Well, frak.

[owlectomy]

I made it through this many drafts of the secondary-world fantasy novel without needing any secondary-world made up cursing, except for one character who swears once or twice by the world's numerous gods. But I have reached a place where another character really wants the emotional impact of a good curse word.

One of the things I like about this book is that it's not in High Fantasy Register. You have a main character who only has a fourth-grade education, and her best friend who's really smart and is still trying to save up the money to go to high school, and they don't say "Okay" but they talk in a way that feels very colloquial and very modern.

...And I don't think I can get away with using the modern curse word without it feeling very out-of-place; but I don't think I can make up cursing, even cursing that's sensitive to the particular secondary-world cultural context, and have it sound right, either. I'd be happy to use "damned" but for the certainty that this culture does not have a set of beliefs about the afterlife where "damned" makes sense.

I'm not asking for advice, by the way... just talking out loud to myself in the hope that it will shake something loose. Nothing has shaken loose yet, so I'll just go on and hope for enlightenment later.

Comments

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Not advice, but when I need curse words for people with nonChristian backgrounds I go with scatology or drat, as per level of gentility (and often, sex.)