/or the img folder, and does not need re-categorizing! <3

[andy-15-07]

OMG imagine coming home drunk from a girls night and Pedro is already waiting

A Little Tipsy, A Lot in Love

PAIRING:Pedro Pascal x reader

WORD COUNT:919| requests are open (send requests, I will gladly answer them all)

Pedro Pascal Masterlist

A/n:I'm sorry I haven't been active in the last week, school kept me busy, now I have more free time and I will respond to all your requests.

Y/N stumbled through the front door, giggling to herself as she struggled to toe off her heels. Her purse barely clung to her shoulder, and her hair was slightly tousled from dancing all night. The faint scent of tequila and lime clung to her, evidence of the wild girls’ night she had just returned from.

Pedro, already waiting on the couch, raised an eyebrow as he watched the scene unfold. He had been expecting this—her texts throughout the night had been riddled with typos and an overuse of exclamation points. "Had fun, did we?"

Y/N gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "Pedro Pascal! How dare you sneak up on me in my own house!" She swayed slightly and narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait… this is my house, right?"

Pedro chuckled, pushing himself up from the couch and walking over to her. "Yeah, sweetheart. It’s your house. Our house. Remember?" He reached out to steady her as she wobbled, his hands resting on her arms, warm and steady.

She leaned into him with a dreamy sigh. "You're so warm. Like a big, handsome space heater."

"Glad I could be of service," he teased, guiding her towards the couch. "How many drinks did you have?"

She flopped down with an exaggerated groan, throwing her arms up. "Math is hard. But… maybe four margaritas? Or five? There was a round of shots too, but I stopped counting after three."

Pedro sighed, shaking his head fondly. "Remind me to send a strongly worded text to your friends for letting you get this drunk."

"Excuse me, sir! I am an independent woman!" She poked his chest with surprising force. "And I had the best night. You should’ve been there!" She pouted. "We danced, we screamed ‘Shakira Shakira’ at the top of our lungs, and we might have convinced the bartender to play 'Toxic' five times."

Pedro smirked, sitting down beside her. "Sounds like I missed out."

She nodded aggressively, her whole body swaying with the motion. "You did! Also, do you know how cute you are? Because let me tell you something, Pedro Pascal, you are—" She booped his nose. "—so freakin’ cute."

He laughed, catching her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "You’re extra affectionate when you're drunk."

She gasped again, eyes wide. "I am always affectionate. I just have no filter right now." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper like she was about to reveal a world-altering secret. "And I may have told my friends I was gonna marry you."

Pedro's eyebrows shot up, amusement flickering across his face. "Oh?"

She nodded, suddenly very serious. "Yep. And they all agreed because, duh, look at you." She squished his face between her hands, her palms warm against his cheeks. "Handsome. Sweet. And you smell good. Like, stupidly good. It’s unfair, really."

Pedro let out a deep laugh, shaking his head as he pried her hands away. "Alright, mi amor, let's get you some water before you start planning the wedding guest list."

Y/N groaned, flopping back against the couch. "Fine, but only because my mouth is dry. And maybe because I love you stupid much."

Pedro stood up and walked towards the kitchen, calling back, "And then you’re going to bed."

She peeked up at him through her lashes. "Only if you tuck me in."

He shot her a knowing look. "I always do."

She smiled, watching him fondly, her vision slightly hazy from the alcohol but her heart clear as ever. "Ugh, you’re the best. Like, top-tier best."

Pedro returned with a glass of water, kneeling in front of her and placing it in her hands. "I know, baby. Now drink up."

As she sipped, she squinted at him, her brows furrowing in thought. "Wait. Did I tell you that sober?"

Pedro grinned, his eyes warm and full of something deeper than just amusement. "You will tomorrow."

The next morning, Y/N woke up to the soft scent of coffee and the feeling of a warm, familiar arm draped over her waist. She groaned, her head pounding slightly, as the memories of the night before trickled in.

Pedro’s chuckle rumbled against her back. "Morning, future Mrs. Pascal."

Her eyes shot open. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. What did I say?"

He kissed her temple, his voice laced with laughter. "Nothing you don't already mean, cariño. But don't worry—I won't hold you to that wedding plan just yet."

She buried her face in his chest with a muffled groan. "I hate drunk me."

Pedro smirked, tilting her chin up so she had to look at him. "I love all versions of you. Even the one that boops my nose and declares her love to an entire bar."

She groaned again, this time with a small smile. "Fine. But next time, you're coming with me."

"Deal," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Now drink your coffee before I have to carry you to the kitchen."

She sighed dramatically. "You're so bossy. But fine, only because I love you stupid much."

Pedro grinned. "I know, baby. You told me last night."

Y/N playfully smacked his chest before settling back against him, sipping her coffee as Pedro held her close. She might have embarrassed herself last night, but as Pedro kissed the top of her head and murmured sweet nothings against her hair, she figured that if she had to be drunk in love, she wouldn’t want it to be with anyone else but him.

[la-gotica-fantasma]

Nineteen writing tips I've picked up / been told -

~ ( Disclaimer : I am not telling you what to do or what you can and cannot do. Writing is personal, stylized, and a vessel for self-expression. Your writing is YOURS suga, and however you do it is beautiful. This post is just some advice I've found insightful, and maybe you could too. ᓚᘏᗢ ) ~

★ If you cannot tell if your story is connecting - read it out loud

★ If you have a really good idea, and you are practically itching to write it right now - then do !! Jot down that amazing idea and then connect all those frayed wires.

★ If you want the reader to be attached to a character - let that character be imperfect. Let them be selfish, overzealous, clumsy, or naive. / Let their good traits have bad days.

( examples include, but are not limited to; )

Savior-complex: Pushing too hard to help someone and hurting them more.

Patience: Being left high and dry.

High tolerance: Other characters overestimating their ability to tolerate anything.

Selfless: 'Character X' putting themselves after others to the point that 'Character Y ' has to forget about themselves to be able to keep 'Character X' afloat.

Bonding: Building an unhealthy reliance with one another.

★ If you want a character to be [emotionally] complex - let their emotions conflict. / Let morals be mixed into their dilemma (if they have one). / Try not to let the plot overshadow the characters inner conflict.

★ If you have a work in progress that you want to finish, but can't find motivation to - that's okay !! You're allowed to wait, and you're allowed to come back later with a bajillion ideas !!!

★ If you have plot holes - don't overwork yourself trying to getting rid of them !!! There are plot holes in stories that are TRUE, it'd be impossible to fix all plot holes.

★ If you are writing first person / thought - give their thought process a voice. How do they think? How do they structure their sentences? What phrases do they often use?

★ If you are writing stuttering, people rarely ever stutter "L-l-like..... T-t-this." - Stuttering is usually the repeating of the same part in a sentence, going back on it, like they're editing their sentence. / Space in between words, breathing, preparing. / Filler words !!! "Oh- I- I just-.. uhmm.. I was- I was just giving.. an example."

★ Don't 'CAPITALIZE' dialogue to show that they are yelling / shouting / screaming - we can convey yelling with how we phrase their speech, exclamation marks, etc.

★ Don't be afraid to make a character have hate for another character - nobody can like everybody. It can add personality and makes the character all the more realistic for the reader

★ Sensory details are always great to have in your work !!! But in action scenes - having less sensory detail is almost always more immersive.

"Why?", Because if a character is in an active sword fight with another character, their focus wouldn't be on the way the moonlight spills through the mesh curtains, or how their hand feels against the handle.

Putting those details before or after is so much more realistic and lets the reader grab and hang on to what you have to say, instead of a zip line with loose handlebars.

★ Don't be afraid to use tropes - it's not cheating in the slightest, you are the one writing it. Nobody else could've used the trope like you would. / You can use tropes to your advantage; readers find security in tropes, let the reader think "I see this often, they'll _____" and then totally 180 them.

★ Kill "Show. Don't tell." - you can do both !! It will be right either way, but always choosing one or the other disengages the reader from certain aspects.

★ Kill "Said is Dead" - you can lack the word "said" just as much as you can overuse it !!!

★ It isn't just about if a character coaxed, agreed, revealed, or proposed the dialogue. - It's also about how they did it. Was it soft? Sand papery? Rich? Confident? Hesitant?

★ Chaos doesn't solve 'everything' - but it solves a boatload.

★ Your story doesn't have to have a happy ending for the main character.

★ If a scene feels random or forced - check if you have motive for the scene

★ If you think of yourself as a bad writer, or you're self-conscious of your writing, remember - that no matter what, you will always be a better writer than Colleen Hoover.

~ ( Reminder : If you live by any of the things I mentioned, this is no hate to you. I am not shunning you, nor the way you write. Your current writing and your future growth is beautiful. But, if you like Colleen Hoover you can block me. ᓚᘏᗢ ) ~

[lionofchaeronea]

I've been reading the Complete Poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and as wonderful as he was, he had an excessive fondness for a certain punctuation mark. So, me being me, I decided to have a little fun with it. Enjoy.

TEXT:

A SONNET: TO THE EXCLAMATION POINT

O exclamation point! Most overused Throughout English Romantic poesy! I marvel at the way thou art abused In every ode and sonnet that I see!

O fair and noble punctuation mark! O ender of each sentence and each clause! When I encounter thee, a voice cries "Hark!", And I compel my reading eyes to pause,

Awaiting some dramatic turn of phrase To drive the shades of boredom all away: Lo! Here it comes! I startle with amaze! And yet, to thee I raise my voice and pray:

O herald of an overheated style, Could we get a question mark once in a while?

[karebear923]

Vice Versa rewatch ep 7

Ep 7 is sunset orange! This color can mean a strong evocative feeling. And my emotions were high the whole time!

Right off the bat, I’m crying!! 😭 both of them think their love is unrequited!

Talay, your mixed signals are hurting us all!! 😭

And then he purposely puts on the cologne Puen said he liked! But Puen isn’t at the movies cause he’s with Pang like Talay said to do 😞

(Also those theater seats are huge! And come with extra pillows?? We need that here!)

Kita continues to be the best advice and comfort giving friend! Pepper I love you in every role!

I know Talay’s sad right now, but here’s a quick Sea Tawinan mole appreciation! 🥰

I love Sea’s singing voice! I love this song! I love this group of friends! I love Kentucky Fried Chicken!

They’ve been in the other universe for a whole year now! 😱 wow…. More tears from me 😭

Puen’s brokenhearted face!!! 😭😭😭 my poor boy!!! Both of them are hurting cause they still are unsure about how the other feels!!!

This scene confused me at first watch, but it was perfectly explained by the VV queen herself, @stormyoceans in this post:

(No screenshots or gifs for these next scenes cause part 4/4 has unsynched captions and I hate it so much)

And then Talay “breaks up” with Puen thinking he’s doing what’s best but Pang helps him finally see that Puen has real genuine feelings for him and he’s not just messing with him!!

And he goes to find him and apologizes for it and Puen says he wants them to be each other’s portkeys and Talay says he won’t leave him again cause they promised to go back together and… and… and…

I’M A SOBBING CRYING MESS 😭😭😭

This episode had my heart clenching and my tears flowing the whole time 😭❤️ Vice Versa, the love story that you are!!! Brb, going to watch the Have I Found music video again and again…

[seeingteacupsindragons]

On using epithets...

A lot of advice on them is to not use them at all or to use them very sparingly when a name isn't indicated. And I understand that impulse because...yeah they get overused a lot especially by writers who aren't confident enough yet to overcome the fear of "overusing" a name (very rare problem) or haven't figured out more seamless and invisible ways to indicate a character.

But an epithet can also do a lot.

Basically, using an epithet indicates that this description of them is the most overriding and distinguishing feature a person has. This is how you're referring to them and how you're indicating this person specifically.

Obviously people do this when they know nothing else about someone (nameless guards, soldiers, audience members...whatever). But it's a lot more unusual when the reader and characters know who a character is and knows a lot more of their traits and quirks and thinks of them as a character or a person. My friends don't think of me as "a blogger" or "that online weirdo" (uhhh, probably)—they think of me as "Marr" (or in @quill-of-thoth's case, my government name). Because "Marr" encompasses my whole ass identity (or at least my online one).

But there are still times even after you know a character and everything about them that epithets can be useful and warranted.

"Their friend" at a pivotal moment emphasizes a friendship. Usually you wouldn't have to do that because your reader knows the friendship. But during a betrayal, a smile from "their friend" to indicate this is still somehow the person they love? Killer. "Their friend" to indicate this is the most important relationship to them, even if they're risking making it a romance or something? Killer. "Their friend" to contrast someone else in the scene to emphasize that a third person is not? Killer.

"The soldier" can do a lot to describe that every other facet of who they are has been emotionally compartmentalized away for combat. "The soldier" can do a lot to describe the way someone tucks away their individuality for their cause. "The soldier" can do a lot to describe someone's readiness and constant vigilance.

"The elder" can do a lot to emphasize their maturity. Or their weariness. Or their rank.

Epithets can be really powerful and useful tools to make an incisive, descriptive point.

They just feel weird when they're not being used to make a point and hanging out subbing in for a name, the same way using an excess array of various dialogue tags instead of sticking to more unremarkable ones the majority of the time.

Epithets are a lot more visible than names are, the same way, "he shrieked," is a lot more noticeable than "he said," or just an exclamation point.

Your reader will notice your epithets. What do you want them to notice?

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Punctuation Marks

In speaking, we use pauses and the pitch of the voice to make what we say clear. Punctuation plays a similar role in writing, making it easier to read.

Punctuation consists of both rules and conventions. There are rules of punctuation that have to be followed; but there are also punctuation conventions that give writers greater choice.

The standard English punctuation is as follows: period/full stop, comma, apostrophe, quotation, question, exclamation, brackets, braces, parenthesis, dash, hyphen, ellipsis, colon, semicolon.

. PERIOD/FULL STOP

Use a period/full stop to mark the end of a sentence:

We went to France last summer.

We were really surprised that it was so easy to travel on the motorways.

In addition to closing sentences, we also use full stops in initials for personal names:

G. W. Dwyer

David A. Johnston, Accountant

Full stops are also used after abbreviations, although this practice is becoming less common:

Arr. (arrival)

etc. (etcetera)

Dr. (doctor)

, COMMA

We use commas to separate a list of similar words or phrases:

It’s important to write in clear, simple, accurate words.

We do not normally use a comma before and at the end of a list of single words:

They travelled through Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

American English does use a comma in lists before and:

We took bread, cheese, and fruit with us.

Note: the Oxford comma, also known as a serial comma, is placed immediately before the conjunction—usually “and,”. “or,” or “nor”—in a series of three or more terms.

We use commas to separate words or phrases that mark where the voice would pause slightly:

I can’t tell you now. However, all will be revealed tomorrow at midday.

We had, in fact, lost all of our money.

James, our guide, will accompany you on the boat across to the island.

' APOSTROPHE

Apostrophes are used to mark possession and to mark contractions. They are also used to denote a quotation mark in material that is already being quoted.

It was James’ car that the drunk driver hit.

“James said, ‘If you come any closer I’ll call the police.’”

'...' or "..." QUOTATION MARKS

Quotation marks in English are ‘…’ or “…”. In direct speech, we enclose what is said within a pair of single or double quotation marks, although single quotation marks are becoming more common.

Lydia said, “Is this my prom dress?”

Quotation marks are used to inform a reader either of something that was spoken or something that is being directly copied from another work. Quotes should also be placed around a word if it is used in a specific context or otherwise bears special attention. In informal applications, quotations can also be used to denote something that is ironic.

? QUESTION MARK

Use question marks to make clear that what is said is a question. When we use a question mark, we do not use a period/full stop:

Why do they make so many mistakes?

! EXCLAMATION POINT/MARK

Use an exclamation point/mark after a command or other expression that expresses strong feeling or deserves special emphasis:

For the last time, stop distracting me!

Fire! Fire!

We use exclamation points/marks to indicate an exclamative clause or expression in informal writing. When we want to emphasise something in informal writing, we sometimes use more than one exclamation point/mark:

Listen!!

Use exclamation points sparingly. Overuse dilutes their impact.

( ) [ ] { } PARENTHESIS, BRACKET, BRACES

Parentheses note non-essential information that could be skipped without altering the meaning of a sentence. Brackets are most commonly employed in academic writing within a quotation where the writer is omitting or explaining something. In either case, the writer places a bracket within the quote [explains or places an ellipsis and] closes the bracket to continue the quote. Braces are used quite rarely and are employed to essentially make a list within a list.

Cora (the woman who lives down the street from Jane) works as a paralegal.

Professor Brown claims, “She [the novel’s central character] is an example of a strong African-American woman.”

Before I go on vacation I need to pack my bags {clothes, toiletries and shoes}, unplug the TV, and close all of the windows.

more on: ( ) PARENTHESES

Use parentheses to enclose information that is helpful or informative but not essential:

When you get to that big farmhouse (three miles from I-270), turn left.

If parentheses enclose a question or exclamation, keep the question mark or exclamation point inside the parentheses:

Shema received Omar’s text (when did he get an iPhone 6s?) and replied yesterday.

However, capitalize or include periods only if the parenthetical sentence is not enclosed within another complete sentence:

I told my partner (we had been married only five days) that I missed her desperately.

I told my partner that I missed her desperately. (We had been married only five days.)

more on: [ ] BRACKETS

Use brackets to add an explanation or comment to a direct quote:

Berta wondered aloud, “Why did it [Joker] end that way?”

“This poem [“We Real Cool”] made Brooks famous,” explained Professor Choi.

Use brackets to enclose text that is already in parentheses:

According to this chart (Temperature Extremes [Fig. 4]), we've had a record-setting winter.

Put the Latin word “sic” in brackets to indicate that a mistake in a word or phrase appeared in the original source:

Their fundraising letter began, “Dear Fiends [sic].”

— DASH

Dashes are generally not in common use but denote a tangent within a thought. There are two kinds of dashes, an “en” dash and an “em” dash.

En dashes essentially are the same glyph as hyphens but fill a different purpose. Em dashes are longer, an easy way to remember is that an en dash is the length of an “n” and an Em dash is the length of an “m”.

I think that my dog is a genius — but doesn’t everybody think their pet is?

Dashes are able to substitute for commas and semicolons in the right situation. They can replace commas to note non-essential information or semicolon to note an example. Despite, and because of this versatility dashes should not be frequently employed in your writing.

The multitude of applications make dashes easy to overuse taking away from, rather than adding to clarity in your writing.

Note: Dashes can either connect to the surrounding words or be separated by a space, it is an issue of style, be sure to ask your professors if they have a preference.

more on: — EM DASH

Formed by two hyphens, dashes mark an abrupt break in a sentence. Less formal than either parentheses or commas, a dash—highlighting whatever is set apart—also creates a dramatic pause.

Use a dash (instead of parentheses) when a parenthetic expression is lengthy, contains commas, or deserves special emphasis:

My grandmother's house—the apartment in the city, not the clapboard cottage on the beach—has been sold.

Daynel told me—and don’t breathe a word of this to anyone—that he was fired Wednesday.

Use a dash to emphasize or to set off a single word, an appositive, or a summary:

There’s one way in which to succeed—hard work.

I cannot believe what she puts on her hamburger—sauerkraut.

They graduated, married, and divorced—all this change in just six months.

Use a dash to show an abrupt change in thought:

You are NOT dragging me to that movie—oh, what the heck, start the car.

Use a dash to mark an interruption or pause in dialogue:

“Would—would you mind terribly?”

- HYPHEN

Hyphenate multiple words acting as a single adjective before a noun:

state-of-the-art design

greenish-blue eyes

Hyphenate compound numbers:

twenty-eight

ninety-three

Hyphenate certain prefixes and suffixes:

all-school assembly

self-esteem

Hyphenate words to avoid ambiguity:

Since Sylvia auctioned all my records, I’ll have to re-collect them.

Hyphenate some compound words to avoid awkward double or triple letters:

anti-inflammatory

cross-stitch

Use a dictionary to check standard usage of hyphenated words, e.g., whistle blower, whistleblower, or whistle-blower.

Never use a hyphen between an adverb ending in “ly” and the adjective it modifies.

. . . ELLIPSIS

Use three spaced periods (ellipsis) to indicate the omission of one or more words in a direct quote. Beginning a quotation with an ellipsis is unnecessary. End a quotation with an ellipsis only if words have been omitted from the end of the final quoted sentence:

“Now, as a nation . . . we were founded on the idea that everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed.”

“brilliant . . . an amazingly insightful film”

If the ellipsis represents the omission of a complete sentence or more, use four periods instead of three:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person. . . . We are the change that we seek.”

: COLON

Use a colon to introduce ideas or a series of details that explain the preceding independent clause. A colon may call attention to an appositive, example, list, or a quotation:

Only one thing was important to her: the truth.

The reasons for divorce are many: money, infidelity, children, or boredom.

The sense of unity with nature is vividly shown in Zen Buddhist poetry: “An old pine tree preaches wisdom.”

Use a colon when required by convention:

Biblical references: Genesis 1:1

Business letter salutations: Dear Professor Devall:

Certain titles and subtitles: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

Periodical Volume and Number: Harper’s 203:16

Periodical Volume and Page Number: Harper’s 203:98–101

Time: 12:15 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

; SEMI-COLON

We use semi-colons instead of full stops to separate two main clauses. In such cases, the clauses are related in meaning but are separated grammatically:

Spanish is spoken throughout South America; in Brazil the main language is Portuguese.

/ SLASH

The slash indicates contrasting terms or paired items:

Durand took Advanced Astrophysics on a pass/fail basis.

Although the player/manager committed eight errors in three innings, he still wouldn't take himself out of the game.

When quoting a poem, use a slash to indicate the end of a line, adding a space before and after the slash:

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”

Sources and other related articles: 1 2 3 4 5

[pinkertoast]

being kind is so underrated! I love to spread joy and whimsy wherever I go! and I love overusing exclamation points! yay!

[arugula2048]

maybe I sounded like an NPC...

I'm soooo normal, all my communications and methods are within 2 standard deviations of the norm, which groups them with 95% of all messages.