Dashing

There are three types of dashes: hyphen, en dash, and em dash. Here’s how they are used and how to produce them using Microsoft Word.

The Hyphen

The hyphen links words together:

• Twenty-odd people
• Soft-centred candy
• Seventy-six trombones.

There are generally no spaces on either side of a hyphen. An exception is when it is used in an address: 123 - 45 Street, Tucson.

Word

It is easy to type a hyphen using Word. Simply hit the key next to the numeral 0.

The Em Dash

It’s called an em dash because it has the same width as a capital M. The em dash—unlike the hyphen—serves to separate words, not link them:

• At the wedding the speeches—and the food—were superb.
• I do the work—he gets the credit.
• My deal is simple—I get all the money.

There are generally no spaces on either side of an em dash; however, the practice is not consistent; for example, the Toronto Star uses a space on either side.

Word

Type text, and then insert two hyphens (--)and type more text. Don’t insert a space on either side of the hyphen or between them. Word will automatically convert the two hyphens into an em dash—magic.

The En Dash

The en dash, as wide as an N, is also used to separate, but only numbers.

• See pages 100 – 110
• During the week of May 14 – 20

Many style guides say there are no spaces on either side of an en dash, but Word just doesn’t see it that way.

Word

Type text followed by a space, then type one or two hyphens followed by one or no space, and Word will automatically inserts an en dash.

Fountain Pen

Sometimes it's nice to write with a fountain pen, provided that I'm near some ink.

BTW: If you have one around that doesn't work (because it has dried out through lack of use), before you give up on it, let it soak overnight in some warm water. That may get rid up some dried up ink that may be the only problem with the it.

Italics and Internal Thought: Another Aspect

­Having read a little further in Lawrence Block's book, Hit Me, I found a new twist on using italics to express direct internal thought. It deals with the POV character thinking directly about the words that someone else might say aloud. Here's how Block dealt with it (at page 74).

Likes his food, Keller had thought, noting O’Herlihy’s bulk, the fit of his jacket, and in his head he heard the voice of a middle-aged Irishwoman: “Ah, but doesn’t he carry it well?” Likes a drink, Keller added, taking note of the florid complexion, the network of broken blood vessels in the cheeks and nose. “Ah, shure, and don’t they call that a strong man’s weakness?”

A few pages later (page 78), he uses the same technique--italics in parentheses--to  deal with Keller thinking about what he might say aloud to a person.

 And then all he’d have to do was go upstairs, and give the doorbell a poke—no knocker on this door, not unless the new tenant added one. “Hi, I’m your neighbor from downstairs, I don’t mean to disturb you but I’ve got water coming down through my bathroom ceiling—”

 At page 304 he provide another example

What he could have told Denia Soderling:
        "See, there's a very famous U.S> airmail stamp of 1918, Scott C3a. There ere actually three stamps with the same design--a six-cent orange .. [he continues writing in italics within parentheses for two pages.]

Another author who follows the same practice as Block is Tess Gerritsen; for example, see the prologue in The Surgeon.

Italics

I've just been reading Hit Me, by Lawrence Block. At page 37, I found this useful example of direct and indirect internal thought and the use of italics.

It [killing two people] would be over before they knew it, almost before he knew it.

            Go on, he thought. Don’t just stand there. You know what you’re supposed to do. So why aren’t you doing it.

            Maybe there was a better way.

As you can see, when Block wants to create the interior equivalent of direct speech he uses italics. And he treats it the same way using present tense and setting it off in a new paragraph. He attributes the words by saying, "he thought," which may not be strictly necessary, but using it here avoids confusing the reader. If there was further direct interior thought later, the attribution might not be necessary

In contrast, the last line is indirect thought. He's not directing a comment to himself.

For a fuller discussion of this topic, see Marcus Trower's blog at http://marcustrowereditor.com/page/3/

Last thing: Note use of italics for emphasis in Block's first line: before he knew it.

P.S. This use of italics caught my eye. It's John Sandford in Winter Prey (at page 90 of the paperback). It comes within a conversational exchange.

Dammit. "So you could only see his body?"

It is a nice tight way of showing what went on Davenport's mind compared to what he said. On the next page there is a more traditional use of italics.

If the hair didn't strike him as gross, then the guy was probably a blond, Lucas thought. Black hair on cheap [photographic] paper would blot. "If it wasn't very good, could you be sure it was Jim?" Lucas asked.

In this example he attributes the thought and question by words rather than inference.

The Bean

 Running in the cold (-16 C) this morning made me think of a warmer time; a July visit to Chicago for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon. One of the pre-run highlights was a visit to the bean.

Did I mention we had snow a few days ago!