Deaf characters in fiction

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Kimera

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Nooo idea if this is the right place to post this, but it seemed like a good fit, so here I go.

I am hearing, and I also like to fancy myself an author, although realistically I know my chances of ever getting something published are pretty slim. My question relates to a story idea I got recently and wanted to start working on. This story features a deaf character, and I basically wanted to get opinions on whether people think it is appropriate for a hearing person to write a deaf character. I do plan on doing a lot of research into Deaf culture if I do go through with this, because the last thing I want is to create a character who is unrealistic or a stereotype. Still, I wanted to get opinions from people belonging to the culture I would be writing about before I got too invested in my storyline.

Thanks for letting me ramble!
 
Kimera said:
This story features a deaf character, and I basically wanted to get opinions on whether people think it is appropriate for a hearing person to write a deaf character.
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Why do you need permission to write a story? Do you think Twain, Clancey, Dickens, James, King, or any established writers got permission from people from different cultural or social backgrounds before starting a project? Do your research and write from the heart.

Laura
 
I have to agree. You don't need permission to write about a FICTIONAL character. Like the above... Do your research. ^_^
 
a book was published some months back by deaf woman the focus of book was BSL/asl not sure which i forgot her name,i saw it on a deaf culture programme BBC.i did at the time post the name of book and author in thread about 'books'
 
Thanks for the input! I just worry sometimes about cultural appropriation and wanted to get a few opinions of the idea before I just steamrolled ahead :)
 
If you write about deaf/Deaf character(s) who likes driving cars with turbocharged engine, then I would like a copy.
 
I agree with the others. Go for it, dude. Since you're already considerate enough to oddly ask permission, then it seems you'll definitely do all the research you need to make your story and the character work for you. I wrote a Deaf character in a horror story when I was still in high school, before I even became interested in sign language and at a time when I knew nothing about Deaf culture or of the community. lol I forgot all about the story for a long time, then found it two years into Uni. I did some editing here and there to fill in some culture info specific to the character's life, but other than that I didn't find much difference in writing her compared to any other character I write. Have fun! :D

So is it action? Drama? Suspense? Romance?
 
You don't need to ask permissions, instead why not fire all questions at everyone here on the forums? It is plus addition to actually gather informations from an actual breathing person. Good luck with your stories, I hope you will treat your characters well!
 
The only time you would need permission is if you were writing about a specific person and wanted to do some kind of case study. But it's just fiction that you're doing so who cares? Have fun with it, you can make up deaf aliens, deaf dogs, whatever.
 
one of the writer of Star treck'wrote a programme with deaf man the protaginist it second generation,i posted it some time back but i sure there thread all about deaf signers in fiction on here,you have to look for it
 
I remember that post about the Star Trek episode... I watched the episode after that. Thank you for posting it!

I am also interested in this question about deaf characters in fiction. I tried to find fiction with Deaf (or deaf) characters to see how Deaf culture, ASL, etc are portrayed. It's kind of hard to find books with Deaf characters, or maybe I am just bad at finding them?

Here are some I've read:

Nobody's Perfect by Marlee Matlin. Cute book about a kid in school, middle grade fiction. She meets a new girl at her school who is mean to her and tries to make friends with the girl.

Hear no Evil by Sarah Howell. Main character is an amateur detective and the books (there are a few in this series) are mysteries. She sometimes uses her lipreading skills to help her figure things out.

The Smart Princess and Other Deaf Tales, short collection. Cute short stories for kids. All the characters sign. These are stories for very young kids about all kinds of things. Some of them are fantasy, some of them are science fiction.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. The main character is deaf and daughter of a CODA. She has hearing aids and her baby sister has just gotten a cochlear implant, but the parents used her college fund to pay for it, so the MC is upset. She becomes the manager for a high school rock band called "Dumb" and deals with high school drama as she tries to find a way to earn money so she can go to Gallaudet. She is mostly oral and relies a lot on lipreading (and her hearing aids) at school, and signs at home.

In This Sign by Joanne Greenberg. Old book from the 70's that I started but didn't finish because it was honestly too depressing. Deaf couple are the main characters. They struggle to cope with the hearing world, poverty, communication, etc. Maybe I will finish it but this one kind of bothered me, hard to say why.

I am especially interested in how ASL is portrayed in these books. Sometimes it is in italics, sometimes it is in quotation marks. I think I find this interesting because I'm still learning ASL, and also because there's no standard way to write it in fiction. Right now I kind of favor italics. I found it hard to tell who is signing and who is speaking in Matlin's book, because many of the characters do both.

I am always looking for more to read. I wonder does anyone else have book recommendations or thoughts on d/Deaf characters in fiction? I would love to know! Kimera, are you doing reading as part of your research?
 
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