Upon being catapulted unceremoniously into 2007, I’ve reflected on my past year of reading and litblogging, both of which have been illuminating in unexpected ways.
For one thing, I have a greater understanding of my reading tastes and patterns. I love nonfiction and enjoy it in great mouthfuls, like eating popcorn. Fiction, however, is like eating a seven-course, gourmet meal: I need to savor each morsel. Unlike nonfiction, which I pick up and put down whenever I feel like reading, I prefer to read fiction when there is no distraction. Hence, I read fiction at a much slower pace than nonfiction and need to set time aside for my fiction reading, if I want to make any progress in it. Maybe this isn’t a new and brilliant insight, for me or anyone else, but there’s something to be said for making an assumption a fact.
The other thing I’ve learned is that I tend to use archaic words, such as “hence” and “alas” and “hail” in my blog entries. Maybe this penchant for antiquated punch words derives from my preoccupation with all things Tudor.
And why do I use exclamation points, especially in my comments to other blog posts? I would never allow effusive punctuation to creep into my professional or fiction writing.
Only one question remains: Will I curtail these bad grammatical habits in 2007? Dunno! Heretofore, this seemed unlikely. Thence, looks like it may continue.
9 comments:
I use a lot more exclamation points in my blog comments than I do everywhere else in my life. I'm not all that fond of exclamation points, but in comments I do want to be a bit more emotional and emphatic, I suppose. In a way, the blog comment is its own little subgenre of writing, and I suppose effusive punctuation is a part of it.
Oh, Dorothy, I love that rationale. Wait, a minute: !!!!
I've wondered the same thing about exclamations in my own comments. I think for me it's a way to convey friendliness through eagerness(esp with the first few comments on a site when you don't know someone) without resorting to emoticons.
On a related note, does anyone besides me feel like the whole comment thing is like the cool group of kids in high school? I mean, you really, really want to join in but never feel completely comfortable? I have abandoned more comments than I've ever left.
I agree with you completely, zia! (!!) I'm quite shy in real life, and somehow, I let it affect my commenting as well. I, too, abandon comments frequently. And when I do leave them, I add lots of excamation marks to show my friendliness and eagerness to be liked.
Funny about the exclamations-- a friend who recently move to London was telling me that at the eBay office there, the first thing they do with any American marketing copy is remove the exclamation marks.
I do the same thing!! giggle. I think it is that I am anxious that person who's blog I am commenting on 'hear' that I have enthusiasm for that fact that they bother to post anything...my entertainment depends on others' blog post afterall! (!!!)
Heather
www.thelibraryladder.blogspot.com
Wonderful post! While I can't say my use of the words alas and hence are related to anything Tudor, I do find myself using them a lot in recent months. Strange.
I am so conscience of my exclamation usage that I'm constantly putting them in, taking that out, putting them back in--sometimes. I try to avoid using too many, but when I'm commenting, I notice it's a fee for all.
I use way too many exclamation points!! Actually sometimes I see what I have written and go back and repunctuate as I think people will think I am terribly effusive, when really I am very quiet. I think I am too sloppy in my blog posts sometimes, but as this is a hobby, I will likely let it pass. I tend to use alas a lot too. Weird. One thing for me--I read NF much slower than fiction (unless it is some dense classic-y type book), which is probably why I don't read as much of it.
I hope everyone feels free to comment here, exclamation points or no. Otherwise, I feel lonesome.
Oo-eerr! I really recognise that need to use exclamation points! Glad to be in such good company with it.
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