: Re: The Good, the Bad, and the Semicolon I completed my novel and an editor friend graciously offered to assist me with formatting. As a former scientist, I am more familiar with technical or academic

As with every element of style, it depends on context. In modern American fiction, semicolons are avoided; but trends do change, and old-fashioned modes of expression that were once considered effete affectations are coming back into fashion.

Personally, I love semicolons and use them frequently, but only in non-fiction, when I'm conveying complex conceptual content. I rarely (if ever) "hear" them in natural speech, and they seem excessive in most descriptive passages. They are really a conceptual marker rather than an oral one; and storytelling, much more than academic writing, relies on that strong narrative voice, even when not read aloud.

If you do use them, be aware that they will give your writing a professorial tone. I also wouldn't personally use them in the examples you gave in the comments (you might want to edit those into your question), so I would say that your friend has given you good advice.

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: Re: The Good, the Bad, and the Semicolon I completed my novel and an editor friend graciously offered to assist me with formatting. As a former scientist, I am more familiar with technical or academic

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: At what point do you draw the line of showing, and not telling, or vice versa? I often get confused in writing about whether or not something is showing or telling. For example, if my character

: What are good resources to get fantasy names? I have trouble coming up with fantasy names. I've used random name generators but they weren't very helpful. Is there a website that would have

: What are typical response rates to non-fiction queries? I've begun sending out queries to agents for my recently completed non-fiction manuscript. A decade ago, I sent out queries frequently,

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