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The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity  by: Jean Fritz If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they wend from one topic to another, then you, like many people, may be guilty of writing run-on sentences. The run-on sentence is annoying. The run-on is boring. Most important, utilizing run-ons in your work is a sure-fire way of losing your reader. The run-on works in one instance – if it is part of one of your character’s personality. For instance, if you are writing dialogue spoken by a typical teenage girl, run-ons would be acceptable (“Well, we went, you know, to the mall, and, like, we tried on some clothes and makeup, and then Sheila saw this really cute guy in The Gap, so we went over and like, started talking, and ...” you get the picture.) Curing a mania for run-ons may be a simple as implementing an outline for your work. Break each topic down into logical, organized subtopics and details. Relegate each thought to a single sentence. When a topic or subtopic requires further discussion, create unique sentences containing each of these details (or group related details) after your lead-in sentence. If your topic ultimately branches out to other major topics, reference those topics in your initial paragraph, but address them in other paragraphs (or chapters.) This acts as a “teaser” to your audience, leaves them wanting more, and motivates them to read on. These instructions sound like high school stuff, but I recently edited a college-level text written by a Ph D that was fraught with run-ons. The subject matter was economics. The combination was deadly from the standpoint of maintaining consciousness. So for the sake of your readers, form a working relationship with semicolons and periods, and leave run-ons to the Valley Girls. About The Author Jean Fritz is the owner and chief editor for JMT Publications (http://jmtpubs.tripod.com), a company specializing in helping self-publishing authors get into print. For more information on self-publication or to subscribe to her free newsletter, Writers' Notes, visit the JMT Publications website. jeantype@excite.com This article was posted on September 15, 2004   View More Videos from the "Writing" category: How to Choose a Book Binding How to Edit a Manuscript How to Get Started on a Book - A Guide The Print-on-Demand Publishers and their Book Publishing Requirements   Read More Articles from the "Writing" Category: Short Story Ideas - How To Have Them by Steve Gillman The Subject And Object Theory by Tushar Jain Learn to Write - 5 Tips to Writing Picture Books! by Lisa Brunel 5 Momentum Building Article Writing Strategies by Bob Hamilton How A Sense Of Wonder Makes Life Richer by Saleem Rana Dork by Sidin Vaduku by Prasoon Kumar How To Write A Book About Your Life, Now by Steve Manning Are You The Next JK Rowling? by Suzanne Harrison 10 Smart Moves For Getting Published In Top Magazines by Marcia Yudkin Tracking Your Articles Properly by Martin Lemieux << Back to "Writing" Index

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