Cleaning Up My Act

[rattfan]

Shiny Issue 1 - second version

http://shinymag.blogspot.com/2007/10/shiny-issue-1-second-version.html

Twelfth Planet Press are happy to announce the release of a cleaned up version of "The Sun People" for those who felt the use of some offensive language in Shiny Issue 1 prevented them from purchasing the issue.

Scratches head. I have to say this is a first for me. Also vaguely embarrassing as I'm generally not a profane individual and as anyone who reads my stuff will know, the stories vary a lot depending on what they are. There may not be any swearing for a period-piece but there will be in something that includes truckers, desperate individuals and people getting along as best they can in a killing climate! I don't at all blame girliejones for this; she didn't expect the US reaction either. If she had, she would have asked me to edit the story before it was published. It had, I can attest, one of the more thorough edits I've ever done thanks to the Shiny Eds.

Given this, though, I would recommend to the Shiny Eds that something be added to the guidelines to the effect that writers should keep in mind the YA audience and parental sensibilities blah blah.

Editing for the clean-up version was interesting. I typed in the swear-word and tracked it through the story, then altered the phrase. This netted four fucks, four hells, one shit-all, one shit, one God and a partridge in a pear tree...

Comments

[girliejones.livejournal.com]

I think in future, we will also ask for a cleaned up version. It's not parents who mind the swearing but it's difficult to get into libraries and so on. The swearing issue was something we got in feedback, but we had absolutely no interest in buying the cleaned up version. I reckon people make up stories instead of just: I don't want to buy your magazine.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Wahoo! Way to go Sue!!

:-)

Mind you, I am having problems with swear words in my novel. XX,000 years into the future, I still think people will be swearing. But what the HELL will they be saying??

:-)

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

Futuristic swearing is an interesting problem but since none of our readers will be there, you can have fun making them up. I rather like "frack", myself.

So does all this with the profanity mean that I am finally cool?

[callistra.livejournal.com]

You get to be cool if you swear?
Awesome!

[cassiphone.livejournal.com]

Heh. It's partly my fault we didn't do it earlier. I gave an impassioned plea to keep the "fuck" because I thought it totally belonged there.

However, all our discussion was about one use of the word. It's hilarious that you had lots more swearing in it and we didn't even notice!

[satyapriya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Sue should clean up her story, because the under 18's have never heard bad language, and the internet is no place for dirty words. *smirk*
And if you don't believe me, I'll come over there and ^^$#^% you with a rubber (^%$@! and then I'll %^$#( you with a +*^%$!! and ice cream.

[ashamel.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard about the US reaction, but this sort of things annoys me. I think the story should be written as it needs to be.

But it happens. I had the fucks removed from my recent zombie stories when they hit print. Apparently The Sopranos films a 'clean' version of all dialogue so it might later be played on network TV (which boggles my mind).

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

I have to know - which use of the word "fuck" was it that you noticed. Shiny Eds? I didn't really notice any of it, odd as that may sound.

And no, I don't *really* believe you're cool if you swear, though to listen to the kids on the train, that's what they believe! :-)

I remember once in a story I used the phrase "pubic serpents" as an insulting reference to the Public Service and that got cleaned up. They may have thought it was a typo, I guess. The eds never even asked me, just did it.