Profanities in Stories

Jinxeh:

Freddie Mercury:

Not at all. I mean, I was just very curious and I constantly thought about sex :XD

Well, that's fairly normal. But at that age, I showed everything I wrote to my mother, and I was never really sure how she'd react to such a thing, heh. I told my mom everything, and that hasn't changed. Just today she happened upon my computer when I had a Word document open and some writing in it, and she seemed fairly amused when she told me my writing was, "Amazingly descriptive and positively pornographic!"

:lmfao
Haha, nice. I don't show my mum my stories, though she's seen a couple. :XD [/spammmm]

Jinxeh:

Freddie Mercury:

Not at all. I mean, I was just very curious and I constantly thought about sex :XD

Well, that's fairly normal. But at that age, I showed everything I wrote to my mother, and I was never really sure how she'd react to such a thing, heh. I told my mom everything, and that hasn't changed. Just today she happened upon my computer when I had a Word document open and some writing in it, and she seemed fairly amused when she told me my writing was, "Amazingly descriptive and positively pornographic!"

I showed everything to my mom, too. Including my first porno.
She still reads some of my stuff. She's very anxious to read one of my new slashes.

druscilla; her eyes.:

Jinxeh:

Freddie Mercury:

Not at all. I mean, I was just very curious and I constantly thought about sex :XD

Well, that's fairly normal. But at that age, I showed everything I wrote to my mother, and I was never really sure how she'd react to such a thing, heh. I told my mom everything, and that hasn't changed. Just today she happened upon my computer when I had a Word document open and some writing in it, and she seemed fairly amused when she told me my writing was, "Amazingly descriptive and positively pornographic!"

I showed everything to my mom, too. Including my first porno.
She still reads some of my stuff. She's very anxious to read one of my new slashes.

Oh, god, I could never show my mom any of my stories. They're all too lesbolicious for her. XD [/spam]

Yeah, I use cursing in my stories. Just because it's in 3rd person doesn't mean you can't still show your character's thoughts. And of your character's thoughts aren't exactly PG, so be it.

I think it depends entirely on the author and the story. If that's what the author thinks is right for the story, and it sounds right, than it's fine. Sometimes, of course, it doesn't make sense, but it can also put force behind something that would be weak.

I swear everywhere in my stories if I feel like it.

For dialogue, I only let my characters swear if it doesn't sound at all forced.
Other than that, I don't remember ever using it outside that. I think it's okay just as long as it's used with the right emotion.

-shrug-

Junior high kids swear like sailors when teachers aren't in the room. And sometimes they do it even when there's an adult right behind them. Just throwing out a random fact...

The amount of swearing depends on the character; if one writes from first-person, it depends on the personality of your character whether or not they curse. Obviously, if he or she is more shy, they'd swear less, but if they're more outgoing and/or have a temper problem (or if they have a natural sailor mouth) they could curse more and the story could still go on....excessive cursing could upset the flow and tone of the piece, though.

analphabeta:

Junior high kids swear like sailors when teachers aren't in the room. And sometimes they do it even when there's an adult right behind them. Just throwing out a random fact...

The amount of swearing depends on the character; if one writes from first-person, it depends on the personality of your character whether or not they curse. Obviously, if he or she is more shy, they'd swear less, but if they're more outgoing and/or have a temper problem (or if they have a natural sailor mouth) they could curse more and the story could still go on....excessive cursing could upset the flow and tone of the piece, though.

Not necessarily. I've got friends that are generally shy, but who curse like pirates (whether it be outright or under their breath), and I've met people with short tempers who don't use profanities, but replacements (like "frick!" and "shoot" and "flippin'"). I don't think that being shy or outgoing has any correlation to how much a person curses - though it might influence how much other people hear them cursing.

I agree with Drayden.

I love cussing, in real life and stories. I do both. I cuss in dialogue (not a lot, out of all my stories I cuss in like three or four of them), and it really depends on the characters when i'm writing first person if I want them to swear or not, but it doesn't bother me at all.

I think the first time swearing botherd me in books was when I was reading Precious.

Audrey T.:

Not necessarily. I've got friends that are generally shy, but who curse like pirates (whether it be outright or under their breath), and I've met people with short tempers who don't use profanities, but replacements (like "frick!" and "shoot" and "flippin'"). I don't think that being shy or outgoing has any correlation to how much a person curses - though it might influence how much other people hear them cursing.

And I swear like a sailor but I also say things like "holy banana" instead of "holy fuck" and "mother hen" instead of "mother fucker". (Not always, mind you, but sometimes.)

I swear in my stories but not excessively unless its in the character's nature

For me swearing in a story depends upon the characters. If they're the type, then I'd use it, otherwise no.

How about outside dialogue/first person though? 'Cause that's kind of the point of the thread. Whether or not you use it outside of those two instances and whether or not you find it "appropriate".

Because it's technically "incorrect", but I do it consistently because if that word works it's the word that should be used.

I've seen it done okay by some writers in the 3rd person, but as a rule for myself I don't do it. I've never really thought I could make it work. If I ever did, it would probably be 3rd person limited (a bit more character biased) and even then only in certain situations.

I didn't even know it was wrong for 2nd person really. I don't really know the rules to that one though. I treat it as an informal tense, almost like a cousin or extention of 1st person, which means swearing is allowed if a situation, description, or flow warrants.

sometimes swear words give it that tone of intensity and mood. Like you said " made love'' doesn't exactly sound right in all scenarios...

This.Useless.Heart.:

I've seen it done okay by some writers in the 3rd person, but as a rule for myself I don't do it. I've never really thought I could make it work. If I ever did, it would probably be 3rd person limited (a bit more character biased) and even then only in certain situations.

I didn't even know it was wrong for 2nd person really. I don't really know the rules to that one though. I treat it as an informal tense, almost like a cousin or extention of 1st person, which means swearing is allowed if a situation, description, or flow warrants.

I think it's consider wrong because in 2nd person there's still a narrator . . . but I totally get what you're saying.

I've written first, second, and third. And I've sworn in every single one of them.

^I've swore in third person before, but it didn't sound right at all, so I edited all the swears out. Third person to me doesn't work. Swearing/cursing is a personal issue something I would see in first person more and would make sense. I don't know, it just depends (how most people feel) on characters or tone, and all that other good shit.

I find cussing outside of dialogue appropriate even though I don't do it. If it works for other writers than that's fine with me.

radioactive dru.:

I think it's consider wrong because in 2nd person there's still a narrator . . . but I totally get what you're saying.

I've written first, second, and third. And I've sworn in every single one of them.

well, there's always a narrator, technically, it's just a character in the 1st person. I probably don't do second person correctly because I usually write it accidentally and it's either me or a character ranting, or at least that's what sparks it. It uses "you" as if addressing someone, but I never know who the audience is. I'm not even 100% sure what defines second person other than saying "you". Since I basically don't know the rules; I break the hell out of them.

This.Useless.Heart.:

well, there's always a narrator, technically, it's just a character in the 1st person. I probably don't do second person correctly because I usually write it accidentally and it's either me or a character ranting, or at least that's what sparks it. It uses "you" as if addressing someone, but I never know who the audience is. I'm not even 100% sure what defines second person other than saying "you". Since I basically don't know the rules; I break the hell out of them.

I used to think second-person was when the narrator was anyone other than the main character. I don't remember what stupid teacher told me that.

It's basically when the narrator is speaking to someone as "you", but the narrator cannot be referred to as "I", otherwise it becomes first-person. The narrator can be a character, so long as they aren't referred to as "I", I believe.

And because second-person can have a non-character narrator, it's technically considered "incorrect". But, like I said, I swear in every narration POV.

^That was sort of how I was defining it. Once I felt I used too many "you"s I deleted or edited the "I" sort of statements and converted to what I believed was 2nd person. I've pretty much never had a teacher define it for me; so I had to more or less do it myself. Anyway, mine tend to have swears because they were usually 1st person converted.

radioactive dru.:

How about outside dialogue/first person though? 'Cause that's kind of the point of the thread. Whether or not you use it outside of those two instances and whether or not you find it "appropriate".

Because it's technically "incorrect", but I do it consistently because if that word works it's the word that should be used.

Hmm, in first person, I would use curse words sparingly outside of dialogue, particularly if they're doing some kind of internal monologue, or commenting in the narrative.

But, in third person? No. Unless it's a person's thoughts, but then again that's just inner dialogue.

So, First person: I'd use curse/swear words in the narrative if it fit the character.

Third person. No.