Warning: Original article does contain language (particularly of the rotting and foul type, and mostly in the comments) so if you are offended by such, I’ll keep it clean in this post. Link clicker beware…
Fantasy readers have most likely seen some phrase similar to: “By Bolstrom’s Blasted Beard!” or “Blood and bloody ashes!” while reading through various stories.
The first one there might be shouted by an angry, axe-wielding dwarf, while the second is an actual invective from the Wheel of Time series. Speculative fiction seems full of these, and some people even see them as an essential part to world-building. I mean, it wouldn’t be another world without a whole different angry and vile phrasebook, right?
This forum link talks about cursing and cussing and swearing, and whether “fake” swearing and dirty phrases can actually work in a story. Lots of different opinions on this one. What’s yours?
For me, I try to steer clear of the modern-day cussing for a couple reasons, such as personal standards, my belief that you can show anger and frustration in better ways, and because I get real tired real quick of people dropping dirt bombs into conversations every other breath and never even realizing it. In writing some fantasy stories, I have done the “fake” cussing. I think it’s fun to try and figure out what might be taboos or bad words in whatever culture I’m working with. I just don’t want those phrases to sound silly to the reader, or out of place.
A few phrases I’ve used/am using: “Burn it all!”; “Scrap!” (as in, “you don’t know scrap”); “Faithless.”
I tend to avoid invoking false deities, since that always comes across a little stodgy to me. But we all have our preferences and standards. What are yours?
I see that smile.
Oh how interesting that you post this as I am writing a post on cussing in real life.
I try not to swear in my stories and stuff if I can help it, but occasionally it does add punch. However, when J.K. Rowling used the word “BITCH” in her final installment of Harry Potter, it knocked a lot of my respect for her right out of the window. I think she could have done that scene without shouting obscenities.
To me, I guess it depends on the author and the use of the words. Sometimes it fits, some times it doesn’t.
I agree with you Josh, effing and blinding just for the hell of it is something which just comes over as a total lack of confidence by the author. I’m not trying to take the moral highground here, but I do strongly believe that resorting to common swear words is a sign of a poor vocabulary and/or a mistaken belief that the author thinks they’re being somehow “cool”.
More and more when I see a film on tv or at the cinema, as I hear the characters swear I can also hear the director/prodcuer shouting “Yeah! That’s what the audience wants!!” without thinking that there might be more subtle ways of showing conflict, drama and how bad a time the character is having…
Perhaps it’s connected to the whole “dumbing down” thing in general? You know, lowest common denominator?
I agree that strong words are an easy way to add punch or make a reader suddenly sit up and pay attention, but then there are those books that have about fifty filths per-page. That gets tiresome.
Some authors can use it effectively, sure. And there are those people that argue for the “staying true to the character” tact, but I’d say that can quickly fall into stereotype like the “foul-mouthed sailor/military guy” who uses bad language to show how rough-n-tough he is. If you want to show someone has anger issues, or is mean and nasty, I believe you can come up with more unique and intriguing ways to put that across rather than making their mouth a sewer spigot. Or at least find unique phrases and new word twists that put across the same point. I mean, as writers, we’re supposed to come up with new ways of saying things, right? Why use very old, cliched cussin’?