Guest Author Cathy Strasser and "TO SWEAR OR NOT TO SWEAR – THAT IS THE QUESTION"

Please welcome Cathy Strasser author of An Unquiet Grave. She is a Registered/Licensed Occupational Therapist who writes cozy mysteries in her spare time. The tricky question of adult language is the theme of her guest post today. After you read the post make sure you check out her website at www.cathystrasser.com

TO SWEAR OR NOT TO SWEAR – THAT IS THE QUESTION

As a writer, I often get the question, “Do your characters swear? Why or why not?”

Choosing whether or not to have characters swear is a tough call. My book, An Unquiet Grave, falls mainly in the cozy category and many cozy readers are put off by swearing. On the other hand, as an author I want to create believable characters, and if one or more of those characters are law enforcement officers, wouldn’t it be more realistic to have these officers swear, at least occasionally, under times of extreme provocation? Because most cops swear. Same with EMT’s, fire fighters, doctors and nurses and other high stress professions. It’s a way to release pressure.

So the question remains, if you have police officers in what is an otherwise cozy book, should they swear? Mine do.

But not often, not excessively and only for effect. In a 72,000 word book, I think my characters use a total of eight swear words. I feel that, for my smaller town officers, having a few strategically placed swear words provides more impact than a continuous stream of expletives – but again, this is for my characters in my particular books. I think it makes them more believable if they occasionally let loose a frustrated four letter word.

By the same token, characters in more hard-boiled or noir books would not be as believable if they didn’t swear; frequently, colorfully and in original and inventive combinations. I think it’s a judgment call every author has to make, based on book type that leads to character believability.

The next book….

The next book in the White Mountain Mystery series is being written now. The same investigative team of New Hampshire State Troopers Cliff Codey and Mike Eldrich will be returning to investigate another body, but this time it’s not a cold case. Once again, their connections to the “North Country” of New Hampshire will both help and hinder their progress in the case.

Cathy Strasser

Cathy belongs to The New Hampshire Writer’s Project. Her first book, An Uncertain Grave, published by Oak Tree Press is a humorous hiking mystery set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She lives in Sugar Hill, NH with her husband and is currently working on her second book. Her website is www.cathystrasser.com .