I've just posted a question on my Romance writers forum and thought it would also make a good post question. This can apply to both readers and writers...
Hi everyone. I have a question I'm curious about hearing others view points.
I read widely and all kinds of genre's so coming across the F word and worse is no great shock, but when it comes to my own writing I have never used it. When I'm in my hero's POV, I know I have to talk like him, think like him, get into the male psyche- and I've hesitated using that particular word up until now. I do however think in certain cases, it's really needed to make the dialogue or thoughts realistic.
I don't particularly enjoy reading, saying or hearing it in general- but it does serve to illustrate a point and it is a common, if not acceptable- then definitely well used part of our common language.
So my question is- who uses it? and when you have used it (in writing I'm referring to here, not every day speech) has it raised comments from readers? editors? relatives?! either positive or negative? Do you think it deserves a place in a novel or should it be avoided? I'd really like to hear your comments on the topic.
Karly.
I had trouble the first few times I tried to type it into a story I was writing. But after a few times it's not so hard anymore :)
ReplyDeleteI've found the same thing when writing love scenes, and now I think my writing is pretty darn hot. Again, took me a while to use certain...nouns, and there are still some that I won't/can't.
I just want my dialogue (internal or external) to be true to the characters, so to be honest it doesn't bother me at all now. As a rule I don't swear, so people that know me are always shocked the first time they read one of my books :)
Ah, if they only knew what went on in my little brain...
I couldn't resist posting this gem from my cousin (who cracks me up with his smart-arse-ness)And who has also been pushing for the next book to have a hero who happens to work for Country Energy...completely fictitious of course!
ReplyDeleteKarly, I have read your blog and thought I might be able to help you out with the F word. When you are writing episode one of "The Line Worker" if the character hits his finger with a hammer he can say it, or if he survives electric shock he can say it or if his phone rings in the middle of a wet windy night he can say it. Hope this helps.
This is an old post, but as I'm poking around your site this morning and this is topical for me, I thought I'd answer it.
ReplyDeleteI cannot write men without dropping the F-bomb all over the place. My recent release features teen characters and I had to put a warning label on it because every time to boys talk it's potty mouth central. Trying to clean it up just sounds wrong to me.
I lay the blame for my condition at the door of the United States Marine Corps. As a young wife (19-20), my shy, five footish self was constantly surrounded by these huge pillars of testosterone and they couldn't utter a sentence without using the f-word at least twice. It filled every part of speech, including that of a placeholder word that started every sentence: Effing, uh... Like that.
Now my boys aren't that bad, and mainly use it when they're ticked off or to make a point, but it would be really hard for me to go without using it and I guess, having been exposed to it so much, I have less trouble than I should with using it in my writing. I think it probably takes a lot for my girls to use it, though.
Reactions? My mom didn't have anything to say about it, except that she thought my dad wouldn't be thrilled if he read it. I haven't heard any reactions to language from people who've read the book. I have had people somewhat surprised that I chose to include a content warning because of it, and they seemed to think that was odd or unnecessary. Since I decided to go indie without ever sending it out, crit partner and my phalanx of beta readers are the only editors I have.
If a book is fairly well-written, I usually don't miss it if it's not there because it can be worked around. But if the author is trying to portray a crass ruffian with little regard for social norms, then I will sometimes wonder why his language is so clean. And if he uses a substitute like "effing" or, God forbid, "flipping"(!), he just totally loses credibility.