I've read a couple of books lately which say to keep use of the exclamation mark to a minimum. One even says to really only use it for shouting - because you should be using language to convey something, not punctuation.

Well, fair enough, but some exclamations just don't look right to me, without an exclamation mark.

eg
"Look out!"

"Cheers!"

"Here's to us!"

What's your view on this??

Thanks.

Casey

<Added>

(Actually, exclude "look out!" there, because that would probably be shouted, so the ex. mark is deemed ok)

I had a novel critiqued by JBWB, and she called them ‘screamers’ which, I think says a lot. From your examples; the first one is fine, but ‘Cheers.’ and ‘Here’s to us.’ do, in themselves, convey the mood so the ! looks unnecessary to me.

I would advise you to try every other possible way to convey the moment without using a screamer… incidentally, I think this is something we learn to live without as we develop our writing muscles.

Leave them out. When you have a passage where you think they’re unavoidable, print it out and ask someone else who doesn’t know the story to read it aloud to you. If they pick up the mood, you clearly don’t need the screamers. If they don’t get it – rewrite until they do… and when you get to the point where your pal refuses to read it again, insert a screamer… but only if you're sure…

Dee

Dee's absolutely right, I'd say. It should be a last resort, though I think be tempted to use one for 'Cheers!'

Emma

Thanks, guys.

Screamers - i love that, Dee! Since i've thought about this, i've read some of my work and am amazed at how many 'screamers' there are and - even more surprising - if i remove them, most of the time the mood is still conveyed. So thanks for your comments, you have both confirmed what my editing book says. - although as you say, Emma, some like Cheers! are almost too tempting.

Casey

Who was it said that, if you use them on a humorous line, it's like laughing at your own joke?

I always think of them as the equivalent of CAPS LOCK.

"Here's to us" sounds like a conversation,

"HERE'S TO US" sounds like someone standing on a chair and shouting.

Colin

I used multiple exclamation marks when quoting a teenage girl sending a text in my first novel. One of my MA tutors preceded the character's name with the term "exclamationally challenged" from then on.

Cath

Cath, that's wicked!!!!!!

I did read somewhere that if a particular agent read an exclamation mark on the first page of a submission, she didn't read on!

Casey

It depends how you hear your character speaking. I just wrote something where the main character is a hyper-melodramatic teenage girl, and it's also a bit of a parody, so her exclamation mark use is high. You can say
"Cheers," or you can say "Cheers!" They sound quite different when said aloud. An exclamation mark makes you sounds surprised/ excited/ angry/ enthusiastic. It makes your voice rise at the start of the word.
"Hey!" said the man.
"Hey," said the man.

Yes, Steerpike, i agree. I also find exclamation marks can portray humour and add something, even when the writing isn't lazy. I looked at a chick lit book last night (similar to my genre) and it was littered with 'screamers', because the book is a comedy and the characters are slightly over the top.

So, i think the rule of thumb is don't be afraid to use them, just think very very carefully about each one, and check you're not using it when you could convey the same mood by polishing the language.

Casey

Yes, it's certainly depends on the voice, but I think the law of diminshing returns does set in. Georgette Heyer, who is otherwise a pinup of mine, literarily speaking, litters every page with them, and after a while you just don't see them any more.

Emma

It's interesting you say that, Emma, because after considering this topic, i re-read a couple of my chapters and there were screamers everywhere which i hadn't even noticed before.

Casey

Thinking about this, I've realised that I don't put them in my writing much, but use them far, far too much in emails. I think that's because I'm trying to convey tones of voice etc that I naturally would in speaking but you can't in typing. So that backs up the thought that they ought to be a last resort, because if possible the speech on the novel page ought to make the reader read it the right way from the beginning.

Emma

I know! Perhaps we should write all our posts like mini stories!

‘Hey guys, guess what?’ Emma rushed in from the Lounge, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘I've been clean for eight chapters now. Forty thousand words and not touched a screamer once. Boy does that feel good! … damn! A relapse!’

Everyone in Technique stopped what they were doing and stared at her, envious of her bright eyes and healthy glow.

‘So what’s wrong with doing a little screamer now and again, huh?’ Dee asked. ‘I like them. Bit of fun and jollity never hurt no one. Not multiples, though… never no multiples… do your head in they will… but I know when to draw the line… I can handle them… honest I can… ellipses now… that's different... gotta problem wiv ellipses…’