On Sun, 21 Mar 1999 22:26:16 Petes wrote:
One thing I value a lot is the feedback on work I've done (that is, unless
if it's flames or put downs... ^_^;;) from others. But one thing I can't
seem to stop blinking at and thinking "eh?" is this one comment...
"The swearing really isn't nessicary."
Now it's not that I'm saying everyone should have swearing, or that you
shouldn't tell others to exclude swearing, it's just that most fanfic
writers are teens or adults and swearing a common thing in our lives, so a
character saying ............... shouldn't really be something to argue over.
If an author is considering adding any of the George Carlin Seven
Words a story, there's a few key questions I ask:
1. Would such text appear or fit within the original series/manga?
That's not to say it has to be limited to BGC or The Abashiri Family
("WAKE THE F*** UP!!!" screams the grandfather), but unless you
explicitly say so at the start of the story, the reader will generally
expect a given level or language based upon prior experiences.
There are pleasant surprises, and there are unpleasant ones.
2. Does it add to the story?
Swearing to make a character sound "tough" or "cool" doesn't
prove anything; let the character's actions do the talking. This
topic came up once before on the FFML, and I mentioned a
scene from the movie "Johnny B. Good": an NCAA investigator
is at a drive in movie. In the uncensored version, he says "This
movie is s***"; in the censored version, "This movie is painful".
Which is funnier?
Unless what your saying improves understanding of the character
or story, it's not really useful. (And that's *not* adding the issue
of morality.) A few years ago, a Scottish writer wrote a novel
that was full of swearing on almost every page; some critics
panned it, but many praised it for showing what "real" Scottish
inner city life was like.
3. Will it turn off some readers?
Swearing that turns off people, or swearing that is unexpected or
out of place without explanation (imagine SM's Usagi saying "f***
you, Mamoru!") can reduce readership. _Then_ what was the
point of using it? Don't tone yourself down if something needs to
be said, but don't "go postal" either.
To paraphrase a famous Canadian:
"Swearing where necessary, but not necessarily swearing."
^_^
Shunsuke
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