Can I Put an iPhone in My Novel?
Now and then, a writer or editor asks our online Q&A whether mentioning a brand name in a work of fiction requires permission or the addition of the trademark (™) or registered (®) symbol.
A Dash of Poetic License
One of the goals of Fiction+ has been to encourage writers and editors to leave the stylebook behind whenever it gets in the way of creative expression.
Chicago Style Crossword No. 1: Editorially Speaking
For this month’s workout, we invite you to play (and solve) our very first “Chicago Style” crossword puzzle.
Do You Overstep When Editing Fiction? Three Easy Cures
The other day, I ran across this line in a recent novel by a best-selling American writer (key words are disguised): “His disposition warmed faster than did the gradually dawning day.”
Decades (CMOS 9.33)
This year isn’t over just yet, but when it does finally come to an end, the current decade will end with it. In other words, we will soon be leaving the 2010s and entering the 2020s.
Chicago Style Workout 39: Word Usage, Part 9
This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 9,” finishes our run through the “Glossary of Problematic Words and Phrases” in section 5.250 of CMOS 17. For our usage finale, we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters t as in “that” through w as in “whomever.”
“That hat!”: Punctuating How You Feel
When it comes to punctuation, there’s a difference between formal prose and creative writing.
Chicago Style Q&A: Recent Updates
The Chicago Manual of Style Q&A has been featuring answers to your questions for more than twenty years. During that time our searchable Q&A archive has grown to encompass a huge range of questions about Chicago style.
Sure, You Got A’s in English—But Do You Know Where Commas Go?
A few months ago in a conference session, a group of novelists digressed into good-natured complaints about being copyedited. One writer drew a lot of laughs saying, “I mean, I got A’s in English! I know where the freaking commas go!”
Dot Dot Dot: A Closer Look at the Ellipsis
If you follow Chicago style, it’s a safe bet you know that a Chicago-style ellipsis consists of three spaced periods. You probably also know . . .
Chicago Style Workout 38: Word Usage, Part 8
This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 8,” returns to our “Glossary of Problematic Words and Phrases” in section 5.250 of CMOS 17. This time we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters r as in “rack” through s as in “straight.”