OT semi-colons

[Jo Beverley jobev@xxxxxxxx]

> "Oh everyone was there:
> the Lord Chancellor, his mother-in-law, the Dowager Duchess of
> Cumberland, Admiral Sir Richard Founder and his lady, and her sister,
> the Countess of Errol, and her nephew the MP for Bristol."

Lists always present problems, Patricia, and are the one place I will use
colons and semi-colons where necessary, but in fact the above would not be
clear when spoken and probably isn't natural speech for that reason. I'm trying
to imagine when a character might actually say that. But depending on the
character, I might write it like this.

 "Oh everyone was there. The Lord Chancellor, his mother-in-law -- that's the
Dowager Duchess of Cumberland, of course. Admiral Sir Richard Founder, his
lady and her sister, the Countess of Errol. Lady Errol's nephew, the MP for
Bristol."

The problem arises more in speech like this. "I can't believe you said that. It
was so cruel." That could have a semi-colon, but to me it doesn't give the
right feel because in a moment of emotion, a scholarly note is introduced and
the reader's mind adds that to the nuance.

I'm sorry if I seemed to attack. It was meant more humorously, though it is a
serious concern.

Jo :)