Profanity in Writing for Tweens and Teens
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
The topic of profanity in writing is always a hot button issue, especially when it comes to swear words in work intended for middle grade and young adult audiences. There tends to be a divide in ideology between People Who Work With Kids and People Who Write For Kids. Allow me to elaborate. Those Who Work With Kids—be it parents, teachers, librarians, administrators or PTA boards—often see it as their mission to preserve the welfare of youngsters and guide them in life. Which is, of course, outstanding. There's no more important duty. But there are times when some People Who Work With Kids clash with a different group of individuals—the People Who Write For Kids. And this is very clear in the case of profanity in writing for these audiences.
Viewpoints on Profanity In Writing
One could argue that those who create stories for young readers are presenting an honest account of their own experiences as children, or of their characters’, with the purpose of offering readers something to relate to and sympathize with. Something that will prepare them for the highs and lows of the real world. Some writers include profanity in writing for teens because they know that teens use swear words, and they don’t believe in shielding audiences from elements of the real world—warts and all.
Every year, we work with hundreds of children’s book writers—published and not. A lot of the published writers are passionate about creating accurate, genuine stories that accurately reflect their individual perceptions of the world. It’s very rare to find a published author who has truly nefarious intentions for their young audiences. Sometimes, though, these stories clash when the People Who Work With Kids, especially in this time of book banning, seem to worry that any profanity in writing indicates some deeper, darker plot.
Profanity In Writing—Is It Necessary?
To some, the daily profanities a teenager faces is a part of life and should be addressed in books as part of the larger artistic mission of "telling the truth." However, there are also those who consider profanity in books as gratuitous and unnecessary. In terms of the publishing market, profanity in writing is fine, and gets even more fine as the target audience gets older.
From a creative perspective, profanity in writing should always be in line with the character and the writing voice. It should be a deliberate decision. (To be clear, proponents of swearing in books are not advocating that each and every book should be loaded with expletives. They simply believe that, in certain cases, using such words is a valid choice for the project.) To me, a swear word is nothing more than a word. Just like any other word or phrase, profanity in writing has to be a choice.
The presence of one expletive does not automatically make a book "bad," nor does the absence of such words make it "good." Furthermore, I believe that someone who swears is not wholly "bad," nor is someone who abstains from using profanity necessarily "good."
When it comes to swearing in YA novels, it's important to consider whether profanity in writing is necessary. If so, how much is okay and how much is overkill? If it's thrown around every other word, it can be a bit too much. Worse, it's included in an effort to sound trendy or edgy, it will come off as inauthentic. Some authors try to avoid this problem by making up their own creative phrases, but most of the time this reads as contrived. Believe it or not, there are craft considerations to using profanity in writing.
Who Calls the Shots About Profanity In Writing?
Do keep in mind that if you choose to include profanity in writing for kid readers, you may also find yourself alienating yourself from marketing to libraries, school administrators, booksellers, agents, and editors who are averse to edgy content. Alas, there will inevitably be parents who are in denial of their kids growing up, and seem unable to accept the words that circulate among middle and high schools worldwide. (With a more positive spin, this can also be seen as them wanting to avoid showing characters who model this kind of language.)
Kids have a remarkable talent for knowing what suits them and what does not. If an adolescent finds profanity in writing or other explicit content in a young adult book uncomfortable, they will either skim through or put the project down. If their grown-ups have worked to create trust in their relationship, they may even tell a parent or mentor that they feel uncomfortable.
If your use of profanity in writing in your manuscripts for tweens and teens is a conscious and well-thought-out choice, then it should not be frowned upon. An editor or literary agent can always provide guidance in case you go overboard with language. There will always be angry people online finding fault with things—some of them will invariably find you if you include any level of profanity in writing for kids, even if your thoughtful craft decisions seem to warrant it. Put your head down and write around them.
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