The Use Of Profanity In Your Novels

[Time Diver]

Does it really sell, or should we just replace them with words that pleases the eye?

Because people who have read my works so far have been telling me to not, or limit, the bad words in my novel. They said that it simply wouldn't appeal to the readers, and them telling me is proof of what they said.

But profanity is important for my story, if I take it away and replace it with more subtle words then it just wouldn't seem right.

(I apologize if this kind of topic has been overdone. I rarely go in this forum so I kinda don't know whats hot and whats not.)

[Racer Sex]

If it's done well then there's not a problem with it. However, if you're just throwing them in and they don't seem like they fit then they don't belong.

[SoFarAway]

Time Diver

Does it really sell, or should we just replace them with words that pleases the eye?

Because people who have read my works so far have been telling me to not, or limit, the bad words in my novel. They said that it simply wouldn't appeal to the readers, and them telling me is proof of what they said.

But profanity is important for my story, if I take it away and replace it with more subtle words then it just wouldn't seem right.

(I apologize if this kind of topic has been overdone. I rarely go in this forum so I kinda don't know whats hot and whats not.)

Maybe remove half of the words and leave half in. It may make a differance. I know that many of my classmates didn't like this one book because there were eight hundred uses of profanity throughout the book.

[Mistress of the Stars]

You shouldn't have to worry about profanity in your writing
if its the way the character speaks, or if you're trying to get a point across, sometimes a "darker" language is needed.

for instance. if someone is really pissed. "oh freak" is not going to cut it, ya know

[Ipse Dixit]

Tell Stephen King prophanity doesn't sell... If it's used "well," it will "sell."

(WOO! don't I feel philosifical tonight?)

[Time Diver]

scooterfacedragon

Tell Stephen King prophanity doesn't sell... If it's used "well," it will "sell."

(WOO! don't I feel philosifical tonight?)

gonk But... but I used Stephen King as an example for my defense.

[Ezmirelda Dundundun]

If profanity is appropriate to your writing, then use it, no matter what anyone tells you, especially anyone who says they don't like a book because there was too much swearing. That is an awful reason to dislike a book, and anyone who's opinion is worth listening to will like or dislike a book on the merits of the writing and not the inclusion or lack of swearing.

[crime in the city v2]

Sometimes, a lot of swearing can be a mark of a bad writer. They can use it because they think it sounds "hardcore" or gives a "dark" feel, and they have to resort to that because they aren't good enough writers to make it come across other ways. Make sure that isn't why you're using it. IMO, there's no way swearing could be so important that your novel would be ruined without it, or with less of it.

[Battousai-nii]

Definitely don't use the F-word that much.(yeah I still call it that... stressed ). Many people still find that word very offensive.

However, moderate swearing can be a good tool for expression of character's background, attitude, or position in society. It should be used sparingly however. If all your characters swear, or if there's swearing on every page, then it loses its dramatic value and is just plain annoying to read. Case in point: In a Stephen King novel I read, one of his characters(an antagonist BTW) had a foul mouth but the other characters didn't. His profanity-ridden insults helped to make me really hate the guy early on, which I assume was King's intention.

[Bryoni]

Most people don't like excessive profanity, but I agree, it's hard to take it out when it's so much part of the story. I guess, so long as you use it wisely and the characters saying it are the kind of people who would actually be saying it, then you're alright. Look at Stephen King. There's tons of swearing in his books, and he's got a huge fan base. :p

[XanyKaos]

Magnus Cthulhu

That is an awful reason to dislike a book, and anyone who's opinion is worth listening to will like or dislike a book on the merits of the writing and not the inclusion or lack of swearing.

I don't think that's true. Use of profanity is part of a person's writing style. While I haven't come across too many novels that overuse it, there have been some fanfics that I just had to stop reading. It is offensive, after awhile.
That said, I will tolerate a lot for a good story. ie: Dogma--have watched it several times, love the movie. Wish that there was a little less swearing, because not all of it was necessary. Chasing Amy--had to change the channel during some scenes...the profanity wasn't worse, but the movie wasn't engaging enough to make me sit through it.
I think that for the most part, the f-word (yeah, I too still call it that, but I don't swear anymore) should be avoided. If it really fits, is necessary, or whatever, then fine. But don't throw it in once a page...that's just being offensive.

[Braxeus]

Profanity should be used when it feels natural, because that's when the ordinary human being--the character that the audience relates to--will swear. But you also have to take your style into consideration. If your style appeals to fifteen-year-olds and you want to drop an ink-based f-bomb on the literary world, you might wanna rethink where you drop that bomb.

How to say this...

Michael Chricton, I think, is an excellent example of tasteful profanity. Not that the dialogue in his novels is something you say at the dinner table (though I might pay someone to do that), but that all of it feels right. All of the profanity in his book feels right and adds to the humanity of the characters and just makes everything else feel all the more real for it.

I've got to wonder if your profanity just doesn't feel natural to the reader, if it feels too over the top. What's the context? What's your story about?

As for replacing profanity with eye-candy, heck no. sweatdrop Either you put it in there, or you leave it out... unless it happens to be in your character's nature to say "freak" and "darn" and "heck."

[MidoriChi]

As long as it helps set the mood of the story and comes natural in the way you write and as long as you don't have them swear after every other word, then I think it's fine. In many books, profanity is needed such as in war. In The Things They Carried there was swearing. Many movies such as the Platoon need the violent language to protray how violent war actually is. Soldiers can't be killing people and trying to save their necks while saying, "Oh darn, I lost my leg." or "Poo, they're coming closer."

In any story or movie, language and dialogue is very very important. It tells and describes to the reader the character and their personality. Hemingway wrote a short story that was practically 90% dialogue. The only way to understand the characters was to identify them by the way they speak.

Violent language can be very effective depending on the setting. But you can't have them talking to babies while swearing. ^^; Just make sure that you don't use profanity to an extreme where it tends to get annoying and brings down the mood of your plot.

[PhoenixReaver]

I'd say only use profanity when a replacement word doesn't seem suitable. Sometimes the only way to get your point across is with a certain word, use that to your advantage. It may not be pleasing to readers, but that may be what you want!

[Ezmirelda Dundundun]

XanyKaos

Magnus Cthulhu

That is an awful reason to dislike a book, and anyone who's opinion is worth listening to will like or dislike a book on the merits of the writing and not the inclusion or lack of swearing.

I don't think that's true. Use of profanity is part of a person's writing style. While I haven't come across too many novels that overuse it, there have been some fanfics that I just had to stop reading. It is offensive, after awhile.
That said, I will tolerate a lot for a good story. ie: Dogma--have watched it several times, love the movie. Wish that there was a little less swearing, because not all of it was necessary. Chasing Amy--had to change the channel during some scenes...the profanity wasn't worse, but the movie wasn't engaging enough to make me sit through it.
I think that for the most part, the f-word (yeah, I too still call it that, but I don't swear anymore) should be avoided. If it really fits, is necessary, or whatever, then fine. But don't throw it in once a page...that's just being offensive.

It's only offensive if you let it be offensive. It's just a word. I stand pat that swearing is a terrible reason to hate a book, no matter how often they characters swear (By the way, watch a Tarantino movie sometime, or Casino, those movies have a lot of swearing in them).