A while back a question was asked in one of my writing groups and, as it’s not the first time I’ve seen a question of this nature when thumbing through the posts, I decided it merited an article of its own. An author had used the word ‘lame’ in the context of a character replying to a proposed idea as such.
Character 1: “I’m going to skip the party and just chill in the library.”
Character 2: “Lame.”
The author in question had then sent their work on to beta readers, one of whom came back and informed the author that by using that word they were, in fact, being ableist.
[Ableism: discrimination in favour of able-bodied people.]
The author was addressing the writer’s group to get further feedback in order to ascertain how other writers viewed the issue, so that she could make the decision on whether or not to remove the word from her work as the beta suggested.
Many of the group agreed that within the context of her work, the use of ‘Lame’ was perfectly acceptable and that for it to actually qualify as ableist, in any real sense, there would have to be the proper intent behind the use – something that was clearly absent in this case.
One member was brave enough to challenge the overall opinion, however, citing that people shouldn’t use the word because it could cause offence. They went on to describe an occasion where a friend of hers had used the word ‘crippled’ in her presence even though she was wheelchair-bound for much of the time. She cited that language evolves alongside empathy and that we have a duty to bear that in mind when writing, and that she personally would never use the word ‘lame’ in her work for this very reason. Several of the points that she made were, in fact, completely valid. In one sense, I applaud her bravery for coming forward and defending her beliefs.
The word ‘lame’ is most often used in today’s society to describe something that wouldn’t be good or enjoyable. When you take into account that it used to be the most widely used description for anyone with mobility issues, that does begin to sound pretty bad, doesn’t it?
I must admit that in my real life, I usually choose to err on the side of empathy and common sense wherever possible. That being said, in my opinion it is also necessary, as writers, to understand that the worlds which we write and our real selves/lives often lie miles apart in many ways.
One of the hardest things for any writer to accomplish is the formation of three-dimensional believable characters. Without these, stories are little more than a block of uninteresting text on a page. If we all only wrote characters with our own moral values, then stories as a whole would become very dull indeed. Basically, we would spend our days either writing stereotypical superheros or every story would end up containing miniature versions of our most pedestal-living selves. Let’s face it, were that the case, in time no one would want to read a single word we penned down, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears we poured into the endeavour.
The key to a great story is to have an incredible array of colourful characters who cover the whole spectrum from truest good to darkest evil. But, while bearing that in mind, our characters also need to be as realistic and true to their natures as possible, including when it comes to swearing, crossing the moral and ethical line etc.
In conclusion
Should you use ‘lame’ when referring to another human being in your day to day life, down at the local supermarket, maybe? Or in the schoolyard?
Certainly not in my personal opinion. To do so would be hurtful and rude in the extreme.
In that case, should you worry about using the word, in the ‘not enjoyable/not good’ context, in your writing because your character happens to be a teen and that, for good or ill, is the language frequently used by real-life teens?
Not even remotely! Be true to your characters, warts and all, as realism above all is one of the building blocks of a fantastic story! Still, bear in mind that using such language too much, just for the sake of it or out of context, will only distract your readers from the story. Little, and to best effect is key – live as your best self and write as your most authentic.
[If you enjoyed this and would like to see other examples of the author’s work, please visit her website: www.bernadetteflynnauthor.com]