Kidlitchat Transcript – March 9 (part 2)

To see part one of the transcript, please click here.

2:39 am amyknichols: @pussreboots Can’t even think of the title…It’s about her friend’s rich grandma and a sleep over. ??? #kidlitchat
2:39 am dosankodebbie: @kjerstinwittwer It was a novel about shipwrecked Japanese sailors. Pub said non-swearing sailors sounded odd in Engoish. #kidlitchat
2:39 am KarenCollum: RT @DeborahFreedman: @KarenCollum because, unfortunately, most of them are NOT great. Ive heard a lot of painfully awful rhyme. #kidlitchat
2:39 am mrswritebrain: RT @karianneholt: My son is 7 and he still thinks the S-word is “Stupid” :) Now I like that! #kidlitchat
2:39 am himissjulie: are some people intentionally misspelling words in their tweets to prove a point? or am I losing my mind? #kidlitchat
2:39 am amyknichols: @karianneholt My daughter thinks that’s the S word, too! So sweet. Enjoying that while it lasts. #kidlitchat
2:40 am AudryT: @DDHearn History shows a pattern of previous generations declaring that new generations swear more than them. I don’t buy it. #kidlitchat
2:40 am skodobah: RT @BenDawe: Profanity is linguistic sewerage – but as Forrest Gump said, it happens #kidlitchat
2:40 am EgmontGal: @yachicka Hitchcock addressed that in one of his movies–hero goes to police, police don’t believe him #kidlitchat
2:40 am DDHearn: @jrroper I disagree about the prevalence of swearing, especially with women. I never heard my mom swear. #kidlitchat
2:40 am jamieharrington: @EgmontUSA really? bad words can limit sales? I did not know that… #kidlitchat
2:40 am heatherwpetty: I’m not against present tense. I just think it’s really hard to do well. #kidlitchat
2:40 am jrroper: My crit partner banned me from using weak verbs like “came” and “ran” #kidlitchat
2:40 am Lisawrites4kids: I’m lurking — hello everyone! #kidlitchat
2:40 am KatApel: My reply button isn’t working… Failed rhyming PBs often don’t have natural rhythm. Shouldn’t have to force a fit. Or rehearse. #kidlitchat
2:40 am gregpincus: LOL RT @BenDawe: Profanity is linguistic sewerage – but as Forrest Gump said, it happens #kidlitchat
2:41 am 2KoP: Shut-up and stupid our the 2 worst swears.RT @karianneholt: My son is 7 and he still thinks the S-word is “Stupid” : #kidlitchat
2:41 am EgmontGal: @jamieharrington oh yes. we’ve had books returned and taken off lists because of language. parents don’t want it, #kidlitchat
2:41 am DDHearn: @TrinityFaegen Same here. I didn’t hear much swearing in school, and was shocked to hear it all the time in today’s schools. #kidlitchat
2:41 am adamselzer: @jamieharrington YES. Kids may not mind swears, but it’s their parents and librarians who will prob. buy most of the books. #kidlitchat
2:41 am wellversedmom: I write in rhyme and worry that agents/publishers won’t read past the “my rhyming PB manuscript” part of my query letter/email. #kidlitchat
2:41 am AudryT: @TrinityFaegen I think it’s all in context. In HS & college, are you saying you never said things that shocked parents/the norm? #kidlitchat
2:41 am emilytastic: @jamieharrington @EgmontGal I didn’t know bad words could limit sales, either. I like my swearing characters :( #kidlitchat
2:41 am clarkwriter: I always feel weird swearing in my books, because it’s cursing in public and I only curse around good friends. And children. #kidlitchat
2:41 am TrinityFaegen: There’s also the real possibility that I didn’t swear, or hear it much, as a teen because I was a goody-goody. :) #kidlitchat
2:41 am EgmontGal: Adam Rapp’s 1st novel had one use of f word, all others cut, and it had to come of NJ state recommended list #kidlitchat
2:41 am JessicaLeader: I have to say, I am still shocked when I hear b**** and a*** on tv, not to mention b’tard. What’s next, f and s? #kidlitchat slightly OT
2:41 am Lisawrites4kids: #kidlitchat Is there a topic or simply ramdom author talk? #kidlitchat
2:41 am jamieharrington: @EgmontGal so, like at all? what if we like do the battlestar thing and just make up a bad word? #kidlitchat
2:41 am lisagailgreen: @adamselzer that’s a great quote! #kidlitchat
2:41 am dosankodebbie: Good point! Dif cultures have different words that shock. RT @CarolTanzman: in Latino cultures stupid is a curse word (stupido). #kidlitchat
2:42 am jrroper: @DDHearn Me either…but I hung out with my dad in the garage and on the farm. Laborers have always had dirty mouths. #kidlitchat
2:42 am timkeetonwriter: @skodobah absolutely! thx #kidlitchat
2:42 am BenDawe: When it comes to grammar I think writers get can tense about choosing their moods #kidlitchat
2:42 am skodobah: I swear my characters don’t swear too much! #kidlitchat
2:42 am DDHearn: @adamselzer I’m not so sure about that, at least not historically. There was a time when not everyone swore so much. #kidlitchat
2:42 am kcclyburn: @AudryT It depends on the person. My mother curses in situations of EXTREME stress. My stepdad, not so much. #kidlitchat
2:42 am ShellieBr: @himissjulie In every tweet I get, ‘ is actually spelled out tonight. So its hard to read “Iaposm” #kidlitchat
2:42 am EgmontGal: @emilytastic In real life, I swear all the time. But I usually explain to writers to be aware of its effects in print. #kidlitchat
2:42 am KarenCollum: @TrinityFaegen Me too. Never got into the swearing habit & still don’t. Fine with me :) #kidlitchat
2:42 am KatApel: I think they’ll always read, wellversedmom – so make sure you nail your first verse! And then the next… and the next… #kidlitchat
2:42 am TrinityFaegen: @AudryT I’m sure I did – but things like damn and hell. Never, ever the f-bomb. So yeah, maybe it’s just different words. #kidlitchat
2:42 am 2KoP: Good for your crit partner! RT @jrroper: My crit partner banned me from using weak verbs like “came” and “ran” #kidlitchat
2:42 am AudryT: #kidlitchat @emilytastic Swear words will limit readers too. As will “characters who smoke” or any character that intimidates timid readers.
2:42 am jamieharrington: @adamselzer you know the librarian thing really is a good point. They can’t have too many books that will make parents mad! #kidlitchat
2:42 am wellversedmom: I have a 10-yr-old & 12-yr-old. I have them read my verse aloud & if they stumble, it’s s/thing I have 2 fix. #kidlitchat
2:42 am amyknichols: Wow. RT @EgmontGal Adam Rapp’s 1st novel had one use of f word, all others cut, and it had to come of NJ state recommended list #kidlitchat
2:42 am gregpincus: @WellVersedMom If you’re PB story is well written and engaging, they won’t care rhyme or not. #kidlitchat
2:42 am ShellieBr: @BenDawe Just as long as they don’t get tense with their tenses! #kidlitchat
2:43 am melissaburon: as a librarian I never cared if characters swore or not. It was the quality of the story that made me buy a book. #kidlitchat
2:43 am DDHearn: @2KoP My parents won’t watch many of today’s movies because of language. They are offended. #kidlitchat
2:43 am EgmontUSA: @jamieharrington It’s a decision. If it’s really necessary for your character, then by all means keep. . . #kidlitchat
2:43 am EgmontGal: @jamieharrington I would be surprised if a made up word got banned. it’s the f bomb in particular that raises flags. #kidlitchat
2:43 am KarenCollum: @JessicaLeader Oh My! You should see what’s on free-to-air Australian TV. No boundaries at all. Seriously. #kidlitchat
2:43 am DeborahFreedman: @KatApel Yes, I think that’s the point (about trying to rhyme). Writers shouldn’t be forcing anything. #kidlitchat
2:43 am jamieharrington: @heatherwpetty I am the same way… I like present tense–sometimes :) #kidlitchat
2:43 am himissjulie: @happybluejess I think profanity, when used skillfully, can really make a passage sing. then again, I love Deadwood. #kidlitchat
2:43 am EKokie: @heatherwpetty In present tense pacing becomes key-everything has to be realtime and any zoning out clear – ie, MC misses action #kidlitchat
2:43 am gregpincus: ACK!!! a you’re/your mistake on this of all nights??!!! #kidlitchat
2:43 am emilytastic: @AudryT I have smoking characters, too. I’m such a rebel. #kidlitchat
2:43 am himissjulie: RT @melissaburon: as a librarian I never cared if characters swore .. It was the quality of the story that made me buy a book. #kidlitchat
2:43 am 2KoP: @emilytastic True about pay phones. My son asked me the other day to explain how it works. #kidlitchat
2:44 am EgmontUSA: @jamieharrington . . . but if there’s only one or two instances, I always advise changing. It just doesn’t seem worth it. #kidlitchat
2:44 am skodobah: Any suggestions for an f-bomb substitute? #kidlitchat
2:44 am kjerstinwittwer: What about religious curses? I’ve never heard objection to “Oh my God” and yet that’s one I actively avoid using. #kidlitchat
2:44 am MardouLedger: @himissjulie Historical fiction?! *mourns for lost youth* On the plus side, not TOO much research. #kidlitchat.
2:44 am lisagailgreen: @jamieharrington I always got pulled out of the story when they said “fraggin” or whatever it was. on Battlestar #kidlitchat
2:44 am adamselzer: Man, I never get away with much swearing in my books. Other people seem to get away with more. This whomps. #kidlitchat
2:44 am kcclyburn: @himissjulie …Don’t they regularly drop the c-bomb on that show? #kidlitchat
2:44 am DDHearn: @AudryT I lived with it. I saw it in my own house. My mom never swore. Now, my dad, yes. But much less with women. #kidlitchat
2:44 am KatApel: @EgmontGal – I think swearing is more jolting in print. But I don’t swear – in print or life. Perhaps that’s why… #kidlitchat
2:44 am jamieharrington: @EgmontGal I just don’t get why that word is treated as so much worse than some of the others, ya know? #kidlitchat
2:44 am KarenCollum: RT @gregpincus: ACK!!! a youre/your mistake on this of all nights??!!! <<Proves you are human :) #kidlitchat
2:44 am amyknichols: @kjerstinwittwer Good question. I avoid that one, too. It’s hard, though. #kidlitchat
2:45 am himissjulie: good librarians don’t censor the books they buy based on language or anything else. just so you writers know. #kidlitchat
2:45 am JennBailey: @skodobah Frickin’? #kidlitchat
2:45 am CarolTanzman: friggin’ instead of the f-bomb?? #kidlitchat
2:45 am thebookbarr: Oh, How Very RT @planetalvina I also liked “What’s your damage” from Heathers. #kidlitchat
2:45 am emilytastic: @adamselzer Do you think it’s because you also write middle grade? (Not that I think it’s necessarily a good reason.) #kidlitchat
2:45 am jamieharrington: @EgmontUSA See, I really like that point, why the heck would I risk everything over like two words? #kidlitchat
2:45 am AudryT: I hear WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON is a swear-word land-mine. Very curious to read it. #kidlitchat
2:45 am heatherwpetty: @jamieharrington I would probably go conservative and say that I *rarely* like present-tense novels. #kidlitchat
2:45 am kjerstinwittwer: @skodobah “Crap” or “screwed” works most of the time. Same thing, not as shocking. #kidlitchat
2:45 am happybluejess: @himissjulie I think so, too. I was talking about how I tend to curse like a sailor and have to watch it around my own kids! #kidlitchat
2:45 am EgmontGal: @jamieharrington why is nudity not allowed on american tv but violence is? Can’t explain it, just our social mores I guess #kidlitchat
2:45 am hannahmosk: @EgmontGal But he’s also one of the strongest/most controversial YA writers. Writes about subjects others won’t touch.#kidlitchat (forgot #)
2:45 am KatApel: Have heard ‘real’ teens themselves say that swearing in books/movies isn’t necessary. Would prefer them without. Interesting… #kidlitchat
2:45 am EgmontUSA: @gregpincus That’s why you have an editor! Hehe. #kidlitchat
2:45 am emilytastic: @jamieharrington @EgmontGal I think there’s a sense of violence in the word. Though I tend to agree w/ you, Jamie. #kidlitchat
2:45 am Lisawrites4kids: #kidlitchat As far as profanity…I have a potty mouth but my characters only go as far as “damn” or “ass.” #kidlitchat
2:45 am mercadoodles: @CarolTanzman In the Philippines, “leche” is a curse word even though in Spanish it means milk. #kidlitchat
2:45 am shikokusue: When reading to my 10-year-old son (i.e. Harry Potter), I skip the curse words. #kidlitchat
2:45 am EKokie: @jamieharrington I’d guess it’s because it’s so associated with sex. #kidlitchat
2:45 am susanjsteward: @gregpincus I’m tweeting through an iPod and autocorrect sometimes kicks in and chooses different words for me. Grr! #kidlitchat
2:45 am karianneholt: Yes! Deadwood is poetic! RT @himissjulie:I think profanity, when used skillfully, can really make a passage sing.I love Deadwood #kidlitchat
2:45 am TrinityFaegen: Do you think the swearing thing goes to voice? I swear like a sialor in real life, so it slips in, even when I don’t intend it. #kidlitchat
2:45 am himissjulie: the language/content/theme of a book just affects which kids/teens we would suggest the book to. #kidlitchat
2:46 am dosankodebbie: Me too RT @kjerstinwittwer: What about religious curses? Never heard objection to OMG and yet that’s one I actively avoid using. #kidlitchat
2:46 am jamieharrington: @lisagailgreen really? FRAK was my favorite all time bad word! #kidlitchat
2:46 am EKokie: @AudryT WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON has a goodly amount, but not more than say NICK & NORAH… #kidlitchat
2:46 am EgmontGal: I was the editor on that book of Adam Rapp’s There was no expression that belonged but “fuck that” in the 1 place we left it in #kidlitchat
2:46 am jrroper: I think Id rather have the reader feel a nose smash under a fist than use a swear word. Seems more convincing. #kidlitchat
2:46 am AudryT: @DDHearn I never used “swear words” until adulthood. But I DID swear. With invented words. Lack of swearing = illusion. #kidlitchat
2:46 am DDHearn: @jrroper I think guys have sworn for centuries. Someone had to make up the words, after all! But not so much most women. #kidlitchat
2:46 am adamselzer: @emilytastic Well, they always want my books to be sold as “10+” vs “14+.” Going back to before I had MG out, though. #kidlitchat
2:46 am heatherwpetty: @EKokie I agree. And it takes away from the “storyteller” feel of the book for me. And there are usually awkward sentences. #kidlitchat
2:46 am MardouLedger: @shikokusue Funny! The only word I really skip when I read to Lil is “stupid”…kids glom onto that word WAY too much. #kidlitchat
2:47 am kjerstinwittwer: @EgmontGal Definitely. My dad lived Sweden and said it’s mostly reversed in Europe. Yes to sex/nudity, no to violence. #kidlitchat
2:47 am jamieharrington: @EgmontGal yeah that totally makes sense. Argh. And yet they say pretty much everything but on Gossip Girl #kidlitchat
2:47 am BenDawe: @ShellieBr Indeed – grammar should be seen and not heard #kidlitchat
2:47 am MidnightRem: I swore like a sailor in HS, and so did everyone else I knew. Eliminating all swearing feels inauthentic to me. #kidlitchat
2:47 am happybluejess: @TrinityFaegen I do in real life, but not in my writing. (But I mostly do PBs!) #kidlitchat
2:47 am kjerstinwittwer: RT @jrroper: I think Id rather have the reader feel a nose smash under a fist than use a swear word. Seems more convincing. #kidlitchat
2:47 am himissjulie: @happybluejess I feel ya-I work with kids all day & I’m afraid my internal monitor will fritz & I’ll swear during storytime. #kidlitchat
2:47 am CarolTanzman: @mercadoodles did not know that about leche in Phillipines. #kidlitchat
2:47 am gregpincus: @susanjsteward You are brave to do chat on the iPhone. My you’re/your mistake had no excuse, though. A rewrote and missed it #kidlitchat
2:47 am EKokie: @dosankodebbie @kjerstinwittwer Actually, in some circles (like Scholastic Book Fair) “Geeze” and “God” are routinely struck #kidlitchat
2:47 am heatherwpetty: THIS. RT @EgmontGal: why is nudity not allowed on american tv but violence is? Can’t explain it, just our social mores I guess #kidlitchat
2:47 am TrishDoller: My current project is f-bomb central, but I’ve listened to a group of 18-year-old boys talking. It’s pretty realistic. #kidlitchat
2:47 am chantalkirkland: @jamieharrington @egmontgal I cursed a blue-streak when I was a kid…you mean that’s not cool anymore? #kidlitchat
2:48 am hannahmosk: I never had ANYONE in the business criticize the language in BREAK. #kidlitchat. And it’s in tons of school libraries.
2:48 am kcclyburn: I remember watching the British sitcom “Coupling” and being amazed that someone could drop the f-bomb on a primetime show. #kidlitchat
2:48 am EgmontGal: @jamieharrington I worked a bit w/ @allenzadoff on the language in Food, Girls. Didn’t need it IMHO. I thought, why hurt sales? #kidlitchat
2:48 am AudryT: How is “fudge” and “damn” and “fook” not swearing? They are a way *to get away with* swearing. #kidlitchat
2:48 am wellversedmom: RT @EgmontGal @jamieharrington Why’s nudity not allowed on US tv but violence is?Just our social mores I guess #kidlitchat <<mores or less!
2:48 am CarolTanzman: @midnightrem I agree…. #kidlitchat
2:48 am jrroper: @DDHearn I think that is still true in general. There are over 3 billion women on the earth, so the amount has increased. #kidlitchat
2:48 am ShellieBr: @BenDawe Grammer in a piece is like garlic in cooking: if you realize its there, it’s just too much! #kidlitchat
2:48 am himissjulie: @karianneholt Deadwood truly is the Shakespeare of profanity. Just gorgeous sentence structures, too- and the imagery! *swoon* #kidlitchat
2:48 am kjerstinwittwer: @EKokie I’m kinda glad to hear that — I thought I was the only one still bothered by it. #kidlitchat
2:48 am TrinityFaegen: I guess the takeaway is: Write your swear words, and if it’s too much/inappropriate, an editor will let you know. Yes? #kidlitchat
2:49 am jamieharrington: @EgmontGal oh I read that book on your recommendation… you’re right it was greatness without it. #kidlitchat
2:49 am adamselzer: Trying to find -logic- in American prudery is a fool’s errand. #kidlitchat
2:49 am shikokusue: Lunch date…gotta go. Thanks for the chat!! #kidlitchat
2:49 am amyknichols: @kcclyburn I loved that show. #kidlitchat
2:49 am AudryT: @kcclyburn COUPLING is hilarious. It’s written by the guy who is helming the next season of DOCTOR WHO. #kidlitchat
2:49 am kcclyburn: RT @AudryT: How is “fudge” and “damn” and “fook” not swearing? They are a way *to get away with* swearing. #kidlitchat
2:49 am DDHearn: @jamieharrington It would be interesting to find out how and why some words became taboo, wouldn’t it? #kidlitchat
2:49 am timkeetonwriter: @Jean_Hall Remember to tag everything with #kidlitchat
2:49 am susanjsteward: I may be alone in this, but really–I don’t even like “moron” and “retard” etc. Partly because of how I was raised but also … #kidlitchat
2:49 am himissjulie: @EgmontGal I loved that book, and /never/ thought “wow, this book could use some swears.” so good call. #kidlitchat
2:49 am JessicaLeader: Interesting how we (I included) wd rather talk about cursing than effect of word choice and grammar Theories? #kidlitchat
2:50 am melissaburon: @EKokie I think Scholastic has much more conservative bent than other houses – esp. with four letter words #kidlitchat
2:50 am patricemichelle: @kjerstinwittwer This seems SO true as to what’s acceptable by country. #kidlitchat
2:50 am KarenCollum: I think it comes down to the same concept as life: To thine own self be true. We’ll all write differently & choose words diff. #kidlitchat
2:50 am kcclyburn: @AudryT No one can say that “freakin’” or “friggin’” or “effing” aren’t their own form of cursing. #kidlitchat
2:50 am MidnightRem: I wrote a short story in HS where MC finds out GF has been cheating. Bcause of strict rules, could only say “gosh!” Ridiculous. #kidlitchat
2:50 am lisagailgreen: @jamieharrington Sorry! It just always threw me off. LOL #kidlitchat
2:50 am jamieharrington: @DDHearn oh it SO would. #kidlitchat
2:50 am happybluejess: @susanjsteward To me those are worse than most words. #kidlitchat
2:50 am AudryT: @adamselzer The reasoning behind American prudery is fascinating. Makes for great, conflicted characters. Worth exploring. #kidlitchat
2:50 am adamselzer: I have no problem with my kid saying “shit.” It’s no worse than “crap.” But “gay” and “retarded” as pejoratives are hurtful. #kidlitchat
2:50 am chantalkirkland: @susanjsteward No, I’m with you there–”moron” and “retard” can be easily misinterpreted – especially in writing #kidlitchat
2:50 am karianneholt: @himissjulie For real. Sonnets of smut. It was a beautifully written show. I have to pause it sometimes to just revel. #kidlitchat
2:50 am susanjsteward: One of my own kids is by definition retarded, and I don’t choose to forward characters throwing that label around. #kidlitchat
2:50 am thebookbarr: @kjerstinwittwer My 11yo MC is in Cath. school & says “Oh My God”. His femaie best fr tells him to not say it all the time. #kidlitchat
2:50 am clarkwriter: Um…and that makes us…RT @adamselzer: Trying to find -logic- in American prudery is a fool’s errand. #kidlitchat
2:50 am ShellieBr: @shikokusue Wow Lunch? Where are you? #kidlitchat
2:50 am EKokie: @kjerstinwittwer Well, to be clear, I’m bothered by the edits LOL. But in some circles religious-based “swears” are edited out. #kidlitchat
2:51 am emilytastic: @kcclyburn @AudryT Agreed. And overusing “cheat swears” can make a character seem inauthentic. #kidlitchat
2:51 am DDHearn: @KatApel I have seen older movies without the language that were just as intense and convincing to me. #kidlitchat
2:51 am jamieharrington: @chantalkirkland @egmontgal Ya know, I remember being like 13 and on the buss saying damn for the first time. It felt so BAD! I #kidlitchat
2:51 am pussreboots: @amyknichols I haven’t read that one #kidlitchat
2:51 am 2KoP: RT @kcclyburn: @AudryT No one can say that “freakin’” or “friggin’” or “effing” aren’t their own form of cursing. #kidlitchat
2:51 am KarenCollum: I’m a prude. There, I said it. Doesn’t mean there’s not a market for my work, however… #kidlitchat
2:51 am EKokie: @melissaburon Well & it’s the Scholastic Book Fair editions of those books, not regular Scholastic Trade edition. Dif. Editions #kidlitchat
2:52 am EgmontGal: @susanjsteward Good point. There is language we, personally, the writers and editors, aresensitive to and that affects us. #kidlitchat
2:52 am himissjulie: @kcclyburn on Deadwood? oh mylanta, they sure do! Not for the faint of ear, is that show. #kidlitchat
2:52 am jrroper: Oh feck…I just used Irish slang. #kidlitchat
2:52 am TrinityFaegen: Duty calls – thanks, Greg! #kidlitchat
2:52 am MardouLedger: @adamselzer IA. If I hear Lil say “retard” or “gay” there will be consequences… #kidlitchat
2:52 am kjerstinwittwer: @EKokie You mean they’re edited prior to publication or after? Prior, I don’t mind. After is scary… #kidlitchat
2:52 am Lisawrites4kids: #kidlitchat I’d rather have teens read a few swear words than a titilating, raunchy scene. #kidlitchat
2:52 am DDHearn: @dosankodebbie A lot of my Christian friends are most offended by using God or Jesus as a curse, and I can understand that. #kidlitchat
2:52 am kcclyburn: @emilytastic @audryt I can say “effing” or “eff that” all the time, but it doesn’t hold the same weight as saying “fuck”. #kidlitchat
2:52 am chantalkirkland: @jamieharrington @egmontgal I had a similar moment at about 15 with the F-bomb…I was SO COOOOL! LMAO! #kidlitchat
2:52 am amyknichols: @pussreboots I think I’m just going to read other books with her until she asks for Junie B. again. Wish me luck. ;) #kidlitchat
2:52 am AudryT: I’m with @adamselzer — curse words that must be taken the most seriously are cruel ones like “that’s so gay.” #kidlitchat
2:52 am EgmontGal: Now that I’m remembering, in same book by Adam Rapp we had to meet with people from gay rights org who didn’t like word “Fagola” #kidlitchat
2:52 am 2KoP: Important to remember that kids speak completely differently to peers than to adults. #kidlitchat
2:53 am KatApel: A v nice one. RT@KarenCollum I’m a prude. There, I said it. Doesn’t mean there’s not a market for my work, however…<Me too btw #kidlitchat
2:53 am dosankodebbie: Agree. Books too RT @DDHearn: I have seen older movies without the language that were just as intense and convincing to me. #kidlitchat
2:53 am patricemichelle: @jrroper LOL I love that slang word though. #kidlitchat
2:53 am clarkwriter: @KarenCollum Is there a “Prude and Prejudice” yet? #kidlitchat
2:53 am EgmontGal: @himissjulie but Deadwood is a good use of language for effect, I think. It gets your attention, says a lot about the world #kidlitchat
2:53 am ShellieBr: @chantalkirkland I still remembetr the first time I heard my Mom drop the F-bomb #kidlitchat
2:53 am KarenCollum: @clarkwriter Ha! I could be the heroine :) #kidlitchat
2:54 am chantalkirkland: @KarenCollum I don’t think you’re a prude…I just think we each have our own flare–and we each have our own audience. #kidlitchat
2:54 am EKokie: @kjerstinwittwer Book Fair requests edits to trade ed. to clean them up for the fair- author’s choice, but yes, eds to trade ed. #kidlitchat
2:54 am amyknichols: @himissjulie Lots of people have recommended that series to me. Haven’t watched it yet, though. Afraid my ears will burn off. ;) #kidlitchat
2:54 am DDHearn: Since swearing is so prevalent now I wonder if in time the naughty power of the words will go away, and they’ll be like any word #kidlitchat
2:54 am patricemichelle: This is VERY true! RT @2KoP Important to remember that kids speak completely differently to peers than to adults. #kidlitchat
2:54 am himissjulie: @KarenCollum exactly. kids that don’t like swearing, sex, etc, need and deserve good stories, too. #kidlitchat
2:54 am susanjsteward: @EgmontGal What was the result of that meeting? #kidlitchat
2:54 am Lisawrites4kids: @kcclyburn How ’bout “SAF?” My kids say that all the time. #kidlitchat
2:54 am KarenCollum: @chantalkirkland Yes, and one is no less authentic than the other :) #kidlitchat
2:54 am AudryT: IMO, it’s appropriate to write books w/out common swear words when they are centered around non-swearing characters. #kidlitchat
2:54 am amyknichols: @KarenCollum Me, too! Freaked me out. She denies it to this day, LOL! #kidlitchat
2:55 am jrroper: I think swearing tells us more about a character than anything. Action and body language show us emotion. #kidlitchat
2:55 am kjerstinwittwer: I think it’s the general terms I’m ok with. “Shit” is universal. But swears about religion/special needs ppl/homosexual: not ok. #kidlitchat
2:55 am KarenCollum: RT @himissjulie: @KarenCollum exactly. kids that dont like swearing, sex, etc, need and deserve good stories, too.<<My goal!! #kidlitchat
2:55 am adamselzer: I think when the supervolcano blows us up, we’ll wish we’d spent less time worrying about which words for “poop” were in books. #kidlitchat
2:55 am kcclyburn: @Lisawrites4kids “SAF”? What does “SAF” mean? #kidlitchat
2:55 am jrroper: @patricemichelle me too :) #kidlitchat
2:55 am adamselzer: if we have time to think before the lava and ash buries us, that is. #kidlitchat
2:55 am chantalkirkland: @ShellieBr LOL! I bet that was a hoot! My mom dropped the F all the time–and still does…at least I know where I get it! #kidlitchat
2:55 am thebookbarr: How true: RT @2KoP Important to remember that kids speak completely differently to peers than to adults. #kidlitchat
2:55 am wellversedmom: @ShellieBr I’m still trying to convince my 10-yr-old what I really said the other day was, “Oh bucket!” #kidlitchat
2:55 am EgmontGal: @susanjsteward we defended our use of word, like using “nigger” in Roll of Thunder. Ended w/subtle mention of his famous gay sib #kidlitchat
2:55 am amyknichols: @kjerstinwittwer I agree with you. #kidlitchat
2:55 am himissjulie: @EgmontGal exactly. the words they use and their syntax build the world just as much as costumes, sets, hair & makeup. #kidlitchat
2:56 am amyknichols: @kcclyburn (I’m glad you asked. I don’t know either. ??? ) #kidlitchat
2:56 am chantalkirkland: @KarenCollum EXACTLY! See, we’re all eye-to-eye on that one! And I bet we’d still read each other’s work, too! LOL! #kidlitchat
2:56 am Lisawrites4kids: @kcclyburn Sick as fuck! #kidlitchat
2:56 am gregpincus: Isn’t there a clear difference between swear words and derogatory words? They aren’t the same. #kidlitchat
2:57 am 2KoP: RT @adamselzer: When the supervolcano blows, we’ll wish we’d spent less time worrying about words for “poop” in books. #kidlitchat
2:57 am chantalkirkland: @Lisawrites4kids I’ve never heard of ‘SAF’ – am I so totally not in-on this one?! #kidlitchat
2:57 am ShellieBr: @jrroper not neccesarily. Only when swears are used correctly do they actually tell us about the character. #kidlitchat
2:57 am KarenCollum: @chantalkirkland I think I just struggle with the assumption that no swearing = out of touch. Just ain’t true in my book… #kidlitchat
2:57 am Lisawrites4kids: @wellversedmom LOL!!! Too funny! #kidlitchat
2:57 am karianneholt: @adamselzer “This… effing lava is burning my… fooking hair! Poop!” #kidlitchat
2:57 am EgmontUSA: @gregpincus They aren’t the same at all. #kidlitchat
2:57 am emilytastic: @gregpincus I agree. Swear words are not necessary hate words. Hate words are always hate words. #kidlitchat
2:57 am amyknichols: @Lisawrites4kids Ah. Thanks for the definition. #kidlitchat
2:57 am EKokie: Agree. RT: @gregpincus Isn’t there a clear difference between swear words and derogatory words? They aren’t the same. #kidlitchat
2:57 am happybluejess: @Lisawrites4kids Does that mean good or bad? #kidlitchat
2:57 am emilyreads: @gregpincus Depends. How are you using the word “cocksucker,” for example? To describe a jerk, or a character who’s gay? #kidlitchat
2:57 am jamiemblair: Glad I popped in – now must go wash my MC’s mouth out with soap! #kidlitchat
2:57 am himissjulie: @amyknichols it is gorgeous, really; and the way they construct sentences and arc their monologues is truly amazing. #kidlitchat
2:58 am 2KoP: @gregpincus It changes, though. Can no longer say “Welsh on a bet” or “I was gypped”. #kidlitchat
2:58 am emilyreads: Can’t believe I just said “cocksucker” on Twitter. #kidlitchat #mymomiscringing
2:58 am gregpincus: @adamselzer I like the use of “facing the apocalypse” as a litmus test #kidlitchat
2:58 am ShellieBr: @wellversedmom LOL! #kidlitchat
2:58 am dlschubert: When I listen to my teens and their friends when they don’t know I can hear them, the f-bombs fly like bats in a cave. #kidlitchat
2:58 am KatApel: My kids said similar thing this AM @ DDHearn Since swearing is so prevalent I wonder if…the naughty power…will go away #kidlitchat
2:58 am chantalkirkland: @kjerstinwittwer Agreed–asshat is fine, but nothing that would really be unacceptably rude–like what was said to me in HS. #kidlitchat
2:58 am AudryT: @gregpincus The difference can be gray. “Bastard” used to be derogatory. There must’ve been a period of gradual change 4 it. #kidlitchat
2:58 am melissaburon: @chantalkirkland never heard of SAF either but I like it! #kidlitchat
2:58 am kcclyburn: @Lisawrites4kids NIIIIIIICCCE. #kidlitchat
2:58 am EgmontGal: @kcclyburn did we get an answer to meaning of SAF? #kidlitchat
2:58 am kjerstinwittwer: @gregpincus I heard once that swears fall under Bodily Functions, Religion and Sex and derogatory words are everything else. #kidlitchat
2:58 am KarenCollum: RT @jamiemblair: Glad I popped in – now must go wash my MCs mouth out with soap!<< LOL! #kidlitchat
2:58 am amyknichols: @himissjulie OK. I’m going to rent it. Give it a go. Thanks. #kidlitchat
2:58 am DrlemonWCGGG: Ugh… all this swearing. I missed out on a lot. #kidlitchat
2:58 am kcclyburn: Speaking of curse words, my MC just dropped one hell of an f-bomb… #kidlitchat
2:58 am gregpincus: @2KoP Niether of those were ever swear words, were they? #kidlitchat
2:58 am chantalkirkland: @adamselzer LMAO–you are so right about our dystopian society after the volcano! #kidlitchat
2:59 am EgmontGal: Oh! I love that. Is it pronounced “S-A-F” like WTF? #kidlitchat
2:59 am kcclyburn: @EgmontGal Sick as fuck. #kidlitchat
2:59 am amyknichols: @gregpincus What is the “facing the apocalypse” test again? #kidlitchat
2:59 am Lisawrites4kids: @EgmontGal #KidlitChat Sick as fuck. #kidlitchat
2:59 am EKokie: Need to be true to your character. If your character would say Darn, or Frak, or Fuck, or Geeze, or whatever…must be true. #kidlitchat
2:59 am tiffanyaneal: My fourth graders say “beast” in place of “cool” now #kidlitchat
2:59 am MardouLedger: Yeah, what is it? I have a guess but don’t want to type it! RT @EgmontGal: @kcclyburn did we get an answer to meaning of SAF? #kidlitchat
2:59 am EgmontGal: speaking of language, a discussion of the diff between grey and gray going on at hbook.com/blog (also called “Read Roger”) #kidlitchat
2:59 am gregpincus: @emilyreads Doesn’t that change whether it’s a swear or a slur? Usage and context matter. #kidlitchat
3:00 am mercadoodles: I’m not sensitive to swear words when used sparingly in novels, YA or otherwise. Overuse shows a lack of imagination. #kidlitchat
3:00 am dosankodebbie: RT @emilytastic: Swear words are not necessary hate words. Hate words are always hate words. #kidlitchat
3:00 am chantalkirkland: @karianneholt I think you and @adamselzer made me laugh so hard I peed my pants. #kidlitchat
3:00 am BenDawe: Back to work, thanks for the #kidlitchat #kidlitchat
3:00 am Lisawrites4kids: @EgmontGal Saf is pronounced as it sounds…not spoken as the letters sound. #kidlitchat
3:00 am MardouLedger: @Lisawrites4kids I officially LOVE that! #kidlitchat
3:00 am DDHearn: @EKokie But kids use derogatory words all the time. Yet authors self-censor themselves with that, why not swearing. #kidlitchat
3:00 am 2KoP: RT @jamiemblair: Glad I popped in – now must go wash my MC’s mouth out with soap! #kidlitchat
3:00 am jrroper: @ShellieBr Character who swears a lot is probably ignorant…or a sailor. How does that not reveal the character of a character? #kidlitchat
3:00 am jemifraser: Taking a break from report cards, peeking in very late at #kidlitchat & am a little scared to ask what the topic is!! :)
3:01 am SuePinto: @KarenCollum I agree, i mean c’mon. I didn’t swear as a kid, barely as a college student still don’t chat in vulgarities #kidlitchat
3:01 am wellversedmom: @tiffanyaneal “Beast” I LOVE that! #kidlitchat
3:01 am AudryT: A character uses “fag” in my current WIP. That character shows in one word the cultural bias another chara is up against. VITAL. #kidlitchat
3:01 am DDHearn: This whole arguement about using nasty language because it’s realistic…how about using the derogatory words lots of kids use? #kidlitchat
3:01 am heatherwpetty: @EgmontGal I always remember it e=England a=America. Grey = England Gray = America #kidlitchat
3:01 am gregpincus: On our local listserv, we’ve been discussing the use of “said” vs. “asked” as a tag after a question in dialog. Why “said”? #kidlitchat
3:01 am happybluejess: @Lisawrites4kids So “sick” is good, right? Like “wicked” used to be? #kidlitchat
3:01 am thebookbarr: Culture has so much to do with it too: I always thought The Outsiders had the best use of slang words/phrases. #kidlitchat
3:01 am EKokie: @DDHearn No, as said in prior tweet, I agree re derogatory versus swear. But on swears, they have to be true in my opinion. #kidlitchat
3:02 am heatherwpetty: @EgmontGal But I edit writers from India, and they use Queen’s English, so I have to fix stuff like that all the time. #kidlitchat
3:02 am KarenCollum: @SuePinto LOL Me either. And don’t want my kids swearing – although I know they probably will. Have no issue with those values. #kidlitchat
3:02 am DDHearn: @emilyreads You’ll be getting some interesting followers after that. #kidlitchat
3:02 am AudryT: A character who swears a lot is probably ignorant? Did I just see a tweet that said that? Excuse me, but what the fuck? #kidlitchat
3:02 am gregpincus: @amyknichols Oh, @adamseltzer had said when facing the supervolcano, we probably wouldn’t worry what word for “poop” was used #kidlitchat
3:02 am TheAsianAngel: Swear words are becoming common filler words, like “like”. (“Me & my f’ing friend were f’ing hungry so we f’ing went to McDs.”) #kidlitchat
3:02 am adamselzer: I think you can have derog. words in a book if the character using them is jerk. #kidlitchat
3:02 am KarenCollum: @gregpincus I wondered about which one to use after a character asks a question. “Asks” seems right but doesn’t flow like ‘said’ #kidlitchat
3:02 am 2KoP: @gregpincus No, but they’re now considered just as offensive as “retard”. #kidlitchat
3:02 am jrroper: @dlschubert I agree, but the big readers who are teens seem less privy to swearing. #kidlitchat
3:02 am MRDunn12: I wish…my life would be SO much easier. RT @BenDawe: I thought Grammar was what you put in a pie #kidlitchat
3:02 am Lisawrites4kids: @MardouLedger #Kidlitchat Glad my teens could be of help tonight. They get their potty mouths from me. Aw. #kidlitchat
3:02 am kcclyburn: @AudryT Fuckin’ seconded. #kidlitchat
3:02 am amyknichols: When I talk with people who swear a lot, I often think they’re either insecure or lack imagination. #kidlitchat
3:03 am DDHearn: @gregpincus A lot of my friends wouldn’t swear when the apocalypse came, they would be praying. #kidlitchat
3:03 am 2KoP: When I was a kid, you called kids you hated SPEDs, as it special ed. So not PC today. Neither is Spaz. #kidlitchat
3:03 am KarenCollum: @heatherwpetty I’m gonna ruin your memory device – Australia has ‘grey’ :) #kidlitchat
3:03 am patricemichelle: Beast is the new “cool”, replacing “sick”, I think. #kidlitchat
3:03 am adamselzer: @TheAsianAngel Eh, I knew people who talked like that years ago. They did, in fact, sound stupid, though. #kidlitchat
3:03 am wellversedmom: I’ve noticed big movement online (& elsewhere) recently 2 stop using “retarded” & “gay” in derogatory ways. #kidlitchat
3:03 am dlschubert: I disagree that many swear words show lack of imagination. It’s the way teens often talk. But it gets redundant when reading. #kidlitchat
3:03 am kjerstinwittwer: @AudryT It does show a lack of imagination on the char’s part… but possibly a good understanding of character on the author’s. #kidlitchat
3:03 am jemifraser: @patricemichelle Whew! Thought everyone had gone nuts there for a minute! :) #kidlitchat
3:03 am himissjulie: RT @adamselzer: I think you can have derog. words in a book if the character using them is jerk.” I agree. #kidlitchat
3:03 am jamiemblair: RT @AudryT: A character who swears a lot is probly ignorant? Did I just see a tweet that said that? Excuse me, but WTF?<<LOL #kidlitchat
3:03 am dorothiar: Good #$%Q@!#$ Night Everyone. Interesting topic. #kidlitchat
3:03 am EKokie: RT @AudryT character who swears a lot is probably ignorant? Did I just see a tweet that said that? Excuse me, but what the fuck? #kidlitchat
3:03 am chantalkirkland: @emilyreads teehee-you said cocksucker–I’m gonna tell! #kidlitchat
3:03 am AudryT: OMG I was ONE OF THE MOST IGNORANT PEOPLE ON THE PLANET and I never, never, never swore. Bullshit on that attitude. #kidlitchat
3:04 am happybluejess: @KarenCollum Canada too. #kidlitchat
3:04 am chantalkirkland: @AudryT I think your character is using it in an acceptable format, then. #kidlitchat
3:04 am wellversedmom: @amyknichols But some cursing can be very creative. #kidlitchat
3:04 am pussreboots: @KarenCollum Too late… my kid already know all the swear words. I’m just trying to teach them times to use / not use #kidlitchat
3:04 am auntieflamingo: This is good but going way too fast for my i touch I’ll catch it later. Night #Kidlitchat
3:04 am patricemichelle: @heatherwpetty That’s a great way to remember gray vs grey. I just throw a dart. :) #kidlitchat
3:04 am emilyreads: @TheAsianAngel I do find “fuck” fascinating from a linguistic standpoint. So versatile, all parts of speech. #kidlitchat
3:04 am DDHearn: @EKokie But what if your main character would call someone gay or a retard, like many kids? Would you put that in the book? #kidlitchat
3:04 am KarenCollum: @happybluejess Go the Commonwealth! LOL #kidlitchat
3:05 am kjerstinwittwer: Homework calls. Great chat… Night, all! #kidlitchat
3:05 am wellversedmom: Speaking of… Would WTF, the abbreviation, be acceptable? #kidlitchat
3:05 am pussreboots: @amyknichols Good luck. #kidlitchat
3:05 am 2KoP: RT @emilyreads: @TheAsianAngel “fuck” is fascinating from linguistic standpoint. So versatile, all parts of speech. #kidlitchat
3:05 am jamieharrington: @adamselzer I think your MC can use derog words too–but he/she should feel bad about it #kidlitchat
3:05 am Lisawrites4kids: @amyknichols #kidlitchat Maybe they think the same thing of nonswearers? :-) I don’t generally introduce myself and swear. #kidlitchat
3:06 am DDHearn: @jrroper Today many intelligent people swear a blue streak. I don’t think it defines character the way it used to. #kidlitchat
3:06 am patricemichelle: @dlschubert This is VERY true about reading cuss words vs real life speaking. Seeing it too much gets…old and loses impact. #kidlitchat
3:06 am amyknichols: @wellversedmom That’s true. And I appreciate that. But it’s usually, like someone said, using f’in as filler. It’s just noise. #kidlitchat
3:06 am Marty_Chan: Great chat on swearing. My next picture book: Billy Doesn’t Want to Make His Fuckin’ Bed. #kidlitchat
3:06 am kjerstinwittwer: As a parting though, this comic brings up a good point. (Language warning. Haha.) http://xkcd.com/75/ #kidlitchat
3:06 am TheAsianAngel: @emilyreads Haha! Agreed. It’s a noun/verb/adverb/adjective… #kidlitchat
3:06 am amyknichols: @Lisawrites4kids They might! #kidlitchat
3:06 am KatApel: Internet went off with fairies – again! Grrr… Catch you next week! #kidlitchat
3:06 am gregpincus: @donalynbooks I agree that “said” disappears. But is it correct usage after a question? I guess so. #kidlitchat
3:06 am EKokie: Night all. Thanks for the chat. #kidlitchat
3:06 am amyknichols: @Marty_Chan LOL!! #kidlitchat
3:06 am JillCorcoran: @jamieharrington but in real life, the kids don’t feel bad about it when they use the word retard or gay. that is how they talk #kidlitchat
3:07 am KarenCollum: @Marty_Chan Even as a non-swearer, I did have to laugh :) #kidlitchat
3:07 am dlschubert: @DDHearn I’ve pondered that at times. I usually try to come up with another word if possible. #kidlitchat
3:07 am chantalkirkland: @emilyreads @TheAsianAngel I agree–the f-bomb is so awesome–you can use it anywhere! #kidlitchat
3:07 am happybluejess: @gregpincus About “said,” I know it’s supposed to be “invisible” to the reader, but sometimes it gets repetitive to write. #kidlitchat
3:07 am JillCorcoran: @gregpincus i use asked #kidlitchat
3:07 am jemifraser: The kids in my class (gr 5/6) vary with their reaction to swears in their books. Some are horrified & quit. Others just shrug. #kidlitchat
3:07 am amyknichols: @pussreboots Thanks. :) #kidlitchat
3:07 am JillCorcoran: @gregpincus I think asked disappears as well as said does. #kidlitchat
3:07 am 2KoP: Went to see Tommy recently. “That deaf, dumb & blind kid” was painful now as a mom of a special needs kid. #kidlitchat
3:07 am Lisawrites4kids: @Marty_Chan #kidlitchat LOL #kidlitchat
3:07 am jrroper: @AudryT Easy…less vocabulary tends to mean more swearing…in general. #kidlitchat
3:08 am susanjsteward: Yes, many kids throw around “retarded” and “gay” as hate speech. Doesn’t mean I need to present or promote such hate in my MG. #kidlitchat
3:08 am emilyreads: @TheAsianAngel Took class in college where one lecture was all about why we say “fanfuckingtastic” but never “fantasfuckingtic.” #kidlitchat
3:08 am himissjulie: @Marty_Chan I hope it’s a rhyming picture book! #kidlitchat
3:08 am KarenCollum: Right. I’m off. Got a blog post to write :) Thanks for the chat. #kidlitchat
3:08 am jamieharrington: @JillCorcoran that’s true, but if they use them in a derog WAY then I want them to feel bad, ya know? #kidlitchat
3:08 am adamselzer: And don’t even get me started on “pee” vs. “piss. “Piss” is onomatopoeia – very old word- and “Pee” is just the initial. #kidlitchat
3:08 am ShellieBr: @JillCorcoran I have to agree. I remind the boys that people might be offended they roll their eyes and say “they’re just WORDS”#Kidlitchat
3:08 am 2KoP: RT @Marty_Chan: Great chat on swearing. My next picture book: Billy Doesn’t Want to Make His Fuckin’ Bed. #kidlitchat
3:08 am heatherwpetty: @KarenCollum I will be skewered for this, but that doesn’t surprise me, as Australian conventions are closer to Queen’s Eng too. #kidlitchat
3:08 am dlschubert: @OgdenStudios Trying to hard? I don’t get that. I do get paying attention to your reader & how things are landing over “there.” #kidlitchat
3:08 am wellversedmom: @amyknichols I once heard a 6-yr-old call someone a “penis wrinkle.” Thought that was pretty original, as insults go! #kidlitchat
3:09 am Lisawrites4kids: @amyknichols #kidlitchat If they do… @$#& ‘em! :-) #kidlitchat
3:09 am JillCorcoran: @jemifraser I am thinking swear words for grades 7+. I don’t find kids in elementary school swear as much as MGers and HSers #kidlitchat
3:09 am KatApel: @susanjsteward Guess same goes for swear words. #kidlitchat
3:09 am jrroper: Okay people…come work in an urban middle school and try to teach middle class vocabulary. You’ll get it then. #kidlitchat
3:09 am JillCorcoran: @jamieharrington that is being preachy. kids will see thru it #kidlitchat
3:09 am amyknichols: @wellversedmom LOL! I’ve only heard that one other time: from a grown Scottish man!! #kidlitchat
3:09 am chantalkirkland: @patricemichelle I’m down with the middle finger in YA–I did it all the time in HS, my 7yo does it to me now (don’t ask)… #kidlitchat
3:09 am amyknichols: @Lisawrites4kids LOL!! #kidlitchat
3:10 am 2KoP: RT @wellversedmom @amyknichols I once heard a 6-yr-old call someone a “penis wrinkle.”#kidlitchat
3:10 am adamselzer: @wellversedmom don’t forget the immortal “Penis breath” in “E.T.” You’d never get away with that today. Sad. #kidlitchat
3:10 am JillCorcoran: I fight with my own kids about using derog words like retard and gay. But, I still hear them say it. Pisses me off to no end. #kidlitchat
3:10 am amyknichols: It’s time to put my kids to bed, and try to not read Junie B. Jones to my daughter. Heh heh. Thanks for an entertaining chat! #kidlitchat
3:10 am susanjsteward: I wasn’t allowed to say “gay” or “retard” in that way as a kid. I’m just giving my MCs shades of my upbringing! #kidlitchat
3:10 am chantalkirkland: @wellversedmom My dad called my brother that like 10 yrs ago! LOL for the penis wrinkle! #kidlitchat
3:10 am TheAsianAngel: @adamselzer Yep, it affects IQ appearance. A guy friend scolds me for using it because he says it makes me sound uneducated #kidlitchat
3:10 am ShellieBr: @emilyreads You’re a blessed, b;essed student!! #KIDLITCHAT
3:10 am yachicka: *&*%*)(*&)**$@!# good chat tonight! #kidlitchat
3:11 am thebookbarr: Thank you everyone for a great %$^!& #kidlitchat topic on swear/slang words in #kidlit! Good night!
3:11 am chantalkirkland: @CarolTanzman Agreed. Use something else if you can–if you can’t, go with it! #kidlitchat
3:11 am jamieharrington: @JillCorcoran no, not like that… if a character calls a gay person a name–then they should feel bad like in real life #kidlitchat
3:11 am jemifraser: @JillCorcoran I agree. When I teach/coach gr 7/8 they need to watch their language around me cause many swear regularly #kidlitchat
3:11 am rcowsert: @jamieharrington Teenagers swear. If the situation warrants it, I don’ t think it’s inappropriate. #kidlitchat
3:11 am dosankodebbie: Language is fascinating! RT @emilyreads: Lecture in college about why we say fanfuckingtastic but never fantasfuckingtic #kidlitchat
3:11 am patricemichelle: @chantalkirkland Oh, my. Okay, I won’t ask…even though I want to. LOL! #kidlitchat
3:11 am Lisawrites4kids: @wellversedmom #kidlitchat That is classic! #kidlitchat
3:11 am adamselzer: @TheAsianAngel Funnest? See, I think the stigma of using it is fading. Not so much that I’ve used it myself yet, though. #kidlitchat
3:11 am wellversedmom: @adamselzer I had forgotten that! #kidlitchat
3:11 am TrishDoller: @jamieharrington I think you have to be true to the character. My YA MC is not ignorant, he’s a Marine. He swears. #kidlitchat
3:12 am houndrat: @JillCorcoran I agree, but I’m not sure it’s something we should promote in novels. I’m totally okay with the swear words, tho #kidlitchat
3:12 am JillCorcoran: @jamieharrington but it has to fit with the character. would he/she really feel bad? #kidlitchat
3:12 am 2KoP: So, do we feel differntly about swearing if the character is female? #kidlitchat
3:12 am heatherwpetty: @jamieharrington Then you write them realistically, & face the flack from Scholastic book lists, schools, and censorship groups. #kidlitchat
3:13 am Julie_Weathers: #kidlitchat Late to the party. I didn’t use swear words in my MG. I use very few in my adult fantasy. I don’t think it adds anything.
3:13 am jamieharrington: @JillCorcoran if they are using it in a derog way, then I want to know their real emotions… #kidlitchat
3:13 am wellversedmom: @dosankodebbie Don’t you mean “fascinfuckinating”? #kidlitchat
3:13 am Lisawrites4kids: @2KoP #kidlitchat Hell to the no #kidlitchat
3:13 am 2KoP: Sorry, can’ jump on the “funnest” band wagon. Or even “funner”. RT @adamselzer: @TheAsianAngel Funnest? #kidlitchat
3:13 am jamieharrington: @heatherwpetty haha so maybe just close that word document then, eh? #kidlitchat
3:13 am DDHearn: It was interesting tonight. It’s interesting what we do and don’t censor out of our stories, regardless of what is realistic. #kidlitchat
3:13 am houndrat: @susanjsteward I agree with this. It’s something we should try to move away from, not promote-maybe it will die out with time #kidlitchat
3:13 am JillCorcoran: @houndrat oh, i am not saying we should promote it in books, i just would avoid preachyness. #kidlitchat
3:13 am timkeetonwriter: DId I miss something? What is the topic tonight? #kidlitchat
3:13 am adamselzer: @heatherwpetty Annoying censorship grops is jolly good fun – and good for sales! Annoying schools, though – not so much. #kidlitchat
3:13 am dlschubert: @OgdenStudios True. It’s definitely tricky. My agent & I have discussed this – interesting topic. #kidlitchat
3:14 am chantalkirkland: @2KoP Yes. I think I swore more in HS than any of my guy-friends. My MC’s would feel the same way…it depends on the character #kidlitchat
3:14 am tiffanyaneal: @jillcorcoran Agreed on age for swear words. My 4th graders gasp when I said “hell” during our read aloud! #kidlitchat
3:14 am TheAsianAngel: I reserve it for running into furniture, rapid-fire: “F!F!F!” RT @TheAsianAngel I agree,f-bomb is awesome; can use it anywhere! #kidlitchat
3:15 am dosankodebbie: LOL!! RT @wellversedmom: @dosankodebbie Don’t you mean fascinfuckinating? #kidlitchat
3:15 am TimDeMoor: Hi, I’m an illustrator and I’m new to this! I’m guessing we’re talking about swear-words in children’s literature tonight? #kidlitchat
3:15 am emilytastic: @tiffanyaneal @JillCorcoran I still gasped at swear words in 8th grade. I grew out of that. #kidlitchat
3:15 am patricemichelle: @2KoP I think our society drives this as to what’s acceptable for a male vs a female. It’s sometimes true in adult books. #kidlitchat
3:15 am 2KoP: I think gender does make a difference w/profanity. As does age. I still cringe when my 80yo MIL says fuck. #kidlitchat
3:15 am houndrat: @JillCorcoran Hard for me. Had to totally retrain myself not to use “retarded” in joking way, once I became a physical therapist #kidlitchat
3:15 am timkeetonwriter: must be #kidlitchat #kidlitchat
3:16 am Lisawrites4kids: @TheAsianAngel #Kidlitchat Hi ya, Jo!! Fellow potty mouth! #kidlitchat
3:16 am susanjsteward: Not into being preachy. It’s just not really in existence in my writing, any more than Meg said “Oh, f#*%!” when she saw IT. #kidlitchat
3:16 am chantalkirkland: @tiffanyaneal LOL-my 2nd grader said ‘hell’ to me in the car today–LOL! #kidlitchat
3:16 am Julie_Weathers: @TimDeMoor #kidlitchat yes
3:17 am lisabrowndraws: I’m back. I guess we’re still talking about cussing. #kidlitchat
3:17 am houndrat: I think swear words work in small doses. Used sparingly, they can lend great emphasis. Used a lot, they become tedious. #kidlitchat
3:17 am gregpincus: @TimDeMoor the topic was actually about grammar, word choice, and rhythm. But we’re easy that way #kidlitchat Welcome to chat!
3:17 am adamselzer: Now, “hell” is one that I REALLY don’t see the problem with. Isn’t not saying it out loud just old-timey superstition? #kidlitchat
3:18 am tiffanyaneal: @chantalkirkland LOL! Yours would have shrugged at the kids at my class and say, “What the hell’s wrong with you?” #kidlitchat
3:18 am 2KoP: Shut-up and stupid our the 2 worst swears. Laughed OL when my 4yro said “Shutup stupid, stupid, stupid” to me & the sibs gasped. #kidlitchat
3:18 am TheAsianAngel: Oh, soon, soon you will come to the dark side! RT @adamselzer: @TheAsianAngel Not so much that I’ve used it myself yet, though. #kidlitchat
3:18 am timkeetonwriter: Sorry, might have missed this earlier, in what age groups (i.e. PB, MG, YA) do most of you use cuss words? #kidlitchat
3:18 am adamselzer: @lisabrowndraws We seem to discuss swearing it every few weeks. Fun every time! #kidlitchat
3:18 am chantalkirkland: @houndrat Agreed. I’m with you—less is more, but sometimes ok. #kidlitchat
3:18 am TimDeMoor: Heh, I got sent to the principle’s office in 4th grade for allegedly using a swear word I had never heard of before. =) #kidlitchat
3:18 am CarolTanzman: @gregpincus come on, Greg. Grammar or cursing???? who’s gonna win that one? #kidlitchat
3:18 am happybluejess: Thanks for the chat, all. It’s been cathartic! #kidlitchat
3:18 am dlschubert: I remember practicing swear words in 7th grade with my girlfriends. It felt so naughty. #kidlitchat
3:18 am gregpincus: By the way, you can always find the topic by looking at the @kidlitchat account. #kidlitchat
3:18 am tiffanyaneal: @houndrat I totally agree with using it in small doses #kidlitchat
3:18 am houndrat: @adamselzer Or damn, lol. Unless you drop the old gd…that’s a whole ‘nuther issue. :D #kidlitchat
3:19 am lisabrowndraws: F-yeah! RT @adamselzer: @lisabrowndraws We seem to discuss swearing it every few weeks. Fun every time! #kidlitchat
3:19 am tiffanyaneal: @timkeetonwriter YA #kidlitchat
3:20 am susanjsteward: @timkeetonwriter Not at all! I write MG and some PB. #kidlitchat
3:20 am timkeetonwriter: @gregpincus Oh, thx Greg. Now you tell me… ;-} #kidlitchat
3:20 am 2KoP: @jamieharrington Actually, my 80yo MIL is a be-atch, but that’s another non #kidlit story. #kidlitchat
3:20 am dlschubert: TOTALLY AGREE! @houndrat Swear words work in small doses. Used sparingly, can lend great emphasis. Used a lot, become tedious. #kidlitchat
3:20 am AudryT: @jrroper Less vocabulary means less vocabulary, not more swearing. Lazy example: I swear like a sailor but I kick vocabulary ass #kidlitchat
3:20 am ShellieBr: someone came to the door, so now I’m completely behind!! #kidlitchat
3:20 am Julie_Weathers: @adamselzer #kidlitchat The only whipping I ever got from my aunt was for saying sh!t. which I heard my cousin say. Hell…*shudders*
3:20 am emilytastic: @adamselzer Maybe we need a #swearinginkidlitchat day. #kidlitchat
3:20 am jrroper: @jamieharrington completely agree about derog comments. #kidlitchat
3:20 am KarlaKT: I always have to read lines aloud over and over. There’s a cadance I’m listening for.It’ll resonate when I find it. Novels, too #kidlitchat
3:21 am wellversedmom: Interesting how “sucks” is now acceptable. But didn’t it come from description of sex act? Or am I mistaken/dirty-minded? #kidlitchat
3:21 am emilyreads: Now there’s some fanfic I’d like to read. // RT @susanjsteward: [what if] Meg said “Oh, f#*%!” when she saw IT. #kidlitchat
3:21 am lisabrowndraws: RT @AudryT: @jrroper Less vocab means less vocab, not more swearing. example: I swear like a sailor but I kick vocabulary ass #kidlitchat
3:21 am TheAsianAngel: I actually had an editor request that I ADD swear words to a novel to lend “realism” #kidlitchat
3:21 am ShellieBr: I knew a little girl that called people “Tea tea coffee coffee” when she was mad. They were the most grown up words she knew #kidlitchat
3:21 am Lisawrites4kids: @TheAsianAngel #Kidlitchat It’s not looking real promising $$ wise. But, ya never know!! #kidlitchat
3:21 am 2KoP: Isn’t that today? RT @emilytastic: @adamselzer Maybe we need a #swearinginkidlitchat day. #kidlitchat
3:21 am karianneholt: I want to come, too. Instead of a Tweetup, we can have an F-up. RT @TheAsianAngel: Haha! This is why you must go to LA Conf! #kidlitchat
3:22 am heatherwpetty: @jamieharrington I just don’t believe in compromising a character’s realism to avoid flack. But it has to be true to character. #kidlitchat
3:22 am AudryT: The L.A. conf is this summer, right? #kidlitchat
3:22 am susanjsteward: @KarlaKT Agreed! If you’re not listening for rhythm in prose, you’re missing a dimension of writing, IMO. #kidlitchat
3:22 am chantalkirkland: @wellversedmom Yes, that comes from the act–that’s why I used it in HS–’cause that was so COOOL! #kidlitchat
3:23 am lisabrowndraws: @KarlaKT When I write my pbs, I always read them aloud, many times over. Cause that’s what one does reading to kids. #kidlitchat
3:23 am emilyreads: @wellversedmom I got my mouth washed out with soap for “sucks” as a kid. That connotation seems to be lost today. #kidlitchat
3:23 am ShellieBr: @karianneholt HA LOL! #kidlitchat
3:23 am CarolTanzman: @TheAsianAngel. yes, me, too. she said, that chapt. ending doesn’t work. I switched out witch for… #kidlitchat
3:23 am TheAsianAngel: LOL!!!! RT @karianneholt: Instead of a Tweetup, we can have an F-up. #kidlitchat
3:23 am 2KoP: I hate the way “sucks” sounds coming out of my tweens mouths. RT @wellversedmom: Interesting how “sucks” is now acceptable. #kidlitchat
3:23 am slnaeole: RT @AudryT: @jrroper Less vocabulary means less vocabulary, not more swearing. Lazy example: I swear like a sailor but I kick vocabulary ass #kidlitchat
3:23 am Lisawrites4kids: @TheAsianAngel #Kidlitchat Nice! Or, fucking awesome!! :-) #kidlitchat
3:23 am dlschubert: Yup. RT @heatherwpetty I don’t believe in compromising a character’s realism to avoid flack. But it has to be true to character. #kidlitchat
3:23 am emilytastic: @heatherwpetty @jamieharrington Amen, sisters. A real character is first and foremost. Bring on ye flack. #kidlitchat
3:23 am jamieharrington: Yes, I agree! @houndrat Swear words work in small doses. Used sparingly, can lend great emphasis. Used a lot, become tedious. #kidlitchat
3:23 am TimDeMoor: @wellversedmom No, you’re right about its origin. My 5th grade teacher used to suspend students for using “sucks.” Heh. #kidlitchat
3:23 am jrroper: @AudryT It is a general difference between haves and have nots. Studies show greater use due to less vocab to express opinion. #kidlitchat
3:24 am jamieharrington: @heatherwpetty but at the same time… if it can be done just as well and the flack avoided, I am okay with that #kidlitchat
3:24 am wellversedmom: @chantalkirkland I know, right? – and here my kids have been using it since 2nd grade. It’s become mainstream. #kidlitchat
3:24 am adamselzer: I imagine plenty of words in common usage once had sexual connotations; sucks is just the latest. #kidlitchat
3:24 am HeidiRKling: @Lisawrites4kids Whoa! #kidlitchat has Gone Wild! Pop in and the Eff bomb is a raging. @TheAsianAngel ;D
3:24 am TheAsianAngel: Another one I’ve noticed from my generation is “douche”. Or have the kiddos started saying that one? #kidlitchat
3:24 am heatherwpetty: @jamieharrington If it can be taken out with no effect, then maybe it wasn’t true to the char. in the first place? #kidlitchat
3:24 am AudryT: Ah, but imagine a character who swears relentlessly becoming so shocked…that they fall into silence. Impact = huge. #kidlitchat
3:25 am timkeetonwriter: @TimDeMoor yes, interchangeable with “blows”, as in “that blows!” #kidlitchat
3:25 am chantalkirkland: @2KoP I cringe when my 2nd grader says ‘sucks’ but then I remember the other bad words he uses and I give up. LOL! #kidlitchat
3:25 am TimDeMoor: @jamieharrington Like with every Kevin Smith film. Heh. #kidlitchat
3:25 am jamieharrington: @heatherwpetty ahhh touche #kidlitchat
3:25 am HeidiRKling: @TheAsianAngel I like saying both douche and tool. But I probably wouldn’t put them in a book. #kidlitchat
3:25 am chantalkirkland: @TheAsianAngel I LOVE ‘douche’ — please don’t say it’s gone away! #kidlitchat
3:25 am susanjsteward: @TimDeMoor “Scumbag” is the same, no? I’m always surprised when I hear that in a kids’ program. #kidlitchat
3:25 am heatherwpetty: @jamieharrington For me, it’s not about the # of swears. The only ? that matters: Is that how the character really talks? #kidlitchat
3:25 am tiffanyaneal: RT @HeidiRKling: @Lisawrites4kids Whoa! #kidlitchat has Gone Wild! Pop in and the Eff bomb is a raging. @TheAsianAngel ;D
3:25 am Lisawrites4kids: @HeidiRKling #Kidlitchat “writers gone wild” = retreat at my house #kidlitchat
3:26 am tiffanyaneal: @TheAsianAngel Ughhh. My husband say that all the time. Haven’t heard my students say that…yet. #kidlitchat
3:26 am 2KoP: Asked my son if he knew what “douche bag” meant when he used it. He was appalled to find out the meaning. #kidlitchat
3:26 am emilytastic: @HeidiRKling @TheAsianAngel My second book has about a jillion uses of the word douche. It is my favorite swear right now. #kidlitchat
3:26 am timkeetonwriter: @TimDeMoor Hey shut the f*ck up, you tubby b*tch! (a la “Kevin Smith”) #kidlitchat
3:26 am CynthVonBuhler: My mother washed my mouth out with soap because I said “That sucks!” She had a dirty mind. I wasn’t referring to oral sex. #kidlitchat
3:26 am JillCorcoran: @houndrat I’ve asked my boy mger this. seems nothing behind it but habit. even with my sensitivity-my twin sis was retarded #kidlitchat
3:27 am wellversedmom: @adamselzer Weird that I had to stop 2 think about origin of “sucks.” That I’d forgotten.& that it’s become mostly accepted now. #kidlitchat
3:27 am AudryT: @jrroper You’re saying I don’t exist because of what “studies show.” You should check out “How to Lie With Statistics” sometime. #kidlitchat
3:27 am mumfusa: oh no! it’s tuesday night. 10:30. i missed #kidlitchat. sigh.
3:27 am adamselzer: See “douche bag” has a very specific meaning – a very specific kind of person – besides its literal meaning. (cont) #kidlitchat
3:27 am susanjsteward: Then again, I live in a place where they have Shagging contests. #kidlitchat
3:27 am houndrat: RT @heatherwpetty: I just dont believe in compromising a characters realism to avoid flack. But it has to be true to character. #kidlitchat
3:27 am wellversedmom: @susanjsteward “Scumbag”? I never knew that! I’m learning so much tonight! #kidlitchat
3:28 am adamselzer: I’m reminded (again) of George Carlin’s “asshole, jackoff, scumbag” routine. #kidlitchat
3:28 am chantalkirkland: @2KoP I used ‘douche’ in my current WIP to describe a murderer…I think that works, right? #kidlitchat
3:28 am HeidiRKling: @emilytastic It’s so perfect to describe some people. I think it may go out of style though-want novels 2 be timeless. #kidlitchat
3:28 am TimDeMoor: @susanjsteward Hmm. Scumbag’s a funny one. It’s almost as much a swear these days as saying “fuddy-duddy.” Heh. #kidlitchat
3:28 am emilyreads: @susanjsteward @TimDeMoor “Scumbag”? Really? I had no idea. Current favorite around interwebs is “douchecanoe.” #kidlitchat
3:28 am lisabrowndraws: @CynthVonBuhler Hi Cynthia! Love folks who have actually had their mouths washed out with soap. #kidlitchat
3:28 am TheAsianAngel: Ouch. You can kiss Scholastic Book Fair goodbye with that one! RT @CarolTanzman: I switched out witch for… #kidlitchat
3:29 am TimDeMoor: @timkeetonwriter Haha! I didn’t say they weren’t fun words, though. =) #kidlitchat
3:29 am timkeetonwriter: @susanjsteward “Shagswell by name. Shags well by reputation.” #kidlitchat
3:29 am houndrat: @JillCorcoran Oh, I know—I grew up saying it. But I’ve managed to train myself to replace it with “lame” lol…largely due.. #kidlitchat
3:29 am susanjsteward: @wellversedmom We aim to educate! ;) #kidlitchat
3:29 am 2KoP: Check out these old fashioned insults. They carry more zing, no? http://tiny.cc/ojQBm #kidlitchat
3:29 am jrroper: @AudryT Social class and swearing incidence is a generalization. Ill assume you are a smart person who swears a lot :) #kidlitchat
3:29 am wellversedmom: So is “sucks” acceptable in MG books? #kidlitchat
3:29 am houndrat: @JillCorcoran to PT school prof using “retards” to refer to TBI patients while teaching. I srsly wanted to strangle her… #kidlitchat
3:30 am TimDeMoor: @emilyreads Haha! “Douchecanoe” might, in FACT, be my new favorite word next to “bupkis.” #kidlitchat
3:30 am RedSofaLiterary: Enjoying (reading) the chatter on #kidlitchat tonight. :)
3:30 am FelDharma: I DO find myself constantly debating how much cursing is realistic vs. how much parental approval I want. #kidlitchat
3:30 am emilytastic: @HeidiRKling If it goes out of style I will die. #kidlitchat
3:30 am Lisawrites4kids: #Kidlitchat Nimrod, a-hole, jackoff, shit for brains, so many ways to rip without the “F” word. #kidlitchat
3:30 am 2KoP: @chantalkirkland Works just fine. #kidlitchat
3:30 am lisabrowndraws: @2KoP “Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” I’ll have to use that. #kidlitchat

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