Punctuation is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood elements of the writing world. Period. One of my pet peeves, of late, is the use and, more specifically. over-use, of the exclamation point.
It used to be that an exclamation rendered the sentence fraught with excitement, danger, pleasure, or all three. Today, it has become as common as the simple and humble period. And I have a theory as to why this is the case.
With emails and texts and posts (and blogs), we find ourselves doing much more writing than in previous times. And, to be honest, most of us don’t live exciting lives. So the easiest way to infuse a little excitement into our little stories is by finishing off our scribbles with an exclamation point, or as I call it, “the upside-down lower-case I.” (Actually, that’s the first time I’ve ever called it that.) And if you really want to make an impact, try two or three!! Or the outrageous string of exclams that should be illegal (a misdemeanor) or at least garner a hefty fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the simple irony of it all, is that when everything is joyful and newsworthy and over the moon, nothing is.