Punctuation Question

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Faithhope
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Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:43 am
Faithhope says... · Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:43 am
I'm writing a post for my blog. I've never been great at remembering punctuation rules, so I need some advice. What would be the best way to write this?
"Sometimes it is filled with darkness, with only far off specks of light. Sometimes it is gray and foggy. Sometimes it is blindingly bright, bursting with warmth. And sometimes it is a phenomenal canvas of swirling clouds, lit by a medley of color; sailing in every direction. "
Is it good? Or should it be separated by commas instead of periods? It would be great if I could know ASAP! Thanks! :)
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Caesar
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Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:22 am
Caesar says... · Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:22 am
I am not renowned as a grammar person -- that would be @ShadowVyper -- but I can say this looks correct. Try replacing the full stops with commas, you'll notice it becomes much too run-on. Maybe the only thing is a comma instead of that semicolon. Those indicate a longer pause, which doesn't make much sense given the context. I've been told they're mostly used (when poetic license isn't applied) in lists or other such things.
vulgus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur


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GoldFlame
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Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:29 am
GoldFlame says... · Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:29 am
The semicolon's incorrect; try exchanging it for a comma or an ellipsis, or an M-dash (with a little tweaking, you could probably make it work?). Here's why:

Correct: ^sentence above
Incorrect: He sighed; turning to face the door.

Semicolons' sole purposes are connecting independent clauses and separating items in lists (independent clauses--phrases that can function as sentences). And if there's a comma in the first clause, you can add a conjunction: "When I finish here, and I will soon, I'll be glad to help you; and that's a promise I'll keep."

This might help.

Otherwise, it looks great!
“He leant tensely against the wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.” – Douglas Adams
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Faithhope
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It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats—the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill —The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it—and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another.
— JRR Tolkien