Adult language

[Bard Constantine]

Seems like I'm full of questions. I noticed that the rules mentioned excessive violence and sex, yet nothing about profanity. While profane language is not excessive in my story, there is one character who is prone to a coarse outburst in tense situations. The question is: Should I edit to a more PG rating, or will it be a problem as is?

[kyle]

My Q1 entry has a couple of F-bombs in it. I debated editing them out before sending it in, but then decided that they really were artistically essential.

There's one story I vaguely remember, I think it was in Vol. III, in which a character has a breakdown and screams, "I'm not an effing child!" -- to which the other characters respond with great concern because they've never heard her curse before. I suspect (though I have no inside knowledge to support this assertion) that the "effing" was someone's clumsy attempt to remove an f-bomb.

I'm operating on the assumption that my story won't be a winner, but we'll cross the bridge of how to deal with the f-bombs in the anthology if we ever come to it.

To make a long answer short (too late!), I'd suggest, as a general principal, not to use language you couldn't use on TV unless it's absolutely necessary. If you can take it out without hurting your story, you should do so. Especially in WOTF which markets heavily to high schools, making it more on the "family" end of the "general" audience seems prudent.

[Brad R. Torgersen]

My winner had a few curse words. I'd say, use discretion. This isn't hardboiled detective story or police procedural, where long streams of profanity are just part of characterization. The idea is to make it so that the anthology can easily go into middle schools and high schools without parents freaking out at the sex, violence, and cussing. I think context can count, too. My story had sex, violence, and cussing, but the trick was to use these things judiciously and not turn it into a B-grade grindhouse movie experience for K.D. Wentworth.

[Bard Constantine]

Thanks for the clarification. The profanity is used sparingly in my story, but I'll take another look and see if it's absolutely necessary for the character's expression, just to be on the safe side...

[K.D.Wentworth]

Mild profanity is all right, but the f-bomb is not. If the story wins, it will be edited out, so why not just write the piece without it in the first place?