Creating an Original Expletive

[Codey Amprim]

Aside from manipulating modern words and terms, try to conjure up your own that feels like an expletive - harsh, quick to say in anger, and an overall nasty ring to it. Or you could try to variations of every curse and the tasteful, creative combinations of ones we already know and love.

[SeverinR]

I have a dragon cursing in one book. It was a single word, and didn't have to be based on english.

Orc-spawn is a common one for an elf.

Most curse words relate to:
excrimate, body functions, fornication, the nasty stuff in the enviroment, linking the cursed individual to a lower/lowest class person or action.

[Klee Shay]

Is there someting/someone your MC loves more than anything else? If there is, and something or someone else tried to take it from him/her, then he/she/it would be reviled by the MC who would curse this thing. Whatever is trying to take MC's beloved whatsit would not only be cursed by MC, but possibly become the curse to be flung at anything/anyone that/who angers MC.

I hope I've made myself perfectly clear.

[Androxine Vortex]

try making swear phrases? Like how we say "Son of a b." Like in this book I'm reading called Malus Darkblade, he is a dark elf. They worship a God called Khaine which is the God of Murder and they also believe in something they call The Void or the Outter Darkness ruled by their evil godess called the Night Mother (I know sounds like Elder Scrolls)

But if something bad happens he will often say, "Mother of Night!" or if he wanted to insult someone, "Outter Darkness take you!"

If your character comes from a place like something from the Divine Comedy, try making it sound like it WAS from it. Dante used a lot of Greek in his works so make something greek-ish. Like in a viking novel I read, the main character always swore with a made up word that I think was "Skjar!"

What I did is I went to a language translator site and went through whatever language my character would most likely speak and type in some words and see what the translation is. Then I would mix up some letters and presto!

[Reaver]

In my WIP, calling an elf a "sack of wine" is the worst insult imaginable.

[Queshire]

What's the hell of hell? Do the Gods have gods? What's the worse punishment for a potntially immortal spirit? Or you could general, but different curses. One potential but different curse I like is Rot, like "Go Rot" or such.

I agree though, that the best curses derive from what a particular society reviles and holds sacred, though it depends ON the culture primarily. One that comes to mind is the Japanese Gaijin, which means foreigner, I'm not sure if it counts as a curse, but it certainly has negative connotations.

[The Din]

Just throw in a few c**ts and motherf**kers, I say. I know you said YA, but what sort of kid hasn't heard these words a thousand times in the school yard?

When I was younger, one of my favorite things about reading was the lack of classification. Not allowed to watch an R rated film? Easy, just pick up a book and read about a girl's first time taking it in the back door (yes, this was a YA book), or a runaways discovery of heroine and eventual prostitution. You never know what juicy details you'll stumble across.

Sorry this doesn't really answer your question. All I can suggest is combining a few lesser evils, ie. pig lover, limp stick, sodem hole...

[Graham Irwin]

I just stick to sh*t and crap.

Also, I always have to go back and edit out "hell" and "damn", because I use those without thinking. But there's no hell in my world. Also have to watch for using "heavens" as a synonym for sky. No heaven either!

What a funny topic!

[Graham Irwin]

Just throw in a few c**ts and motherf**kers, I say. I know you said YA, but what sort of kid hasn't heard these words a thousand times in the school yard?

When I was younger, one of my favorite things about reading was the lack of classification. Not allowed to watch an R rated film? Easy, just pick up a book and read about a girl's first time taking it in the back door (yes, this was a YA book), or a runaways discovery of heroine and eventual prostitution. You never know what juicy details you'll stumble across.

Sorry this doesn't really answer your question. All I can suggest is combining a few lesser evils, ie. pig lover, limp stick, sodem hole...

This is one of the more disturbing things I've ever read on Mythic Scribes!

[Walrusdragon]

Not that this would work at all, but I have always been a fan of "Holy frijoles!" Say the frijoles without correct Spanish accent.