Unsophisticated Irony

I've developed a lazy habit of capitalising words within sentences for dramatic effect. Used sparingly in a text message or handwritten note I think it's *sort of* okay, but in truth it's probably only crap writing that needs capitals or italics to indicate to the reader where they should put the emphasis. Yep, it's a habit I REALLY hope I can outgrow. Eventually.

Image stolen from the unfailingly distracting Ask A Urinal

It's almost as annoying as the difficulty I have with the difference between "may" and "might", which sometimes my brain will fail to notice until I've re-read what I've written three or four times, and even then it'll take me twenty seconds of deliberation to be confident I've got it right. I reckon there are plenty of readers who may get annoyed by that sort of mistake.

As someone who day-dreams about earning a living from putting words onto a page or a screen, it's terrifying to realise there are common words which I've never properly understood the meaning of, and have been using carelessly for years. "I may" if someone's given permission. "I might" if I'm uncertain. It should be simple. Yet somehow...

Ah yes, the "..."

It's like the "get out of jail free" card for writing. I can imply that I want to say more, but I'm not going to. Is the thing I'm not saying important? Who knows? Certainly not the reader, and probably not the writer either...

Let's not even get started on exclamation marks!

Oh dear, this whole thing is eating itself. Quick! Go read Saturday's Guardian piece where a bunch of people talk about their rules for writing (fiction), or more worthily, read Mark Twain's take on the subject.