&%#* the #*@& - Swearing in YA
There is a lot of
swearing in my books. I find it a useful tool, as a way to add characterization
to and just to add realism. People swear a lot. It's just the way they are.
Adults reacting to adult situations are not going to say things like "gosh
darn" and "dog gone." Whether or not a character uses profanity,
and what kinds they use can say a lot about them, their personality and their
background. I also just take a particular pleasure in swearing. As someone who
grew up as a goody two-shoes who never swore, and then slowly realised that
"bad words" along with other "bad" things weren't just
arbitrarily bad because some people decided they were, swearing reminds me that
there's nothing wrong with any action, as long as you're not hurting someone
with it.
However, when
transitioning from writing adult romance to writing young adult fiction, I did
have to take a look at my writing, and decide what level of profanity I wanted
to include. Now, I'm not of the opinion that young adult books should not
include swearing. The fact is that teenagers swear, and they know and are
surrounded by swear words. But also, I think, teenagers can be more hesitant to
swear, because a lot of them are still in that stage where they're figuring out
what things are actually bad, and what things they have just been told by
adults not to do. It really depends on the person.
The final decision I
came to was not to cut swear words out entirely, but also not to use them as
punctuation like I have in some of my books. I decided to have the swear words
act as an emphasis, for when the characters were feeling particularly
emotional, or to show that a teenage character considers themself more mature
than others. Obviously books aren't real life, and it's common enough for books
not to use swear words that people aren't going to be surprised if a book
(especially a YA) doesn't include them, so I think waiting for the opportune
moment to use a swear word for emphasis can be really effective.
I also think I used
the phrase "swear words" way too many times in this post.
By the way, did you
guys notice in the new Captain America movie that Spider-man got to use one of
the few allotted swear words in the movie? I loved that.
Anyway, thanks for
reading, and don't forget to leave a comment with your name and email address
to be entered to win one of three $15 Amazon gift cards! Hope you're all well,
and happy swearing!
About Junior
Hero Blues
Last year, Javier Medina was your average socially awkward gay high
schooler with a chip on his shoulder. This year, he’s . . . well,
pretty much the same, but with bonus superpowers, a costume with an ab
window to show off his new goods, and a secret identity as the high-flying, wise-cracking
superhero Blue Spark.
But being a Junior Hero means that Javier gets all the responsibility
and none of the cool gadgets. It’s hard enough working for the Legion of
Liberty and fighting against the evil Organization, all while trying to
keep on top of schoolwork and suspicious parents. Add in a hunky boyfriend
who’s way out of Javier’s league, and an even hunkier villain who keeps
appearing every time said boyfriend mysteriously disappears, and Blue Spark is
in for one big dollop of teenage angst. All while engaging in some epic
superhero action and, oh yeah, an all-out battle to protect Liberty City from
the forces of evil.
Welcome to the 100% true and totally unbiased account of life as a
teenage superhero.
About J.K. Pendragon
J.K. Pendragon is a Canadian author with a love of all things romantic
and fantastical. They first came to the queer-fiction community through m/m
romance, but soon began to branch off into writing other queer fiction. As a
bisexual and genderqueer person, J.K. is dedicated to producing diverse,
entertaining fiction that showcases characters across the rainbow spectrum, and
provides queer characters with the happy endings they are so often denied.
After writing in the romance community for several years, Junior Hero Blues
is J.K.'s first book for young adults. Having been very positively affected by
the queer books they came across as a teen, J.K. hopes their young adult books
can have a similar effect on teens who may have a harder time finding books
about people like themselves.
Notable works by J.K. Pendragon include Ink & Flowers, a
contemporary romance novel with coming out themes, and To Summon Nightmares, a
horror-fantasy that follows the journey of a young trans man into a world of
magic and danger. To Summon Nightmares is the winner of the 2015 Rainbow
Awards' Best Transgender Fiction award. J.K. also contributed to Less Than
Three Press's Geek Out: A Collection of Trans and Genderqueer Romance.
J.K. currently resides in British Columbia, Canada, with a boyfriend, a
cat, and a large collection of artisanal teas that they really need to get
around to drinking. They are always happy to chat, and can be reached at jes.k.pendragon@gmail.com and
on twitter @JKPendragon.
Connect with J.K.:
- Website: www.jkpendragon.com
- Blog: www.jkpendragon.com/blog
- Twitter: @JKPendragon
- Tumblr: jkpendragon.tumblr.com
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Junior Hero Blues, three lucky winners will receive $15 in
Amazon credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the
contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 12, 2016. Contest
is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget
to leave your contact info!
I respect your decision to do so. I feel a bit odd when I do see a swear word in a book. Of course, it's a bit more accepting to see it during a sex scene but ultimately it makes me question the book and it's something that sticks really sticks out and bugs me. In YA stories I especially think it's important.
ReplyDeletehumhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
I think it depends on the character's personality, and the situation!
ReplyDeletevitajex at aol dot com
Not a fan of too much swearing in books; but maybe it depends on the character's traits. If it fits, it fits
ReplyDeleteamie_07(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thanks for the post. It is interesting how many details you have to think about when writing a book.
ReplyDeletejen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com
As someone who swears a LOT, it only adds realism for me it I see it books as well. And yeah, teens swear too. Don't be fooled into thinking they're not, even if you're not hearing them do it!
ReplyDeletelegacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com