Wendy Palmer on Nostr: #WritersCoffeeClub 12 Oct Do you prefer euphemisms or technical terms to refer to ...
#WritersCoffeeClub 12 Oct Do you prefer euphemisms or technical terms to refer to genitalia in your writing?
I write explicit sex scenes, so yes to all of this. It totally depends on the character, and their era.
My relatively sheltered rich young Victorian woman is going to use a sensible euphemism. Her cousins, making merciless fun of her, will use very silly euphemisms with her, cheerful slang among themselves. By the time she’s been married 15 years, she’ll also use slang (the third waypoint on the long continuum between completely coy euphemism and medical-textbook technical).
My matter-of-fact not-overly-interested-in-sex-thanks characters might dryly employ a technical term in a “don’t wave that thing at me” kind of way.
Everyone else will just use the common slang/colloquialisms* of the day, somewhere along the continuum depending on their personality and background.
Check out Jonathon Green’s timelines for more than your ever needed to know…
https://jonathongreen.co.uk/
*Jesus, autocorrect had some trouble with that one.
I write explicit sex scenes, so yes to all of this. It totally depends on the character, and their era.
My relatively sheltered rich young Victorian woman is going to use a sensible euphemism. Her cousins, making merciless fun of her, will use very silly euphemisms with her, cheerful slang among themselves. By the time she’s been married 15 years, she’ll also use slang (the third waypoint on the long continuum between completely coy euphemism and medical-textbook technical).
My matter-of-fact not-overly-interested-in-sex-thanks characters might dryly employ a technical term in a “don’t wave that thing at me” kind of way.
Everyone else will just use the common slang/colloquialisms* of the day, somewhere along the continuum depending on their personality and background.
Check out Jonathon Green’s timelines for more than your ever needed to know…
https://jonathongreen.co.uk/
*Jesus, autocorrect had some trouble with that one.