《How to Write Stories People Will Love》Question 36: Dialogue with deaf characters
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asks: How do I write a dialogue between characters when one is deaf, and the other one knows sign language?
Sign language can be thought of as its own separate language, like German or Portuguese. It has its own grammar. But it's also an unspoken language, which is where the tricky part lies when it comes to writing it.
When writing spoken dialogue, we surround what was said in quotations marks. "It looks like this," I said. When a character is sharing unspoken thoughts with the reader, they are italicized. Telepathy is often expressed in italics too. Shut up, Zoe. We're not talking about telepathy. With sign language, we can use a hybrid of the two, putting italicized text within quotation marks.
Here's an excerpt from Laura Brown's traditionally published book, Signs of Attraction, to demonstrate what this might look like:
---
Val's hand landed on the table with enough force that I felt the vibration. Eyes on me, she signed, "When's the last time he picked up a new friend?"
"Shit," Tanner signed before grabbing a menu.
"Beth." Willow bounced in the seat, the movement traveling from her end of the booth to mine.
I fisted my hands and gave the table one swift pound. "It's my birthday. We are not talking about Beth today." I preferred we didn't talk about her again, ever. But two years was not long enough for Val and Willow to let it go.
"Tell me about the new friend," Val signed.
---
It's important to remind the reader that these characters are signing rather than speaking. Show us with flying fingers and gesturing hands. If you'll note in this excerpt, the use of vibration also plays a big role in how deaf characters perceive the world and signal for attention.
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In movies and TV shows, when a hearing person is having a conversation with a deaf person, the hearing person often speaks aloud what they are signing. You could do that too, especially for the benefit of other hearing characters. Just make it clear. For example:
Tom's hands flew furiously. "You said you were going to pick me up."
"I know," I said while signing back. "My mom made me pick up my little brother, who got in trouble again." I glared at Jimmy, who had the decency to look down in shame.
Once you figure out the writing convention you want to follow, be consistent. Write the dialogue the same way throughout your story so readers can follow along without confusion.
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