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Step 1
Make your use of profanity part of a greater theme. OK, we can't all be David Mamet, but if you are looking to make your playwriting more gritty, take a look at how the acclaimed theater and screen writer wielded profanity as a blunt object, almost to the point of parody. Mamet's plays do have a certain realistic element that students of theater across the world are still studying, and the popularity of his work hasn't seemed to suffer.
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Step 2
Try for realistic dialogue. This is a critical tip for all playwriting. You need to be able to show the audience something they can relate to by getting the dialogue right and imitating the actual flow of "street language."
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Step 3
Edit profanity down. You can sometimes get closer to realism in dialogue by writing, then looking critically and rewriting your dialogue on the page. If you feel you tend to lace dialogue with profanity, read it back to yourself and get out a red pen and cut. This will most likely make your dialogue stronger.
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Step 4
Be sensitive to your audience. Like with other art forms, in playwriting, you can tailor your style to fit the needs of an audience. Writing plays for a small community playhouse is often different than writing for a class or a larger theater community, where you may be able to get away with a lot more.
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Step 5
Always try to find a character's "base" or instinct. Practice writing from a specific point of view and try to cultivate the idea of a consistent character. Things like profanity will fall into place if your character instincts are right.
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Step 6
Include reasons for using profanity in your "artist's statement." Support your playwriting with documentation about your creative process and inform readers about why you chose to include what you did. This goes a long way toward making your play stand on its own.
