During an email discussion with some fellow writers, I found out something rather startling. Both of the other authors had had their swear words toned down by their editor (at the same publishing house.) Also, the scientific words they'd used to describe certain intimate body parts had also been modified. The publishing house in question is famous for its romances in the industry (and is sometimes mocked for its purple prose during sex scenes).
Anyway, I was shocked. I mean, I've had my editors remove ENTIRE sex scenes (in a romance, no less,) but I've never had anyone change my stronger term to a "forget you!" like when a cable show gets "translated" for network TV.
I have a sort of strange relationship to the rougher words of the English language. I use them liberally in my own life (though less around the new set of little ears in the house), but I have been known to modify their use in my writing.
Even so, it would be a shock to find your editor neutering your expletives.
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4 comments:
That's just fucked up. DaveHD
I would so pitch a bitch! :)
Well, frak me!
One of the funniest things I've ever seen was a censored-for-TV version of the film Casino.
In the film, there's this powerful, emotionally raw scene where Sharon Stone stands in a doorway and a just yells "Fuck you!" over and over again (like two dozen times) at (if I remember correctly) her husband, played by Joe Peschi. In the TV version, they've dubbed it as "Freak you!"
Tears of laughter . . .
un-*expletive deleted*-believable.
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