Choosing to major in creative writing has been a confusing journey for everyone except my fellow creative writing majors. I’m frequently asked, “Are you going to write for a newspaper or magazine after graduation?” I can’t even get mad at the people who ask because they just don’t understand. No, I’m not going to write for a newspaper or magazine. Why? Because I love the Oxford comma too much.
There are dozens of differences between journalism and creative writing, but one of the biggest differences is the use of the Oxford comma. This style of writing (such as newspapers) doesn’t use the Oxford comma, but novel writing still does. Journalism originally omitted the comma to conserve a little bit of space during publication, but nearly everything is posted online now so we have plenty of room to add a comma here and there. Some people say the Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma or Harvard comma), is overrated or unnecessary, but I beg to differ.
For those who don’t know or are unsure, the Oxford comma is used after “and” in a sentence with three or more things listed. For example, “I went to the store with my parents, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers.” With the Oxford comma, this sentence means I went to the store with my parents. I went to the store with Tony Stark. I went to the store with Steve Rogers. Without the Oxford comma, “I went to the store with my parents, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers,” could imply I went to the store with Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, both of whom are my parents.
Now, I’m not against Tony Stark and Steve Rogers being my parents (as long as they stop fighting over Bucky Barnes), but I don’t want my actual parents to think I’m ashamed of them. I love them just as much as I love Tony and Steve.
This doesn’t apply to every situation in which the Oxford comma is used, of course. For example, “I had eggs, toast, and bacon for breakfast” has the same meaning as “I had eggs, toast and bacon for breakfast.” Eggs can’t be toast and bacon, but my parents can be Tony Stark and Steve Rogers – at least to people who don’t know Tony and Steve are fictional characters.
When we first started learning how to use commas in elementary school, I remember the teacher saying to use a comma when you pause or take a breath in a sentence. I always pause between “my parents, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers,” mainly because I know if I don’t, it sounds like my parents are Tony and Steve, but it also clarifies that my parents, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers are three separate entities.
The one thing the Oxford comma always does, regardless of what’s listed, is separate each item from the last so we have a crisp, clear understanding of what is being said. We’ve come a long way since writing originated, but we can’t just leave the Oxford comma behind.
No, I’m not going to write for a newspaper or magazine. I’m a creative writing major and I love Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and the Oxford comma.
