Rising Above the Common Comma- A Creative Writing Primer

Commas are to writing what fire hydrants are to dogs; they break up the walk, I mean, the writing, into easy portions.

Here are a few things I know about commas:

1. Use of serial commas (or, if you are writing a screenplay, you could call it, “No Country for Old Commas.”): What do I mean by serial commas? “I like X, Y and Z.” “We covered subject A, B and C.” The rule in the AP Style Guide and many other style guides: Use commas between simple serial items but omit the comma between the next-to-the-final item and the word “and.”

If the items in the series are complicated, do not omit the last comma. For example:

The issues in the campaign are the value of the dollar, the rule of law, the failure of foreign policy, and the separation of church and state.

2. Introductory clauses and phrases:

In the middle of the movie, he got up and passed right in front of me.

It doesn?t matter how many words are in the introductory phrase. Use a comma after it and before you start the actual sentence.

Two words:

In 1976,

Three words:

In clear violation,

Four words (or more):

With a full heart,

3. Use commas between two sentences: (Note: When we join two sentences together with a comma and a conjunction, we call them clauses.)

Use this formula:
Clause plus comma plus conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) plus clause. (Don?t forget a period at the end.)

I wanted to walk the dog, but thunderstorms were predicted.

4. Never separate the subject of a sentence from a verb:

The soldiers and the sailors, went for R&R. (Never do that.)

My friend, brother and sister, stayed away. (Never do that.)

5. Use a comma after an introductory phrase and before a quote:

According to the EVP, “Q1 earnings suffered due to supply disruptions.”

6. Use commas between a series of adjectives.

He was the perfect, talented, charming insider.

7. Set off explanatory phrases, called “appositives,” in commas:

The magician, also called a conjurer, works with slight of hand.
The mountain climber, inspired by climbs of people who went before him, plans his next assent next year.
Mark Twain, the once millionaire, was born with the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

Here is something interesting I learned about commas:

Have you ever seen slashes used to separate lines of song lyrics? For example:
You are my sunshine/
My only sunshine
Back in the Middle Ages, slashes began to be used in English to make it easier for people to read sentences, to tell readers where to pause, and where to breathe when signing songs.
Commas are the modern-day vestiges of those slashes.

So, this month, every once in a while, look down and smell the common commas. Pick some and sprinkle them on someone you love.