Edit 9: Punctuation

We’re almost there. Now down to the bare bones of the final line edits, we turn to one of the smallest but most important elements of a polished manuscript: punctuation.

I hate punctuation. Not that I don’t acknowledge its importance but I’m just so bad at it. Commas are my mortal enemy, and every sentence feels like a puzzle. A puzzle full of questions like what punctuation goes here? Two or three commas in this sentence? Semi colon or period?

Dialogue punctuation is the worst as I have to meticulously comb through and make sure I’m using commas and periods in the right places.

I can only assume that my deeply rooted hatred of punctuation came from the fact my teachers never taught me the exact rules of punctuation or grammar in school. See I was in the advanced classes as soon as I hit middle school and apparently teachers assume that you already know the basics if you’re in advanced classes so no one ever told us how to place commas. I had to learn that stuff on my own, and it was not pleasant.

Now I am at least clear on the rules, but it’s not instinctual for me to implement them, so this edit may seem simple, it’s a time consuming one for me.

But at least I can see the finish line!

What punctuation mark is the bane of your existence? Let me know in the comments.