I have a mute character in the story I’m writing and one of my beta readers suggested I use italics when they sign so that I don’t have to keep peppering “they signed” or “their hands flashed” throughout the piece.
But like…I always read italics in a different tone like they’re thoughts. It seems quieter than using normal quotations which makes what they say look less significant on the page than other character’s dialogue.
I really don’t think my audience needs me to use completely different punctuation around a mute character. There’s no need to act like they’re speaking a different language since their muteness isn’t a focal point in the story.
So really this reader’s comment has done the complete opposite of what they intended. Now I’m actively taking out as many of my “hands flashed” notations as possible and just writing in normal body language because, clearly, the other characters understand them and my audience doesn’t need to be coddled.
As an HOH reader and writer I can affirm that once the signing has been established it can just be treated like “said”.
You can add little things for emphasis though, like how fast or flippant a sign is given, also a lot of our “punctuation” is in facial expressions, so wild looks is kind of normal. Also messing up signs and just.. pushing them aside. Like, you mess up a fingerspell and just take both hands and shove the air in front of you to your side, people who sign eventually end up doing this for other things, like a “forget it” motion. It’s like a “wave it off” gesture.
Body language for someone who signs is a lot more animated than someone who speaks, as we use our upper body a lot in our conversations, so the act of “signing” is more than just hand signals.
Yes….yes GOOD this is the good stuff right here. I’m going to incorporate some of these ASAP ESPECIALLY the pushing the air but to clear it of your mistakes
everyone that doesn’t already know exalted gets journeys
my moirail got serenities
i got battles, someone who knows exalted please tell me what that says about me
you preside over conflict and strife, but your chief concern is making sure the right side survives, whether or not thats yourself
oh nice i am super down with that
this was fun and poetic, and i got serenity, and i have no idea what in context it means so i’m imagining that it means i’m a spaceship.
@jumpingjacktrash the Chosen of Serenity are the servants of Venus, Maiden of Serenity, goddess of beauty, love, pleasure, joy, delight and all the things that make life worth living. her Motivation is given as “make all things come together as they should”.
sounds about right. not that i’m beautiful, but i sure do love people a whole lot.
objection, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and a bear-dad absolutely makes life more worthwhile and joyful. squashy comfy armchairs, just the right size for curling up in and napping, covered in afghans made of leftover sock yarn are beautiful, and so is you. What Sidereal are you?
Guide to Figuring out the Age of an Undated World Map.
No but take the time to actually read it because I lost like 15 minutes.
I have a friend who is really good at this type of thing. He once found an old globe at a garage sale and he was able to pin the date of it’s making down to like a 6 month window, because it only would’ve been correct during a specific point in WWII.
I was mad impressed, because I have no mind for geography. I can barely remember my own state’s capitol.
THIS IS GOLD 😂😂😂
This is amazing. Take the time to actually read it.
Holy shit the super specific things towards the end
Oh wow!
I didn’t know anything about the giant lake in California being created by accident?!