Infernal Exclamation Points...!

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Hi! I'm Julia! I'm writing a blog! I'm so excited! I want to bring awareness! It's not just for you and me! It's for the world! Here's why I write!

1. I want the world to know about how I can't cook donuts!

2. I want to teach the world what it means to lose a sunflower after months of hard work!

3. They have to know about all of my dead fish!

4. Don't pour your money into dating sites!

5. There's nothing we can't do!

If your writing looks like this, you sound like a chicken!


Banish those exclamation points to the abyss. They're like sugar. Please use sparingly. Nobody wants to catch writing diabetes. Exclamation points can render the most serious of writing pieces idiotic. Add the extra kick only when needed.


Example:

Kara skipped home from school. She couldn't wait to see her chicken. She and Mrs. Hopper were the greatest of friends. She forgot to feed Mrs. Hopper most of the time, but it was okay. Mrs. Hopper survived no matter what happened.

When Kara reached home, her mom stood at the door with arms folded across her stomach. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"What's the matter, Mom?" said Kara.

Mrs. Addison placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Kara, but Mrs. Hopper is dead."

Kara's muscles tensed. "What?"

"I found her..."

"No!" Kara shoved out of her mother's grasp and rushed to the backyard. Mrs. Addison tried to stop her, but failed.

There was Mrs. Hopper, walking around without her head.

Moral of the story: erase your exclamation points, or you too can sound like Mrs. Hopper penned your piece.

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