# Do you mind swearing in books?



## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

I hope this is the right place to post this question.
I just finished reading a book called Undrawn. The main character, well really most of the people in the book swore a LOT! F*** was used on almost every page minimum once, and GD was used several times, I once counted 5 times in 3 sentences. I know I swear sometimes and I don't mind the occasional swearing in books but this was really excessive! Am I being way to picky about this? I am not sure I would have loved the book without it but I can tell you I would not have hated it AS much. Thanks for your thoughts.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

It doesn't bother me at all.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

It would depend on the book.  If it is labeled religious fiction yes it would bother me otherwise no.  Now having said that if the swearing is because of the action then it is appropriate.  But if it is just F this, F that for no reason other than using the words then it would be a turn off and I would probably not finish the book.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Generally, I'm okay with it, at least up to a point. It bothers me when it sounds to me as if the author is just using it as a cheap way to generate emotion, tension, or whatever. It doesn't when it fits the characters and the situation. Of course, that's all very subjective, I guess. However, I do find there is generally some level where it just gets overbearing even if, in theory, it fits: I read in part to enjoy how an author uses the English language, and if every third or fourth word is one of the same few expletives, it just wears on me and becomes annoying and boring.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I was in the Army. It is impossible to offend me by profanity.

On the other hand, if heavily-used by characters to whom it seems inappropriate, it bothers me just like any other out-of-character behavior. And certainly if heavily used in an inappropriate genre--Romances always or nearly always fall in that category, I believe--It is certainly unfortunate unless somehow very clearly indicated in the description/back cover (not that anyone reads covers after converting to ebooks...).


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I am not offended by swearing in the slightest (you could liberally throw the C and F word around and I wouldn't blink an eye) and I think swearing in novels lends realism in the right places with the right characters. There are scenes when I actually think a lack of swearing would be unrealistic. But when it's that excessive, it equally sounds unrealistic to me, like the author is deliberately trying to be provocative and the swearing doesn't add anything to the scene or character development. Especially if every single character is talking like that, it would just strike me as terrible character development.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

It doesn't "offend" me. . . .but I don't tend to _like_ the type/style/genre of book that uses excessive swearing.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

It would depend on the genre and how often the swear words were used and whether it was character appropriate. I generally stick to the classics or fantasy or contemporary authors who write carefully crafted plots and spend time on character development, so I don't encounter a lot of swearing. But if I read a thriller as I occasionally do, and DON'T encounter a swear word or two it just doesn't seem to ring true. Violence and swearing just kind of seem to go together, as it is angry people who commit violence and it is usually angry people who swear as a way of venting their frustration at finding themselves unable to control their circumstances in certain situations. The rule of thumb I have found to be true is that the more violent the character, the more frequent the swearing.


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## MineBook (May 31, 2013)

Excessive swearing is "bad tasting book" for me.


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

I don't go out of my way to find books with swearing, but sometimes for the characters and story being told, it's appropriate. If it reads that way, it doesn't bother me. Like a few others have said, if it sounds force or there to add drama or as an over used technique employed to generate emotion, it falls flat and bothers me.  If an author can reasonably avoid F-bombs, I appreciate it, but it's not a requirement for me to pick up and read a novel or short story.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

No, I don't mind swearing. If its there its there, if not its not. I con't care either way. I just want the book to feel authentic. So if swearing fits, then it fits.


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## Clark Magnan (May 23, 2013)

I don't mind swearing in a moral sense. It does offend me as a lover of language. The F-word is ubiquitous - people use it as a noun, verb, modifier - it can signify good or bad, or simply substitute for the word "very." I hate that. There is almost always a better word to describe what you mean, but people are lazy with their language.

That said, I've only proven that many people speak with lots of "colorful metaphors" in their language, so when characters speak that way in a book and it is appropriate to the story (not meant for kids, religious grandparents etc.) then who am I to argue. If characters spoke the way I wish people did, the story would quickly sound fake.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

It depends... I don't mind profanity at all, but I find vulgarity to be tiresome in real life as well as in books. I will stop reading a book due to vulgarities. That applies to movies and tv shows as well. One of my favorites quotes sums it up pretty well:

“I can see that an insufficient, or perhaps even defective, socialization process has led you to believe that four-letter words add power to language.”
-Aloysius Pendergast

Blame it on what may have been an insular childhood where my favorite pastime was reading.

Mike


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

This was just used a lot in talking back and fourth to brothers and their dad mostly. It didn't "fit" IMO because there was no real reason for it. One was an artist and the other two were lawyers. It was like F dude what the F are you thinking? are you F out of your mind type stuff. I looked over it at first but it got to be every other word almost and really started grating on my nerves.


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

I think it depends entirely on context. People in stressful situations often swear so to place characters in crises and then not have them use profanities doesn't ring true. I remember reading a Jules Verne novel (Journey to the Centre of the Earth) when I was a young teenager and the main characters encounter a dinosaur. They said something like, "Oh! Look at that prodigious beast!" I know Verne was writing in a different age when swearing would likely have got his book banned, but it's always stuck in my mind as a wholly unconvincing reaction to a life-threatening situation.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't mind swearing as such, but I find people who routinely swear to be uninteresting people that I don't much care to read about. I have nothing against a good swear word when the situation really calls for an intensifier, but if it is used too often and too casually, it destroys whatever impact it might have had.


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## Stephen_Melling (Jun 26, 2011)

Good question. I don't mind swearing in books. However, some writers overuse the 'F' word so much it eventually becomes a chore forming the word in your mind. It also dulls its effect and becomes, instead of shocking, merely tedious.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

This reminds me of tests that seem to indicate that people who don't normally swear a lot seem to get more benefit from it when they do. Specifically, they can cope with more pain while swearing than when they don't swear, while those who swear a lot get little/no such benefit. Not exactly sure how that might apply to readers -- just thought I'd throw that out there under the general idea that too much can reduce its effect, perhaps?


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

If it's appropriate to the character and genre, that's fine. I'd expect there to be swearing in crime or thrillers or from street gangs and army boys. But I don't like swearing just for effect.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't care for it.  I'm not offended, but it often interrupts the flow.  Yes, I know people talk like that, but like an accent in a book, it can become tiresome to read.  It's one of those things that if used artfully, it gives a character(s) personality, but if used "realistically" it's usually too much. 

Charlie Huston is somewhat famous for his characters cursing/style, and while realistic, you have to skip every other word to get to the story because curse words like that aren't even adjectives, they're more like "uhm," and 'you know' type of expressions.  In Maggie For Hire, by...Danley, it interrupted the story because it felt like a cozy/nice girl character trying to play tough girl and fell flat.  Both were good stories, but would have been improved with less cursing.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I've never liked the "F" word.  Guess it is my upbringing.    If there is a lot of in a book - I think the author is trying to be sensational which doesn't endear him to me.  (I'm the same way about movies)    On the other hand - if the rest of the story is really good - I will keep reading but I still don't like it.


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## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

It doesn't bother me unless it's _really_ over the top like OP described. But it tends to bother me more when I hear it in a movie versus reading it in a book.


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

I just went back and looked, the word F*** was used 124 times in a 218 page book. The word GD was used 38 times, D*** was used 3. For me that is just to much and it got old really fast.


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## Thomas Robins (Jul 8, 2013)

It's not my favorite thing. I'll accept it can be an artistic choice, and even that it could make sense for a character in context. However, I do not swear and their is little to no swearing in my workplace (seriously, I can go weeks and not hear cursing at work). When I read/hear it, it sticks out like a sore thumb and takes me right out of the book. It just pulls me right out of the book. If there is a lot of swearing in the book, then I can't lose myself in the story.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

i don't wanna spend time in real life with people who swear a lot, so i don't wanna spend my leisure time reading them.


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## lh422 (Jul 21, 2012)

I'm not at all offended by swearing in actual life.  In books I don't care as long as it "belongs"- in other words, it works with the style and narrative.  It's kind of squishy, but it's one of those "I know it when I see it" sort of things.


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## skribe (Jul 16, 2013)

In general, I only usually notice it when it's out-of-context or it jars for some reason.  

As an author, it can pose a challenge on whether to include profanity or not.  Some people find it offensive, and that limits your market opportunities.  On a personal note, I don't tend to write much profanity anyway, but I did remove all the instances (two IIRC) from one my stories.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

kisala9906 said:


> This was just used a lot in talking back and fourth to brothers and their dad mostly. It didn't "fit" IMO because there was no real reason for it. One was an artist and the other two were lawyers. It was like F dude what the F are you thinking? are you F out of your mind type stuff. I looked over it at first but it got to be every other word almost and really started grating on my nerves.


That sounds awful, I can't believe you finished the book.


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## Tim_A (May 25, 2013)

I don't mind swearing, so long as it's reasonable and in context. What I do find objectionable is stupid substitute words that *NOBODY* in real life would ever say.

Mother funder. I mean, seriously? Just say the bloody word.

There are two f-bombs in my YA novel, both _in extremis_ and I'd 100% defend them if challenged. But saying that, I don't swear very much in real life. Generally though I'd use one of the more-or-less innocuous alternatives - damn, sh*t, bugger etc.

Neither have I dropped a 'Whedon'. (A 'Whedon' is a very rude English word that is virtually unknown in the US, and consequently bypasses the normal gatekeepers. The "Q-bomb" in The Avengers is a typical example)


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Cursing in literature doesn't bother me as long as it's appropriate to the story and the character(s). However, a little goes a long way, in my opinion. Also, consistent cursing can weaken the strength of the words, with a few exceptions. What I find more annoying is when a writer obviously means a curse word but goes out of their way not to use the actual word, either through creating some other word that's close or using dashes or whatever.


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## Shawn Hilton (Jul 10, 2013)

I guess for me it depends on the Character. I was a Soldier So cursing is just a normal part of life to me. But honestly what people call vulgar words, are only vulgar now. It has not always been that way. But that being said I only use cursing depending on the Character, or the situation, and scene. But does it bother me in books, no not really.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Don't mind it at all.  Has to fit the characters, situation etc.  But I swear quite a lot, as does my fiancee and most of my friends and colleagues etc., so it's not something that offends me in the slightest.

I get more offended by people who get annoyed by simple words, think people who swear are ignorant or lacking vocabularies (I have a Ph D, as do my fellow professor colleagues, and most of my friends).  Words are words.  No reason to get offended by silly standards society has attached to whether a word is "bad" or not over the years.

It's how something is used that determines whether it's bad or not.  Using f'ing as an adjective has not negative connotation.  But telling someone f- you is offensive as it's rude.  But not reason that should be deemed any worse than saying screw you as the malice is the same and words are words.

But meh, I know my views on most things are outside the mainstream.  Especially in America where people are more pc/easily offended/prudish than in many other countries (but of course less so than many other countries too).


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't mind it, as long as it's used appropriately rather than gratuitously.  Example:  I just finished a book that I enjoyed immensely.  It was written in 1st & 2nd person. In the beginning there was a lot of swearing by the narrator, she was angry, she'd just gone through an incredibly traumatic year and her anger was palpable.  I realized by the end though that she wasn't swearing as much as she began to recover somewhat from her experience.  

But throw it in for pure shock value, and I'm thinking "Geez, did you learn a new word or something?  Grow up already!"  Pretty much the same thing I think when I overhear those words in real-life conversations.


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

As an author I think swearing should be only what is needed. I think there was a movement in the nineties where swearing in fiction became a substitue for being edgy or urban. In my fourth novel Rocket Man I reduced the swearing by seventy five percent when a large publisher bought the book. It was never missed.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> I don't mind swearing as such, but I find people who routinely swear to be uninteresting people that I don't much care to read about. I have nothing against a good swear word when the situation really calls for an intensifier, but if it is used too often and too casually, it destroys whatever impact it might have had.


Exactly. I guess I am simply not particularly interested in lives and deeds of imaginary characters with particularly limited vocabulary. It's not that I am offended, it's just boring. I am not making any judgment here about people who cannot imagine uttering a sentence without adding a swear word, although I sometimes wonder why it is so necessary for them. They seem to be kind of proud of it, like some sort of endless naughty child syndrome


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## Anne Berkeley (Jul 12, 2013)

If it 'belongs' and is used in context I don't mind it, but was the word f#@k really said in medieval times? If we're talking about a group of boys whom all share a home together, I'm sure there's going to be some swearing going on there.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

I swear in my fiction and in real life. Plus, I work in a highschool. Swearing doesn't bother me, though it should be appropriate to the characters and situation. Plus, I'm a linguist by training, so well done and inventive fictional swearing makes me happy. Examples that do it right are the British TV shows _Life on Mars_ and _Ashes to Ashes_ (very inventive swearing) as well as _Misfits_ (pretty much every word you can think of, including the very rude ones) and David Peace's _Red Riding_ quartet (gritty crime novels with lots of swearing that feels organic to the POV characters).

I can only think of one book where excessive swearing bothered me. It was a fantasy novel whose lead character was really in love with the MF word. It was used over and over again, MF this, MF that. It was really jarring, because the MF word is so very specifically American (Germans don't go around accusing others of sleeping with their mothers, for example) and felt absolutely out of place in a fantasy world based vaguely on Renaissance Italy. Never mind that no one in the book seemed to have a mother nor were there any female characters of note whatsoever, so the MF word felt even more out of place.



mooshie78 said:


> I get more offended by people who get annoyed by simple words, think people who swear are ignorant or lacking vocabularies (I have a Ph D, as do my fellow professor colleagues, and most of my friends). Words are words. No reason to get offended by silly standards society has attached to whether a word is "bad" or not over the years.


I've never understood the "Only ignorant people swear" or "People who swear have a limited vocabulary" prejudices either. People from all walks of life and all levels of education swear. Indeed, people who swear often have a bigger vocabulary, at least if they use more than one swearword and use each term appropriately, i.e. not like some of my students who hear a "bad word" somewhere, often without understanding the meaning, and will use it, whether it's fitting or not.



> But meh, I know my views on most things are outside the mainstream. Especially in America where people are more pc/easily offended/prudish than in many other countries (but of course less so than many other countries too).


Me too, but then I'm not American. And Americans often strike me as overly sensitive to swearing. At any rate, Germans don't complain about fictional swearing in literature and on TV nearly as much, at least not in the past 30 years or so. Because back in the early 1980s, some elderly people were outraged when a tough guy cop uttered the word "Scheiße" on prime time TV. But even back then, that reaction seemed kind of silly, cause - duh - everybody used that word on occasion and it was absolutely fitting for the character.


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## smwhite (Jul 4, 2013)

I think it's more of a character thing. If the character has a penchant for cursing, then by all means let him be. But if it comes across that everyone curses all the time, well, I think that might take the uniqueness out of the trait. When I have characters curse in my books, I use it sparingly, and only when I truly believe the word might be used in context. I think that having characters constantly swear would pull me out of the story, to where I was focusing more on how many times they were using the word rather than why they were using it, or the fact that the character naturally uses it in speech.

In summation, I think it has its place, to a degree. Too much and it takes away from the story.


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## rchapman1 (Dec 5, 2012)

I think C.A. Morgan sums it up perfectly!  I hate swearing words in books but just occasionally it is in character.  Greatly overused.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

An author needs to make the characters sound real. They need to use the vocabulary they would in real life. That said, I, personally, seldom swear and then only mild words. The majority of characters I create communicate without swearing. However, if it fits the character and the situation and the emotions, I write the swear word(s), although there are some words I will never write. I'm not a prude. I have friends who swear profusely. I am not offended, but sometimes it just gets old.


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## DaveinJapan (Jun 20, 2013)

If it fits the character, I consider it necessary.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

daveinjapan said:


> If it fits the character, I consider it necessary.


Agreed.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

I have a strange visual on this topic.  Since I need to get it out here it is.

I think we can pretty much all agree that if someone is being thrown into a den of rattlesnakes, all swear words would be very appropriate.
And yes, I have heard of rattlesnake dens that would be big enough to throw a person into or sometimes more than one person.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2013)

There is a great video on YouTube where Stephen Fry talks about joys of swearing. It is a nice video to watch, and that man is always so calm that I like to listen what he has to say.
Of course, you can't always justify swearing, but it does add some juice. Plus, I think it is really depends on a language you're swearing in - some languages have such nice swear words, you just have to take a step back and admire them...


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## LovelynBettison (Aug 12, 2012)

I f***ing love it.  

Seriously though swearing doesn't bother me in books if it is necessary. I don't normally swear in real life, but I don't expect everyone else in the world to do what I do. The swearing has to fit the characters and the situation. If there is a ridiculous amount of swearing though I might not read the book. 

My 19-year-old son wrote a crime trilogy that my husband is beta reading for him. He tells me that the amount of swearing in the books is embarrassing and that I might not want to read it. My son made a clean version for me to read. He's replaced all the swear words with bleep. That cracks me up.


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## Mahree Moyle (Jun 19, 2013)

I can't think of the author, but he was interviewed and the woman interviewing said, "You're the author that can't say fuck." He used freaking, f-ing and every way but fuck. It was funny. But yes, I did have a hard time swearing in my book.


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

I don't mind swearing per se, unless it's overdone--gratutitous.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I prefer no swearing but I can ignore occasional mild swearwords. But the amount of cursing definitely affects how comfortable I am recommending the book to friends and family.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Dara England said:


> I prefer no swearing but I can ignore occasional mild swearwords. But the amount of cursing definitely affects how comfortable I am recommending the book to friends and family.


I don't swear much and I'm not into erotica. I do think your comments reflect much of the reason swearing in my writing is minimal and mild and my sex scenes are pretty much behind closed doors. I had no problems handing my book to my 13 and 16 year old granddaughters. They're a million miles away from my target audience, but they're curious about what their grandmother is writing.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

As long as it is consistent with the character or the story, then it doesn't bother me.


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## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

Profanity turns me off. I know I might be in the minority, but in my writing world main characters can get by without walking through the outhouse to get to the kitchen...if you know what I mean. I remember Stephen King (who I respect as a writer) writing that he comes from a blue collar world and as such, swearing was a part of that world. He would not be true to his writing if he did not write to reflect the language. I disagree. It may take place, but it does not have to be spread across the pages of novels to capture the essence of that culture. I aome from the same blue-collar world, but most of the men in my world would have been shocked if another man swore in front of a lady for example. Any way, just wanted to add my two cents.


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2013)

Swearing is like anything else. If it is there because it is organic to the story and natural to the characters, I'm fine with it. If it feels forced, contrived, or only exists to feign being "edgy" then I get annoyed. Writers tend to go to the extremes. Either they bend over backwards to avoid using curse words at all costs (with some really amusing results) or they "double-down" and just use them everywhere even when they aren't needed.

The other thing is, people curse for a reason. Why is the person cursing? People curse for shock value. Or to appear tougher or older or stronger than they are. Or to get a rile out of people. Or because they lack a larger vocabulary to articulate frustration. But generally the cursing is a reflection of the character. In _A Game of Blood_, Mitch curses like a sailor to hide his insecurity and frustration. It creates a mask that he can hide behind and be the tough guy cop even while his world is falling apart around him. Darius never curses (and actually scolds Mitch for his cursing) because he always feels like he is in 100% control of a situation. He's completely evil, but also completely self-assured and confident. He doesn't need to curse to prove anything. He doesn't feel that he has anything to prove.

So as a reader, if characters are cursing, I expect there to be a character-reason why. If everyone is cursing just for the point of cursing, I get turned off quickly.


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## lilialbe (Jul 23, 2013)

I don't mind if it fits the character's personality and as long as it isn't constant An occasional swear isn't too bad.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

I have no problem with swearing when it is used in dialogue or internal thoughts as long as it isn't every other word. I'm absolutely not offended by it (I spent the last fifteen years removing pornography from residential and commercial computers if that helps). 

However, when an author uses it during narrative, I find it to be effective only at making me annoyed.


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## rchapman1 (Dec 5, 2012)

Hi Sapphire, liked both your comments.  It's nice to be able to show your books to family and friends without being embarrassed by anything they contain!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

I'm not bothered by swearing. Many of the books I read, and many of my favourite writers, use a lot of swear words. I can understand people who get offended by swearing, and their reasons for disliking it, but I feel it is part of modern life, particularly city and inner-city life, and the crime fiction I read tends to reflect that kind of existence. If I read a modern crime or literary fiction novel and there is no swearing at all then this is more troubling for me. Having lived in a big city for many years, I've heard plenty of folks, both young and old, who use swearing almost like it's punctuation, so when I read novels in these kinds of settings where _nobody_ uses it I sometimes find it hard to suspend disbelief.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

rchapman1 said:


> Hi Sapphire, liked both your comments. It's nice to be able to show your books to family and friends without being embarrassed by anything they contain!


Nice to meet you, RC. I took a look at your book on Amazon. A review line caught my eye with the statement that there aren't too many characters requiring the reader to keep looking back. My granddaughter said she had trouble remembering everyone in the first few pages of my book. I told her not to try. The following chapters develop each one in such a way that a reader recalls the first few pages with no effort. I wish I could convey that message to all readers, i.e., not to get hung up sorting out the characters.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

cinisajoy said:


> I have a strange visual on this topic. Since I need to get it out here it is.
> 
> I think we can pretty much all agree that if someone is being thrown into a den of rattlesnakes, all swear words would be very appropriate.
> And yes, I have heard of rattlesnake dens that would be big enough to throw a person into or sometimes more than one person.


OT: Our neighbor had a den of rattlesnakes in an old cellar that was on her property. Very large snakes kept coming onto her porch, the neighbor's porch and sometimes into our yard (we were across a street. Not all that close.) I am talking VERY large rattlesnakes. I don't remember who or how they found the den--I think someone was attempting to kill a snake and saw it slither into the cellar. They killed 12 snakes in that cellar. I doubt they got them all. Can you IMAGINE I don't think I'd swear. I'd be scared silent. Absolutely speechlessly silent.


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Nope.

Miriam Minger


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## KC Estime (Aug 25, 2013)

I think the key is good writing. Some people think just because there are some rough and tough people or pretty much people in general, that cursing is a must. The thing is fiction is not real life, it is supposed to represent real life, but that doesn't mean an F bomb every other sentence. So, for me I hate it when a book is filled with cursing, it really does nothing for the story and instead of understand the dialogue, you just get school in how to best use the common curse word of the day. Ughh...
No matter what you put in the book, there must be a point to it. Remember, edit, edit, edit....


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## Marta Tandori (Nov 9, 2012)

I don't mind swearing in a book if it's integral to a particular character - in fact, I think it's necessary if, as an author, you're trying to portray that character's voice honestly.  Let's face it - your average street hood/drug pusher isn't going to be running around brandishing a semi-automatic and screaming, "Gosh darn it all, some bad person stole my precious stash of weed!"  Having said that, it doesn't mean every other word should be a swear word or that the narrative should be littered with "f-bombs".  

At the end of the day, a book should always entertain and appeal, regardless of the language.


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## ER Pierce (Jun 4, 2013)

Swearing doesn't bother me, in fact, I have the mouth of a truck driver with road rage(Ok, I'm not overly proud). Excessive swearing bothers me occasionally n books because I feel like there are other words, phrases, or actions that can speak for the word itself. 

If there are swears, I'm fine with it. If there are no swears, I'm fine with it. I like authentic feeling worlds and characters, so write whatever suits your style, voice, characters, and world building.


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## scottmarlowe (Apr 22, 2010)

Swearing doesn't bother me as long as it's appropriate and not over the top. I've been turned off of some movies, for example, because every other word was f*** this and that, but, now that I think about it, as someone who pretty much reads fantasy, I don't see that much use of cursing.

At least, not "real" cursing.

Take the rebooted BSG (Battlestar: Galactica) television show, for ex., where they substituted "frak" for the f-word. It was genius and even crept into popular culture for a time. That's the sort of creative cursing I can get behind.


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## Zoe York (May 12, 2013)

Have you seen the HBO show The Wire? There's a brilliant scene in the first season where two police detectives use just one word, over and over again, as they realize that a routine homicide investigation just got a whole lot more complicated.


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## Brian Olsen (Jan 13, 2013)

I swear quite a bit, and the curses fly freely at my job, so it doesn't bother me (I work in theater). Similarly, as long it's justified, I'm not bothered by swearing, or any vulgarity, in my reading material. Most of the time it doesn't even register.


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

As long as it is not over the top. I have a high tolerance but some books with the fword are too much for even me.


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

If it's character AND situation appropriate, okay. I'd expect a 30-year Marine to swear with alacrity when, say, his position is being overrun, but NOT when he's attending a Dining Out. Even in the military, where swearing is an art form, there are limits. Needs to be set up properly, like in _Glengarry Glen Ross_.

More fun, though, is when a character eschews the common for the unusual. Calling some gang banger a varlet gets me tickled.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I tend not to swear out loud much, but in my head I can curse up a storm. So, it doesn't really bother me much as long as the dialog is still understandable.


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## Mallory_Rock (Sep 13, 2013)

Swearing only bothers me in books if it seems out of place or completely unnecessary. If the swearing is a part of what makes a character then I think its fine. Its just when its random and everywhere that it might aggravate me.


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## lazarusInfinity (Oct 2, 2012)

It would depend on the book, the characters and where they come from.  Sometimes vulgar language is necessary to the characters, but at the same time you don't want to overdo it and alienate readers.


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## rmbooks (Sep 19, 2011)

It definitely does depend on the book, but I have to admit, it does bother me if it's excessive.  I worked in construction for twenty years and I have heard and probably said it all.  But sometimes it feels the author is doing it for shock factor.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

dkrauss said:


> If it's character AND situation appropriate, okay. I'd expect a 30-year Marine to swear with alacrity when, say, his position is being overrun, but NOT when he's attending a Dining Out. Even in the military, where swearing is an art form, there are limits. Needs to be set up properly, like in _Glengarry Glen Ross_.


Marine Dining Outs must be different from Air Force Dining Outs.  Then again, my last Dining Out was back in the 90's, and things are even more PC these days than they'd gotten back then.

That's the second "Glengarry Glen Ross" reference I've seen recently - I need to watch that movie one of these days...


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## Kathy Bennett (Jun 15, 2011)

I think the language choice has to fit the character who is talking.


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## Ben Finn (Mar 4, 2013)

Not at all

People in general swear...so books hould be the same...

Then again I wont want my child reading swear words...so it depends on the book


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

The swearing definitely needs to fit the character, the situation, and the time period/location.  There is also another important point that determines how I react to swearing: is the character swearing at a situation or at another person.

A contemporary character collapsing into a chair saying "F* I'm tired" wouldn't even make me blink.  A character saying to another character "you stupid f*ing piece of s* should have never been born" would raise my hackles so much I would lose all respect for the speaker regardless of whether or not she/he is the "hero".


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Some swearing doesn't bother me if it fits the situation.  I read quite a lot of intrigue, black ops, etc..  People in the military swear so I would expect some cussing.  Not every other word though.  I've seen movies with people using the "F" word really excessively.  I was in the military and even the dumbest guys didn't use it as much as is done in some movies.  When I was a kid the old cliche', "Swearing is a sign of a poor vocablulary." was used a lot.  Lack of a vocablulary was considered a sign of stupidity by some.  

Times have changed considerably since I was young, too.  Now you can hear swearing on the tv during prime time every day--not to mention other risque' and sexual comments.  You can call me a prude, but I don't think that exposure to profanity is good for kids below age 12--even though they probably already know more cuss words than I do. 

Stan


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## SLFleming (Sep 25, 2013)

I don't mind it, as long as it fits the character. I swear when it's warranted (and sometimes when it's not, even), as do most people I know, so I feel like a book can be unrealistic when the character seems like they would swear and the situation warrants it, but they either don't or say something really lame. 

But I don't like gratuitous swearing.


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## George Hamilton (Dec 14, 2010)

I don't mind swearing where it fits the character and situation, so it depends on the book. But once every page sounds a lot to me.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I've been thinking about this and I think my answer is: if I notice it, I probably mind it.

So the key is: do it well and appropriately so that it _works_ and I won't much care.

But if it's just there for shock effect, I won't like it.


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## fporretto (Sep 28, 2013)

Constant, repetitive profanity can be a turn-off, but it can also be a characterization device. I try to avoid it when I write, and I can't think of any books of which I'm fond in which there's a lot of it. But I can easily come up with several genres in which you simply have to expect some profanity, because of the sort of characters depicted and the nature of the work they do. Reality, unfortunately, doesn't always spare our sensibilities.


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