diff --git a/markup.py b/markup.py
index 220ca34..3ae381c 100755
--- a/markup.py
+++ b/markup.py
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2022 Alek Ratzloff
-# 
-# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify  
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
 # the Free Software Foundation, version 3.
 #
-# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but 
-# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of 
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU 
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
 # General Public License for more details.
 #
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License 
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import dataclasses
 import functools
 import random
-import re
 import string
 from typing import Optional, Protocol
 
@@ -34,6 +34,25 @@ ESCAPES = {
 }
 
 
+@dataclasses.dataclass
+class Pos:
+    source: int
+    col: int
+    line: int
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"line {self.line} col {self.col}"
+
+
+class MarkupError(Exception):
+    def __init__(self, where: Pos, message: str):
+        self.where = where
+        self.message = message
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"{self.where}: {self.message}"
+
+
 class MarkupCallable(Protocol):
     """
     Callable for macros.
@@ -52,7 +71,7 @@ class MarkupContext:
 
     def get_macro(self, name: str) -> MarkupCallable:
         if name not in self.macros:
-            raise Exception(f"Could not find macro with name `{name}`")
+            raise Exception(f"could not find macro with name `{name}`")
         return self.macros[name]
 
 
@@ -83,13 +102,16 @@ class MarkupMacro(MarkupExpr):
 class MarkupParser:
     def __init__(self, text: str):
         self.text = text
-        self.pos = 0
+        self.pos = Pos(source=0, col=1, line=1)
         self.parts: list[MarkupExpr] = []
 
     @property
     def c(self) -> str:
         return self.ahead(1)
 
+    def ahead(self, count: int) -> str:
+        return self.text[self.pos.source : self.pos.source + count]
+
     def render(self, ctx: MarkupContext) -> str:
         self.parse()
         return "".join([exp.render(ctx) for exp in self.parts])
@@ -121,15 +143,16 @@ class MarkupParser:
         return MarkupMacro(macro, args)
 
     def parse_expr(self) -> MarkupExpr:
-        if self.c in ["\"", "\'"]:
+        if self.c in ['"', "'"]:
             return MarkupRaw(self.parse_macro_string())
         elif self.c in NAME_CHARS:
             return MarkupRaw(self.parse_ident())
         elif self.is_match("${"):
             return self.parse_macro()
         else:
-            raise Exception(
-                "lost the thread around {self.text[self.pos:self.pos + 5]}..."
+            raise MarkupError(
+                self.pos,
+                f"expected expression (string, ident, or `${{`) but got character {self.c} instead",
             )
 
     def parse_macro_string(self) -> str:
@@ -137,29 +160,31 @@ class MarkupParser:
         if self.c in ['"', "'"]:
             self.adv()
         else:
-            raise Exception("expected single quote (\") or double quote (')")
+            raise MarkupError(
+                self.pos, "expected single quote (\") or double quote (')"
+            )
         text = ""
         while self.c and self.c != start:
             if self.c == "\\":
                 self.adv()
-                if self.c in "nrbt\\'\"":
+                if self.c in ESCAPES:
                     text += ESCAPES[self.c]
                     self.adv()
                 else:
-                    raise Exception(f"unknown escape `\\{self.c}`")
+                    raise MarkupError(self.pos, f"unknown escape `\\{self.c}`")
             else:
                 text += self.c
                 self.adv()
         if not self.c:
-            raise Exception("unterminated string")
+            raise MarkupError(self.pos, "unterminated string")
         self.adv()
         return text
 
     def parse_ident(self) -> str:
-        start = self.pos
+        start = self.pos.source
         while self.c and self.c in NAME_CHARS:
             self.adv()
-        return self.text[start : self.pos]
+        return self.text[start : self.pos.source]
 
     def skip_whitespace(self):
         while self.c and self.c in string.whitespace:
@@ -172,17 +197,21 @@ class MarkupParser:
             self.adv()
         return MarkupRaw(text)
 
-    def ahead(self, count: int) -> str:
-        return self.text[self.pos : self.pos + count]
-
     def adv(self, n: int = 1):
-        self.pos += n
+        # only advance if there's characters left to consume
+        if not self.c:
+            return
+        for i in range(n):
+            if self.c == "\n":
+                self.pos.line += 1
+                self.pos.col = 1
+            self.pos.source += 1
 
     def match(self, c: str):
         if self.is_match(c):
             self.adv(len(c))
         else:
-            raise Exception(f"expected `{c}`")
+            raise MarkupError(self.pos, f"expected `{c}`")
 
     def is_match(self, c: str) -> bool:
         if c == self.ahead(len(c)):
@@ -210,7 +239,10 @@ def render(text: str, ctx: Optional[MarkupContext] = None) -> str:
 
 
 def macro_random(
-    ctx: MarkupContext, first: Optional[str] = None, second: Optional[str] = None, *tail: str
+    ctx: MarkupContext,
+    first: Optional[str] = None,
+    second: Optional[str] = None,
+    *tail: str,
 ) -> str:
     """
     Choose a random number.
@@ -248,7 +280,7 @@ def macro_round(ctx: MarkupContext, n: str, digits: Optional[str] = None) -> str
 
 def macro_cat(ctx: MarkupContext, *text: str) -> str:
     "Concatenates all arguments."
-    return ''.join(text)
+    return "".join(text)
 
 
 @functools.cache
@@ -266,9 +298,10 @@ def default_context():
 ################################################################################
 # Main
 ################################################################################
-if __name__ == '__main__':
+if __name__ == "__main__":
     import sys
-    filename = '<stdin>'
+
+    filename = "<stdin>"
     if len(sys.argv) == 1:
         text = sys.stdin.read()
     else:
@@ -277,6 +310,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             text = fp.read()
     try:
         result = render(text)
-        print(result, end='')
+        print(result, end="")
     except Exception as ex:
         print(f"{filename}: {ex}")