[stylist] Exclamation points

Fri Apr 26 03:36:46 UTC 2013

Bridgit,
Interesting. I actually detest the "all caps" solution. I am currently going
through the manuscript again with exclamation points in mind. In the print
book design stage, I will have another opportunity in a few weeks to submit
any revisions, so I took Chris's suggestion to heart. 

At first, I thought I'd just strip them out altogether. However, as I read
my work I realized a couple of things. First of all, I wasn't using them as
a replacement for using words. I haven't added a single word, and I'm almost
through. The other thing is that I am developing a certain sensibility about
how to use them. Part of my punctuation preferences are, for better or
worse, informed by how a passage sounds with Jaws.  In dialog, I have a
cadense in mind, and though I suppose I could keep it to myself and allow
the reader free rein to interpret it, I can't fully bring myself to do it.
It's like the question mark. Do we really need to tell the reader that this
or that is a question? Why don't we just use periods and let them have the
freedom to assume it's a retorical question, if they like? 

I have removed most of them, but I have deliberately left some which I feel
do add something. I'm going to check afterwards to see what percentage of
them I kept. One example of a way in which I chose to use them was in a
scene where a kindergarten class got a bit out of hand. As the children
begin talking and then arguing with each other, I dropped the use of dialog
tags in order to lend an intensity and speed to the dialog. It isn't
necessary to know which child said what. However, if every sentence ends in
a period, it is not clear that the writer expects the reader to presume an
escalation of the argument. So, I used a couple near the end of that dialog
string.

I still can't believe that your professor thinks all caps are OK. That last
sentence should, if it were to truly reflect how astounded I am at this
moment, end with an exclamation point. I know it's done, but to me that is
far more of a distraction visually than any punctuation mark could possibly
be.

I have done a lot of thinking about this, and I believe we have Madison
Avenue to blame for the maligning of a mark which has served writers well
for many years. The exclamation point is seen by people who have become
oversensatized to it as the written equivalent of the laugh track. In each
case, it seems like the consumer is being told how to feel. I agree that it
is over-used, and I admit that -- despite my opinion that I didn't do that
-- I am as guilty as hell. Nevertheless, I think it has its place.
Donna 

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit
Pollpeter
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:59 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Subject: [stylist] Exclamation points

Donna,

Thanks for this info.

In my writing classes, we were strongly advised against the use of
exclamation points. We were taught to do something to make an exclamation
clear either with some visual display such as all-caps and bolding or within
the narration. And we were taught that a statement that's clearly an
exclamation doesn't require an actual exclamation point since it's obvious;
like watch out or hurray. I had one instructor who would take points off for
using them.

When editing, one of the first things I look for are exclamation points.
It's amazing how frequently they are used even when the text doesn't have a
reason to do so.

Bridgit
Message: 6
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:09:40 -0400
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [stylist] Exclamation points
Message-ID: <C2953F9C86E648F387F144030540FA66 at OwnerHP>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

        Hi Friends,
After Chris's comment on the chapter of my new book which I posted for the
fantasy prompt, I looked more closely at my manuscript and was horrified at
how many exclamation points I actually used. For me, it is mostly a dialog
thing, and I could probably justify most of them, were it not for the simple
fact that people who are awake and whose opinions I respect have become
ultrasensative about them -- in part, I believe, because of the horrors of
advertising, personal e-mails and texts. 

The question is, "how much is too much?" So I went a-Googling and found the
following article from the Atlantic Wire (Sept. 2012). The article follows
the URL . Enjoy, Donna
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/09/plea-self-control-r
egar
ding-exclamation-point/57201/
Block quote
A Plea for Self-Control Regarding the Exclamation Point - Jen Doll - The
Atlantic Wire

Jen Doll 

As we gathered punctuation favorites from a range of our favorite writers,
novelists, and word-knowledgable people, we ran into a cold, hard fact. Some
punctuation marks were hated, perhaps none more vehemently than the
exclamation point. It was a mark hated most of all, among those we spoke to,
by Grantland staff writer Rembert Browne.
Browne asked, "Am I allowed to write a note about why ! is the worst thing
in the culture of the Western Hemisphere?" Given that earlier this year we
declared the exclamation point as in many ways representative of an entire
zeitgeist, even the mark of the year, we figured we had to give Browne's
countering view some time in the sun. (One of our commenters has called the
proliferation of that allegedly foul mark an "American issue" even as our
own Rebecca Greenfield has tried to help us all cope and, for the love of
God!, tone it down a little.) Herewith, on National Punctuation Day,
Browne's plea for restraint in a time of great punctuation excesses:

Hate is a strong word, one unfortunately overused to describe things that
should probably be labeled as simply dislike or despise. With that said, I
would be lying if I described my feelings toward seeing an exclamation mark
as loathe or not a fan of. The hate in my heart for the most misused, overly
used piece of punctuation is very real, and I couldn't be prouder, seeing as
that it might be the only thing I truly stand for.

In 10th grade, as a response to the most recent assignment of 5-paragraph
personal essays answering the gem of a prompt, "talk about one important
thing of your summer," my English teacher began the class with the single
most important lesson I learned in high school: "From here on out, you only
get seven exclamation marks in your life, so use them wisely." I was
floored. At that point in my life, I had yet to deal with anything that
long-term. This was my Aladdin/three wishes moment. I was nervous, but also
excited. 

Fast-forward to present day. Nine years have passed since this statement was
made and I have 5 more exclamation marks left.* Is this directly in response
to the wise words from my former teacher, the woman who essentially taught
me how to write? In some ways yes, but in my adult, working-world years my
refusal to use them (and true hatred of seeing them scattered about) comes
from the unfortunate fact that they're used so lazily and carelessly,
whenever something moderately good or bad happens. The point of punctuation
once actually meant something, but due to the culture of using them as
frequently as inhales and exhales, they've become the grammatical "boy who
cried wolf." No one is actually as consistently excitable as their
exclamation mark usage suggests, but there will come a time when a person is
attempting to convey true, unadulterated joy ("She said yes!" or "It's a
boy!" or "I won one of those raffles to have dinner with Barack and
Michelle!") and to me, because of the person's unfortunate exclamation track
record, it'll read the same as "I overslept so hard last night!!!!" or
"Hey!" or simply "!!!!!!!!"

Having spoken to people who are chronic users (yes, I mean for this to sound
like a drug habit, because you people are exclamation junkies), most admit
that they know they overuse it, but in this world where so many
conversations and relationships exist via typing, they feel it's the only
way to come off as excited and grateful, especially when dealing in work
settings. This is worrisome, because it's almost as if we've given up on
attempting to construct sentences, with words, that convey true happiness
and instead simply cop out with the exclamation mark. This is bad, people.
Real bad. 

It's not too late to start down the path of "seven exclamation marks."
Yes, some of you are deep in the game, but your condition is not incurable.
No one is a lost cause. As rapper turned method-actor Clifford "T.I." Harris
stated in the film ATL, "I believe in you even when you're too stupid to
believe in your damn self." Know that I'm here for you. I'm tired of
fighting this battle alone and, above all else, I care. 

Upon receipt of this rant we wrote back to Browne using no fewer than 7
exclamation points and a deep awareness of the fact that we are part of the
problem and not the solution. We will do better. We will try. Even if it
kills us. (!)

*Browne's two exclamation uses so far appeared in a mass email following his
high school graduation and in a long email to his thesis advisor, he told
us, after he found he was graduating because she'd passed him. Who will get
the remaining marks? "I think my first kid will get one (if there are
additional, probably not), wedding maybe, and then who knows,"
he says. "Lottery? Maybe paying off school loans gets two? Who knows, I've
got like 100 more years and only 5 more. Got to pace myself."

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