Violence, Language, and Sex

The three elements in the title of this post are commonly found in multiple forms of media. Some push for censorship and some are for complete free speech. I for one don't think anything should be suppressed due to certain people's opinions of obscenity. However, political debate is not the real subject here. I want to address the use of violence, language, and sex in literature as a means to tell stories.

With violence, images on film and TV can be lurid. Some violent content is present just for the sake of violence. It can be so graphic and unabashed that it seems unreal. I have a greater appreciation for depictions of violence that are not so blatant. This is why I think violence in literature has a completely different dynamic from the visual arts. Even if scenes are incredibly descriptive to give readers a clear sense of what is happening, it is still left to the individual imagination. Regardless of the justification or lack thereof regarding violence, it is still one aspect that makes us human and is something I continue to explore in my work.

Language is precious to certain people. Centuries of use and refinement give it a sense of prestige to some. Anything that "tarnishes" the language can be seen as contributing to the slow death of it. My view on the matter? Fuck it.

I swear quite often and I think using that in fiction makes stories and the people in them more real. This is the way many people talk. Granted, not every son of a bitch curses and talks shit to mother fuckers every other goddamn second like a bunch of cunts acting like total cock suckers. Then again, there are people like that. Perhaps they lack a diverse vocabulary and would rather use a more basic manner of speaking that others like them can understand. For me, swearing is a way to emphasize emotion or the significance of something.

"Man, I had to work a 12 hour day in 110 degree heat. I'm fucking tired."

My use of "foul" language is quite liberal. Although I respect people who prefer not to use it, that won't stop me from continuing.

Sex. It's all on our minds. It's on TV, in the movies, plastered on advertisements, and thrown in our faces on a daily basis to entice us. Like violence and language, it's something I feel comfortable writing about because it's another part that shapes the human condition. I don't write sex scenes like the ones in romance novels, nor do I write them like erotic fiction. My goal is to be honest and direct when it comes to sex. I don't want to completely romanticize it or focus solely on the physical to the point where it's just pornography.

To me, violence, language, and sex are elements that can be used in fiction to help drive it forward. It doesn't have to be so fabricated and overt. A writer should write it as it is, if that makes sense.