This week we’ll look at three types of punctuation you can use to add variety to your stories.
I was lucky to work with three professional reporters at an international religious business session last year. My assistant and I noticed that each had their own flair with an element of punctuation that seemed unique to them.
Arin Gencer, formerly of the Baltimore Sun, was great with the em dash (–).
Edwin Garcia, formerly of the San Jose Mercury News, was great with using bullet points.
And Mark Kellner of the Washington Times made good use of the semicolon.
So take your finger off the letter keys for a moment while we look at these one by one, starting with the em dash.
Instead of me explaining Arin’s use of the em dash, let’s have her do it – she was kind enough to write us about it. Arin unknowingly referenced a key text from Proverbs, which could describe the goal of this blog. I’ll share that text and its concept at the end of this posting. Here are three great examples of her use of the em dash:
And here is her explanation via email:
I actually haven't always been such a rampant em-dash user. At the risk of sounding like I'm pointing fingers, one of my colleagues (another former journalist) heavily subscribes to the almighty em dash, and she's rubbed off on me over the past couple years. You know how you sometimes find yourself picking up expressions/words from people you hang out with a lot? Well, that apparently happens in writing as well – at least for me.
I tend to use the em dash when I want to signify a pause or turn in a sentence; to add an extra but sometimes superfluous thought, idea or description; or to interrupt a sentence with a particular detail or other relevant note. Sometimes commas just don't do the job for me in these instances, or don't set apart an interrupting clause clearly enough. (I could definitely have used an em dash instead of a comma in that last sentence, btw.)
Example: After a day of hassle, the bus driver – a tall, portly man who had been driving for 15 years – finally saw red and decided to run over any pedestrian who got in his way.
That sentence just doesn't work as well, in my opinion, with commas: After a day of hassle, the bus driver, a tall, portly man who had been driving for 15 years, finally saw red and decided to run over any pedestrian who got in his way.
Despite the handiness of the em dash, I do try not to let it become a crutch. But I will probably never turn my back on it completely. :o)
Thanks, Arin.
Another element of punctuation you can use is the bullet point. Three things to remember:
- You can use bullet points to list additional items voted in a meeting later in the story using several one-sentence paragraphs.
- Keep the verb tenses consistent.
- Keep the number of bullet points between three and six. No need to go too long.
Here’s a story in which Edwin Garcia effectively uses bullet points: http://news.adventist.org/en/archive/articles/2010/06/24/session-approves-local-management-adjustments-in-latin-america-philippines
And finally, the semicolon:
Here are a few examples of Mark Kellner using it effectively, both to offer a pause in a sentence: (3rd paragraph) http://news.adventist.org/en/archive/articles/2011/11/01/north-american-adventists-reaffirm-commissioned-ministers-as-conference-mis
And to create lists:
Finally, I’d like to close this post with a point that Arin brought up. She said, “You know how you sometimes find yourself picking up expressions/words from people you hang out with a lot?”
The wisest man who ever lived once wrote: “He who walks with the wise grows wise…” (Proverbs 13:20). He also said, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways…” (14:8).
The point is – which Arin stated so well – that we become like the influences we allow in our life. They often affect us more than we even realize. Former Adventist Review editor Bill Johnsson once suggested that I should be reading a modern translation of the Bible. If I were constantly reading an antiquated translation, he said, it would subtly affect my writing.
If we make a point to spend time studying good writing, we will become better. The best people in a profession always want to grow themselves and make themselves even better. Conversely, I’ve seen people with poor attitudes who refuse to read self-improving books or take time to learn something new about their profession.
A servant’s attitude of taking the time to develop your talents will take you far -- study and seek out mentors. You'll realize that bettering yourself means you have more to offer others – in this case, your editors and readers. You will be rewarded for it with money, recognition, requests to do more assignments, and the possibility of being offered more responsibility. Serving others is ultimately service to yourself.
Doing the exercises outlined in this blog is one way of becoming a better writer. My goal is to point out excellent examples to emulate.
So anyway, when appropriate, remember to try some variety with punctuation. Remember the em dash, bullet point and semicolon.
Arin, a native Texan, might also want you to remember the Alamo, too.
Arin, a native Texan, might also want you to remember the Alamo, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment