tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post4063927195616854754..comments2024-03-27T02:13:13.079-04:00Comments on Original Content: Curses!Gail Gauthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-40550737727156639152008-08-27T15:21:00.000-04:002008-08-27T15:21:00.000-04:00One issue with swearing is that a writer should wa...One issue with swearing is that a writer should want her dialogue to be realistic. So do you include swearing because it's realistic, or do you leave it out because you're writing a middle grade novel and there is an improving tradition in kidlit. If you believe that children's literature should teach something, then you're probably going to be concerned about teaching the young to swear.<BR/><BR/>I don't think writers for adults think about teaching their readers anything at all, let alone foul language.Gail Gauthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-36719082321936089892008-08-27T14:38:00.000-04:002008-08-27T14:38:00.000-04:00("outlandish ribaldry labeled YA."Sam, Sam, Sam. E...("outlandish ribaldry labeled YA."<BR/>Sam, Sam, Sam. <BR/>Even we YA writers like to think we have a little bit of a conscience.)<BR/><BR/>I wrestle with the swearing thing - and my agent once chided me, "Oh, for God's sake's, just let them swear."<BR/><BR/>I was raised to think blasphemy and profanity were both wrong and the product of a lazy and uncreative mind. I wear the heck out of "crap" but I've so far resisted. It's <B>hard.</B> And you're right -- the NY editors are like, "What?" when you use some strange folksy thing you grew up saying. I don't know where I'll eventually land on this one, but I'm really holding out as long as I can.<BR/><BR/>It's a big debate every year at conferences in the YA circle... Chris Crutcher obviously for, Richard Peck firmly against. And so we stand tied...tanita✿davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671822274852087499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-21101397089497054052008-08-27T10:55:00.000-04:002008-08-27T10:55:00.000-04:00fIt is a weird situation, especially when you real...fIt is a weird situation, especially when you realize that in a year or two they'll be reading outlandish ribaldry labeled YA, but this year they can't read the word "hell."<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, the Internet doesn't even remember that "hell" is a bad word, because it knows so many naughtier ones.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492841891625994218noreply@blogger.com