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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Sept 5, 2018 4:12:19 GMT
I realize that for most writers there won't be one, all-the-time, every-time" answer to the question: do you use cussing in your books? Do you use earth profanity or make up fun new ones? Do you like to use old-fashioned curses that won't offend most people, today. Or do you keep your books sweet and appropriate for the innocent children?
For me it's genre/audience dependent. If my readers are offended by salty language then I won't use it, but if I don't think my readers would care, I sprinkle them in as appropriate. I have also used a few made-up words like "dust" for damn, in my g-rated books.
What do you like to do?
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Post by paranormalkitty on Sept 5, 2018 15:43:24 GMT
Profanity is my native language. I'm not sure I can write without it.
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Post by davidvandyke on Sept 5, 2018 17:20:10 GMT
I split the difference. Use it as appropriate, don't overuse it, looking for the sweet spot.
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downtown
Smut Slingers
Smutslinger
The less better half of a two person publishing team
Posts: 57
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Post by downtown on Sept 5, 2018 22:13:19 GMT
I try to keep it consistent with what I think the character would do, so I think my approach to the question is whether or not to include a character who would swear a lot. Generally I avoid writing characters who swear "too much" because I know that can turn a lot of people off, but sometimes you can't avoid it. It's weird when you read a story featuring a biker gang who can't bring themselves to use a swear word.
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Post by corabuhlert on Sept 5, 2018 23:33:45 GMT
I use whatever words the characters would use. Some swear a lot, some don't. Interestingly, my female characters often swear more than my male characters. The only area where I'm careful and weigh whether I really need the word are the heavy taboo words such as the c-word and the various racist and homophobic terms. I have used the c-word, both in its original and metaphorical meaning, after careful deliberation. I haven't used any of the racist and homophobic ones, because they make me extremely uncomfortable. Coincidentally, there is a science fiction story by a well regarded author that even won an award. The title is a German word that's a pretty nasty racist term. I'm still stunned that no editor caught this and told the author, "Uhm, you might want to change that title."
I dislike made-up swear words, because they tend to sound silly. In at least one series, the made-up swear word also happened to have a completely different (and harmless) meaning in German, which always completely took me out of the book. So I use regular swear words, though I take care not to use swear words that don't make sense in the context, e.g. Christian religious based swear words don't work in secondary world settings where there is no Christianity (and secondary world settings are the only place where made up swear words can make sense). They also don't work if the character is not from a Christian background, e.g. I have a Hindu character in one series and of course she won't use Christian based words.
In general, I find the obsession with swearing, including fairly mild swearing, in the US a bit weird, because in Europe no one really cares. It reminds me of some elderly German TV viewers in the 1980s who were very upset about a crime drama featuring a detective who swore a lot (which totally fit the character, a rough and tumble working class cop). Even back then, the fact that people were upset and often used "But what about the children?" as an excuse struck me as rather quaint, because I was a kid back then and everybody at school already knew those words. Those of us who were allowed to watch the show liked the fact that here was a guy who sounded like a normal person, because most TV cops of the era didn't.
So whenever I see people complaining about bad language, my first reaction is "Hey, the 1980s called and want their debate back."
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DD
Full Member
Posts: 180
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Post by DD on Sept 7, 2018 23:48:07 GMT
It depends on the character and the situation. If one of my characters gets shot in the knee, you can bet your boots they aren't going to yell, "Oh my gosh, that stings!" I am personally a prolific swearer. I keep it toned down in public, and if I'm around an older person or someone I know is religious or will be offended I cut it off, but I don't stop swearing just because a kid's around. They might get shot in the knee one day, and they'll need to know the right words to say.  |
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Post by possiblyderanged on Sept 14, 2018 13:14:20 GMT
If the story requires it, then I use it. Rule #1: Write the story the way that's best for the story. It might make me personally uncomfortable (like using the "n" word in a novella was rough for me, but, Rule #1), but if it's what the story needs, then that's what it gets. And it's not every story, my zompoc duology is pretty tame. Most of my shorts are the same.
People will be offended by anything. It's up to them to decide if they can handle a story or not. Blood, gore, rape, cursing, atheists, non-Christian religion, or having homosexual characters, or whatever. The blurb should be written in such a way that a potential buyer can figure out if it's something they want to read, caveat emptor.
I'm not a baby sitter, so I'm not going out of my way to warn people about things, unless it's something really egregious. Even then, the blurb should give enough clues that they might want to look for something else.
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