Good Bye Exclamation Mark

The days of writing with an exclamation mark is over.  Look at most novels and writings.  Do you recall seeing many? Any?  Nope, first thing an editor removes is the exclamation mark.  In signage or poetry perhaps, but in story or novel writing, no, the days of using exclamation marks are  gone.

To some extent I can understand why the removal of this mark is common practice.  I know for myself, when I started writing, I LOVED putting that lovely little mark in everywhere!  I had a hay day with it!  However I also knew I would later go back over my writing and weed out the appropriate from the absurd.  I just wanted to stay in touch with my protagonist's mood as I was writing.  I got the message though.  As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes."

The idea is that your writing should convey the feeling of excitement without needing the mark if it is good writing.  It should all be implied without the need for punctuation to make the point.

I know I am old school and sort of a rebel so, for me, removing all such wonderful marks seems somehow sad.  What is the point of rules if now one of the very foundation marks in punctuation it is considered redundant and unnecessary much like too many cashiers or bank tells these days?  It is a trend that has come about which has left the poor old exclamation mark on the trash heap.

With all the other ways the English language is being turned back into sign language due to texting, at least this particular punctuation mark's demise cannot be blamed on the age of technology...on something older and far more deadly; professional public pressure.  Once one editor decided to remove all such marks from novels, it wasn't long before it was common practice.  I must say, is much easier this way.

I looked at the places where I wanted to put exclamation marks.  I felt they should be there to emphasize even more the mood of the moment in the dialogue.  It wasn't like I wanted such a mark at the end of every sentence, however I finally gave up feeling like where ever I wished to place them, no matter how appropriate it may fit there, I couldn't be sure anymore so I let it go and bowed to peer pressure.  It reminded me of being told in the old days not to wear white after labour day.  The pressures that exist in the editing world, must be immense since, look at literature.  Do you see any punctuation marks?  If you do, someone forgot to tell the writer to stop;  that they were using too many!