Profanity, Sex, and Violence in Fiction

A post by Bob Tinsley has led to a discussion on the appropriateness of violence, sex, and profanity in fiction. I commented:

[I]t depends on the story, generally on the expectations set up by the story. If a graphic, explicit, or profanity-laden payoff is called for, a reserved payoff is a letdown and vice versa.

It is possible to write hardboiled or noir without graphic sex, violence, or profanity, but excluding all of these may dissuade writers who would otherwise submit. One of the most important lessons writers learn is to write in voices that are most natural to them. If writers can't believe in or otherwise get into what they're working on, they often shouldn't be writing it.

Editors have the right to set whatever guidelines they wish, but it doesn't hurt to phrase them as positively as possible. The purpose behind guidelines is to *invite* writers' efforts.