The endangered Semicolon

The endangered Semicolon

Still not bringing my A-Game here.  I blame it on the fact I am quite easily distracted by entertainment gossip.  First Farrah, then Michael, now Billy Mays?  June was a good month NOT to be a celeb.  Anyway.

I recently joined a critique group; online of course because as we all know I’m a tad bit too lazy to actually drive somewhere.  The critique group is awesome–got some really good feedback on my newest work in progress (on a related side note, I’m too terrified to send the finished one in for crit because I’M BACK TO HATING IT).  I was startled, nay shocked, to learn that my BFF–the semicolon–is rarely invited to the party anymore.  Apparently in the romance genre, the semicolon is frowned upon.  I guess you can still use it in other genres, but in romance it is kind of like a faux pas. 

I mourn this.  I love the semicolon!  Where are these bizarre punctuation rules coming from?  I’ve read on other blogs that only “idiots” put two spaces after periods anymore because this is 2009 and we aren’t using typewriters.  One person even went as far as to say that editors won’t accept your work if you use two spaces after the period.  Seriously?  I really hope that it just a nasty rumor with no truth to it.  Because if not, that really sucks.

I really can’t figure out what is wrong with the semicolon.  But this apparently means I can bring an old friend, the em dash (–) back into play.  In high school, my creative writing teach informed me that em dashes (–) were incorrect in writing and the mark of an incompetent, novice writer.  HA, take that…lady’s whose name I don’t remember.  Miss King?  Wow, was high school that long ago that I don’t even remember teachers names?  Sad.

Has anyone else out there heard of this sudden avoidence to semicolon?  Heaven help comma, because I would die if a limit was put on his use.  A day without commas is like a day without sunshine.

On July 5th, I’m starting two online writing courses.  One is on past life regression and using it to create cool characters.  The other is on plotting.  And, just to throw another wrench in the works, I’m applying to grad school.  So, I’m taking the Miller Analogies Test this month too.  Because, you know, I’ve really missed studying vocab and suffixes.  In the end, studying for the MAT makes me realize just how much crap I’ve forgotten.  It’s terrible to get old.

I think once these classes start, I’m going to repost a three part blog “series” (I use that term loosely) I wrote when I went to a writers conference last year.  It’s more of a study about how inept I am at maneuvering said conference than anything else, but still reasonably entertaining.  So, at least there’s that to look forward to…