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Mastering the Craft > Question on using !? as a combined punctuation

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message 1: by Kiersten (new)

Kiersten Fay (kierstenfay) I've been going through some of my old books and some use !? as a single punctuation (Twilight, for one), though I was recently told that it is frowned upon to do so. I'm curious what everyone's opinion is on this matter.


message 2: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth Isaacs (eisaacs) | 339 comments Mod
Is it used in YA dialogue? If so, then anything goes! :-D At least that's my take on it.

I think if it conveys what it needs to convey then its fine. I'm sure their are those that would disagree with me though.


message 3: by LK (new)

LK Griffie (lkgardner-griffie) | 51 comments Use of double punctuation is frowned upon. And really??!! you've seen it in books? How did that get past the editors?!

I use that type of punctuation continually in personal correspondence, but it jars me as amateur when seeing it in a book.

There is a single punctuation mark called the , which is a question mark and exclamation point together.


message 4: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth Isaacs (eisaacs) | 339 comments Mod
Seriously?! Only you would know that!

I can't remember where I've seen it, although I'm 99% sure that it was in a YA book somewhere, and I was so involved in the storyline I glossed right on over it.

When, and who, invented the interrobang, and how in the heck did you know about it?


message 5: by Kiersten (last edited Nov 11, 2011 10:14AM) (new)

Kiersten Fay (kierstenfay) Oh yes, it's repeatedly used in the twilight books, and I've seen it other places. Not sure off the top of my head where else.


message 6: by Kiersten (last edited Nov 11, 2011 12:00PM) (new)

Kiersten Fay (kierstenfay) Another thing that Twilight does, that I have never seen anywhere else, that I know of, is italicize only part of a word. Such as an emphasized s at the end of a word.


message 7: by LK (new)

LK Griffie (lkgardner-griffie) | 51 comments Elizabeth wrote: "Seriously?! Only you would know that! "

Martin K. Speckter conceptualized the interrobang in 1962. And how I knew about it?? Google. I don't remember what I was researching when I ran across it. But I think it is a fabulous punctuation mark -- it's just not used.


message 8: by LK (new)

LK Griffie (lkgardner-griffie) | 51 comments Kiersten wrote: "Another thing that Twilight does, that I have never seen anywhere else, that I know of, is italicize only part of a word. Such as an emphasized s at the end of a word."
While Twilight may do it, that seems just weird to me and again to me amateur.

And yes, the double punctuation is used, but I don't like it in a book.


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