The em dash is longer than a hyphen. You use it when you want to create a strong break in a sentence—stronger than a comma.
How to type it:
Windows: Hold Alt and type 0151 on your number pad.
Mobile: Long-press the hyphen key until the longer options pop up.
When to use it:
When dialogue or action is abruptly cut off.
Emphasize a phrase at the end of a sentence.
Insert a thought in the middle of a sentence.
Note: Traditionally there is often no space around the em dash (word—word), but some people prefer spaces (word — word) for readability. Do whatever fits your aesthetic!
The best piece of writing advice I can give is that you should strive to be sincere rather than original.
You can’t force originality. Originality will arise as a natural consequence of sincerity. Make the story completely and apologetically yours, and originality will come by virtue of it being your story.
The writer must have a good imagination to begin with, but the imagination has to be muscular, which means it must be exercised in a disciplined way, day in and day out, by writing, failing, succeeding and revising.
