The way language is portrayed in each writers' work is telling not only of the characters' personalities, but of the writer and his/her understanding of how to advantageously use this tool to create a story that captivates the reader.
One of the things I first think about when critics mention language in a manuscript is profanity. Different people have different perspectives on what is appropriate for the different age groups. I write all YA and yes, my manuscript is going to have some profanity in it. Teenagers curse. LOL I, admittedly, had a pretty foul potty mouth when I was in my teenage rebellion years.
Of course, some censorship is required because I don't think a book loaded with F bombs is going to go over well with the parental units. But using the occasional "shit", "hell", and "damn" shouldn't be condemned in my opinion. Especially when it's a part of a certain character's way of articulating themselves. Sometimes "shit" does sound much more believable than "sheesh". LOL
What are your thoughts on language in your particular genre of interest?
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Love your take on dialogue...Gives a writer something to think about.
ReplyDeleteCameSawShopped
This is a sticky, uncomfortable topic for me, as I have two main characters in my current WIP.
ReplyDeleteOne of them is a clean living type that would rather be caught dead than cuss, and the other uses four letter words occasionally. It's wierd switching back and forth between the two voices.
I also write for teenagers - so my manuscript has a bit of cursing. I think the key is finding a balance so that the curse words don't over shadow the point of the dialogue. Great post! Lots to think about!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of swearing, but I've read some books where it fits. I get really sick of it when it's repetitive, though. I mean, you don't let you characters roll their eyes every two seconds, so try to be more selective with the swears, too, ya know?
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