Poll

Do you think using characters that say swear words looks as bad for the writer who chose to use it, as much as the character?

yes
1 (5.3%)
no
5 (26.3%)
Yes, but only if the word is F**k
1 (5.3%)
Yes, but only if it's completely uncharacteristic of the character.
8 (42.1%)
No, but only if it's within character for the character.
4 (21.1%)

Total Members Voted: 19

Author Topic: On Character Swearing  (Read 8766 times)

Offline terioncalling

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Re: On Character Swearing
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2007, 09:08:26 PM »
What was the quote?

"Holy shit!  Hellhounds!"
"Harry," Michael said.
"Sorry.  Holy shit!  Heckhounds!"

Something like that...

The Abstruse One
Darryl Mott Jr.

Yup, that was the quote pretty much.

My basic thing with swearing is use it in times of crisis with most characters unless they're the sort that use them in every other sentence they say.  Or in certain situations (like traffic, guh, TRAFFIC).  That's what I've held to with my swearing in real so I hold to that in fiction.
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Offline Amber

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Re: On Character Swearing
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2007, 09:23:58 PM »
The more emotional I get (read: not necessarily angry, but emotional), the more I tend to swear.  So I try to make that translate into my writing.  My narrator swears when she talks, but not in her narrative (not often).  When her husband dies, much swearing ensues.
"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale."
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Offline Velkyn_Faer

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Re: On Character Swearing
« Reply #17 on: January 24, 2007, 04:58:54 AM »
It's all about the character. If you're character's a typical teenage guy in a bad situation (some might argue in any situation) he's going to be pulling out every word in his arsenal, and probably stringing them together for better effect. (in his view)

But, swearing for the sake of swearing is not a good idea.

Like I said, all about the character. Though, even a goody-two-shoes might let something slip in a straining circumstance.

Velkyn

Offline Wolfie

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Re: On Character Swearing
« Reply #18 on: January 24, 2007, 01:42:36 PM »
Personally I'm not uncomfortable with swearwords. In a book, I'm inclined to see those words as a constructive addition to the story. ( I love Harry's "Hell's Bell's")
Colorfull language can ad humor to a scene, or make the reader understand what the protagonist is going through. A slip of the toungue can come over heavier from Michael than a thousand swearwords from Harry would.

As for people who react offended to the F* word... Stop reading the story and see it as a lesson learned. (Gods, I hate puritans ::))
A lord of the Sithe in drag....

would that be a Faery Queen?