Abusing the Exclamation Point

As a writer, the exclamation point is a lot like jalapeños. One or two in a dish is delightful for it adds spice and flavor. However, if you drown the entire dish in them, it overwhelms and potentially ruins the whole thing.

They do have a purpose, however. Exclamation points indicate emotion, an outcry, or a forceful comment. The Associated Press Stylebook suggests we use them “to express a high degree of surprise, incredulity or other strong emotion.” Let’s examine this paragraph:

The sun creeps up over the horizon. It glimmers and shimmers with waves of hope! It’s a new dawn! What will I do with this day?! Where will I go? What will I see? I cannot wait to experience this glorious day!

The meaning of this paragraph is lost in the exclamation points. It’s as if the writer is shouting out each sentence. Somewhere in this paragraph is a subtle message of joyfully greeting a day. Overusing the exclamation point overwhelmed that message.

In today’s Tuesday Tip, we explore three reasons we abuse the exclamation point.

1. We want the reader to “get it.”

Overusing the exclamation point reveals a lack of confidence in our words. It’s also an underestimation of our readers.

Overusing exclamation points is like saying, “You should be excited here. You should feel a sense of urgency here.” We fail to understand that the reader’s imagination will set fire to the words as the story emerges.

Your job is to write with skill, and the reader’s imagination will do the rest.

2. It’s a bad habit

We communicate all day long through email, social media, and texting. This can produce bad habits. We may use all kinds of emojis and exclamation points as we talk. While that’s fine for friends and family, it can be annoying to an editor or a reader.

If you overuse the exclamation point in a query, proposal, or article, an editor or agent will notice.

They receive hundreds of pieces of communication weekly. While they are looking for well-written queries and proposals, there are also triggers that help them narrow their search. If a proposal is perfect, but the cover letter or email is overrun with exclamation points, it might offer a reason to pass without having read the proposal.

3. We just don’t know. . .

Perhaps it’s been 20 years since your last grammar class. Maybe using a ton of exclamation points is what you’ve always done.

Regardless of the reason, once you know better you can do better. Just remember this: If everything is emphasized, then nothing is.

Use the exclamation point, but make it count. Let it add flavor to a well-written query, blog post, article, or chapter. When used sparingly, it will bring life to your writing rather than overwhelm your words.

Your Turn

Take a moment and share on the COMPEL blog about a recent piece of writing. Do you tend to overuse exclamation points? If so, rewrite that piece and share why it’s stronger.

Learn More with COMPEL Training

If you are a current COMPEL member, you can enroll in our Getting Down to Writing Basics course where you can not only refresh your grammar rules, but you can also learn to evaluate your own writing for common grammar mistakes and even learn Lysa TerKeurst’s best writing habits.

If you’re not a current COMPEL member and would like access to this course, you can click here to learn more about joining our community of writers.  By becoming a COMPEL member, you get the chance to learn from bestselling authors, powerhouse speakers, and master communicators on how to creatively and expertly share the message God has placed on your heart.