Welcome, once more, to one of Clum's crash courses in punctuation.
This evening we will delve into the exciting and often surprising world of the exclamation mark (!) and, with a few examples, find out how to use it to best effect.
An exclamation mark should be used in place of, not in addition to, a period (full stop) and should therefore immediately follow the last word of the sentence, i.e., without a space in between.
The correct use of the exclamation mark (I am not fond of the expression, "exclamation point") is difficult to properly define and comes down to, in many situations, a matter of taste. A lot of what I express here is actually personal preference but would also be considered my many writers as being in line with "good practice".
In Dialogue
Exclamation marks will most often be found, and should primarily be used in direct speech to emphasise what the character is saying. The character may be expressing shock, surprise, anger, excitement or any number of other, strongly felt emotions.
Example 1
"Holy shit!" she exclaimed as his monstrous cock entered her. "You better slow down or you'll split me in half."
In this example, the exclamation mark replaced a comma rather than a period (I must do a more thorough post on punctuating dialogue). We really get a sense of not just what she is saying but how she is saying it. Observe how I did not include an exclamation mark at the end of the second piece of dialogue. This has the effect of contrasting the tones and hence heightening the impact of the first use.
The exclamation mark can also be used to denote something being said more loudly than usual. This hardly needs an example but I've already thought of a good one.
Example 2
He was just about finished shaving his scrotum when he heard, "Hurry the fuck up, this cunt is ready and waiting!"
Lovely.
In Regular Text
An exclamation mark, in my opinion, should only be used outwith (a wee Scottish word for you there) dialogue as a deliberate literary technique. This may be to draw a certain emphasis to a phrase or to compliment onomatopoeia (spelt correctly on one attempt). I rarely do this myself but that's just my style.
Example 1
There was only one word to describe the way she felt when he walked through that door: wet!
It may also be desirable to use exclamation marks when writing in the first person. Since such stories often read like a monologue, it is similar to dialogue.
Example 2
I barely grazed it with my finger before it erupted and sent out lashings of come. Fuck!
Again, don't overdo it and it could have a very pleasing effect on your work.
Commands
In German, every sentence that is a command ends with an exclamation mark; it may be one of the reason that the language seems so brutish and forceful. This is not something that has been adopted in English so please do not work on that assumption.
Example
"Stop!" She looked down at his sodden face while she caught her breath, smiling. "Okay, carry on."
Although both piece of dialogue were commands, only one ended in an exclamation mark. This allows for the writer to create a greater sense of urgency in certain commands. In German, a simple phrase like 'sit down' will read more like an order than an invitation.
How Many?
Very often I see people using multiple exclamation marks in an attempt to really emphasise something. This doesn't work. In my experience, it looks messy and thoughtless. The best-crafted pieces, the most professional-looking ones, use single exclamation marks in every case. This is my strong recommendation to you all.
If you absolutely insist on using more than one then I always stand by 'The Rule of Three'. If nothing else, strive for consistency. A story looks rather slap-dash if it has exclamation marks scattered throughout in varying quantities. Remember: more exclamation marks doesn't make the orgasm more intense!
A Final Note
In the case of an exclaimed question, the exclamation mark should precede the question mark and one of each is all that is required (I abhor seeing '??!?!!?' at the end of a sentence).
Example
"You did what with my new vibrator!?"
In conclusion, the exclamation mark is to be avoided if you don't know what you're doing with it (much like a vibrator). Use them sparingly and with caution. Don't just fling them around all over your story!
Thank you for listening, my darling Lushies.
Clumeleon
