The “capitalize after colon” question is a bit divisive.
So, it pays to know what the different style manuals have to say about it.
What you learned with the MLA handbook in high school doesn’t necessarily apply to that article for a psychology blog.
Also, the rules are a bit different between American and British English.
We’ve listed all the rules to make it easier for you to know when to capitalize after a colon, depending on where and what you’re writing.
An essential part of being a writer is daily practice—even if that practice is only a few minutes.
And even when the results are less inspired than you hoped.
As long as you’re committed to building a writing habit and practicing your craft, you’re a writer—not just an “aspiring” one.
Sometimes, all you need is a generous supply of fun writing prompts for adults to get you started.
We’re happy to help with that.
You’re reading a new story, and you’ve just hit the first bit of dialogue between two characters.
The problem? You’re too busy thinking, “What was the author thinking?” to focus on the story being told.
It’s jarring or riddled with wordy dialogue tags. As a reader, it makes you put down the book and move on.
As an author, you realize how essential it is to write dialogue that keeps the reader locked into your story.
Are you confident in the art of writing dialogue? If you need some help, we’ve got you covered.
Do you know a dangling modifier when you see it?
And do you know what to say when someone asks, “So, what’s the difference between a dangling modifier and misplaced modifier?”
Once you read this post and look over its 11 examples of dangling modifiers, you will.
From henceforth, you’ll be the one to ask tricky grammar questions like this.
And even if you don’t want a reputation as a grammar nerd, knowing how to spot and fix modifier errors will make you a better writer.
Maybe you’re here wondering which came first — headings in books or headings in shorter pieces like articles, essays, and blog posts.
Aside from school textbooks, you wonder if headings in books are even necessary.
Or you wonder how to make them work for you.
So, do the same rules apply?
And how do headings help the reader?
And how do you craft headings that will make your book harder to put down?
Let’s find out.
(Side note: If you want the peace of mind that you’re publishing with good grammar and punctuation, then check out the free Grammarly proofreading tool.)
You’ve read enough stories to know how compelling tragic heroes can be.
And you have ideas for one of your own.
You just need to know what traits will make them irresistible to your readers.
Welcome to the ultimate guide to tragic hero characteristics.
From Aristotle’s tragic hero to your newest character inspiration, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the universal (or generally agreed upon) traits of a tragic hero.
Let’s dive in!
You know where your characters live and the places they visit in your story.
You can picture the places clearly.
But how do your readers know whether your main character lives in a village, town or city?
And how do you make sure they see your setting as clearly as you do?
What is the population of a village, anyway?
Or, in a village vs. town question, how do you distinguish the two?