At a writer’s forum where I lurk, a writer complained that he had a reject and the editor mentioned the use of multiple exclamation points!!!!!!! The writer seemed to think that the story warranted them!!!!

The writer wrote:

In my world, there are times when you say, ‘Put down the gun.’ or ‘Look over there. It’s a vampire.’ And there are times when you say, ‘Put down the gun!’ or ‘Look over there! It’s a Vampire!’ and sometimes you have to say, ‘IT’S A VAMPIRE!!!!!’
See, in my world, sometimes you have to raise your voice.

In my world a vampire would prompted me to throw the story out the window, but I hate vampires and zombies and such. Cinematic clichés have no place in real fiction.

I confess that I’ve used and exclamation point in dialog. I generally don’t yell, so my characters don’t yell.

From a Seinfeld Episode where exclamation points were a major topic:

*Pendant publishing. Elaine is at Lippman’s office.*

Elaine: You wanted to see me, Mr. Lippman?

Lippman: I was just going over the Jake Jarmel book and I understand you worked with him very closely.

Elaine: Yes, krhm, yes I did.

Lippman: And, anyway I was just reading your final edit, um, there seems to be an inordinate number of exclamation points.

Elaine: Well, I felt that the writing lacked certain emotion and intensity.

Lippman: Oh, “It was damp and chilly afternoon, so I decided to put on my sweatshirt!”

Elaine: Right, well…

Lippman: You put exclamation point after sweatshirt?

Elaine: That’s that’s correct, I-I felt that the character doesn’t like to be ch-ch-chilly…

Lippman: I see, “I pulled the lever on the machine, but the Clark bar didn’t come out!” Exclamation point?

Elaine: Well, yeah, you know how frustrating that can be when you keep putting quarters and quarters in to machine and then *prrt* nothing comes out…

Lippman: Get rid of the exclamation points…

Elaine: Ok, ok ok …

Lippman: I hate exclamation points…

Elaine: …ok I’ll just….