Edgy as in topic, writing or both?

[Cathy West]

I'm always a little leery of this whole discussion. I've noticed, as I'm sure many of us have, a definite shift toward more freedom in the things that are written about in CBA, as well as the way they are written. To me, edgy simply means keeping it real. And as we're all too aware, sometimes reality bites. No, I'm not writing about vampires.
So I guess I'm wondering just how real we CAN get in our writing, specifically dialogue. Are there still a lot of words that just aren't going to fly no matter what? Hell. That one's always bothered me. It's a place. How did it ever become a curse word? I know the definite no-no's. Don't we all. But here's one. Crappy. What about that? You know, sometimes you just have a crappy day.
Take my poor heroine Claire for instance. Here's what she's up to: Let me know if I can get away with this, ok? Thanks!I

Claire didn’t notice the police car behind her until she heard the blast of sirens. Then the obnoxious blue and red flashers came on, almost blinding her. She let out a curse and flicked on her indictor. Great. Just what she needed to make a crappy day even crappier.

[Michelle Sutton]

I have the word crap in my book, but Joan is my publisher and she's okay with realistic dialogue. I also say freaking because they are Christians swearing and they are guys and they are mad, ya know?

[Cathy West]

Interesting. Freaking - never used that one. :0) But girls can get just as mad as guys, don't forget!
I'm not proposing we write books filled with curses by any means, I'm just not seeing a guy on the frontline in Vietnam saying "Oh, fiddlesticks!" when the enemy rises up over the hill. The trick, I think, is to show the scene so vividly, heighten the tension in such a way that the reader is completely sucked in, so when things are really bad and your characters just have to let out their frustration somehow, you don't have to write the word - the reader will insert their own. At least I think that's how you're supposed to do it. I'm still working on it.

[Timothy Fish]

How much colorful language to use and how much to show of inappropriate scenes was one of the issues it debated prior to writing How to Become a Bible Character. The readers may not insert their own words, but the readers will fill in some blanks. I told the story in the First Person POV of an associate pastor. It was in character for him to selectively filter some of the lanuage used. It also gave some of the characters reason to filter their own language. The narrator was unable to see what was going on behind closed doors, but I feel that this helped in describing the characters rather than hindering.

In one scene, the associate pastor and his family has gone to visit a young man. The young man's mother yells through the closed door of his bedroom to tell him to put his clothes on and come out because he has company. The young man comes out wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. A short time later, a young woman comes out of the same bedroom. There is more later to make it clear what was going on behind that closed door.

The most explicit scene occurs in the associate pastor's office. Because he turned his back, he was unable to see all that a certain person wanted him to see. Leaving the reader to fill in the blanks.

[Betsy Ann St. Amant]

I sooo know what you mean! I'm not offended by that at all, Cathy, but I guess others would be! That's what makes this so frustrating at times =) I have a hard time writing characters who are policeman, like what you said about the non realistic "fiddlesticks"! lol

[Georgiana Daniels]

What's wrong with crap? Seriously, I've seen it in at least 3 or 4 CBA books. In fact, I'm partial to the word and used it liberally myself, until my baby started saying it, then I realized it wasn't so pretty after all. But there are times, when it's so perfect. Although one time I had my heroine think, "Oh, crap" and I thought it was perfect, but Betsy helped me come up with "Oh, buggah!" (can't remember the spelling!) and it totally made it funnier per the situation. I've noticed that a lot of books by women tiptoe into some words like tush, or (insert another word for behind) while a book by a man will say butt. So where was I going with this? I don't remember. Oh, crap.

[Cathy West]

Ha, Georgiana! You know it's funny, I wonder if some of the words we think of as 'taboo' are pretty acceptable in other parts of the world. I was heavily influenced by all things Brit growing up, spent time in a proper English boarding school - that's where I learned how to swear... :0) But I find it interesting that certain words like hell, damn and bloody, are pretty much common language over there, yet here (well maybe not so much Bermuda, but parts of the US and N.America for sure) you'd get looked at twice for saying them. Well, I suppose that would depend on where you were when you said them wouldn't it? I don't know where I was going with all that...just wanted to get the thought out I guess. It's early. I need more coffee. I personally don't think CBA will ever embrace realistic language and I think, for now, I'm probably going to side with them on that. Our job is to glorify God, and you never know what might cause someone to stumble. As in all things, we must prayerfully consider the impact of what we do, say and write.

[Michelle Sutton]

LOL! In Happily Every After by Marilynn Griffith she refers to her breasts as "the girls" and her milk as booby juice. This is with Steeple Hill Cafe. ROFLOL!

[Georgiana Daniels]

I absolutely love this book. Plus there were other elements that I considered pretty edgy, though I don't want to have any spoilers here.

PS. I'm doing a drawing for a copy on my blog tomorrow morning. Not too late to enter =)

[Michelle Sutton]

Good, cause I haven't finished it yet. :)

[Georgiana Daniels]

I probably whipped through this book faster than any other I've recently read. Viva Christian chick lit!

[Michelle Sutton]

I was laughing more reading Chill Out, Josey! This one is more quirky because of monster-in-law. Scary!

[Georgiana Daniels]

Aw man! I don't have Chill Out, Josey. Our selection in town is sooo pitiful.