Hi everyone! What do you think about using swearing in novels/short stories? Is it necessary to make certain characters more real (as in dialogue) or should we try harder to paint that character though description and let the reader infer their foul language?
Totally agree with last comment. If your character is a genuine potty mouth, yes. If there is a situation where it would sound unnatural for the character not to swear, yes. However, if it's put in just for a bit of titillation, no.
Libby x
I’m all for swearing, so long as it feels right, and is natural. It’s a bit like a stand up comic swearing I think - too much and it becomes noticeable? Or like seasoning in cooking - if you’ve put enough salt in then you shouldn’t be able to taste it - put too much in and it’s all you notice.
People swear, some more than others, some not at all. If fiction is to be realistic then, depending on target audience and age, swearing can make a character or situation come to life.