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swearing?

*SA**SA*
edited February 2007 in - Writing Problems

Comments

  • *SA**SA*
    is swearing o.k in short stories- as long as it's fits with the tone of the piece that is? i don't mean out-and-out effing and blinding, but mild swearing like ass and crap (sorry if these words aren't allowed on the site- not sure what the protocol is on language!!)
  • BetsieBetsie
    Depends on your target market.  Some mags wouldn't consider swear words others would.  Study your market and write accordingly.
  • BetsieBetsie
    Depends on your target market.  Some mags wouldn't consider swear words others would.  Study your market and write accordingly.  Which, incidentally, leads to another important point.  You should have your target market in mind when writing the story - it's the only way to get it right.
  • CarolCarol
    It depends on where you intend to send the story.
    Personally I don't have a problem if that is how the character talks, but don't overdo it of course.
    On this site when someone is venting their ire and wishes to use a potentially offensive word, there tends to be the start of the word, an ** in the middle and the last bit of the word, so we do know what was meant.
    You can always click on the terms and conditions link at the bottom of the page to clarify what is and isn't allowed.
  • Tessa TangentTessa Tangent
    Uh-huh.  It depends.  And look at many a mainstream novel or article or t.v. programme these days.

    It does just depend.
  • josiehenleyjosiehenley
    I think it’s ok if it fits with the tone. I’ve read and written short stories with swearing/vulgar etc. My advice is always to subscribe or buy a copy of the magazine you plan to send it to so you can see the sort of thing that they print. If a small press for an anthology, get hold of a copy of one of their previous anthologies. If it’s a competition err on the side of caution (unless specifically erotic), if none of the above apply, contact the people you are planning to send to and ask them if they have a particular policy re swearing.
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    One rude word, especially from a 'meek' character, carries more weight than a whole load. The main character in 'Catcher in the Rye' swears a lot - the same word, I think - and I began not to notice it.
  • *SA**SA*
    yeah, i asked because i've just sent a story off and it's only afterwards i've thought that maybe ass and crap mightn't be ok (sorry webbo if i'm being bad again!). i did feel it was in keeping with what was going on in the story, and it was to one of our competitions, not to a ladies' mag or whatever, but still i'm second guessing myself. i think maybe i worry too much.
  • StirlingStirling
    Talking to the girls at work about books I discovered an interesting thing.

    The older women over the age of 40 can't stand swearing in books, but I read a lot of books with swearing (i.e crime and literary novels) and they just bounce off me, even though I don't swear anymore (I used to work in a massive kitchen with a lot of men and I now work in a coffee shop and when I used an expletive last week the girls in the Dairy were really shocked at me!).
  • VericaVerica
    Slight swearing in short stories is acceptable, I think, but I get really cross at constant gratuitous swearing by comedians on television, particularly minor celebrities and early in the evening. 
  • Crazy HorseCrazy Horse
    I agree that the characters you have created must speak in their own way but remember it is your vocaulary you are using. If you do not usually swear it wil tend to ring false and vice versa. Personally I love the clever use of normal language to convey the idea. I thought Terry Pratchett's description of prostitutes as "Ladies of negotiable affection" masterly
  • montholonmontholon
    It isn't only swearing that editors can object to. In one of my stories, a character described someone as being 'as miserable as that ugly old git Smiler in Last of the Summer Wine'. When it was published, it had been changed to 'that ugly old woman Smiler', which ruined the sense completely. If the editor had been a fan of the programme, he'd have known that Smiler is a man. 
  • *SA**SA*
    ah well, if they're normally steered toward the ladies' market then i'll probably never win or shortlist in these competitons. i hope that's not the case. my writing is quite dark and realistic/ contemporary fiction. hmmmm... and here's me thinking i might do quite well...
    never mind- i can't change my style just to win competitions. it's my style or nothing i suppose.
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