Comments on: Jill Sorenson’s Dirty Words

By: Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:11:24 +0000

Aw! thanks, azteclady. Hope you like it.

By: azteclady

azteclady — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:50:12 +0000

Congrats, Ilona and Katie Ann!

Jill, I just got your book today *happy dancing*

Thanks for the fun post!

By: Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:40:32 +0000

Haha, Karen. Don’t be ashamed of googling yourself. It’s perfectly natural.

And the winners are…Ilona and Katie Ann! Please email me at jillsoren1@aol.com with your mailing address.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your dirty words with me.

By: Karen Templeton

Karen Templeton — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:18:45 +0000

Oy, that’ll teach me to Google my name!

But I had to chime in, because in my upcoming August SSE, the heroine refers to her nether regions as “Funland,” heh.

And I’m weird, because I’m put off by purple prose euphemisms, clinical terms, *and* raw language in love scenes. Or I should say, overuse of any of the above — I don’t object to any terminology, cleverly executed for effect. When it jars, it’s generally because it seems out of sync with the character or tone of the book. As an author, though, I’m definitely in the imply-and-let-the-reader-use-her-imagination school. Naming the body parts just isn’t a high priority when I’m focused so hard on what’s going on in their HEADS.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:15:39 +0000

I can’t even imagine having to cut 1/3rd of a book! Though I would be really mad if every “clit” had to be a “sweet spot”- twice as many words! I really love the “Oh God” thing.

Congrats on getting a book published!

By: Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Clare, that’s a great site! I bookmarked it. Very unusual to see a guy do such an indepth study of romance novels. It’s like a thesaurus of euphemisms for everything from breasts to orgasms. Sadly, no mention of clitoris or even button. What’s up with that?

JaimeK, I would be traumatized for life! I don’t want to have any word forced on me, regardless of intentions.

By: JaimeK

JaimeK — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:43:09 +0000

You know “cunt” still bugs me – not as bad as it used to. I went to VDay a few years back and was talking to a friend who had done a monologue on all the names women give their vagina. I said to her that I still didn’t like the word “cunt.” When I was leaving the arena a group of women, who had over heard the conversation, whispered (in a loud stage whisper) “cunt, cunt, cunt” until I had left the building. So, I got over it a little…but I have developed other phobias… =] large crowds, large groups of women….

By: Ilona

Ilona — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:31:59 +0000

I tend to be very easy about the words used in books – it all depends on the way the author has used them. If they fit the character and situation I will accept most words including cunt, penis, vagina and cock. However what really gets my goat is the use of words that jar me out of the story because they don’t fit either the story (like cockstand in a contempory) or the character (like prick from a normally none foul mouthed female).

By: clare

clare — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:00:37 +0000

For me the importance would be staying true to the character and using terms that’d fit right with them. Though I have to admit I’m a big fan of purple prose it always makes me laugh.

Is it really a good thing when manhoods pulse or get engorged? I always feel maybe the heroine should step away and advise a clinic!

The following site is great for euphemisms; I don’t know how useful it is but it certainly threw up ones I’d not heard of and it never fails to make me laugh: http://home.epix.net/~jlferri/sexrom.html

By: catie

catie — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:59:38 +0000

Personally, I’ve always found the sanitization of “objectionable” words and phrases (i.e., woman’s mound, love button, pulsing manhood, etc.) utterly ridiculous. Call a spade a spade for crying out loud! (In other words, I don’t have a problem with writers who use “coarse” language in their depictions of lovemaking/sex)…but hey, that’s just me.