Breaking the Newspaper Rules

Newspaper writing follows lots of rules.

Some are basic: Write concisely, clearly. Avoid jargon. Try to use active verbs instead of passive ones.

Other rules are more minute: Spell out whole numbers up to and including nine, use numerals for 10 and above. The word follow-up is hyphenated when used as a noun or adjective, but as a verb, there is no hyphen and two separate words.

One newspaper-writing rule that has struck me lately, one that I remember from journalism classes in college, is to avoid exclamation points. It's easy to see how overuse of exclamation points can go wrong. Most of us have seen posts on social media with an overkill of exclamation points and capital letters.

But sometimes exclamation points are necessary to convey the excitement and urgency a person speaks with. When used sparingly and judiciously, exclamation points make a statement stand out and demand our attention.

I especially like to see exclamation points in religious writing.

I thought about this earlier this month when we had these words of Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel at Sunday Mass: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!"

Our Lord certainly knows how to use exclamation points. He speaks of His fire with fire. We should do the same.

One commentator on this Gospel passage from St. Luke, Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington, wrote with a similar zeal. Here's some of what Msgr. Pope had to say about St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews, part of the readings from the same Sunday:

Live The Priority of faith -- The text says, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.

We are given the example of a runner in a race. What does a runner do? He runs the race! Runners do not stop to watch television; they do not stop to make small talk; they do not take stupid detours or go in the opposite direction. They do one thing: they run the race. So, too, with our faith: it has priority. Nothing should be allowed to hinder us.

We all need that sharp focus and zeal for God. We need His fire. We need to speak, write and live a life punctuated by more exclamation points!

"With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts," the prophet Elijah said.

Newspaper writing also discourages redundancy. But for God, some rules need to be broken.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.