Cursing in Episode...Your Opinion?

I want to know, what are your opinions on characters cursing in Episode Stories? Are you okay with it? Do you find it annoying/offensive? Do you think it makes stories funnier? What pushes the limit when it comes to cursing in Episode Stories? Let me know, please!
Thank you!

  • Emma Starr
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It depends.

I really liked the first two series of Chain Reaction and it had quite a lot of cursing. If the story has a really good plot, it’s most likely I’ll continue to read it. It’s not offensive a lot of the time but can get a bit annoying with the characters constantly cursing. It doesn’t usually make the story funnier but I guess it depends on how the author uses it. I tend to not use very much in my stories and don’t read many with a lot of cursing. :confused:

~ Winter xx

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I think it depends.

Without question I will stop reading a story if the characters are swearing in every sentence. Not only is annoying but it’s also unrealistic.

But I also think it depends on what one defines as a curse word. I’ve come to realise that some find words more offensive than others. For example I’ve learned that ‘damn’ is considered a bad word by some people but I have never found it offensive so it was never an issue for me.

I also think it depends on the situation to which the curse word is applied too. If it’s just an added word to a sentence, honestly what’s the point? If it’s to emphasise the severity of a situation or emotion then I think in some ways it works well.

I do feel there is no need for the more severe curse words though, with or without the warning at the beginning of an episode. It’s an app for 13+ and I think it should apply to language as well as the story content.

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I enjoy cursing in stories because bad words are used to catch attention and add more emphasis in emotion. (I wrote an essay on cursing) I think they’re also great to joke with, but I don’t like excessive use to where it’s about every other sentence.

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I don’t mind it. I’ve never really understood what differentiates a curse word from any other word. They’re just words, although I don’t use them. And I suppose they add a essence of realism? Nowadays cursing in real life is pretty often.

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I’d only go so far as to use cursive words if it proved to be needed for the character. If it fits their personality, if it fits the way they speak and more importantly, if I feel it is needed.

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Moved to Episode Fan Community as this is an Episode-specific post :v:t2:

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I always try to make my stories P - 13, you have that one hecka dark story fallen Most of the time. If I do swear in my stories I usually star out most of the letters. But, at the same time even my fowl language characters don’t swear as often. I think there are a few times in which I won’t star out the word, which the swear is used for like comedy purpose.

I don’t like stories with unnecessary swearing, if that makes sense. For example, “BETH YOU F—ING B----” like did you really need to use two swears, and did you need to use the f - word? I different adjective could of worked just as well


I stick with the limit posted by one of the mods somewhere, where a safe amount of cursing is every - other -scene.

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I generally dislike most cursing in stories.
If everything is a blanking blank, being a blanking blank loses its meaning.

Excessive use of profanity gives off the impression that the author is trying to be all mature and edgy, but succeeds only in showing a complete lack of creativity.

It is fine if some characters use a lot of profanity, but it is very unrealistic to have everyone cursing all the time.

Most people don’t curse in every third sentence; most characters should not either.

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Swearing can indeed “fit” certain characters, but it is really easy to go over the top even with only one person. When I create a character like this I usually write his/her lines with quite a lot of curse words, then proofread it and realize I need to get rid of like 70% of the f-words I used.

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raises hand in embarrassment I’m one of those people in real life that curses a lot when I’m around my friends. So I honestly don’t have a problem with language in stories. Since I grew up in a military family and around military people, I grew up around a lot of filthy mouths so to speak. However, that doesn’t actually often translate into my writing unless it’s certain characters (Which I actually try not to write those characters on Episode usually). I have no issues with language, what makes me cringe is those that use it in an inorganic sense. Like
 It doesn’t match the character or they’re just putting swear words in because they want swear words. Everybody is different therefore every character should be different. Many people speak differently and have different vocabularies and I think that should be translated into a person’s writing as well. I have characters who would blush at using even the word heck, and then I have characters whose favorite word to use is the f word. As long as it’s organic and meets the guidelines, I don’t have a problem with cursing.

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I don’t curse in real life, so I don’t like writing curse words in my stories
 if there’s a need for a certain character to curse, I’ll bleep it out.
As for reading stories with cursing, it doesn’t really bother me if it’s used sporadically within an episode, but if it’s every other line or when it doesn’t fit the character, then no. The language warning isn’t really a good indicator of how much cursing there will be in an episode, either. I’m reading this story that has the language warning, but I’ve only seen the ‘b’ word bleeped out one time, and the ‘f’ word bleeped out in another chapter. But other stories that have the warning have characters cursing in every other line of dialogue.

For me, it’s too much when vulgar words (like the curse words used for private parts) are mentioned. No. I was reading this story that was pretty interesting, but I couldn’t finish it because this one character in particular had such vulgar dialogues every time she appeared on the screen. It was honestly too much.

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I tend to use a lot of cursing in my stories because I use a lot of curse words irl. -shrug- I ofc don’t add curse words wherever just for the heck of it but I do tend to use it in any kind of emotional setting. It doesn’t have to an aggressive scene or a frustrated scene. Mostly I use it for humor. So I don’t judge other authors for using them either.

I don’t have an issue with it personally as long as it’s in context, suits the character and isn’t excessive.

I don’t have a problem with mild curse words used sparesely. In fact, I was originally trying to write my story without curse words, but in some situations it just felt awkward to have college aged characters exclaiming “dang!”

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Sometimes it seems natural to swear, especially for certain characters, but I usually get around this by having them go, “Ohhh, shhh—“ and them cutting them off😂

I personally don’t like swear words, but I don’t mind them as long as they’re necessary and they’re not excessive. I feel like too much swearing is very distracting and prevents me from enjoying the story.

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I think I read somewhere that AMC had a quota on how many times the f-bomb could be used on Breaking Bad, so creators had to reserve that curse for only very special occasions. I try to limit it that way in my stories, swearing only when the situation calls for it (although admittedly that doesn’t always work out). Likewise, when reading, I’m fine with swearing as long as it fits in naturally/doesn’t seem forced for a shock factor.

Don’t just drop it in there, make it make sense, also have a warning theme at the beginning, just to warn readers.

I personally don’t have a problem with general cursing on episode, I curse in real life but there need to be some limit.
Like when characters curse constantly all the time and it’s just not realistic. Who curses anywhere anytime with anyone just like that? I saw people make little children characters curse (btw Chain Reaction too with 2-6 years old)

Yes, there should be a limit, and Episode actually only allows 5 f words per episode and they don’t allow people to use it in a sexual content.

But with the limits and young readers and everything, what’s the real big deal with curse words?
Basically they are just words, if someone would yell at me curses in a language I don’t understand I wouldn’t care, I would not even know that person said any curse words, they are just words.

The entire idea of these words is stupid, words that meant to be hurtful (I don’t curse to be hurtful, always in a good spirit with friends/ close family like sisters/ brothers and people who it doesn’t bother them just like it doesn’t bother me) are you aware that around the middle of the last century people went to jail for cursing on TV? I think there should be some limits but don’t make a big deal out of it, and please don’t give hard time to people who curse on stories, always try to be nice.