Linguist Geoff Lunberg investigates the varying (and sometimes extreme) opinions surrounding the exclamation point. According to his research, women actually use the punctuation more than men, and both corporate and educational codes generally ban its use with little justification other than prescriptive rules of taste. Lunberg makes an argument for why we should all be more generous with our written exclamations. Essentially, he argues that whereas the written word can become a muted translation of our lived experience, the exclamation point is a way to revive our writing–it is a way to reinsert the vibrancy of the spoken word into the realm of the written. Where do you stand on this point? It may be time to rethink your disdain for the effusive, over-the-top exclamation point.
Author: Laura Denlinger
Word of the Week
benthos, n.
“Name for the flora and fauna at or near the bottom of the sea.”
“Ariel and Sebastian stage an elaborate song and dance among the benthos.”
“benthos, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.
Tuesday Tip: Waiting List
If you have stopped by this week hoping for a walk-in appointment, then you know that the center is busy!
A great feature of our website is the waiting list. To add yourself to the waiting list, find the clock icon underneath the date.
From there, go ahead and join the waitlist.
You will get an email letting you know when an open appointment becomes available. There might be a few folks on the waiting list for that day, so if you get notified, make sure to log in and sign up!
If you have any questions, you can always email us at writingcenter@wfu.edu.
When should you come to the Writing Center?
Our tutors are here to help you during your writing process, whatever part of the process you might be in. Brainstorming? Yup! Writing? Uh-huh! Revision? Of course! We’ve got you covered.
Interesting Reads: Screens Versus Paper
Do you find that you engage differently with material based on how you encounter it? Do you think that “internet reading” is caused by screens themselves, or can we train our minds to engage onscreen text with the same “deep reading” that is traditionally associated with the “paper brain?” Read this brief article and examine your own reading habits!
Word of the Week
bibliopole, n.
“A dealer in books, a bookseller.”
“The bibliopole at the downtown bookstore suggested some great summer books to take to the beach.”
“bibliopole, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.
Tuesday Tip: Next Steps
In our first tip of the academic year, we talked about how to get started and set up an account with the Writing Center. Now we’re talking appointments: what are they and how do you get one.
We offer 50 minute writing consultations where you meet with a peer tutor. You drive the session! The tutor will ask lots of questions to make sure your questions are answered and issues are addressed. You can make an appointment for any writing assignment at any point in the writing process!
Want to make an appointment? Log in and look for an available appointment (one of the white spots). When you sign up, your appointment will appear green.
You can go in anytime and change or cancel your appointment.
Now that you know, go (and sign up for an appointment)!
When should you come to the Writing Center?
Our number one goal in the Writing Center is for you to become a more confident writer; and our peer tutors are here to support your writing process at any stage. We’d love to work with you!
Interesting Reads: Writing Down Your Goals
Feeling stuck in your academics? Simply writing down your big picture and specific goals can help you develop day by day strategies to accomplish those goals! Read more about it from NPR here.
Word of the Week
bletherskate, n.
“Foolish talk; nonsense.”
“Before she gets her coffee in the morning, she pretty much just says bletherskate.”
“ˈbletherskate | ˈblatherskite, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.