Just in case you thought the Chicago Manual of Style was rough on writers whose careful quotient was low, please meet JOAN -- Mrs. Giles.
She can spot a single space after a period as soon as she turns the page, and then takes obvious delight in darkly circling the needy spot. SPACE, she tirelessly writes.
Then there is my need to capitalize words for emphasis, uhh, Emphasis. My penchant for this new and inconsistent addition to the English Language must be very frustrating for Joan, offending her sense of proper rule-following, since I do it over and over Again. If the poet, ee cummings, could play with capitalization and word placement,
why
Can't I?
Finally, I find the ellipsis a very useful form of punctuation ... say, when characters are thinking, looking for just the right ... word. Or, when the villain catches himself from saying the spot was caused by "blood" and instead says ... "wine" after a pause for consideration or for ... effect.
Joan's quarrel with my ellipsis is that they should be . . . that is, three periods separated by spaces, but that really calls too much attention to itself. I want something that the reader "trips" over and pauses to catch their ... balance, rather than pausing to catch their . . . balance.
Joan is very specific, and I'm ... well, Scattered. The differences between us has kept us married for 44 years, and has led to some spirited, if arcane, Discussions.
"Grammar is not a time of waste."
~~ Bart Simpson
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