Overuse

By , October 31, 2017 12:38 pm

Before I publish each blog post, I reread it several times, in an attempt to catch spelling and grammar errors, and to make sure it’s somewhat coherent (ha) and appropriate. AND to make sure I don’t go overboard with exclamation points.

Because, whoa, I overuse them.

While reviewing, I tend to remove several from each post. I ask “am I really that enthusiastic about that topic?” before leaving one in.

Where I need to get better about reviewing my exclamation point use is blog comments, comment responses here, texting, and emails. I reread work emails several times before sending to make sure if I have one, it’s absolutely appropriate.

But I am not so good with personal emails. And if you’ve ever received any type of correspondence from me, it’s likely been littered with exclamation points. I just want to appear enthusiastic, it seems! I AM EXCITED ABOUT LIFE!!! I am excited to be talking to YOU!!!

You know what Snow’s excited about?! Halloween!

He says “Happy Halloween, and FYI, you can use a pumpkin stem to get to those pesky face itches.”

9 Responses to “Overuse”

  1. Kathy says:

    I do that too!!😂

  2. Mica says:

    At first, I thought Snow was trying to gnaw on the pumpkin stem because I have a photo of Bodger doing exactly that. It didn’t seem like very cat-like behavior though.

    I read an article in the Atlantic a few years ago about how we had reached peak usage of exclamation points and how it is now seen as the default punctuation online. If you just write a period, it seems unenthusiastic or passive-aggressive now. (I’ve felt this way sometimes, especially with texts.) That being said, I think I’ve gone this entire comment without using an exclamation point. (!)

    • kilax says:

      Ha! It could definitely lead to that, though!

      I think I read that article too. And when I was writing this, I actually read several other articles about exclamation points (so many referenced POTUS’s use of them, eyeroll). These articles mentioned that too – that you need to use it in texting to show enthusiasm. I also way overuse emojis in texting to try to convey how I’m feeling.

      Are you still getting the Atlantic?

  3. Joanna says:

    I over use exclamation points too. Its a problem. I also say “like” and “um” too much. Ugg.

    • kilax says:

      But you managed not to use any in this comment! Woo hoo!!! Ha.

      You are not alone with your “like” and “um.” Every now and then I try not to say “like” and it’s hard!

  4. I’m sure I overuse exclamation points. I try to make sure that *all* of my sentences don’t end in exclamation points, but it’s pretty tough to go without one. I just don’t want to seem angry (usually, haha), that’s all! (See?) It’s definitely how I try to convey friendliness when writing.

    I’m also impressed that you proofread your blog posts before you publish them. I usually wait until after the fact and am inevitably embarrassed by the silly mistakes I made haha. (I don’t intentionally wait until after the fact – I never think about it when I’m writing them in the first place, and then I happen to read them after they’ve been published and get to enjoy my many errors haha.)

    • kilax says:

      Yep! I am doing the same thing. We want our written words to be interpreted how we’re saying them in our head!

      I still notice errors even though I proofread! Do you not have time to when you publish, or when you draft them? Some posts I like to be stream of consciousness and I don’t edit those as much, but many, I go back and take out lots of extra words to try to make it more concise.

      • I don’t think it’s so much that I don’t have time as much as it is I don’t have a desire to read through everything right after I wrote it haha. And actually, from my editing days, it’s a lot easier to notice errors and areas for improvement after you’ve had some time away from writing the first draft. You would think that since I pre-write most of my posts, I’d have plenty of time to walk away and come back later to proofread, and I suppose I do…I just choose not to. Haha.

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