Tuesday 15 July 2008

Called to heel

I have been called to heel, not individually, but as one of those people who use exclamation marks for absolutely no reason!! (two escaped there did you notice?)

Chandra wrote a great little post all about the overuse of exclamation marks and if I am guilty of anything, it's using far far too many exclamation marks. I certainly hope that I don't actually sound like a high school cheerleader as Chandra puts it (I was going to put an exclamation mark there!)

And I just can't seem to stop using them, they just spring quite readily off my fingers as I hold down the shift key and hit number 1 - hey presto - ! - an exclamation mark! Whoohoo! As you can see, it is just too easy to let one escape, actually never mind one, I usually let three or four escape all at once.

So....I hereby resolve to corral my exclamation marks and only let them out when truly suitable.

8 comments:

Literary Feline said...

I have a tendency to overuse the exclamation point too. It says so much! I have been cutting back, which usually entails me going back over what I've just written and removing a few of them.

Katie said...

I think I share your tendency. It's probably because if I write a blog post it's about something I'm passionate about, or something that is exciting to me, as you say exclamation marks just slip out!

Mrs. Spit said...

I'm bad with dashes and elipses.

Surely there's a support group for us?

Tess said...

I too use them a bit too much in casual writing, though I'm scrupulous to avoid them in my fiction. Maybe that's why I love them when I blog and write emails :)

Heather said...

I don't use them a lot in blog form, but I use them a lot during texting. It's just fun.

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I think it's natural that if someone talks animatedly, s/he would write animatedly.

I am supressing the urge to exclaim.

Alice said...

It's hard not to get excited in the world of blogs where great blogs such as yours thrive! (There, one exclamation has just escaped...)

We're an animated lot. I think we should stay that way. :D

Melody said...

LOL. I love using exclamation marks, especially when I want to emphasize something. I think I use it more when I send emails to friends. ;)