Profanity and Derogatory Terms

[ratsy]

I think that you do limit the audience if you have an abundance of racist slurs and swearing. That is where it needs a balance. A lot of people read SFF to escape the real world. Just because we know the world is full of swearing racists, doesn't mean we necessarily want to read about them. There are a lot of things going on in the world that I know are happening but that doesn't mean I want to pay to read about it.

I am yet to drop the F-bomb in any of my writing. That doesn't mean I wouldn't but it just has to be relevant. As someone touched on, the more you use a word, the less impact said word has.

Brian, Scott Lynch does have a lot of swearing in his books. While he is a good writer, it does wear thin quickly. I find myself never recommending those books just because of the amount of swearing (well that and the fact I could hardly get through the third book)

 

[barrett1987]

To be honest, I'd be more comfortable PMing it (just in case). I'd also have to take a screenshot to get the words past the site censor.

I won't PM it unless you ask.

Fire away, mutha farker!

 

[Laeraneth]

I think that you do limit the audience if you have an abundance of racist slurs and swearing. That is where it needs a balance. A lot of people read SFF to escape the real world. Just because we know the world is full of swearing racists, doesn't mean we necessarily want to read about them.

Oh I agree completely, I didn't mean to imply that it was fine to include either in general, more that if it's appropriate for the type of story you're writing, then you shouldn't shy away from it.

To use the same example I used earlier, in a book about gang-land antics in London, I personally would EXPECT to find lots of bad language and probably some pretty distasteful stuff. if instead it was obvious that language had been tempered, moderated and changed to the extent it didn't sound like the gang-land I might expect, I think I'd find it more offputting than if it contained said objectionable material

(and on the same level, if Cressida Cowell's next Dragon book suddenly brought in a character who swore continuously and was a raging racist, it might be a bit out of place )

 

[MatterSack]

@barrett1987: Sent.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

This character has one redeeming feature: he isn't selectively bigoted. He insults everyone. Asians, Africans, Europeans, Middle-Easterners, the LGBT and the religious, all in one paragraph. He does for with the express purpose of provoking his recruits.

Then you missed my point completely. "Good luck".

 

[barrett1987]

Read the piece. It didn't bother me. I didn't think it would but i would say that if you cut the the first part about wizards and gene screens and just have the racist rant it would be more powerful.

Furthermore its obvious that what the guys saying is 'bad' there is no point from the writing where you endorse the words. So its fine imo.

 

[MatterSack]

@barrett1987: Thanks.

@Fishbowl: "Thanks".

 

[Tyburn]

With my 'Space Captain Flight' work, most of the characters use the mildest of profanities "Oh gosh!", "Goodness!" and "Crumbs!", it fits with the whole retro British WWII movie styling. The only real exception is Kitty, who as a bit of a 'Hockey Stick' slightly posh bird, has a mouth like an open sewer.

Needless to say, she's the most fun to write, especially when she gets going.

Though there is one moment where Space Captain Flight does contemplate a very rude word - as the scene states "One he promised his grandmother he would never, ever use under any circumstances." He then looks heavenward and says "Sorry granny, but he is - a complete and total one at that."

 

[MatterSack]

^ Ha, I like that.

 

[Drakai]

Django Unchained had mixed recepition about it's use of the word "nigger". A lot of people found it offensive even though the story took place in a racist America. But also, a lot of people defended the movie because they knew that racism was an essential part of the narrative. I guess you can't please everyone whatever you do.

Also the idea to create new swear words can be done brilliantly. In a game I played, the world was inhabited by robots and their replacement for the work f*ck was b'sod (short for blue screen of death) which is absolutely funny and brilliant.

Edit: Oh, didn't know the site edited out swear words.