The LAST sentence you wrote today

[Stuart Dren]

Hmm, I politely disagree. Exclaiming loudly is a tautology, it's impossible to exclaim softly.

Furthermore, if you're using an exclamation mark, it's more or less understood that you're exclaiming, shouting, or at least speaking loudly.

So you don't need to use the word 'exclaim' at all ... or even use any variety of 'said'. Instead, you can introduce action (and internals) by writing, for instance:

"Argh, my arm is on fire!" he waved his arm about. His head ached, his vision swam - but the river was just ahead. He leapt in, causing a small and highly localised cloud of steam. Water! Cool, life-saving, gushing, splashing water!

... and so on.

I was being sarcastic. Lol.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

I was being sarcastic. Lol.

Sarcasm is difficult to read on forums.

Last four sentences I wrote today. My heroine pursues a fugitive and experiences her first taste of one-on-one battle. She is about to lose, but is saved in the last second by her mother (who pursued her). She wants to take her attacker back to town to face justice, but her mother disagrees and executes the fugitive on the spot.

My heroine's reaction:

=====================
Even through closed eyelids, the world exploded in a shower of red. Nothing could prepare her for the sound – or the smell.

Splotches of blood struck her cheeks. Almost without thinking, she sent an exploratory tongue to investigate. The taste was coppery and unpleasant. Her training never prepared her for this–

“This was not what I wanted,” she muttered.

“Perhaps not.” Solveig lay her hand on her shoulder. “But it’s reality, daughter. Wake up and smell the blood!”
=====================

 

[Louanne Learning]

“Turn your mind from it,” Mona replied. “For me, I will only love what is beautiful.”

 

[Also]

"Lots of forward-leaning phrases," she said, "and overall male urgency."

 

[Stuart Dren]

“I’d cry if I hadn’t just spent my salt.”

 

[X Equestris]

“Even in death, love abides.”

 

[Qvortable]

What else do I know about myself except the fact that I know nothing?

 

[hirundine]

Then they left the safe haven of Arran behind, knowing that they were sailing into danger, and that they would face it together.