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Originally Posted by Theed  Hello, first post here at the forums, though I am a long time reader.
I was curious to know people's position on swearing in books. Personally, I think it's acceptable and I don't mind it at all, if it seems real. I don't like it when those words are used just to use them, it doesn't seem natural. But, in my opinion, if the character would say it, then I don't have a problem with it at all.
I have swearing in the novel that I'm writing. It's there for one reason: because the characters themselves would say it. And it's not in abundance, either. But it is there.
Your thoughts? |
A while back I wrote a short story for an amateur sci-fi/adventure website in which a character's leg got blown off. Then, as a result of this leg being blown off, the trench he was in was filled with slippery blood and his companions couldn't get him out of harm's way to save his life. Needless to say, the dialogue for this scene was filled with swearwords.
The scene was about soldiers, and my dad is an ex-soldier who assures me that people who get their limbs blown off don't say "Oh gosh, the blighters got my blasted leg!" Well, not outside the covers of a Jeeves novel. Still, the mods on this site felt my use of language was gratuitous and asked me to change it before posting.
My personal take on it is that swearing has to be appropriate to the context. If a guy has his leg blown off, he will probably swear. A gangster will probably swear. So will most soldiers (heard the expression "swear like a trooper"?). However, don't use swearing just because you think it sounds realistic, in a situation where there is no need - like all words in your writing, they have to serve a purpose. Don't put any words in you don't need - swear words included.