I’m not too big on swearing. Meaning, I don’t care to read swear words and I don’t care to write them into any of my stories. This feeling exaggerates itself when reading peers’ stories in a creative writing class or in a workshop. Sometimes it’s necessary, but lately I’ve only read instances where it comes across as juvenile and most likely the product of a nineteen year old’s rebellious phase. This is the kid who asks the professor, “Can we swear in our story?” How does that student already know that his/her narrator or characters are going to swear? They haven’t even created the characters yet? I can only assume that they will swear for the sake of swearing, and not for the sake of the story. If the kid were to ask, “Can I make my character die in a car crash at the end?” you would wonder how the student jumped from nothing (other than the assignment instructions) to “the main character dies in the end.” Why would that be the first question or idea that you have? It baffles me. My first question is always “what is the minimum and maximum word count?” I’m willing to bet that if you already know you’re characters are going to be foul mouthed, or if you already know your character is going to die in a car crash, the road that takes you there will be stale and no one will want to read it. I like to be surprised by certain aspects of writing and reading. If a character swears, there are certain connotations that go along with it. Generally, depending on the offensiveness of the word and how it is used, it paints an antagonist in my mind. When who I thought was a great, educated, and good-intentioned character swears, I tend to pay more attention to that character. I don’t trust him/her anymore. I’m keeping my eyes on that character…
Of course, I swear in real life. A lot. You don’t go through the Marine Corps and not put a few new words into everyday use. But if I am trying to sell someone on something (a story, an idea, etc.), I refrain from using questionable language. I’m slowly getting better at not using certain words and I also recently quit smoking (3 months!). Both are terrible habits. But if you want your smoking to get a big reaction out of people, you have to go a long time without smoking to get a rise out of them when you do. And the same goes for swearing in life and writing. Less is more.
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:47 am
I was recently thinking about my own use of swear words and how it’s changed over the years. I used to put a lot of swear words into my books because I thought it was edgy and showed anger or frustration. Around age 25, I realized that I didn’t like my characters swearing so often. It came across as me not having the creativity to use colorful insults or use other methods to show that a character is angry. So, I rarely use swear words nowadays unless it seems to fit or the characters that I’m writing are immature. Having a character swear every few words does seem to help push the idea that they are mean, juvenile, and/or uneducated, so I guess it has a purpose somewhere.
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:58 am
As I read this I wondered how you went through the Marine Corps not swearing. I was amazed at the way my company gunny @ 1/2 could string a whole group of swear words into a sentence that could be understood. I feel the same about swearing. I don’t swear much these days. On of my favorite movies “Goodwill Hunting” has so much use of the f word that it bothers me, which says alot. But for some I guess it works. I suppose its necessary in some shape or form in writing. I prefer to write in visual or script form so I try to use it as little as possible.
January 2nd, 2013 at 12:15 pm
I don’t like reading or writing swear words either. I read a lot of YA fiction where the swearing is very minimal and a lot of the time they say the character swore (or cursed) rather than say the actual swear word. When I do read fiction aimed at adults that’s when I run into swearing and don’t like it, but it is realistic I guess. I’ll only write a swear word if I absolutely have to. I write for YA so I can get around it easy, but I’ve also started writing short stories aimed at adults and the one I’m writing now has had to have a few swear words in it, no F words though yet, I really hate those. Although I hated writing those words, the story wouldn’t feel authentic without it. I don’t believe in swearing for swearing’s sake.
Great post.
And congratulations on quitting smoking, three months is great, keep it up.
January 2nd, 2013 at 12:37 pm
And a lot of writers who pepper swears into their work tend to forget that it limits the audience. E-publishers rate their books on language, violence, and sex. I can’t think of anyone who says, “Today I want to read a story with a lot of F bombs in it.” But a lot of readers are more likely to read something without adult language.
January 2nd, 2013 at 1:13 pm
I never used to swear in my writing. Then I cut loose and started swearing a lot. (Well, it wasn’t me, it was my characters.) Now I’ve cut back, though sometimes the words just come out. When they are absolutely appropriate, and natural, and the only word that will do for that situation. Swearing is a realistic part of life, but I think you have to both under-swear and over-swear to find the right balance.
January 2nd, 2013 at 1:28 pm
“How does that student already know that his/her narrator or characters are going to swear? I can only assume that they will swear for the sake of swearing, and not for the sake of the story.” Maybe they have not outlined the character but want to know if it will be acceptable should a character take that sort of form.
I’m not exactly sure why you equate swearing a character’s trustworthiness. I do know a lot of people equate swearing with a lack of intellect. Personally. I think the idea of having ‘swear words’ is an idiotic and antiquated concept that should have remained in the times where they meant to distinguish between classes.
January 2nd, 2013 at 1:34 pm
I don’t like to say ” I swear ” ,’cus whenever i do it it’s like all forces of Universe are against me ,for example : ‘ I swear i won’t do that .’ ,But yet i do it ,….
Follow me here : http://vanmusiq.blogspot.com/
January 2nd, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Amen! I’m really bothered by swears in stories too, because 99.9% of the time they’re there for all the wrong reasons. To be edgy, or mostly because the writer was too lazy to create a scene that expressed the emotions they’re hoping the expletive will take care of for them. It’s interesting because you’d think villains would have the most reason to be foul-mouthed, and yet some of my favorite villains hardly ever swear. They don’t need to. They’ve got me frightened, amazed, intimidated with their mere presence.
But at the same time, to each their own. I think there are times when the words are appropriate, but I think there needs to be some caution in tending to swear for the sake of swearing. Great post.
January 2nd, 2013 at 2:15 pm
Excellent post. There are many categories of “swear” words – vulgarity, profanity, blasphemy. You are absolutely right in that they are vastly overused in much modern writing. I hadn’t thought of how they reflect on the characters in the story (though you make a good point). I am more concerned that they exhibit a rather lazy and unimaginative vocabulary on the part of the author.
January 2nd, 2013 at 3:26 pm
I always avoid swearing when writing. The most I’ll use is “Damn” or “Crap”, which I consider to be relatively tame. Whenever I encounter swearing I get a general feeling of distaste, so I prefer not to subject my readers to the same thing.
Also, congrats on quitting smoking!
January 2nd, 2013 at 6:26 pm
That video was great and I’ll bet it was quite scandalous for its time. Swearing is something I have tried to avoid as well. First, it just doesn’t fit any of my characters very well, and I know my own reaction when there is over the top cursing in a book or movie. I always think to myself “who really talks like this?” Maybe I sound too white bread, but I kinda enjoy a good read without all that extra nonsense.
Great post!
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:41 pm
What exactly makes a swear word a swear word? That is something I’ve never figured out, but I guess it’s cultural context. They are different words in different countries. Just something to ponder. Is it worth getting upset about? It is just a cultural thing that humans have created. (By the way, I don’t personally swear)
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:54 pm
It doesn’t upset me. And it’s effective when approached the right way and feels authentic. Authenticity is the issue. When something doesn’t feel authentic, that’s when I get upset. Thanks for reading!
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:56 pm
As of writing this comment. The most foul language I have used is ‘damn it’.
January 3rd, 2013 at 4:16 am
Deja vu – I wrote a very similar post last year. To Swear or Not to Swear…
Although I tend to agree that less is more, sometimes a character is a natural swearer.
January 3rd, 2013 at 7:22 am
I’d say the characters you write should swear with roughly the same frequency as the people you meet in real life. Some people swear. Like it or not, that’s life. If the character should be swearing, then write it that way. Could you write a character of a corp drill instructor without having him swear? It wouldn’t read as true. That said, I do agree that unless the character should be swearing, that foul language tends to be an unnecessary distraction.
January 3rd, 2013 at 8:37 am
One time I went through my book that had a sprinkle of swear words in there. When I edited it, I realized I didn’t want to limit my audience, and replaced those words. I don’t miss them! I think it does completely limit your audience. I have read a few YA books and am amazed by the amount of swear words in them. I swear a lot myself, but I don’t need to force everyone to read it in my work. ^_^
You shouldn’t have to “plan” to swear like you mentioned. Sometimes, characters you write may swear. A few are okay, but only if that’s the characters personality, not just the writer forcing it.
Nice post.
January 3rd, 2013 at 9:53 am
Great post. I find swearing very distracting and off-putting. I understand that sometimes a type of character would have to swear or else it would seem odd, but I don’t tend to read a lot of those kinds of books (or I’ll put them down if an otherwise good book is filled with too many of those kinds of characters).
Like a pungent spice, just a sprinkle of these words gets the point across. No need to overpower the whole dish. Let the other natural flavors shine through and the whole meal is much more enjoyable…
January 3rd, 2013 at 5:53 pm
I have a dozen or so swear words in my book, mostly ‘damn’ and the like. Yes I’ve used the big one, twice, but as part of an angry, emotional outburst by the lead character. Considering the central characters in the story are musicians from the Sixties swearing is oft times the norm (trust me, I know a few of them in real life) and I probably could get away with a lot more but that doesn’t mean I have to pepper every piece of dialogue with profanity. Mostly it’s an off-hand slip-of-the-tongue comment…much the same as in real life (for me).
January 4th, 2013 at 3:54 am
I omitted all swearing from my first attempt at a novel for similar reasons. It has crept into my second and third attempts, but I felt it quite necessary. I’m currently writing a short 1500 word creative non-fiction piece for the Canada Writes competition, and I have three F-words. Such a story needs to be very efficient, and a well-placed swear word can speak volumes.
I also will not write gratuitous sex scenes.
January 4th, 2013 at 11:05 am
That’s interesting that you mentioned the sex scenes. To me, they are very similar. When they work, they really work. When they don’t, it’s pretty embarrassing. Thanks for stopping by!
January 4th, 2013 at 7:44 pm
I agree with this. Swearing, and most dramatic elements, work when there is space between them.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:01 am
Some things I write have swearing and others don’t. For me it depends on the characters. Some of them would swear and some wouldn’t, just like the people I know. I do think it’s wise not to be superfluous with it though, if there is a way that fits that doesn’t use swearing, I’ll take that way.
January 18th, 2013 at 4:40 am
Hi David. First, many thanks for the ‘follow’ on grumpytyke’s blog. I don’t keep it to any one theme so I hope you find it interesting in the future. I’ve had a look through yours and I’ll definitely be following. But I just want to comment on this particular post. I’m no prude but I find gratuitous swearing tiresome always and offensive sometimes. However, what really concerns me is that we can only assume that the writers who use it do not have much vocabulary, so I’d suggest they stop writing for a while and read a lot. Good luck with your writing endeavours.