Category Archives: Proper Use of the Written Word

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—Their Proper Use!

Posted on September 13, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In a recent blog, I discussed how to properly use the three types of dashes in writing. Today, I’d like to further the discussion on punctuation marks, namely those used specifically to clarify or to emphasize a point. They are … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writer's Psyche, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, AP Style of Ellipsis, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chicago Style of Ellipsis, Comma Use, Correct Use of Punctuation in Fiction Writing, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Commas, Ellipses Use, Ellipsis Use, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, Grammar and Punctuation, Growing As A Writer, How to Use Commas Properly, How To Use Ellipses Properly, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Practicing Your Profession, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper use of Commas, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, Rules of Punctuation, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing As A Special and Rewarding Career, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged AP Ellipses, Blogging, Chicago Ellipses, Comma Use in Modern Writing, Ellipsis Use in Modern Writing, Em Dash Use in Modern Writing. Types of Dashes and Their Use in Modern Writing, Em Dashes and Ellipses in Modern Writing, fiction writer, fiction writing, How to Use Em Dashes and Ellipses in Dialogue and Narrative, Inspirations to Use Proper English, James J. Murray - Fiction Writer, Misuse of Commas, Misuse of Em Dashes and Ellipses, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Usage of Ellipses and Em Dashes, Proper Use of Commas, Proper Use of the English Language, The Proper Use of the AP Ellipsis, The Proper Use of the Chicago Ellipsis, Types of Ellipses, Use of Ellipses in Modern Writing, Using Commas in Modern Fiction, Using Ellipses in Modern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writer, writing career, writing pharmacist | 2 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Posted on August 30, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Hyphens and dashes are two distinctly different punctuation marks and a proper understanding of each will avoid embarrassing mistakes in your writing. Will anyone get MURDERED as a result of using the wrong one in the wrong place? No, but … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Dreaded Misuse of Hyphens and Dashes, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, En Dashes and Em Dashes, Grammar and Punctuation, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Hyphens and Dashes and Their Misuse, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, The Art of Writing, The Proper Use of Hyphens and Dashes, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Dashes, Use of Hyphens, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged crime fiction writer, En Dash and Em Dash Differences, fiction writer, Hyphen Use, Hyphen Use in Modern Writing, Hyphens and Dashes in Writing, Hyphens versus Dashes, James J. Murray - Fiction Writer, Misuse of Em Dashes and Ellipses, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, new blog, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Use of the English Language, Use of Dashes in Writing, USe of the Em Dash, Use of the En Dash, Using Dashes in Modern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writer, writing career, writing pharmacist | 2 Comments

Changing Ordinary People into Heroes!

Posted on June 21, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog, I discussed fiction novel character development techniques. I ended the blog by stating, “Make your characters real and believable by first making them real to you.” An evolving fiction plot is not very interesting unless there … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A Jon Masters Novel, About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character development, Character Development Techniques, Character Driven Writing, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Designing Murder Plots, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Effective and Compelling Fictional Heroes, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Fiction Writing - A Believable Lie, Fictional Character Development, Growing As A Writer, Ideas for Creating Permanent Change, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Life Skills, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Pharmacists as Protagonists, Proper Use of the Written Word, Protagonist Development, Published Novel by James J Murray, Publishing A Novel, Steps to Developing Great Fictional Characters, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged a believable lie, Antagonist Development, blogging about crime, blogging about drugs, Challenges to Developing The Perfect Fictional Character, Character Development Steps, Character Development Techniques, Character Development Tips, Characters Directing the Writer, Characters Make the Story Real, crime fiction writer, Developing the Perfect Protagonist, Directing Characters, Fiction Character Development, Fictional Characters Mimic Real People, How to Create a Fictional Character, Ideas For Better Fictional Character Development, James J. Murray - Fiction Writer, Learning How to Write, Learning The Art of Better Fiction Writing, Learning to Write Better, Making Characters Believable, Making Characters Interesting, Making Characters Real, Multi-Dimentional Characters, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, new blog, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Protagonist Development, Skills to Develop Better Protagonists, The 3P Model of Character Development, writing pharmacist | 2 Comments

Fictional Character Development 101

Posted on June 14, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

As many of you know, I’ve recently published my third novel. Click HERE to Review or Buy! While deep in the process of promoting that book, I can’t help but look to the future and begin another one. In last week’s blog, … Continue reading →

A Book Hangover!

Posted on March 30, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

This past weekend I read a great book and I have a book hangover! I’ve experienced such an event many times in the past, but I’ve never attempted to write about it. So . . . I googled the words … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Almost Dead, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Book Hangover, Character Driven Writing, Connecting With Your Reader, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Good Books Create Emotions, Growing As A Writer, James J. Murray Blog, New Book Release, Plot Development, Proper Use of the Written Word, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Writing Skills, Your Favorite Book, Your Last Book Hangover? | Tagged a believable lie, A Book About Alzheimer's Disease, A Memorable Book, Alzheimer's Disease, Author Lisa Genova, Book Hangovers and Their Effects, Books That Create Lasting Emotions, crime fiction writer, fiction writer, Finishing a Good Book, How to Cure a Book Hangover, Inside The O'Briens, James J. Murray, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Still Alice, Symptoms of a Book Hangover, The Results of a Book Hangover, writing career, writing pharmacist | 1 Comment

Mysteries vs Thrillers

Posted on March 23, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

A few years ago, mysteries were the hot genre. It seemed as if everyone was reading a mystery novel. The thrill of guessing “Who done it!” was the excitement that kept me, and many others, reading book after book. More … Continue reading →

Posted in A Mystery Novel, A Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, Adrenaline Rush, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Driven Writing, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Mysteries and Thrillers, Growing As A Writer, James J. Murray Blog, Mysteries and Thrillers Compared, Mysteries Vs Thrillers, New Blog, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Use of the Written Word, Role of Suspense in Mysteries, Role of Suspense in Thrillers, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged a believable lie, Antagonist Development, crime fiction writer, Differences between mysteries and thrillers, fiction writer, Fiction Writing Techniques, James J. Murray - Fiction Writer, Medical Thriller Writer, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Mystery Writing, Mysteries vs Thrillers, new blog, Protagonist Development, Protagonist vs Antagonist in Mysteries, Protagonist vs Antagonist in Thrillers, Suspense in Mysteries Novels, Suspense in Thriller Novels, Suspense Novels, The Role of Antagonist in Genres, The Role of Suspense in Genre Writing, thriller writing | 5 Comments

PROLOGUES – To Use or Not To Use!

Posted on December 16, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Fiction writers often use prologues to set up their story—possibly with an actual murder scene or with a scene that gives valuable historical information to help the reader understand the villain or hero. But are these preambles to the real … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Correct Use of Prologues, Death of The Prologue?, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Growing As A Writer, How to Use Prologues, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Misuse of Prologues, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prologue Use and Misuse, Prologues, Prologues in Modern Fiction Writing, Proper Use of Prologues, Proper Use of the Written Word, Role of The Prologue, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Prologues, When Not to Use Prologues, Why Use Prologues | Tagged Antagonist Development, Better Writing Skills, crime fiction writer, Examples of Misuse of Prologues, fiction writing, James J. Murray, Long Prologues, Misuse of Prologues, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, Negatives of Prologues, Never Use a Prologue, new blog, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prologue Use in Specific Genres, Prologues - A Literary Plague, Prologues as a Literary Device, Prologues to Set the Mood, Prologues Use in Modern Fiction, Prologues vs First Chapters, Prologues vs Main Story, Proper Use of Prologues, Purpose of a Prologue, Rules for Prologue Use, Short Prologues, Unnecessary Prologues, Using Prologues in Murder Mysteries, Using Prologues in Thrillers, What is a Prologue?, When to Use a Prologues | 9 Comments

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—Their Proper Use!

Posted on December 9, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In a recent blog I discussed how to properly use the three types of dashes in writing. Today, I’d like to further the discussion on punctuation marks used specifically to clarify or to emphasize a point. They are the comma, … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Writing, AP Style of Ellipsis, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chicago Style of Ellipsis, Comma Use, Correct Use of Punctuation in Fiction Writing, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Commas, Ellipses Use, Ellipsis Use, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, Growing As A Writer, Halon Gas and Murder, How to Use Commas Properly, How To Use Ellipses Properly, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper use of Commas, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, Rules of Punctuation, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged AP Ellipses, author, blogging about crime, Chicago Ellipses, Comma Use in Modern Writing, crime fiction writer, Ellipsis Use in Modern Writing, Em Dash Use in Modern Writing. Types of Dashes and Their Use in Modern Writing, Em Dashes and Ellipses in Modern Writing, fiction writing, How to Use Em Dashes and Ellipses in Dialogue and Narrative, Inspirations to Use Proper English, James J. Murray, Misuse of Commas, Misuse of Em Dashes and Ellipses, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, new blog, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Usage of Ellipses and Em Dashes, Proper Use of Commas, Proper Use of the English Language, The Proper Use of the AP Ellipsis, The Proper Use of the Chicago Ellipsis, Types of Ellipses, Use of Ellipses in Modern Writing, Using Commas in Modern Fiction, Using Ellipses in Medern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writing career | 3 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Posted on November 18, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Dreaded Misuse of Hyphens and Dashes, Em Dash Use, En Dashes and Em Dashes, Grammar and Punctuation, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Hyphens and Dashes and Their Misuse, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, The Art of Writing, The Proper Use of Hyphens and Dashes, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Dashes, Use of Hyphens, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged Blogging, blogging about drug crime, En Dash and Em Dash Differences, fiction writer, fiction writing, Hyphen Use, Hyphen Use in Modern Writing, Hyphens and Dashes in Writing, Hyphens versus Dashes, James J. Murray, James J. Murray - Fiction Writer, Misuse of Em Dashes and Ellipses, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Use of the English Language, Use of Dashes in Writing, USe of the Em Dash, Use of the En Dash, Using Dashes in Modern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writing career, writing pharmacist | 1 Comment

Dialogue: The Good and The Bad!

Posted on April 1, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Last week’s blog was all about character development and using the 3P model to consider physical, psychological and philosophical qualities to flesh out characters. Getting to know a character deep down is necessary before you can turn that character loose … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Writing, Authors' Social Media Support Group, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Dialogue Techniques, Good and Bad Dialogue Techniques, Good Dialogue Development, Growing As A Writer, How Fictional Characters Should Speak, How to Write Dialogue in Fiction, Learning the Art of Writing, Proper Use of the Written Word, Protagonist Development, The Art and Craft of Dialogue Writing, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Better Dialogue, Writing Dialogue, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged a believable lie, Advanced Dialogue Tips, Basic Dialogue, Character Dialogue, Characters Who State The Obvious in Dialogue, Dialogue Mistakes, Dialogue Techniques, Dialogue That's Too Long, Dialogue vs Narrative, Difference Between Dialogue and Narration, Emotions in Dialogue, Exposition in Dialogue, fiction writer, fiction writing, Finer Points of Dialogue, Formal vs Informal Dialogue, How to Use Dialogue, How to Write Dialogue, James J. Murray, Modern Dialogue Techniques, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, Overuse of Superlatives in Dialogue Writing, pharmacist writer, Prescription For Murder Blog, Problems With Literal Dialogue, thriller writing, writer, writing career, Writing Dialogue, Writing Good Dialogue | 4 Comments

Category Archives: Proper Use of the Written Word

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—Their Proper Use!

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Changing Ordinary People into Heroes!

Fictional Character Development 101

A Book Hangover!

Mysteries vs Thrillers

PROLOGUES – To Use or Not To Use!

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—Their Proper Use!

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

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