Do any of your characters swear? If so how often do they swear if at all?

[Naruzeldamaster]

Because of how cautious my parents are about the content I consume, I have to be extremely cautious of when and how I allow my characters swear. Which can be hard, even though I realize my characters aren't 'me' my parents are the 'what you write is a representation of your views' type and like I get it? But they often go way too far with their concerns.

For example, if one of my characters presents themselves as a 'potty mouth' I write them that way, BUT with the caveat that I personally control the situations they swear in. Even when in some scene drafts in my head they might swear up a storm, I trim it back until I feel 'comfortable' writing it. After all the character presented themselves as a drunken Scotsman vocabulary, gotta do it justice but at the same time I got principals.

One instance that I wrote a little while ago, was a leader of a group of bandits. In her 'sane' state, she swore a little bit, but after obtaining a cursed sword it amplified her negative personality traits, thus she swore more often and got a lot more bold/ruthless. Her reaction to having a limb cut off with dragon fire, instead of wailing like she was possessed was a simple 'fuck, double fuck, fuckity fuck fuck' which...personally an appropriate reaction to having a limb cut off and the wound cauterized in the process with extremely hot dragon fire. Her right hand minion covers her ears jokingly and goes 'Boss I realize you're in insane pain right now, but seriously, language much?' kind of hinting that this outburst was not normal even for her boss.

Also Regardless of what I'm writing, or what age rating (even M) I go out of my way to avoid using the swears that reference human beings (for example, the C word) because personally that's a step too far for me, even if I believe swears are a tool.

 

[pmmg]

I dont tend to use these sentence enhancers, and avoid them.

In the course of creating my story world, I have made up some swears the characters use, and sparingly used any word of this nature. Any word I did use, would be one that could show up on an episode of MASH.

While I do not think the characters never curse, its just not in my writing style.

To go further, I dont really care to see them when I am reading. It is one of the things that turns me off so to Steven King.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I dont tend to use these sentence enhancers, and avoid them.

In the course of creating my story world, I have made up some swears the characters use, and sparingly used any word of this nature. Any word I did use, would be one that could show up on an episode of MASH.

While I do not think the characters never curse, its just not in my writing style.

To go further, I dont really care to see them when I am reading. It is one of the things that turns me off so to Steven King.

I try to let my characters swear a little bit, when it seems to make sense, but you'll rarely find a chapter in my stories with more than ten instances swears, most of the time you won't find more than five; and even then most of the time it's the occasional 'shit' or 'damn' nothing like, foul foul. (other than the one instance of F bombing in the entire story, which again, she just got her arm sliced off with dragon fire. Her brain to mouth filter was kind of off due to the pain.) And this is with the characters who present themselves as potty mouths.

Like I said, if my characters 'want' to swear I let them, but I turn the swearing level down until I feel comfortable with it.

 

[minta]

Honestly so thoughtful. To swear is a character choice in your mind, not a shock value thing for you, and the fact that you seem to have set some personal boundaries is totally fair. This type of intentionality also speaks for control over tone, no censorship or sign of weakness whatsoever.

 

[Insolent Lad]

In that I use little profanity in my own life, I tend to feel awkward and a bit authentic putting it into the mouths of my characters. I feel it is safer simply to avoid using it much, but, yes, occasionally someone does have to let something rip. Usually something pretty mild.

 

[Karlin]

I have 4 or 5 four letter words in what I am editing now. Only used at emotionally charged points. Otherwise, it's just silly.

I'm reminded of a quote attributed to MArk Twain:

“Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”​

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Honestly so thoughtful. To swear is a character choice in your mind, not a shock value thing for you, and the fact that you seem to have set some personal boundaries is totally fair. This type of intentionality also speaks for control over tone, no censorship or sign of weakness whatsoever.

Yeah, about 90% of my characters swear as little as I do (and even then I mean like, the occasional shit, hell (like 'hell if I know') or damn) for the other 10% that present themselves as potty mouths I sit them down and say 'look, I love you but we needa talk' and somehow when I start to write them they swear a lot less often, and typically only when it would be most impactful. The example I posted above with the character reacting to you know, her arm being sliced off, and the insides of her body feeling like they're on fire due to the dragon flames, is probably the most foul thing I've written, and it's likely going to be the only instance of using that word in the entire story.(though I'm sure that character swears as much as she wants "off camera" lol On camera though? She behaves as well as I allow her to.) Once I finish the story I'm working on I'll probably comb through it and remove the ones that don't feel needed until I'm happy too. But for the rough draft I use them when they make the most sense

 

[Insolent Lad]

In that I use little profanity in my own life, I tend to feel awkward and a bit authentic putting it into the mouths of my characters. I feel it is safer simply to avoid using it much, but, yes, occasionally someone does have to let something rip. Usually something pretty mild.

Duh, that's INauthentic.