To Curse or Not to Curse by Katrina Spencer

To Curse or Not to Curse? That is the Question

• “Get your %&* off the couch and do the dishes!”
• “Get your butt off the couch and do the dishes!”

Which sentence is better? In truth, that’s like comparing apples to oranges. It really depends on the opinion of the writer. Writing is difficult, with or without the curse words. But if you choose not to use profanity in your writing, you’re in a whole different ball game. There are good things and bad things about the decision not to curse, and I will point out a few.

1. It puts limitations on your characters and the settings you use in your writing. I personally do not use profanity in my writing. So there are certain things I cannot write about. Writing a book about one of my characters being in prison, for example, would be something I couldn’t do. To write that book profanity would be mandatory. Not using profanity would be extremely difficult to maneuver. (I don’t like to say impossible, because in fiction, anything is possible.) I don’t mind having this limitation on me. Every writer has lines that they will not cross in their fiction and for me profanity is one of them. For you it may be death, or child abuse, those topics you may not want to touch. But for many writers, they want the freedom to write about whatever they want, without restriction. If you’re one of them, then omitting profanity could be a problem.

2. Your book has to be filled with enough tension, emotion, and drama that your readers don’t notice that they haven’t read one curse word. If you choose not to use profanity, you have to inject your novel with other punches of color. You don’t want your readers to close your book and think, “Wow, that didn’t have any curse words.” No, the trick is to have your book so exciting they don’t even notice. Let’s look at these too sentences:

• “What the @$%* you lookin’ at?”
• “What you lookin’ at?” he asked. He belched, then scratched the stubble under his chin, grating his fingers back and forth against the coarse hairs until it emitted a sound similar to sandpaper on wood.

Both sentences are up to the writer’s discretion and what they choose to do. But notice in the second sentence the extra punch I added. Both sentences show a side to this character that the writer may want to express, but if you decide against using profanity, remember that you have to add a little bit more oomph to express your characters fully.

3. You will offend less readers. I know, I know, a lot of you may say, “Who cares if they get offended! I want to write the book I want to write, and portray my characters the way I want to them to be portrayed.” And that’s fine. But I’m sure many authors receive reader e-mail or Amazon reviews that said they liked the book but they could do without all the F-bombs. If that sort of thing doesn’t bother you–great. But if it does, then think again before writing that expletive.

The fun thing about writing is that you get to create worlds that you control with the flick of your wrist. The language the author chooses is their prerogative. So I ask, which do you choose when writing, to curse or not to curse?