I write a lot of sentences with em dashes in the place of colons. This screenshot is how I see my usage of the em dash instead of a colon (a single em dash in a sentence, that is) as justified.
from https://www.pugetsound.edu/academic...-schedule/writing-resources/colon-and-dashes/
I know over-use of em dashes can be annoying. And I know it's okay to use em dashes parenthetically. (eg. He was going to the store—how was he to know?—when the storm hit.) And it's okay to use them to indicate interruption of dialogue, but sometimes I worry about using a single em dash in a sentence.
Here's some examples of how I use them like that (and this is for a humorous thriller):
Shelby, a rare female SEAL, had a chip on her shoulder the size of Mt. Everest—her parents killed on vacation when their catamaran was sunk by a Russian submarine.
from https://www.pugetsound.edu/academic...-schedule/writing-resources/colon-and-dashes/
I know over-use of em dashes can be annoying. And I know it's okay to use em dashes parenthetically. (eg. He was going to the store—how was he to know?—when the storm hit.) And it's okay to use them to indicate interruption of dialogue, but sometimes I worry about using a single em dash in a sentence.
Here's some examples of how I use them like that (and this is for a humorous thriller):
Shelby, a rare female SEAL, had a chip on her shoulder the size of Mt. Everest—her parents killed on vacation when their catamaran was sunk by a Russian submarine.
Both SEALs knew Bull Gompers liked everything low-tech because Rear Admiral Bull Gompers was old school—and old.
Then she thought Earl was right—at least she was alive.
Is that sort of usage okay? Thanks.Then she thought Earl was right—at least she was alive.
He was thinking, yeah, his parents were right—he should’ve been a proctologist.