[stylist] Exclamation points

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Donna,

All caps isn't to be used to replace every occurrence of an exclamatory
statement; it's just a unique way in which to produce a more visual way
to make it clear it's an exclamation. If we would have used all caps
frequently, the instructor would have graded against that too. They were
to be equally used sparingly. This particular instructor's background
had been journalism before she became a creative writer. She has her MFA
from Columbia, and her style can reflect that background at times.

An example of using a visual marker to note a cadence that stands out in
my mind is from a Truman Capote story. I can't recall the story, but
when writing that a person looked another person up and down, he wrote
it this way: up - and - down to give that sort of pause between words.
Like if you were to elongate the phrase when speaking it out loud. This
visual indication kind suggest that cadence. This example is bad because
it's not an exclamatory statement, but it stands out in my mind as an
example of trying visually to produce a cadence or type of statement.

So we were encouraged to find different ways to express exclamatory
statements, but regardless what that route was, it was always to be used
sparingly.

Bridgit


Message: 2
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:36:46 -0400
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Exclamation points
Message-ID: <F088464530A0497A995D553EB9B85E2C at OwnerHP>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

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