I recently wrapped up my five month long partnership in our local SCBWI Author Mentorship program. I was matched with Anna-Maria Crum and we worked so efficiently together I was able to get two manuscripts into superb shape for submitting.

Not only did my characters and plot get a needed boost, but I also learned (or relearned?) some important grammar and editing skills. Over the next few months I’ll share a few tips to help make your final product a professional masterpiece.

Today is the often misunderstood HYPHEN (-), EN-DASH(–) and EM-Dash(—). I had become lazy in how they are used and often in my drafting chose whatever one came to mind first. Here’s the low down on how to use these correctly:

Hyphen(-)

1. When to use
   1. Connecting compound words (right-of-way)
   2. Telephone numbers or grouped numbers (555-555-5555)
   3. Syllable breaks within words at the end of the line
2. How to make one
   1. Use the minus sign on the keyboard

En-Dash(–)

1. When to use
   1. To join words when describing a range (June–August, 2017)
   2. To join numbers in a range (8–13 years old; 1968–2010)
2. How to make one (two options)
   1. MAC & Windows: Type a word followed by a space, then type the hyphen, followed by another space and the second word. Tap enter, return or space bar.
   2. MAC: option-minus sign; Windows: control-minus sign

Em-Dash (—)

1. When to use
   1. Set off a unique idea from the main sentence (This manuscript—minus a few flaws—is close to perfection.
   2. Separate an inserted thought (Writing is a journey—often not on the same road.
2. How to make one (two options)
   1. MAC & Windows: Type a word followed by two hyphens, then type the second word and tap  enter, return, or space bar.
   2. MAC: shift-option-minus sign; Windows: alt-control-minus sign

No test. You are dismissed for the weekend!