...a question mark with an exclamation mark?

Kat

Why would you want to!?


But seriously, Yes, although it depends on why you're using the exclamation mark. If it's simply for emphasis, as opposed to loudness or surprise, then I wouldn't bother.

I would try to phrase what's said, or show in the reactions of others or the speaker, so that the reader reads it as super-emphatic.

Emma

It's okay, I wasn't asking for myself - I wouldn't have thought to use it myself as I've never come across it before, but I'm reading a book at the mo' - Country Pursuits by Jo Carnegie, it was on a buy one get one free at Tesco - and I read a sentence that had it in and it looked odd, so I wondered if it was kosher or a typo in the book!

Kat

I think it depends on what how and why.

I'm in the middle of a Terry Pratchett where he (very self-consciously, IMHO) makes a point of having an exclamation mark after every piece of speech made by a particular character.

It's clumsy, grim, amateurish and naff... but... because it is done deliberately, consistently and for a Pratchett-esque reason, I think it works.

Mind you, I'm also thinking it may be one of his earlier books... either that or that I should ignore everything I've ever been told about good writing, point of view and um... well, everything really.

Getting quite dizzy from the head-hopping.

G

Hmm I think that would prob get on my nerves after a while.

I know what you mean, there are so many rules and regs aimed at good writing, but it seems to me that most famous authors ignore the lot and just write how they want - maybe there's something in that...

If it's a one off, I'm sure the author can be allowed a bit of leeway.

<Added>

...however, it may be a non-fiction thing. I was reading an article recently, written in a conversational style, that was littered with exclamation marks, and which the writer simply wouldn't have got away with if it had been fiction.

In emails, texts etc I often write !!! or ??? and stuff like that, but I wouldn't write it in fiction. Best avoided, I'd say.

There are exceptions to most things, though. If it seems in keeping with the style of the book, then maybe it's okay.

Deb

It's done in comics quite often, and I think it would work if you were using a comic or black humour style of writing, but for serious work, it might jar the reader.

Colin M

Curious: What's the difference, do you think, between !? and ?! ?

What!?
What?!

I don't know, it's one of those odd things that isn't googleable. However, I think ?! is the right way round, because first and foremost it's a question, while the emphasis is secondary.

Wot Naomi said.

Emma

One exception might be:

What is signified by !?

Aside from which is correct usage, though - I wonder if they imply different things, like more surprise in one, more curiosity in the other.

<Added>

Gaius, is the book Pyramids?

Did he use it there too!?! (Emphasises an emphatic, rhetorical question.)

No, the book is Maskerade and (having just googled it) I am appalled to discover it is his eighteenth disc world novel!

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!! (Over-emphasising a shouted injustice.)