To Curse or not to Curse

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English: A ball point pen in use, though appar...

English: A ball point pen in use, though apparently to write the English curse word “shits”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I know all writers face this question sometime during their writing career, usually very early. A writer has to decide whether or not he is going to include curse words in his writing. I’m talking about fiction writers in this entry. In non-fiction profanity would probably be used more often when quoting someone. My decision about whether or not to include cursing in my writing was easy. I don’t like to hear it spoken and I believe it sometimes shows a person’s limited vocabulary or even IQ. Without a doubt there are those who would disagree with me and that’s fine. I’ve heard the argument, “That’s the way people talk so why not show real people?”  Well, as I explained before, I don’t like to hear it spoken and I would like to write it even less. I will use minor curse words in dialogue because they appear more often in regular conversation unless you include Rap music where the occurrence of the F word seems to increase tenfold. I will sometimes use hell or piss but usually only after I am sure it’s necessary to show a character’s frame of mind, upbringing, or disregard for social constraints. At this moment I can’t think of a reason where I would ever include it in a narrative voice.

 

There is no better way, I believe, to reveal a character’s traits and personality than through dialogue and action. There are those characters who would curse every other word. I’ve been around people who do the same thing. At this point in my life I haven’t seen the need to include a character like that in any of my writing. Whenever you write you must keep your audience in mind and what their response would be to your story telling. It seems to me you would run the risk of offending more readers by including curse words than you would by omitting them. The people I know who do curse quite often and look at it as a foreign language they need to master, enjoy reading the sports section of the newspaper, books that have to do with sports or books or articles which have to do with other special interests they may have. I don’t believe anyone who omits cussing from their writing will ever suffer from it.

 

Of course this is my opinion. I would be interested to learn what some of you think. Let me know in the comments; to curse or not to curse. As always, thanks for stopping by.

 

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11 thoughts on “To Curse or not to Curse”

  1. Hello Doug. I just found your blog via Pat Wood. This is a very interesting topic you have here. I, too, have had the same thought about cussing through a novel. Not the ones I read, I figure to each their own as an Author. However in my own writing I tend to veer away from it. I want my children to be able to pick up what I’ve written and read it without embarrassing them or me for that matter. Great post!

    • This is one of those subjects that people have very strong opinions about. I don’t like to read and as you so aptly put it, I also have children though they are now adults I have grand children who are not. Thanks for stopping by. :)

    • I believe you are absolutely correct. When someone curses it really makes you wonder if their vocabulary is so limited they had to resort to overused and offensive slang. When writing you have a little more time to think about what a character might say when smashing their thumb with a hammer but if it happens in real life a word or two may slip out. I think that is a scenario where someone could be forgiven for letting one fly. :) Thanks for stopping by.

  3. Pingback: Curses | Shugamama's Blog

  4. I also believe that, for the most part, cursing is unnecessary. There are other ways to reveal a character’s nature. But then again, I tend to write humorous fiction–not exactly a hotbed of rage-induced tirades. That being said, I do use the word “crap” from time to time. My favourite would be Holy crap.
    I must also add that if my character slams her fingers in the car door, she will likely belt out a few audible F-bombs. I think this is justifiable. The more it hurts, the more justified expletives become.

    • I also use crap and a few other innocuous slang words but if one of my characters were to smash a thumb I would probably have someone or something interrupt them before they completed offensive curse. Thanks for stopping by.

  5. I use very few, only when really really really necessary. (Less than I use in real life, I’m ashamed to say!!) Some characters are going to use them in some situations whether we like it or not. That doesn’t mean they should pepper a book. Especially the F word, I will put a book down if it is full of them.

    • I very seldom use them in real life. Usually only in heavy traffic or when in pain (stubbed toe, smashed thumb, kicked shin). I’m trying to work on both. Thanks for commenting.

  6. I believe when it comes to swearing, it should reflect not only the character’s personality but the situation he or she is in. When people are angry or scared, they curse. I’d think it is not realistic to have some swearing in a novel when the character(s) are in a stressful situation.

    That being said, I agree that an excess of swearing is unnecessary. A single swear word per stressful scene is enough, at least to me. There is no need for a character to constantly swear because the reader already understands his or her personality; they don’t need it to be jammed down their throats.

    So, I’d say be realistic, but simple at the same time. Don’t overdo it or put in curse words for the sake of shock. That is also unnecessary.

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