Exclamation Points!!!!!!!!!!

[SciFrac]

That title probably offends you as it does me. We all see this poor, little punctuation frequently abused in writing, and I don't want to offend the grammar gods, but I do like them sometimes. When do we use them? What's the current guidance?

Also, do middle-grade books use them more?

 

[Warren_Paul]

It really depends on the dialogue. Sometimes people use them when they aren't really shouting, or even raising their voices. When every line of dialogue ends with one it kills the emphasis they have on the tone of the dialogue.

Best is to use them sparingly, and only ever one in each bit of dialogue. Using multiple exclamation points on the same sentence doesn't make it any stronger and just ends up making the writer look like an amateur.

 

[Glen]

Probably best not to consult me on this topic. My book has a character who exclaims practically everything he says! He swears a lot too!!

 

[The Judge]

My own rules -- never (or hardly ever) in narrative; rarely in dialogue and then only when necessary to show the emotion and/or volume of the cry/shout. Only one at a time, save to show personality in a character's own writing (I have a 12 year old girl who believes the more the merrier!!!!) and even then act with restraint, and never in consecutive sentences of dialogue.

 

[Bowler1]

I'd have to agree with Judge, I can't remember the last time I used an exclamation mark. I don't think dialogue needs them to make a point.

I've had to look and see where they are on the keyboard, the ! are way up on the lonely top left of the keyboard. I wonder if this difficult placement of the ! on the keyboard has had anything to do with their infrequent use?

 

[allmywires]

I never use them in prose, and not often in dialogue. Hmm, when do I use them? Here's an example from my WIP:

'You b*stard,' she said to me, before discarding the tissue and yelling, 'You b*stard!' She grabbed the pillow and started beating me to a feathery death.

'Hey, hey, look – I'm sorry, okay, I'm really sorry!'

So I guess I use them to illustrate a situation where people would raise their voices, and you can't really indicate it in dialogue.

Call me dumb but what do you mean by 'middle-grade books'? (My brain's off-duty now my exams are over.)

 

[Juliana]

AMW, middle grade would be for the preteen segment, 8-12 year olds. Its the segment I'm writing or at the moment and I'm definitely guilty of using !! a lot... But there is a lot of running around and chasing (or being chased by) spooky critters in my WIP so the darn !! just keep sneaking in.

 

[Warren_Paul]

Use them, Juliana, but only one per sentence, not two. Using multiple at the end of a sentence very unprofessional.


Should also take the time to point out you don't mix them with other punctuation either. None of this: !? Choose the question mark over it.

 

[allmywires]

Ah gotcha. Well in that case I think it's probably expected, if they're chasing stuff.

 

[Mouse]

I recognise that scene, amw! I use exclamation marks and I don't care who knows it.

 

[Juliana]

Thanks Warren. Usually I use just one exclamation point at a time, I put a few extra in the post there just to make it look pretty. But I will double check my WIP, as I seem to remember using and possibly abusing this device.

AMW yes, lots of chasing going on!

 

[allmywires]

I recognise that scene, amw!

Haha! Good

 

[Erin99]

I only use exclamation marks to show intense emotion*, anger/shouting, or because someone's just, you know, exclaimed.


*Most times, though, simple italics works well instead.

 

[SciFrac]

TJ, I like your rule of no consecutive sentences. That makes sense.

AMW, thanks for your example. That illustrates your point nicely. I think I understand!

Mouse, you're such a rebel.

Bowler, I think the computer keyboard was copied from the typewriter?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Mouse]

Mouse, you're such a rebel.

Too right.

 

[Montero]

The mouse that roared!

 

[Ursa major]

The mouse that roared!

I knew Mouse had something to do with best Sellers.

 

[R.P. Soon]

I'm struggling to think of times I could squeeze in exclamation points, as opposed to times I shouldn't. Every year I write, I find myself using them more sparingly.

It's like swearing. It loses all its impact if you do it all the time. But some people curse all the time. I can't imagine frequently using it in prose, but I'm imagining a character with a drama-queen attitude whose personality could be betrayed in dialogue by the fact that everything they say has an alarmist! quality to it.

For my self, I really only write them into dialogue if people are quite literally shouting.

 

[monsterchic]

I desperately try to avoid them whenever possible. I've seriously stayed up at night trying to think of a better way to say something than without using an exclamation point. I think I read too much of !!!! that when I was in middle school and couldn't stand it, so now I have an aversion

 

[Hex]

I went to look, and in 'Ink' I use 64 of them -- about one exclamation mark every two pages (it is YA, though). In DC I only used 44, so I'm getting worse...

Can I be a rebel too?