JCFarnham
Auror
As far as punctuation is concerned, yes, there are conventions, and no, it is not correct to pick which you will follow and which you will change. Sure, if you're trying to be "different," you can make up your own rules, but you can expect people to be annoyed when they read it - IF they read it - and if you're looking to get published, I would suggest NOT doing so.
So you see absolutely no merit what so ever in experimenting? Ginsberg, Morrison, Kerouac and the like may as well have not existed then and aren't at all legendary, right? Doing things purely to get published is not the way to write [perfectly punctuated vampire romance may sell, but what good does it do society?]. Following a publishers format guidelines is one thing. Selling out for the sake of profit is another.
Sorry for the soapbox heh.