Hi everyone,
Allow me to try to explain my situation without putting my foot in my mouth. Which I am very good at doing. I have some questions.
I am writing a piece of fantasy where the main character, Annie, is deaf. However, she has magical powers which give her special talents, one being that she is telepathic. As Annie is the youngest in her family, she's always been the "baby", and as a result she has been surrounded by others with powers similar to hers for most of her life (the only difference being that their telepathy is very limited, to others in the family with magic, whereas Annie is able to hear anyone's thoughts). And so, by age 27, she's in complete control of her powers ... just not entirely in control of her life. She has a happy, loving family, and a fantastic job, but no love prospects on the horizon (which any girl, alone at 27 and feeling it, is bound to get a bit depressed about).
This story is set in our world, so Annie also has to deal with the "typical" challenges of being deaf, yet with the added dimension of being able to hear the thoughts of the person she is speaking to. By this point in her life, she only listens in if she feels it could be useful -- her job is in customer relations or dispute negotiations of some sort (I'm still working on that one). And unfortunately, she sometimes encounters people who think negative thoughts regarding the fact that she is deaf, especially people who meet her for the first time. Therefore, though she rarely admits it to anyone, she has low self-esteem on certain issues.
For example, she has "overheard" people react negatively to when she speaks aloud. It happened enough in high school that she very rarely does it now. She has schooled herself to be completely silent, though every so often when she laughs, she still laughs aloud, because laughter is something that happens without control. She honestly believes that people think she is ugly. She isn't, of course, and one of the themes of the story is that she learns that she is, in fact, beautiful. The person who eventually falls in love with her (and she him) is not deaf, and he loves every part of her.
They endure adventure and suspense and all that, as this is a fantasy novel, but that's to be expected.
Okay, long-winded explanation complete. To be blunt, I have absolutely no knowledge or experience in this subject area. Annie came to me as the character of a small girl in another story, and I've found she intrigues me enough that I want to explore how she lives her adult life. So far, I have only been following my "writer instincts" and what I know about basic human traits, especially self-esteem. So my first question (and the one I have been worrying about most), is this: does the story seem plausible? More importantly, would a deaf person reading this story be offended?
My other questions are technical. For one, Annie uses the services of an interpreter. Annie is also very well-known for her explosive temper and the story starts with her meeting a new interpreter - her fifth in the past year. How does one go about acquiring a translator? Are they supplied through the government, or through independent agencies? Is it different in Canada? (That's where the story is set.) Also, for interpreters and deaf people alike, does a common concern for the health of one's hands exist, given that they are one's "voice"?
Secondly, regarding sign language ... is there a way to "emphasize" words? I have a line written where the translator says, "Don't worry, they told me that you're always in a bad mood." Currently I have Annie react to the stress on the word "always", because she doesn't know how he emphasizes it. The truth in the story is that he turns out to be like her -- with magical powers and telepathic, something that until now, he hasn't realized has helped his career path -- but I want it to be addressed realistically. If there is a way to emphasize words, I can change the sentence.
I hope I've managed to write this post without putting my foot in my mouth, but as I have said, I know almost nothing about being deaf. That is why I came here. It's my hope that someone here will be able to assist me in creating a realistic character, not some stereotype who offends the very people she is supposed to be like!
Allow me to try to explain my situation without putting my foot in my mouth. Which I am very good at doing. I have some questions.
I am writing a piece of fantasy where the main character, Annie, is deaf. However, she has magical powers which give her special talents, one being that she is telepathic. As Annie is the youngest in her family, she's always been the "baby", and as a result she has been surrounded by others with powers similar to hers for most of her life (the only difference being that their telepathy is very limited, to others in the family with magic, whereas Annie is able to hear anyone's thoughts). And so, by age 27, she's in complete control of her powers ... just not entirely in control of her life. She has a happy, loving family, and a fantastic job, but no love prospects on the horizon (which any girl, alone at 27 and feeling it, is bound to get a bit depressed about).
This story is set in our world, so Annie also has to deal with the "typical" challenges of being deaf, yet with the added dimension of being able to hear the thoughts of the person she is speaking to. By this point in her life, she only listens in if she feels it could be useful -- her job is in customer relations or dispute negotiations of some sort (I'm still working on that one). And unfortunately, she sometimes encounters people who think negative thoughts regarding the fact that she is deaf, especially people who meet her for the first time. Therefore, though she rarely admits it to anyone, she has low self-esteem on certain issues.
For example, she has "overheard" people react negatively to when she speaks aloud. It happened enough in high school that she very rarely does it now. She has schooled herself to be completely silent, though every so often when she laughs, she still laughs aloud, because laughter is something that happens without control. She honestly believes that people think she is ugly. She isn't, of course, and one of the themes of the story is that she learns that she is, in fact, beautiful. The person who eventually falls in love with her (and she him) is not deaf, and he loves every part of her.
They endure adventure and suspense and all that, as this is a fantasy novel, but that's to be expected.
Okay, long-winded explanation complete. To be blunt, I have absolutely no knowledge or experience in this subject area. Annie came to me as the character of a small girl in another story, and I've found she intrigues me enough that I want to explore how she lives her adult life. So far, I have only been following my "writer instincts" and what I know about basic human traits, especially self-esteem. So my first question (and the one I have been worrying about most), is this: does the story seem plausible? More importantly, would a deaf person reading this story be offended?
My other questions are technical. For one, Annie uses the services of an interpreter. Annie is also very well-known for her explosive temper and the story starts with her meeting a new interpreter - her fifth in the past year. How does one go about acquiring a translator? Are they supplied through the government, or through independent agencies? Is it different in Canada? (That's where the story is set.) Also, for interpreters and deaf people alike, does a common concern for the health of one's hands exist, given that they are one's "voice"?
Secondly, regarding sign language ... is there a way to "emphasize" words? I have a line written where the translator says, "Don't worry, they told me that you're always in a bad mood." Currently I have Annie react to the stress on the word "always", because she doesn't know how he emphasizes it. The truth in the story is that he turns out to be like her -- with magical powers and telepathic, something that until now, he hasn't realized has helped his career path -- but I want it to be addressed realistically. If there is a way to emphasize words, I can change the sentence.
I hope I've managed to write this post without putting my foot in my mouth, but as I have said, I know almost nothing about being deaf. That is why I came here. It's my hope that someone here will be able to assist me in creating a realistic character, not some stereotype who offends the very people she is supposed to be like!