Swearing

You want to be realistic with your dialogue, but can you use a cuss word? Does it take away feeling if you don't have it? Editors, writers, and readers all seem to have differing opinions.

Editors (at least in the Christian market) are generally against swearing. Lately they've slacked off on it a bit if it's realistic for the setting (gangster fight, sailors, etc) but they don't like seeing it.

As writers, I believe we're accountable to God for every written word. I suggest thinking hard before you add something like that. I have to every time I come to a part like that. Don't make the dialogue fruity. The Christian market is just breaking out of its artificial lingo, but don't fill your precious writing space with things you don't want your reader to say.

Consider the audience you're writing for; is it a group of people at a retirement home, or hockey players? Different people will have different standards.

I believe you can avoid swearing a LOT even in the worse places in society. It just takes a bit of "telling" the reader what happened instead of "showing." For instance;

"Frederick slammed his fist on the table and swore till sweat dripped off his nose."

Did I give any four lettered words?

Specifically for fantasy writing, I find a technique useful. Discover what a culture (make-believe or real) despises and improvise with that.

"Get, you miller's son!"

If the reader can tell the speaker is saying something bad just by the context of what he's feeling, than your work is done. Of course, as fantasy writers, we can ALWAYS have a bit of name calling in a different language. (Grin)

In a way, these people have entrusted their minds to us. What are going to put into them?