Hello!

[i_write_romance]

I'm not sure how to do this introduction. Honestly, this is my first forum posting of any kind. Ever. I suppose I should explain that I am not deaf. I know enough sign language to get by when I need to (I worked in retail for a while and had the opportunity to hone my abhorrent ASL skills to what ever ranking is just above abhorrent--seriously lacking, maybe?).

My reason for joining the forum is that I am writing a book in which the protagonist goes deaf. I have the utmost respect for the deaf community and therefore I am determined to do everything in my power as a writer to give an accurate depiction of what it's like to wake up and not be able to hear.

I would appreciate anyone who is willing to talk to me and help me to understand, though I know, barring waking up deaf at some point, I will never fully comprehend the experience.

The book I am working on would fall into the romance genre. Penelope is a seventeen year old raised in a complicated family situation. She's passionate about music. Well, most music. She's not a huge fan of rock music or top forty. So of course she's not at all impressed when she wins a contest (her step sister entered it on her behalf) that has her meeting one of rock's biggest stars, Simon Walker.

The story isn't typical of rock star romances, it delves deeper into the individual lives of Penelope and Simon, before they meet one another as well and their time spent developing a relationship. The story comes to a peak when Penelope is in a horrible car accident and wakes up with multiple injuries, including not being able to hear. Worried that their relationship will never be the same (they'd written songs together, with Penelope being Simon's favorite sound board) Penelope makes the difficult decision to hide her condition from Simon and pushes him away.

I want to depict her experience as accurately as possible. I am hoping that through this forum I can do that. I also look forward to just becoming a better informed individual and writer, and I would love to make a new friend or thirty.

I also wouldn't turn down any offers of people willing to read the book and give me insights into making it better. Thanks in advance.

Amy

 

[Bottesini]

I wonder why people who want to write about a late deafened character always make it a person passionate about music who then experiences lots of angst in the adjustment period.

Why never a plodding , pragmatic , engineer, who loses hearing after being hit with a high volt of electricity while inspecting a transformer? Who then discovers a heretofore unknown passion for becoming a PI?

 

[Annie09Z]

I wonder why people who want to write about a late deafened character always make it a person passionate about music who then experiences lots of angst in the adjustment period.

Why never a plodding , pragmatic , engineer, who loses hearing after being hit with a high volt of electricity while inspecting a transformer? Who then discovers a heretofore unknown passion for becoming a PI?

There you go, Botti, get started on your novel. Great story line. You made me laugh out loud with your post!

 

[Bottesini]

There you go, Botti, get started on your novel. Great story line. You made me laugh out loud with your post!

Too lazy! But all the budding novelists are welcome to my ideas at no cost...

 

[Annie09Z]

Too lazy! But all the budding novelists are welcome to my ideas at no cost...

 

[i_write_romance]

I wonder why people who want to write about a late deafened character always make it a person passionate about music who then experiences lots of angst in the adjustment period.

Why never a plodding , pragmatic , engineer, who loses hearing after being hit with a high volt of electricity while inspecting a transformer? Who then discovers a heretofore unknown passion for becoming a PI?

Because angst sells, that would be my guess. I write romance (not mysteries requiring the services of a PI, deaf or otherwise), and that often requires cheesy plots and lots of drama. I actually did consider making her deaf from birth or a young age (I have an acquaintance who went deaf following a bout of spinal meningitis at the age of three, he went on to be a ballet dancer), however I felt that it would be too presumptuous for me to try to write about something from that point of view. I love music. I almost always have it playing in the background, so I can at least imagine what it would be like to not have that anymore, at lease in the same way I have it now. However, I feel completely unqualified to speak for a character who was born deaf. I can't put myself in that character's shoes, so to speak.

 

[Bottesini]

Because angst sells, that would be my guess. I write romance (not mysteries requiring the services of a PI), and that often requires cheesy plots and lots of drama. I actually did consider making her deaf from birth or a young age (I have an acquaintance who went deaf following a bout of spinal meningitis at the age of three, he went on to be a ballet dancer), however I felt that it would be too presumptuous for me to try to write about something from that point of view. I love music. I almost always have it playing in the background, so I can at least imagine what it would be like to not have that anymore, at lease in the same way I have it now. However, I feel completely unqualified to speak for a character who was born deaf. I can't put myself in that character's shoes, so to speak.

Thing is though, I know several late deafened people in real life. Even though I am deaf from birth, I don't see the late deafened going around mourning music.

There are so many other things in life.

 

[i_write_romance]

Thing is though, I know several late deafened people in real life. Even though I am deaf from birth, I don't see the late deafened going around mourning music.

There are so many other things in life.

I can understand that, and maybe they don't mourn it. Honestly, I use sound to block out the voices in my head. I have ADD tendencies and it seems like music or even just white noise helps me focus. If I woke up deaf tomorrow music in and of itself wouldn't be a horrible loss, I think the hardest part for me, and something of me that I'm passing on to this character, would the loss of distraction. I'd have no choice but to deal with the voices in my head. Does that make sense?

 

[Otherwise]

As a young (or maybe young-ER) person who is late deafened and was very passionate about music, I can pretty much confirm that music really is the FURTHEST thing from your mind when you lose your hearing especially at that age. Of course I had a slightly gradual hearing loss which gives me a slightly different perspective, but the last of it went all at once. If I lost my hearing at 17 my problems would be more with my immediate family and friends who were absolutely clueless about what I was going through and what I needed from them. Coincidentally, at 23, that pretty much was my main problem.

There is a lot going on in a teenagers mind, especially at 17. It really depends on who your supporting characters are and how they react that is going to drive your story if the turning point is based on the car accident.

 

[i_write_romance]

As a young (or maybe young-ER) person who is late deafened and was very passionate about music, I can pretty much confirm that music really is the FURTHEST thing from your mind when you lose your hearing especially at that age. Of course I had a slightly gradual hearing loss which gives me a slightly different perspective, but the last of it went all at once. If I lost my hearing at 17 my problems would be more with my immediate family and friends who were absolutely clueless about what I was going through and what I needed from them. Coincidentally, at 23, that pretty much was my main problem.

There is a lot going on in a teenagers mind, especially at 17. It really depends on who your supporting characters are and how they react that is going to drive your story if the turning point is based on the car accident.

Thank you so much for your point of view, Otherwise! It's exactly what I was looking for when I joined the forum. Unfortunately, I think there was some confusion about the importance some respondents thought I was placing on music.

While the character, Penelope, is passionate about music it's not the main focus of the story. Upon realizing that she'd lost her hearing her focus didn't immediately shift to music.

The loss of her hearing is only one of her injuries, and music had always been her escape. A way to drown out the voices in her head, and avoid dealing with unpleasant situations. So at one point, while still in the hospital, she wishes she could just put in her earbuds and have the world disappear for a bit. There's no whining about never hearing music again.

In her world one minute she could hear, and for all intents and purposes, the next she woke up in a hospital and couldn't. Although she can still speak, she can't understand the people around her. She doesn't know ASL yet, the only member of her family who does is her stepmother, and she hasn't learned to read lips. She feels isolated, scared and uncertain.

After being conscious for only three days she's started avoiding having to interact with people, because she thinks its too much trouble at this point. And for some reason no one's thought to use a voice to text app to help with the communication barrier, but they will soon (I just haven't written that part yet). Then she'll start her journey learning ASL and what this change means for her life.

I would love to hear your thoughts about what I've said. And again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I know it may seem trite, but these characters are important to me. They've been living in my head for over a year, so it's important for me to get their story right. I really do want the story to be has honest as I'm capable of making it.

Amy

 

[Frisky Feline]

Just socialize with varied of Deaf, deaf oral, HOH, and late deaf then you will decide what to write.. good luck.

 

[i_write_romance]

I hate that the deaf community's experience with hearing people is so negative. I just think there is so much that we could learn from deaf community. I think ASL is beautiful, and when I see people communicating this way, I am frustrated that I don't have a better understanding of it. I know the very basics, and can carry on a conversation if the deaf person I am signing to is patient enough. I'm the one who is lacking in that conversation, not the deaf person. I feel inadequate. I think it's important to break down barriers, but that can only be done with the cooperation of the deaf community.