Exclamation explanation.

[tikay]

What is it all of a sudden with exclamation marks?

Exclamation marks are fine, but appending one to every other bloody sentence is the NUT WORST THING ON THE ENTIRE WORLD.

And I've developed an over-reaction to them now, which is ridiculous, but when I see them improperly used - especially in Corporate blurb & spam - my head explodes with fury & anger.

Look, here's a few hints.

http://www.thesaleslion.com/exclamation-point-dead-content-marketing/


Or this.....


Why does the exclamation mark have such a bad reputation? When is it acceptable to use it?


F. Scott Fitzgerald may have summed up its drawback most succinctly in his admonishment: “An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke." And who wants to be that sort of writer?

The exclamation mark is often the lazy writer's way of conveying emotion. By using it, you're telling the reader how to interpret the line. “Pay attention," you say to the reader, “this is going to be exciting." Instead of relying on this rascal of punctuation, you should choose your words precisely so that they carry the emphasis themselves. Focus on using vivid and striking nouns and verbs that capture the essence of the strong emotion you want to convey.

Instead of this:

The man came right at him, ready to strike!

You might write this:

The man lunged, his right arm cocked, hand fisted.

The urgency of the moment comes through the image of the man about ready to strike, and the energy of the verbs: lunged, cocked, and fisted. And that approach does a more convincing job than the slim exclamation mark.

Of course, exclamation marks aren't—and shouldn't—be obsolete. Writers can use them to create a specific impact. For example, Thom Jones used exclamation marks in his short story “I Want to Live!" to mirror the rush and abrupt shifts that come with direct thought. The story is told from the perspective of a woman dying of cancer. This passage comes after a chemotherapy treatment:

The third treatment—oh, damn! The whole scenario had been underplayed. Those movie stars who got it and wrote books about it were stoics, valiant warriors compared to her. She had no idea anything could be so horrible. Starving in Bangladesh? No problem, I'll trade. Here's my MasterCard and the keys to the Buick—I'll pull a rickshaw, anything! Anything but this. HIV-positive? Why just sign right here on the dotted line and you've got a deal! I'll trade with anybody! Anybody.

While you might not need to limit yourself to the ration of three exclamation marks in a lifetime that editor and writer William Maxwell advised, you should use them sparingly and with good reason.


Or this....

https://messageandmuse.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/why-exclamation-marks-are-not-your-friend/

[tikay]

"I’ll let you in on a little secret. One of the biggest giveaways that a client has written their own copy, without hiring a copywriter, is the over-use of exclamation marks.

The world’s most over-used punctuation mark has a lot to answer for. In a fraction of a second, it has the power to turn even the most delicately worded prose into a pantomime horse. It’s right up there with CAPS LOCK and alphanumeric truncation (h8ers gonna h8) for a spot in room 101. In the printing world, an exclamation mark is often referred to as a ‘screamer’, ‘gasper’, ‘bang’, ‘slammer’ or ‘startler’ – ie: something to be used sparingly, and for dramatic effect, where warranted. Over-use is tiring and annoying at best and shows lack of control. (Apple even has a specific section in their distributer rulebook about avoiding their use.) There’s even a word for excessive use of exclamation marks: ‘bangorreah’. But try telling that to writers on social media, where the mere whiff of a competition is excuse enough to crack open a whole can of exclamation marks! Take a look at this list of contests currently on NineMSN’s homepage. Among other things, you could win a cheese plate. A CHEESE PLATE! I might forgive them for using one on a prize worth a cool million dollars, but a cheese plate

[BorntoBubble]

I do it too much and it does my own head in, only do it in here though.

Not sure why!!

[TightEnd]

i'm writing, and i am not sure you are reading and i am trying to convince you and get you to notice, so i will use an exclamation point as it makes my point more firmly to me, and therefore to you

it makes me feel better

iisnt that the thought process of the excessive exclamationers?

[tikay]

Not convinced yet?

They are bad for your health. (And mine). Fact.

http://www.clarityinwords.com/blog/2015/5/25/why-overindulging-in-the-exclamation-mark-is-bad-for-your-writings-health


http://www.tomthumb.org/exclamationmarks.shtml

http://menwithpens.ca/no-exclamation-points/


http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Stop_the_madness_Rules_for_using_the_exclamation_p_13882.aspx


http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CF0QFjAJahUKEwjLtZ7b1vjHAhWF7BQKHeSPBSA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F2951656%2Fexclamation-point-guide%2F&usg=AFQjCNG45ylUl2DGEnOGUVcS4HetIxHe8Q&sig2=NUBuPP3S4NjtilRWudjPVQ



http://time.com/2951656/exclamation-point-guide/

...which includes......


As one writerly friend wrote to me about a decade ago, “Almost all uses of exclamation points, other than in reported speech, should be punished by death, administered with broadsword

[tikay]

Forum thread titles that include an exclamation mark should all be banned. Do not read them. Ever. 

[tikay]

A chap who often writes to me sticks one at the end of every sentence.

hello tikay!

Got a question for you!

This happened last night!

What do you think?!

[tikay]

I have a PM on blonde that runs to 3 paragraphs, & 7 sentences. It includes 23 exclamation marks.

23.                                   

[tikay]

But it gets worse.

Have you seen those multi-exclamation marks? Nothing - nothing - is worse. I'm not blind, I sew the first one.

Look at this bad beat!!!!!!!!!

[tikay]

Congratulations tikay, you have earned rakeback of £1.73 this week


Oh great, thank you.

[tikay]

I might play as many as 50 SNG's in an evening, & in doing so win, say, 1,000 hands.

Do I really need, after every hand - "congratulations, you have won the hand!"


1,000 times per night, an average of 5 nights per week, for about 40 weeks of the year. That's 200,00 of the buggers.  

[TightEnd]

I have a PM on blonde that runs to 3 paragraphs, & 7 sentences. It includes 23 exclamation marks.

23.                                   

sorry!

[tikay]

I have a PM on blonde that runs to 3 paragraphs, & 7 sentences. It includes 23 exclamation marks.

23.                                   

sorry!

Stop it, you know it irritates me to death.

[RED-DOG]

But, (Serious question) what if I actually exclaim? For example,


Gosh!

[tikay]

But, (Serious question) what if I actually exclaim? For example,


Gosh!

That is fine, nothing wrong with that.

Though you might argue that the word "gosh", in itself, effectively includes a built in exclamation mark. It's that sort of word. "Gosh" means excitement, so does not need reinforcement. 

They have a use, a good use, nothing wrong with them. It's their misuse which mildly irritates me. And the entire bloody world, & probably the universe, too.