Perspectives of a Fellow Deaf Writer: A Response to "What It's Like to be a Deaf Novelist"

I came across this article, showcasing the viewpoints of a writer who happens to be Deaf. She shares the issues and frustrations as a writer who does not have access to everyday dialogue, and how it reflects in her writings.

As an writer myself, I can relate to several of those.
I've been asked upon more than one occasion whether or not I think or dream in sign or English. Do I dream in English? Yes - and no. I would say they come in halfsies, depending on who I interact with in the dreams. What about thinking? I have been known to talk to myself, mostly in sign. But my internal thought process almost always is in English. Not spoken or written English. Just... English. I've never thought about it until now.

It is interesting that she brings dialogue up as a challenge to write. While I, too, do not have the opportunity to eavesdrop on surrounding conversations, I do pull dialogue from real life - from signing companions, texts, video recorded group chats, or through interpreter's paraphrasings. Moments where I had total access, I do come off as more authentic than when I have to guess on the dialogue around me. What I know comes mostly from watching TV via captions and from books. I find writing dialogue the most fun, and at one point in fifth grade I did fiddle around with writing never ending screenplays.

I had to laugh at the part where the writer was suggested to read her own work aloud. I too have been there, done that. Once, when a college professor made that suggestion, I kindly translated the essay in question and sent him the videorecording and suggested he try to read that out loud. (I think he did get the point - he never made that suggestion again while I was in his class and found other ways to make suggestions for my work).

I find a way around that suggestion by sending my work to both a Deaf reader and a hearing reader and have them both go at it. Both readers bring up differing yet interesting (and constructive) viewpoints. This is especially true when I share with a Deaf reader as the Deaf culture is known fro being blunt while hearing culture tend to sugarcoat their constructive criticism. Another reason for doing this is that I oftentimes write about ideas and language-based experiences that might make sense to one reader (the Deaf) but may lose the hearing reader, and vice versa. Can't make assumptions that everyone knows what I'm talking about, can I?

I too found it difficult to find quality literature written by Deaf people - and there are several reasons why this is the case. Do read my recent blog on this - "Writing About Deaf Characters". This is what holds me back from completing my (many) projects - still haven't found the right formula that seems to work well with the goals I had in mind.

Now that I know that I'm not the only one in the boat, I shall look over my projects and see if there's any that might be viable.

 *returns to the typewriter*


Link: "What It's Like to be a Deaf Novelist". http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/23/what-its-like-to-be-a-deaf-novelist