Agreed. So far, I have written four short stories and 2/3 of a novel. I am proud to say that none of them have any curses. I have yet to see the need for any.
To the best of my knowledge, the reasons so many people use cursing in their writing are:
1. To show that a certain character has "attitude" (think John McClain and his classic "Yippie-Ki-Yay, Muddah-BEEP-uh"). However, there are certanly other, less cliche'd ways to show "irreverance".... (Think Dr. House and his satisfying, ICONIC black humour.)
2. To show how tense a character's situation is. This reason is actually pretty legit, IMHO. Here, a 4-letter word has less chance of calling attention to itself. Still, it's best to tread lightly.
For the most part, Star Trek (on-screen and literary) is able to keep its language in the "mild" zone. Still, The F-Bomb, I think, is hardly justifiable, especially considering how Star Trek prides itself on a good, solid moral code....
I refer to David Morell, the man who created Rambo, and his excellent guidebook Lessons From A Lifetime Of Writing. His advice: "If a passage absolutely demands cursing, be moderate. A little bit goes a long way."
As a writer, you might be tempted to pepper your otherwise "boring" dialogue with hard language, but just remember: the reader didn't pick up your book to read garbage.
Again, you are right on.
