Is Obscene Language Necessary When Writing A Novel

When writing, you want to develop a scene that transforms the reader into the action and makes them believe they are in the middle of whatever is transpiring with the characters. Whether that is a car chase, gun fight or a confrontation during the story, the tension grows and reader needs to feel they are involved with or are in the middle of the action.
Walking down the street or at work we hear obscene language or cuss words every day which clouds our opinion when it comes to the use of these words. People use them with casual conversation as well as when they are angry. When brought to their attention, most people don’t realize they are using this type of language.
The use of obscene language or cuss words is common practice today in writing when trying to convey an aggressive situation, but is it necessary when writing an action scene. Most people will automatically write the easily used cuss word when describing the aggressive behavior of the villain instead of searching for a more appropriate word to describe the situation. It takes more time because we have indoctrinated ourselves with three or four letter words to describe our feelings and our minds are challenged when looking for a better suited word. In some cases it might be necessary to be more descriptive of the scene and situation. This could benefit the author by increasing his word count as well as increasing his vocabulary.
Some authors fill their books with inappropriate words when telling their story. In fact, I stopped reading one book because the author used the F word in almost every sentence. I understand some authors and some readers believe these words need to be written in the scene to express the thoughts of the characters but in that situation it overshadowed the story that the author was trying to tell. I got the opinion the author was using the F word to increase his word count because it was not needed most of the time.
Another area where obscene language is used is during a love scene. When describing a romantic scene, every action or detail does not need to be described. Leave some information for the reader to image themselves. Most people can use their experience to draw a conclusion to the scene and don’t have to be given every detail.
When writing a love scene, try ending it when the couple slowly walks upstairs embracing each other or when they go into the bedroom and close the door or maybe when they turn the lights off.
Each scene could leave the actual action to the imagination of the reader. In most cases this would improve your novel because the reader makes it personal which helps them to relate to the characters on a different level. They become involved with the characters and will want to follow their progression throughout the novel.
A well written scene is imperative to a good novel but using the reader’s imagination to enhance it helps to personalize the situation. And the use of obscene language is not only unnecessary to a good novel but it can be offensive to some people.
As I said before, it’s a little more challenging but in the long run a good clean book should increase your fan base and increase your sells potential. People who already like your work will buy it and the readers that don’t like skipping several pages in your book, while they try to avoid clouding their minds with language they try not to use, will begin to appreciate your work and tell others in their community.
Whether it’s one of action or romance, a great number of people want to read for relaxation and enjoyment. They don’t want to be concerned with the obscene language they might encounter and therefore read only Christian books.
In conclusion, filling in the gapes with inappropriate language is not the answer to increasing your word count. In fact, in most cases your word count will increase if you change the cuss word to a more suitable phrase and your readers will be happier with the book. If you expand your language skills and alleviate the unnecessary obscene language, you might find yourself with a broader fan base and an increase in sells.