This week: On Profanity Edited by: Kit of House Lannister  
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Would the use of profanity put you off a novel? Does it depend on the genre? Is there a limit to that use?
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about strong language... but worry not! It is suitable for all readers.
Kit of House Lannister |
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Before I say anything else, let me assure you that I do not object to strong language. I am Dyspraxic and, therefore, prone to bumping into objects and tripping over my own feet. I have broken each of my toes at least once. You bet I’ve spoken some less-than-fluffy words!
I believe that words of that nature can be used to great effect. That goes for the written word as much as for the spoken. They can indicate the seriousness of a situation, reveal a character’s strength of feeling. As writers, we can delicately drop such a word at just the right time, in just the right place and make our readers sit up and pay attention. The trick is to find that time and place. It’s not always as easy as it seems.
Some writers will disagree with me here. A bestselling author like George R. R. Martin could argue that I’m being oversensitive – the use of profanity sure hasn’t done him any harm. As someone who enjoys his work I could say that I feel the profanity gets repetitive at times, but the rest of his writing is good enough for me to overlook it. And he could argue back that hey, I kept reading, right? I did. I also know that it’s likely that others have no issue with his wording.
Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire world, though, is a harsh one. It’s one of battle, where the most shameful accusation one could possibly receive is that of being craven. Life is harsh, cruel, brutal even. That kind of world is a breeding ground for strong language. It’s a little less obvious why one would liberally sprinkle profanity throughout, say, a romantic comedy. That’s what I encountered recently in a novel I’d very much looked forward to reading, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
The book in question is All the Feels by Olivia Dade and on the whole it’s lovely. It’s about a burnt-out therapist who, instead of spending some time off as planned finds herself looking after an actor in a spot of bother. The actor is a handful, but often endearing. Dade has done an excellent job weaving his ADHD throughout his storyline without it feeling forced or preachy. And the therapist is a strong, interesting woman who it’s easy to cheer on. The book is a lot of fun and a must for those who enjoy fan fiction (the actor writes fan fiction), and those who have some issues with season 8 of Game of Thrones. Even if you aren’t into either of those, but you like a creative feel-good story, I can highly recommend it. As long as you don’t mind profanity.
I genuinely wish there was less of it. It’s not used all the time, but enough to stand out and feel somewhat unnecessary. Don’t let that put you off, though. You might feel differently.
Feelings on this will differ. Some readers will be put off by any use of profanity. Some won’t mind no matter what you put in. Some will be okay with certain words, but not others. The decision to use strong language, then, must be made with all of this in mind. Do you want your work to be fine to read for all the potential readers of your genre, or are you okay with it being a little more exclusive, to write for a more select audience?
The choice is yours, of course. Just as it was my choice to write an entire Newsletter editorial about profanity without actually using any. Did you notice? I am quite impressed by it myself. 
As always, whatever you end up choosing, enjoy yourself! And remember to use the correct content rating if you post work containing profanity here on Writing.Com. I wish you a week filled with inspiration,
Kit of House Lannister
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Drama: November 17, 2021 Issue [#11081]
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