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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Dresdenus Prime on October 23, 2011, 05:03:23 PM

Title: The Hyphen
Post by: Dresdenus Prime on October 23, 2011, 05:03:23 PM
I've noticed some authors use hyphens in their work, and forgive me if I should know exactly what it's used for, but I don't. Could anyon ellaborate on why hyphens are used as opposed to commas or semicolons?
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: LizW65 on October 23, 2011, 05:20:39 PM
A hyphen is used to connect a two-part word, such as two-part.
A double hyphen, or m-dash, is used to connect two separate thoughts in the same sentence, as in:
"It's going to rain today--I'd better carry an umbrella."
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Dresdenus Prime on October 23, 2011, 05:50:17 PM
Okay, I know about using the hyphen to connect certain words, but I'm not so aware of the one to connect thoughts. Here are two examples of what I'm talking about. This comes from the third book of the Iron Duid Chronicles so be aware of any minor spoilers;

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Is this the two seperate thoughts you speak of? If I had written this, I would have used commas, so would I have technicaly written it incorrectly? Or is writing that way a matter of personal taste?
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Snowleopard on October 24, 2011, 07:21:02 AM
Is not a hyphen also used when you have a long word and reach the end of a sentence and have to continue
the word on the next line?  You put a hyphen in. 
It's been a loooooooonnnnggg time since College English.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Dresdenus Prime on October 24, 2011, 12:02:14 PM
Quote from: Snowleopard on October 24, 2011, 07:21:02 AM
It's been a loooooooonnnnggg time since College English.

I know right??!!!  :o
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Aminar on October 24, 2011, 03:52:58 PM
Quote from: Dresdenus Prime on October 23, 2011, 05:50:17 PM
Okay, I know about using the hyphen to connect certain words, but I'm not so aware of the one to connect thoughts. Here are two examples of what I'm talking about. This comes from the third book of the Iron Duid Chronicles so be aware of any minor spoilers;

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Is this the two seperate thoughts you speak of? If I had written this, I would have used commas, so would I have technicaly written it incorrectly? Or is writing that way a matter of personal taste?
It is the two different thoughts.  In my mind it creates a longer pause if that makes sense...  It's not grammar as much as it's flavor.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: LizW65 on October 24, 2011, 06:04:03 PM
Quote from: Aminar on October 24, 2011, 03:52:58 PM
It's not grammar as much as it's flavor.
This.  The m-dash creates a bit more drama in the sentence, if you will.  Take the following quote from Fool Moon:  "And I knew that there was some dark corner of me that would enjoy using magic for killing--and then long for more."
Now replace the m-dash with a comma: "And I knew that there was some dark corner of me that would enjoy using magic for killing, and then long for more."
Both grammatically correct, but the former has a bit more of a dramatic impact.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on October 24, 2011, 06:41:06 PM
Quote from: LizW65 on October 24, 2011, 06:04:03 PM
Both grammatically correct, but the former has a bit more of a dramatic impact.

It strikes me as a pacing thing which is very hard to specify or define grammatically.  I use more semicolons than most people, and I have something of a similar difficulty there; to my mind there is a different degree of implicit logical connection between the bits of a sentence before and after a semicolon and those before and after an em-dash, it's just very hard to characterise.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Snowleopard on October 24, 2011, 07:10:58 PM
Quote from: Dresdenus Prime on October 24, 2011, 12:02:14 PM
I know right??!!!  :o

Yeah, verily yeah!
And now many writing programs like Word take care of a lot of stuff that you used to have to worry about and/or remember.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Figging Mint on October 24, 2011, 07:26:16 PM
Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on October 24, 2011, 06:41:06 PM
It strikes me as a pacing thing which is very hard to specify or define grammatically. 

"Stronger than a , weaker than a . " doesn't work for you here?
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on October 24, 2011, 07:34:40 PM
Quote from: Snowleopard on October 24, 2011, 07:10:58 PM
And now many writing programs like Word take care of a lot of stuff that you used to have to worry about and/or remember.

That's the worst misspelling of "bugger up anything you are trying to do that's more stylistically advanced than a New York Times editorial" that I've ever seen.  Did you write this post in Word ?
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on October 24, 2011, 07:36:18 PM
Quote from: (FM) on October 24, 2011, 07:26:16 PM
"Stronger than a , weaker than a . " doesn't work for you here?

I have no problem with that - or rather, with scaling  , < ; < : < . in actual use; it's just conveying my stylistic decision-making process to other people that sometimes gets difficult.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Snowleopard on October 24, 2011, 07:37:48 PM
Naw just on the Forum.
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: trboturtle on October 25, 2011, 12:27:42 AM
I tend to use the emdash to covey motion. If the scene is a high-tempo action scene, and I need to describe something, I use the emdash.

Example: "The man I was chasing --- short, ugly, but damn fast --- scooted around a corner and out of sight."

The comma I use when it's not an action scene.

Craig
Title: Re: The Hyphen
Post by: Figging Mint on October 25, 2011, 03:14:27 PM
We're all a pathetically parenthetical bunch.   It's a wonder we don't lisp.