Over-Punctuation

Amateur writers, whether through excitement or heavy fingers, have a tendency to overuse certain punctuation marks in attempt to force their own emotions into the reader. As with italics, over-punctuating reveals only the writer’s intent, which often the reader does not feel to the same effect. A trailing thought trails no harder when its ellipsis consists of ten periods rather than three; exclamations and excitement are no louder with four exclamation points than with one; and a terribly intriguing question is no more curious with two question marks than with one. Even the shouted question needs only one punctuation mark—an exclamation point if the question is understood or a question mark if the exclamation is understood (or not as exclamatory as the writer may think). Prefer Are you kidding me? or Are you kidding me! to Are you kidding me!? In this case I prefer the first approach, as the idiomatic expression comes with a certain exclamatory incredulity that does not require reminding.