100 ways to improve your writing - Gary Provost 2019

Know when to use a colon
Six ways to avoid punctuation errors

Colons are used to introduce lists, formal quotations, and examples:

Please bring the following items: cups, sugar packets, spoons, nondairy creamers, napkins, coffee, and coffeepots. We will bring everything else required to make the coffee.

In Act I of Falling Bodies, Bernice speaks of a white cross: “We used to lie in our beds at night and watch this sign on top of the life insurance building. . . .”

JoDean wants to become a nun for the wrong reasons. For example: She speaks endlessly about how upset her ex-boyfriend will be when she enters the convent; she speaks endlessly about how she will get to wear a habit; and she speaks endlessly about how nice it will be to have her own bedroom.