A long time ago, in a universe far far away
I did a post on this subject, though I needed a warning that the post went beyond PG-13. After all, how can you say what you can't say, if you can't say it? <g>
But I think the short answer is that if you are worried about a word, you should probably use it sparingly. After all, if it's making you pause and question, it will probably do the same to the readers.
In your case, Julie, I think your instincts are right on the word you are questioning -- it's been used a few times on the Archive, but generally in small doses and in more "serious" stories. So again, my advice would be to consider the context and the mood of your story, and make your decision from there. (Though if you really find yourself blocked because you need to know if a section would need to be toned down, perhaps you could request the assistance of a GE to give you a read on it -- ask on the MB, for example, if a GE would be willing to give you a few minutes via email to let you know if a paragraph/word would be over the line.) But I wouldn't let it hold up your writing -- either include it or rephrase it, whichever you feel most comfortable with, then just keep going! You can always come back to edit later, either before submission or after.
Kathy (who, as a matter of personal opinion, thinks that swear words don't usually "fit" with L&C stories because there was next to no swearing on the show. However, if you really think it's needed, you can often get around using specific words by saying "He cursed under his breath" or "He let out a string of expletitives", etc.
)
