In my pursuit of finishing my personal behemoth, I’m getting close to the copyedit phase. As I near this unfamiliar territory, I have to face one of my greatest fears: THE SEMICOLON!!
Learning proper grammar and punctuation was never a keen interest. As I continue to write, my attitude changes, but the availability of time for research does not seem to coordinate.
Strange.
Yet, I have read a lot in my years and I am aware that the semicolon is a red-headed step-child of the genre fiction world. I was surprised to see it prominently in The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander (a recent read), though this was published fifty years ago.
Perhaps this is new to you? Then, let me share in brief: There are different styles of punctuation and grammar for different types of writing. Journalism adheres to AP style, genre fiction—like Fantasy and Science Fiction—mostly go with The Chicago Manual of Style, though each publishing house can have their own variations.
