Exclamation excess

Ah, the exclamation mark. Intended to denote surprise, command, sarcasm or deep emotion, this strong mark of punctuation has slowly but surely become the canned laughter of copywriting.

It’s become a cue that writers all too often use to make extra, extra, extra sure their readers get it, which suggests one of two things: the writer is either concerned that his or words lack sufficient impact, or he or she isn’t quite convinced that the audience is smart enough to get it.

While there is definitely a time and place for the exclamation mark, do take a moment to question why you’re using it when you next feel the inclination. As for using two or three consecutively, don’t do it – ever!

Ps and Qs or P's and Q's?

Have you ever wondered how the term mind your Ps and Qs came to mean mind your manners? To be honest, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind either until a beer-loving friend brought it to my attention a few years back.


According to her findings (be honest, you thought she was a he), the saying originates from public houses in Old England. Apparently when customers became unruly, bartenders would yell at them to mind their pints and quarts – or Ps and Qs – referring, of course, to their bevies.


And that’s not the only drink-related theory. Another one suggests that back in the old days when sailors were paid a pittance, they frequented taverns that allowed them to run bar tabs until payday. Since many of them were illiterate, the landlords kept the tabs simple by writing Ps or Qs next to the sailors’ names each time they ordered a drink.


Back to the headline of this entry for a moment. If you were the writer, would you have written Mind your P’s and Q’s? Adding apostrophes to plurals of capital letters and numbers may feel as instinctive as crossing your Ts, but if no ambiguity is caused by their absence, they’re not required. In a nutshell:

• No ambiguity = no apostrophe: she knew the five Ps of the marketing mix off by heart and got straight As in the exam she took back in the 1990s.

• Ambiguity = apostrophe: A’s are hard to come by and I’s need dotting when their lower-case is used.

What's in a name?

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty attached to my name. Vivienne. My parents gave it to me years ago and it has great sentimental value. (They gave me a middle name, too. Whatever.)

Why they chose to spell my name the French way, I have no idea. I haven’t an ounce of French in me. But I love it. I mean, LOVE it. Whenever I’m asked to spell my name, I declare with pride: “Vivienne, with an E Double N E.”

Over the years, I’ve been addressed as Vivian, Vivien, Vivyan, Vanessa, Victoria, and Valeria, which is why I decided to run my business under the name Viv. However, in the interest of all the Marcs, Sarahs, Marijas, and others out there who are as attached to their correctly spelled names as I am to mine and perhaps you to yours, spell it right! So accustomed are they to reading Mark, Sara and Maria, you’ll score bonus points instantly. I guarantee it.

How to write reader-friendly emails

I've been meaning to blog for a while. The marketing gurus told me I should a long time ago. I just didn't know what to blog about and then it hit me.

In my early freelance days, I published an e-newsletter called 
The Writer's Block. It was short and pretty sweet. Once a month I shared writing tips, word trivia and more, with a few hundred clients, colleagues and friends. In the spirit of the New Year, I'm dusting off the content of this newsletter and resolving to pick up where I left off.

I’m not embarking on an uptight grammar blog. Heck, I’m the first to begin a sentence with and or but. (Gasp.) This is simply a place for me to flag some common writing errors and share good-to-know writing tips so that you can make a better impression in your letters, sales kits, web content or whatever else you’re writing. Even emails.

Want people to read your emails?

Sometimes there's simply no avoiding a lengthy email, but if you must send one, take a few steps to avoid losing your audience. Long, continuous screenfuls of text are as laborious to read as the small print on your refrigerator warranty. Consider these tips to help keep longer messages reader-friendly:

• Open with a list that outlines the major points your message will cover. 
• Use bold, heads, subheads and white space to organize your text.
• Avoid the use of uppercase UNLESS YOU WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION YOU’RE SHOUTING.
• Don't forget to spell-check your work; your writing is a reflection of you, no matter what medium it's in.
• If you’re requesting a response, make this known at the top of your email – just in case your readers’ minds wander before they reach the end.

That's it for now. If you found this helpful, feel free to share.