Checking that terminology used in fantasy is correct
Hello! I'm writing a fiction novel and opted to make the setting in St. Petersburg. Many of the characters I use speak Russian and I want to make sure I'm using words correctly and not sounding incredibly stupid.
For terms of endearment, I frequently use *dorogaya* to refer to someone as darling. I've also used *moya lyubov* to refer to someone as "my love."
I use a number of swear words in the novel and want to make sure that they are placed correctly. Frequently in English someone will yell out "fuck" when upset. Would it be grammatically correct to use the equivalent in the same place? Would I use the direct translation or is there an alternative that would be used instead?
For derogatory terms, I've used direct translations. These have only been used between people who are familiar with one another. I just don't know if there's another way to get the insult across in the way we would call someone an asshole or a bastard.
Edit: I chose Russia for many reasons but at this point I would have to rewrite over 200 pages to change the location. I just don't want to offend or sound stupid when I finally do get the guts to post it somewhere.