Swear Words

To start, I should make clear to those who believe in freedom of earthy speech that my objections to curse words in fiction have a practical, not prim, basis. Certain authors use foul language to great effect. That’s because it sets a tone for their characters or milieus. Used as part of idiomatic speech, the words can give the text a distinctive flavor and help it gain a tremendous rhythm that immerses readers in the story.

Most of the time, however, when not used as part of a deliberate strategy, the words strike me as cheap substitutes for richer writing. Part of my opposition stems from their very nature. Swear words are common, and they lose their freshness quickly. They can pop into an author’s mind first off, because “aw, shit” or the like captures how the character would react to an adverse event. This reflex places them in the same category as other first-draft grabs such as “there is” or “he turned around and walked back to say . . .” My question is: Do you really want your text to be ordinary?

I find their usage especially lamentable in a character’s thoughts. “Fuck me” could work, but isn’t that only scratching the surface? Upon reflection, concentrating hard, you can come up with more accurate descriptions of the character’s emotions, more long-range thoughts that influence how the reader perceives a character overall. 

The most effective use of swearing occurs, not surprisingly, in dialogue. Yet even here you face the dual problem of too frequent and too sparing. If a character swears all the time, are you robbing her of a greater variety of expression? You may find, over the long run, that the reader regards the character as less interesting because she doesn’t have more words at her disposal.

If he swears only once in a blue moon, the usage sticks out like a sore thumb. Its very rarity calls attention to itself. “What an asshole” is ugly; its shock value might not fit in with what you’re trying to accomplish otherwise. If a swear word is used only once in a while, it can be equated to an exclamation point. Do you really want so much emphasis there?

My feeling is that you’re either all in or you better stay out. “Fucking” used as every seventh word can be gritty. Used every seventh page, it seems ostentatious. Come on, couldn’t you come up with something more original than that?

Exercise: Action sequences can include a lot of foul language, and here too it can be a shallow device. Check each usage and ask yourself: can I provide a more vivid response to what just happened? With more shaping, you may find that your characters’ cursing has been cut in half.

“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.”          —George Washington

Copyright @ 2026, John Paine