Pet peeve

[chaps1870]

On the note of swearing and writing in SGA fiction. I know that some writers and readers have issues with swearing. I get that. What I don't get is how some writers can totally ignore the characters speech patterns and personality so that it doesn't offend their sensibilities.  Personally, I cannot see John or Rodney saying something like 'oh gosh, that freaking hurts.'   

John is military and Rodney has been exposed to the military long enough that they swear.  I'm pretty sure, if memory serves, that we have even heard some in various episodes. Mild for the most part but still swearing. 

If a writer cannot make themselves write a swear word that fits the scene then find a better way to express it rather than hiding it behind something less offensive and so ooc.  You can swear in a story, I won't think any less of you. I will think less of you if your writing does not stay true to the characters you are writing.  

We now return to your regular scheduled reading.

Comments

[kimberlyfdr.livejournal.com]

Rodney actually swears more than John on the show (and his swearing in Harmony still jars me;)

I don't use cuss words in real life, but when I'm writing I stay true to the character's speech patterns. They use words like that, it fits the scene, I write it.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

I think that each character would be different in terms of the words they might use. That also has to be reflected in the writing. I can see John or Rodney swearing and maybe Ronon picking up a word or two but I really can't see Teyla doing it.

[neevebrody.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. I tend to make both John and Rodney swear a lot in stories. But hopefully it's not gratuitous or 'just there.' I try to make the language fit the situation (sometimes sex - and you know people swear when they're having sex, it happens). Anyway, I think if one of the pair was more prone to swearing it would be John as he is and has been military, and is a guy. It's a guy thing sometimes. I will admit to a secret passion for a swearing Rodney, though. Times of high stress, when he's worried for John, frustrated, or backed into a corner (figuratively and literally) I see that as perfectly in character for McKay.

I'm glad you mentioned about not being offended, because while I don't normally swear a lot in RL, I know how and do on occasion. It's in my writing that I don't 'have' to be me, I'm the character and I'm always for portraying your character as close to canon as possible (your own perceptions included, of course).

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

See, that's it exactly. Just because a person doesn't swear in RL doesn't mean they can't have a character swear. Having a John or Rodney saying 'oh gosh' is probably more offensive to me than any swearing could be.

[zaganthi.livejournal.com]

... You've actually run into people who have problems with cussing in writing?

Aren't most of us writing *porn*? Being offended by cussing and not by the sex is sort of. Heh. Heh heh. Heh.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

I think most of it is in Gen stories. Porn writers don't generally have a problem with it. LOL

[zaganthi.livejournal.com]

Whew! I was worried about the mental health of whoever the complainer was.

I'm thirding, or possibly forthing the 'The military swears'. I've sat in on mission briefings where your head could've caught fire from the casual cursing that was going back and forth.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

ROTFL

[frustration1123.livejournal.com]

It's quite possible that we've recently read the same story. And I very much agree with you. It's not that I love to read about people swearing, it's just about what is or isn't in character. And Rodney or John saying "gosh"....just no.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

Well, I won't mention the story because said auther isn't the only one. I've come across it more than once in my readings.

I apparently run with a different crowd of people because I really don't know many adults who don't swear.

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

Personally, I love it when John and Rodney curse. They're forty year old men, both of whom have been in the military machine for 20+ years: I'd call foul if they *didn't* curse. Sometimes I wish they would so more regularly.

I agree with some other posters here, too: Rodney definitely curses more than John does. No where in canon can I possibly imagine him saying "gosh, that freaking hurts", unless he was standing in front of his niece, and possibly not even then.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

Nope, not even then. More like biting his tongue and turning red to stop himself.

I can imagine Rodney cursing up a storm in front of his scientists. I would think he could be rather inventive about it too. LOL

[sp23.livejournal.com]

While I find it kind of jarring to see John using 'fuck' around Elizabeth or even Teyla in a story, both men use mild cursing on the show. Hell, Rodney even called Ford 'that little bastard' in The Lost Boys and John joked about Rodney's arrow wound being a 'real pain in the ass' in Sateda. So while a writer can certainly avoid the harsher expletives, the more common swear words are certainly canon.

And like you said, if the writer is uncomfortable with swears, there is a better way than having Rodney say 'gosh darn it' or something similarly OOC.

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

Yep. I know that some writers, more so the gen writers, have issues with swearing so I can understand that they don't want that in their story. That's fine. What bothers me is the alternative when it doesn't fall withing the characters canon.

On the flip side there are times when a writer puts in a swear word that can jar me as well. In the wrong place or context it can be just as out of place.