Ok, I'm making this a quick one because I'm on a ridiculous twelve hour double today. Yes, on a Monday. Who the hell has to work doubles on a Monday?? Well, me, apparently.
I know today's post is about "love," but it's also about language. When people ask me if my book is a romance, I always hesitate to say yes. While there are some romantic elements, the plot is a bit more complicated than one you might usually find in a romance novel. So the word "love" isn't something I like to carelessly throw around in the book. That's why I only use it once. I call it one of my curse words.
My characters are in a situation where if they were to fall in love with each other, they could never say it. My narrator certainly isn't someone who would ever admit to being in love, partly because he's too young but also too jaded and cynical. He has no use for love. Both characters are so flawed that even if they had love, they could never make it last. They both know this, so they can never acknowledge it.
So keeping this in mind, I've been a bit sneaky in the writing process. It's not something everyone is going to notice, but if anyone does, that one use of the word "love" is going to punch them in the face. Sometimes you use the word "love" more casually, like, "for the love of God," or, "I loved that pizza!" I don't even do this. I'll do a search on each chapter to make sure I didn't accidentally let the word slip.
I'm perfectly fine dropping swears here and there throughout my book, but if "love," pops up, well, then we've got a problem!
Today's the last day to enter my giveaway! You could win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or some awesome writing tools. Ends tonight at midnight and I'll announce the winners on Wednesday!
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Awesome! I completely agree. The less you use a word, the more powerful it is.
ReplyDeleteTrue Heroes A to Z
Interesting take on "love" in writing. Apparently I use "heart" too much. :)
ReplyDeleteLove as curse word? That's interesting. But I get it. Your book sounds great and your characters sound intriguing. I want to read your book now just to find where you used the word "love". :D
ReplyDeleteI never thought to check for this.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea.
Great letter posts!
Heather
Heather M. Gardner
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Stormy's Sidekick
Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Co-Host
I think a lot of people aren't able to admit that they're in love; saying "I love you" is a risk, because there's no guarantee that the other person will say it back. And I've never been a very affectionate person, so it's never been an easy thing for me to say.
ReplyDeleteClassic -- I love the idea of the word love only being in there once...even though it's made it into this short comment twice.
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