Member-only story
ASK AN EDITOR
Writers! Is it Okay to Curse in Your Stories?
Do profanity and blasphemy make a story pop? Or do they turn readers off?
I’m a Medium writer, but I’m also a writing coach and editor-for-hire. For decades, I’ve worked with writers to improve and publish their prose. My current specialty is helping Medium members write better, more boost-able stories.
One thing I often have to caution writers about is that some readers are turned off by profanity and blasphemy. They’ll stop reading your story at the first F-bomb.
No matter how good that story is otherwise.
I don’t tell my writers this to censor them. If you want to write a potty- mouth post? I’m happy to help you.
I love to swear myself.
But I want the writers I work with to be aware of the fact that when they include profanity in a story they could be needlessly jettisoning readers they’d rather hold onto.
Offending a Friend
I once became friends with a young co-worker who was a devout Christian. Amelia never swore. She wouldn’t even say “heck.” She was pretty low key about this. She didn’t try to censor her co-workers. (And we librarians can be a potty-mouthed crowd.) But as I got to know her, I became aware of the fact that she found swearing offensive. And I didn’t want to offend her. So when I was with her? I tried not to swear.
And when I slipped up? I apologized.
She appreciated it. It strengthened our friendship. And it gave me a new perspective, always a good thing for a writer.
