Mastering the Ellipsis
Okay! The last time around, I walked you through using em-dashes in dialogue. This week, we’re still on the concept of pausing, but we will discuss the ellipsis.
An ellipsis, or ellipses in the plural, is a punctuation mark of three dots. It generally represents an omission of words or leaving something unsaid. It’s a hesitant or dramatic pause in dialogue, a trailing off, a natural conversational element.
You’re familiar with it. It looks like this: (...) unless you agree with the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), which suggests it should look like this: (. . .) — three dots separated by spaces.
“Jenny, there wasn’t a time where . . . I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
Did you catch the preceding space between ‘where’ and ‘I’m’? Yeah, that’s also CMOS. Coincidentally, CMOS also says there shouldn’t be a space when ending with punctuation. Here are some funky CMOS examples:
This ellipsis … is in the middle of a sentence.
This one is at the end. … Note the space after the period.
A comma precedes this ellipsis, … with similar spacing.
What do you mean? … More of the same.
But when punctuation follows …, close it up to the ellipsis.
Is that wise …? We think so.
Even more confusing, some word processors auto-transform an ellipsis into an ASCII character.
Mechanically, an ellipsis can capture hesitation and pause perfectly in dialogue. For example:
"Well, I thought we could go to the park . . . if you want."
See how it leaves the sentence hanging, inviting the reader to fill in the blanks? It's a subtle way to add depth to your characters and their interactions.
It’s a Trap!
That said, too many writers fall into a common trap: abusing ellipses.
Sure … it sounds natural … but when recreating … the sound of speech in their heads … the writer creates an abundance of pauses … that translates to too many dots on the page … or … becomes a truly lazy way … to connect sentences. Sometimes, you trail off for no reason …
It's easy to get carried away, but too many ellipses can make your writing seem fragmented and your characters overly hesitant or unsure.
It’s Clutter!
When I read a passage in a book, I don’t want to trip over things left on the floor, step around objects, or take a running jump to get to the conclusion of a paragraph. Ellipises are white noise gaps that don’t need to be present in every paragraph, thought, or monologue.
It's like cursing or too many exclamation marks — less is often more.
It’s Tedious and Trite!
Whether you’re writing for contests or not, I presume you want your writing to stand out. You don’t want it to feel amateur or stumbling, or, howdy-hum-dum boring. So, here’s my advice: don’t.
Avoid using the ellipsis.
If you must, use it very sparingly, and only in dialogue.
When using it in dialogue, imagine your character placing their thumb against their chin and staring thoughtfully out into space. Then, consider, Jedi: Is that the pause you’re looking for? Would an em-dash, comma, or semi-colon be more effective?
When writing a narrative, ellipses can indicate a time jump or an unfinished thought. They create a sense of mystery or suspense, but again, use them sparingly. A well-placed ellipsis can add intrigue, but overdo it, and your readers or a judge might find it distracting.
So, what's the takeaway? Use ellipses to enhance your dialogue and narrative, but don't rely on them too much. Keep your writing clear and concise, and your readers will thank you.
R
