More Language

Continuing some thoughts from the last entry (if you haven’t read it, go for it). The point I was getting at near the end of that post regarded swearing and how it should be a shock factor. I’ve clearly believed this for some time, as the following story will attest. In a magical time long ago referred to as ‘The ‘80s’ I spent a lot of time reading comic books. I know, nerd alert. Many of these comics dedicated a page or two to for printing letters from comic book fans. I had several printed, a source of pride back in the day. The one appropriate to this discussion regarded a comic (I can’t remember which one for sure - Vigilante maybe?) where I criticized what I considered the overuse of swear words. My point back then - and now - was that those curses were a distraction and took the reader out of the moment. Instead, why not use the words sparingly so they functioned as an exclamation point, a scream in the dark, a surprise, and not words that lost their impact. I don’t remember if the editor responded to that letter as they sometimes did. I still believe in the worlds of books, shows, and movies, that I as the writer should do everything to keep you immersed in the story and characters. And that’s why I choose to keep certain language out of the mix so everyone can enjoy it.