: Re: Swearing in a book, within a context. Too offensive? I am currently writing a science fiction novel. The characters are almost uniformly pirates and/or miners in the asteroid belt. Having worked

@Berryessa137

The first thing you must consider, is your own vocabulary. In order for the swearing to SEEM natural, you must be totally comfortable with your own use of curse-words!

Otherwise, it's akin to Mark Twain's observations on a spinster's "cursing": You'll know the lyrics, but not the tune!

I've known women authors who were excellent word-smiths; but only one who had been able to "write cussing" in a believable manner. I later found that she was the big sister of four brothers, and had a father who'd been an Army drill instructor!

If she was in control of her temper, she was a perfect "Lady;" but if Little Brother pushed her buttons just right, she could cuss so savagely and expertly her words could burn the paint off a Patton tank at 100 yards!

There's quite often a rhythm and cadence seen in the expert use of swear-words--- they are USUALLY not merely stuffed into a sentence, every so often. I've known some (rare) "Blue Linguists" who could fluently blend expletives into whole and complete "Profane Paragraphs" which had explored the author's views of some wayward miscreant in exquisite, albeit profane, detail . . . often spanning more than two dozen different profane allusions, with no repeats!

The old-timers would say of such monumental "cursings," something like: "John cussed him 'till a fly wouldn't light on him!" Memories of the exquisite, intricate, detailed array of expletives would be cherished and memorized, and men would gather to relive the events leading up to the "Cursing!" Each "compound expletive" would be recalled in detail, often arguments would arise as to which curse came before, or after, a particularly monumental "Exotic Expletive," and men would stand the "orator" to drinks; some would even beg him to reprise his triumphal declarative, albeit profane, monologue. On at least half the occasions of such "declarations," the object of the diatribe had actually left town, rather than be continually reminded of the "cursing!"

I am actually very hesitant to repeat one of these profane orations, here; even if it's "for educational purposes only!"

If you are competent to "rip off a good Goddamn," with feelings of gusto and all the attendant ruffles & flourishes, then go ahead! Use profanity! Your story will be the better for your true-to-life language!

However: If your upbringing and demeanor are such that you don't normally use profanity, attempting to camouflage that by having characters declare: "Puck, puck, puck," in every sentence; it simply won't work. It won't seem to be authentic.

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