Prude Or Crude – Swearing for the sake of swearing

I never really noticed how much foul language there is on television and the radio until I had a child. One that listens carefully and repeats new words back with glee – usually at the most inopportune time possible. Do I swear? Well . . . yeah. I’ll admit to a curse word or two in times of great crisis, pain, frustration, or surprise. Can I string together sentences without swearing? Well . . . yeah. A fact I am actually consciously working on at this point because of afore-mentioned glee of new words.

Then I started writing my Young Adult novel and spent some time listening to teens and pre-teens. I heard a lot of slang which I really don’t want to incorporate into my writing as it changes with the blink of an eye. I heard a lot of swearing. Not in the inebriating and yet terrifying way that I learned to cuss, saying the words seemingly boldly while my eyes scanned for adults. No, what I heard was foul language, without regard for who was around, in the almost bored manner of asking for a refill.

So do I include swear words in my work? I have to admit that if the situation calls for it (and some really do) then there might be a crap or a hell and every now and then there is a damn (but it’s rare). There are no f-bombs or any of the other “really dirty” words. Does it make me a prude? Not at all – everyone’s writing is shaped by their personality in some way or another and this is just something I decided on long ago. Will my target audience want to read my book without a lot of cursing? If the story and the characters are good enough they’ll probably never notice. How many curse words do you remember reading in Harry Potter?

PJacks

Do You Need A Writing Coach?

Well I don’t know if you need one or not, but I’d be lost without mine! It took me four months, endless hours of research, and a few bad experiences before I found the right one – the one that worked with my personality and style. I guess I’d better back up a bit and talk a little bit about what a writing coach is . . . and isn’t.

A writing coach can take your baby (that unpolished manuscript you’re so proud of but suddenly afraid to show to anyone) and look at it with a loving and yet objective eye. My coach took my first few chapters and told me what I had right, what needed work, and why – giving me examples so that I could see what she meant. Now a writing coach is not there to correct your typos (although she did point some of those out as well). Her job is to look for areas where I used passive words rather than action, look at plot flow, make sure I had made her not only understand my characters but care about what they were doing and why, and look for glaring inconsistencies (i.e. in one chapter your lead has flaming red hair and in another it’s strawberry-blonde).

So how do you choose a writing coach? Well I imagine it’s quite a bit like looking for an agent or a publishing house (although I haven’t done either of those yet). Here are some tips:

1. Look for experience: And then make sure that experience is legit. Doing a bit of research now can save you a lot of heartache (and money) in the future.

2. Look for someone in your genre: You don’t want to hire a coach who specializes in Mystery if you’re writing a Sci-Fi story.

3. Study price carefully: There shouldn’t be any hidden fees. They should be willing to do a small sample first to see if you two mesh together. In my case my coach did my Prologue and 1st Chapter.  I agreed with what she did and said and found and really liked the way she put it together and sent it back to me. This also gives you a chance to see how long they will take.

4. Do not feel locked in to your choice: You may find a writing coach with the right price, in the right genre, but not feel comfortable with them for whatever reason (i.e. personality).

5. The final decision is up to you: Your coach may suggest making some changes that you’re not comfortable with as far as character or plot. Just remember that the final decision is yours – this is your baby, your piece of work and if it’s something that you feel strongly about then stick to your guns.

I do strongly recommend having a writing coach if you are new to the whole writing process. Having someone (that is not a friend or family member) look at your work and tell you where it’s strong and where it’s weak (although painful) gives you confidence boost I cannot even begin to describe.

PJacks

Take me to your leader . . .

err . . . actually, on second thought, please don’t! I barely have enough hours in the day to get my work done, spend time with my family, and work on my writing pieces as it is – I swore I would never start a blog because it would be just one more thing hanging over my shoulders, making me feel guilty for not spending enough time and attention on it.

And yet here I am. Why? Because I spend so much time working and what little time I have left with my family that a month has gone by since I’ve written anything. My instructor for my writing class has now demanded that I get a blog. And that I write in it. Every DAY! Ahhhh.

What is this supposed to accomplish?

Quite a bit actually! First it will get me in the habit of writing every day. It will also give me the tools to work through writer’s block (haven’t had that happen yet but I guess you have to have a writing routine before you can realize you’re blocked). And the icing on the cake? Not only will I dutifully be honing my writing skills and training my body/brain that it needs to write every day but I will get to read what other people are thinking and maybe make a few friends. How great is that?

And so begins my journey into a new world (me, the one who didn’t know what a blog was up until this year and never had my own personal one before), into unchartered territory. All I can say is . . . I come in peace!

PJacks