The CMOS is a reference guide, and you only need to be concerned with chapter 6, and if you are feeling robust, chapter 5. If, for instance, you are confused where to place a comma, 6.16 will explain. But, you don't HAVE to use CMOS. Strunk and White is simple to use, or one of those plastic Grammar Guides you see on the rack in Barnes and Noble, or any number of grammar guides available. The idea is to learn to edit your work, but not to stem your creativity. An example: In your post above, you placed quotations around the word, trying. Is that the correct use of quotations? Chapter 6.66 in the CMOS would explain the correct usage. And, no, it is not the correct use of quotations. But, one look at the sentence and I know perfectly well what you are doing, and so would any reader; you are using creative license. I would be hesitant to have you remove the quotations.

If you have a story to tell, write it down. Read it. Does it make sense? If you omit that comma, does it make more sense? Re-read it. How does it look to you? Not sure about that dialog tag? Look up the correct use of dialog tags, or ask in Writers Forum. Have a friend read it. Does anything stand out to them? Let the story cool off for a few days. Re-read it. Read it out-loud. How does it sound when you read it out-loud. Sounds good?

"All writers are crazy. So never mind what the editors and your family and your critique group tells you. Submit your manuscripts and keep submitting until you get an offer. Then you can be crazy, with a paycheck." MaryJanice Davidson, best seling author and co-author of somewhere around 80 books.

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Wolfenshire, Moderator/Community Leader