The Art of the Swear

          Ahh the swear, the cuss, the profanity.  So powerful, yet so often over-used.  The variety of frowned-upon words is astounding, each one with its own special meaning.  Yet these meanings are often overlooked, and most swears are put under the category of "uttered under breath, but sometimes louder, when something undesirable happens".  Those poor cuss words, they must get sad when they ponder their lost individuality.  The also must get tired from being thrown around willy-nilly all day, some speakings not even worth the smallest word's time.  But when used correctly, and sparingly, I find that the swear word can add a lot to a piece of writing.  Depending on the situation, when a character speaks a profanity, and which profanity he proclaims, can reveal some in depth information on the characters thoughts.  If the character Johny curses like a sailor at the drop of a china plate, you can assume he is very short tempered, impulsive, and probably struggling with something other than a broken piece of dinnerware.  See? Insightful.  The well placed cuss word can also add some humor to your writing. The unexpected splash in the middle of a sentence can keep the reader entertained and excited.  This is by no means encouraging course language, but if you're going to do it, do it right.