Writing about a deaf person

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macgyvergrl

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I'm not sure if I'm putting this post in the right place. I'm writing a story where one of my characters becomes deaf, he starts out very hard of hearing but eventually goes completely deaf. I'm not sure on how to write signing or how to write his thoughts such as if he can hear his own voice inside of his head or feel the vibrations. Can anyone help me out with this.

I'm so sorry if I offend anyone with this question, it is not my intention. It also serves a dual puropose, not just for my story but to understand what things will be like for my husband.

Thank you.:ty:
 
Hey there, it depends on how well your character was able to hear before hand. I went from hearing overly well, to hard of hearing, to completely deaf within almost three years. Because I grew up hearing, I think in words. At the same time, I am also very creative and have known sign language all my life, so I also think in pictures. I think it just depends hwo I'm feeling that day and what I'm thinkin about. If your character really couldn't understand language too well, doesn't speak much, mostly signs, etc., he would probably think in pictures. If he is very oral (no matter if he stays oral or stops once he becomes deaf), then he would probably think in words and you could write it like that rest of the characters. As far as writing about signs, I'm not sure how you would do that. It depends if you want to explain a specific sign, or just want to make it clear that he is signing and not speaking.

Good luck on the story!
 
Not deaf/hoh but wanted to offer my two cents-

If he's going to stay oral, just treat him like any other character, speech wise. As for thinking... can't really answer that one, sorry. But, I've written with deaf characters before, and generally what I do is anything signed I put in italics, or single quotation marks ' ' vs. "". every once in a while just to remind reader's they're reading "signed" words, I'll add, "she/he signed." and if it's a simple sign, like "YES" or something, I'll just visually explain the sign.

HTH! Good luck!
 
Personally, I would not attempt to write it from the deaf person's POV if you are not deaf and have not experienced that perspective on your own. That doesn't mean you can't write about deafness, just write WHAT YOU KNOW about deafness. Write from your own perspective and understanding of being deaf. Your narrator can be uncertain as to how the deaf character thinks, and it can be made into an interesting angle for the story. But the minute you try representing a consciousness and perspective that you are basically just guessing at... well, then you're going to fail. I can guarantee it.

I've read too many books and stories, both by amateurs and established writers, that were unrealistic and not representational of the deaf experience and ASL. All of them were written by hearing people with little or no knowledge of ASL or the Deaf community.

I feel that when a deaf character is written inaccurately, it does a great disservice to d/hoh people. We don't need any more false perceptions of what it is like to be deaf floating around in the world. These are OUR stories, and we should be the ones writing them. If we fail, and we often will because good writing is so damn hard, at least it will be a failure based on technique, and not a wrongful perception.
 
Thank you all for your help. I will definitly use your advice.:ty:
That is exactly why I have asked the question here, I want to do it right! I want to give the deaf world the accuracy and respect that it deserves. I'm not one to guess at what I write, I do tons of research. I do not want to guess at this or I would have just written it. This is actually a dual project for me, it is part of my story and I want to understand what my husband is and will be going through. I think that if a non deaf/hoh person wants to write a story they should be able to ONLY IF they do the research and make it an accurate depiction. I in no way to disrespect the deaf/hoh community. I apologise if I had offened you.
 
No need to apologize. I just have strong views on this because I am: 1) a writer 2) deaf/hoh 3) I try to write about my experience. So obviously I have a little personal investment in it. But no worries; no offense taken. :)

Good on you for doing your research. Most people don't. But The reason I say write from you own point of view is because I think your perspective is every bit as interesting and important as your husband's during this time. I'd like to see more books written by hearing people that are about THEIR perception of deafness. Ironically, these are few and far between.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
No need to apologize. I just have strong views on this because I am: 1) a writer 2) deaf/hoh 3) I try to write about my experience. So obviously I have a little personal investment in it. But no worries; no offense taken. :)

Good on you for doing your research. Most people don't. But The reason I say write from you own point of view is because I think your perspective is every bit as interesting and important as your husband's during this time. I'd like to see more books written by hearing people that are about THEIR perception of deafness. Ironically, these are few and far between.
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I want to do that but I'm afraid of doing a major misconception on the deaf/hoh community and that is something that I DO NOT want to do. I don't want to write that he can hear his voice in his head if that is not possible for deaf person to do. Right now I can't ask my husband about that because he can still hear some. Like I said I don't want to offend anyone in the deaf community so that is why I asked. Thanks again for your points.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Personally, I would not attempt to write it from the deaf person's POV if you are not deaf and have not experienced that perspective on your own.
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I disagree. Writing and publishing are two different things. If you are writing for yourself, do it. Yes,you'll screw up, you'll put down things that a hearing person would identify with. But you know what, you will start to question. If you have someone who is deaf take a look at the piece you've written they will tell you where you went wrong, what you didn't notice, and what you did notice.
I agree, a hearing person will never understand completely, but trying to understand is a good thing. It is what writers all over the world do. A writer and an artist attempt to touch the part of the world that another person might not even notice.
You may be in the position some day of ghost writing for someone who doesn't want to write the story, but wants the story told. You would definitely have to walk over a mile in that persons shoes. I have turned down a few requests for people who want me to write a deaf persons story. I just don't understand enough, I am not part of the culture, I am not part of the community. I could not even put a realistic deaf person into my own fictional series. It doesn't mean I don't try for myself. Each time I write it, I store it and save it. Every once in awhile I go back to it. This is wrong, this is wrong, I should have noticed this or that.
You will rapidly find out that you have made assumptions, and learning about those assumptions is one step closer to touching that part of the world.
If you did try to portray a deaf person, and did it inaccurately, and published it, you would have less than a willing audience.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Personally, I would not attempt to write it from the deaf person's POV if you are not deaf and have not experienced that perspective on your own. That doesn't mean you can't write about deafness, just write WHAT YOU KNOW about deafness. Write from your own perspective and understanding of being deaf. Your narrator can be uncertain as to how the deaf character thinks, and it can be made into an interesting angle for the story. But the minute you try representing a consciousness and perspective that you are basically just guessing at... well, then you're going to fail. I can guarantee it.

I've read too many books and stories, both by amateurs and established writers, that were unrealistic and not representational of the deaf experience and ASL. All of them were written by hearing people with little or no knowledge of ASL or the Deaf


I feel that when a deaf character is written inaccurately, it does a great disservice to d/hoh people. We don't need any more false perceptions of what it is like to be deaf floating around in the world. These are OUR stories, and we should be the ones writing them. If we fail, and we often will because good writing is so damn hard, at least it will be a failure based on technique, and not a wrongful perception.
Click to expand...

Every person does not have the same experience when losing their hearing . No two people will react the same way. I was never apart of a deaf or HOH
community growing up. AllDeaf is the only time I been apart of a deaf community. My brother-in -law starting losing his hearing later in life. He is an artist and really never like to be be around a lot of people and hate talking on the phone. He does love to watch classic movies and he now has to turn the TV way up. Losing his hearing is hard for him but he does not feel like he is being cut off from people as he really never enjoyed being with people! I aslo knew a guy that like being people and going to church and when he started to lose his hearing he got a HA right away!
 
macgyvergrl said:
I'm not sure if I'm putting this post in the right place. I'm writing a story where one of my characters becomes deaf, he starts out very hard of hearing but eventually goes completely deaf. I'm not sure on how to write signing
Click to expand...

I think that instead of "He said" I would simply say "he signed" Describe the hand movements, facial gestures, and body instead of vocal sounds. From what I have seen, emotion is easily displayed when signing just as it is when speaking. I have been watching videos of signing. I'm sure there are books out there written with characters who sign if you want to display the signing in your writing.

(Jim's German was halting as he replied in German, "What do you mean?)
(Jim's eyebrows furrowed as he replied in Sign, "What do you mean?)

Otherwise it would be like describing a character who is speaking any other language, you just have to make sure your reader understands that this person is speaking another language

(Jim replied in German, "What do you mean?")
(Jim replied in Sign, "What do you mean?")


I hope I didn't make that confusing...
 
macgyvergrl said:
I'm not sure if I'm putting this post in the right place. I'm writing a story where one of my characters becomes deaf, he starts out very hard of hearing but eventually goes completely deaf. I'm not sure on how to write signing or how to write his thoughts such as if he can hear his own voice inside of his head or feel the vibrations. Can anyone help me out with this.

I'm so sorry if I offend anyone with this question, it is not my intention. It also serves a dual puropose, not just for my story but to understand what things will be like for my husband.

Thank you.:ty:
Click to expand...

Very hard of hearing means you can't hear alot
A little hard of hearing means you hear alot

I'm not sure which one you meant but it's a common misconception. :)
 
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