So i read this before even getting out of bed this morning. And I immediately thought that lt could be a nice short story. But I didn't post anything. I did not want to admit that I was thinking about stories like Killed by an em dash The em dash conspiracy The em dash killed our marriage Twenty years for an em dash But from the answer I see I am in good company. (Anyone knows how to get an em dash on an android device?)
Oh, that's pathetic. If you want to get banned, you must actually insert the slur. You're just flirting with the idea of getting banned. G'wan g'wan ...I dare ya. You know you want to....
Roddy Doyle is Irish. I don't know if that makes a difference. And I'm not sure it even matters on this really old thread. I just love his work, but I thought maybe it's more common in other places outside America. Still, it sort of seems gimmicky when I've seen it other places. I think anytime an author tries to alter grammar or tell a story differently they run the risk of looking like they are trying too hard to be different. And if they have to rely on tricks or gimmicks, their story might not be all that great or might be tossed aside quicker if things seem more confusing than they should. I think authors can reach a point where they can do risky and weird things because they're already known for telling a good story. Other times a story might be so good it really wouldn't make a difference what kind of grammar and such was used. It can be fun to try out things that are different and new to us, but unless you can tell a good story none of that will really matter.
Actually, I was recently told that this device is quite common in Europe (to my surprise), and is the way it's sometimes taught in schools. I seem to remember that a Scandinavian mentioned this ...perhaps a Scandinavian person on the forum here? I wish I could remember who it was, but I can't. However, since finding this out, I have noticed other modern European authors doing it, same as Roddy Doyle. I do think it's not an American thing, but is also not a gimmick when used in other cultures. I prefer the quote marks, but then, I was raised as an American and this is what I'm used to. I think quote marks are less ambiguous, and they leave em dashes to be used for other purposes without confusing the reader.
