like...writing and stuff

I’ve been meaning to sit down and really address the question about whether you’d write sign language like a foreign language for a long time. Now seems as good a chance as any ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sign Language in Writing (Or: “Why I’m against the use of italics”)

[gif source]

In The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton, a deaf author, she treats the sign language like any other spoken dialogue: with dialogue marks, no italics. It’s the same in The Shape of Water (novel), which handles sign language excellently. In both books, the sign language reads as part of the conversation. It’s natural, fits in with the narrative and the spoken dialogue, and puts ASL/BSL on the same level as its spoken cousin. Giving signed and spoken dialogue equal treatment also means that the characters receive equal treatment. 

Reading Hearthstone’s dialogue in Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer, however… the italics put too much emphasis on everything he says. It’s like there’s an invisible divide, with all the spoken dialogue on one side and the signed stuff on the other. When you’re deaf and have lived with people treating sign language as “glorified hand gestures” or saying “it’s not a language, it’s just making motions with your hands” or, worst of all, “don’t sign at me, use your words” — then seeing signed dialogue in italics without speech punctuation just reinforces the surrounding sense of “otherness”. 

SLs are definitely languages in their own right, and that’s how we should treat it in writing. But whether they’re foreign languages? That’s a topic of huge debate. If you want to read an impartial view on both sides of the debate, read this article. The biggest voices seem to come from linguists, however, which raises the question: are (hearing) linguists the people we should listen to about representing sign language & deaf culture? 

I’m inclined to say no. 

In writing, it’s important to understand the argument about sign language’s foreign status, but only so you can get a good sense of the environment that a d/Deaf sign-speaking character exists in. Outside of that, listen to d/Deaf people and follow examples from d/Deaf writers (Like Rosamund Lupton!). Our voices should trump those of hearing “experts” on our culture any day, but especially in matters of representation in writing. 

For me, BSL doesn’t feel foreign. It’s a language that comes from Britain, where I live, and blends seamlessly with reading and writing, despite differences in grammar & syntax. I could speak BSL before I could speak orally. In my mind, both languages twine around one another like ivy on a tree. They might have separate cultures, but as far as I’m concerned, these languages coexist. 

Honestly, it sounds so much better than “art block”. To me, “creative hibernation” sounds less like a negative thing and more like an organic part of the creative process. 

“Art block” sounds very definite. They sound like something you MUST actively fight against to break them down in order to continue. “Hibernation” on the other hand sounds more like a thing that happens every now and then but that will go away on its own when it’s time. It’s a stage of gathering energy for the next creative pursuit. Art block on the other hand is an artificial, mental block that actually just seems to solidify the more you treat it like an obstacle to get around.

I’ve decided to run an event.

For October, I’m calling it “Writober” or, for more fun, The Night of The Living Writer!

I think I’ve seen a few of these floating around the inter-webs but, hey! Why not have another?

It’s 31 days of prompts and writing starters to get everyone writing something, no matter how big or small!

you know those posts that are like, “remember when we used to read books and now we all have no attention span because of the internet.” then there’s the very contrived advice that’s like, “if you want to be a writer you have to read”??

well i think they’re completely true but they also really suck, and we of the youngish adult writers of 2018 have it pretty hard, especially those of us in fandom who enjoy reading fanfic more than original fic because it’s mostly tagged properly and possesses the emotional catharsis we’re looking for, pretty much guaranteed.

that said, i think it’s really important – whether you write fanfic, ofic, or both – to read traditionally published work, in part because it can help better inform your fanfic, but also because it will help develop your writing overall. and if you’re interested in ofic, it’s pretty much a necessity to read.

so, i just graduated from an MFA program in creative writing, and contrary to popular opinion, the MFA does not actually teach you how to write. it gives you space to write, and mostly, it teaches you how to read as a writer.

so here is everything i’ve learned about reading as a writer over the past two years:

you do not have to read anything you don’t want to read

part of the problem with “read everything you can!” advice is that there is a lot of stuff out there, and a ton of it doesn’t jive with your interests. moreover, there’s a kind of pressure to read the Classics just to say you’ve read them when in fact a lot of them are boring, irrelevant, and dare i say overrated. so here is me giving you permission: you don’t have to pick up Hemingway or Faulkner or whoever else to be a good writer. life is too short to force yourself to read dead white dudes.

if a book doesn’t grab you by the first 10%, put it down

this is what has helped me more than anything else as a reader, because i found i would commit myself to a boring book and then never want to read it, so i would stop reading for months at a time. so, when you pick out a book, go to the last page and check the number. promise yourself you’ll read 10% of the book. 400 pages? read to page 40 and ask yourself, “do i really want to turn the page? if i put this book down, would i want to pick it back up again later?” if the answer is no, return it to the library or wherever you got it. try the next book in your pile. your TBR list is long; be merciless. 

but if you want to make it look like you read the book…

commit to 25%. then go to the wikipedia article, read the plot summary, and fast forward to the last 10-15 pages. bam. you’ve more or less read the book. bonus points if you watch the movie, too. so if you’re really committed to reading Ulysses or whatever but you don’t want to slog through it, you can digest enough to be able to hold a conversation about it in a few hours and move on with your life. you can even pretend you enjoyed it and found it a formative reading experience that helped shape your understanding of the work of fiction, really, absolutely groundbreaking, etc etc. this is especially helpful if you find yourself anywhere in the literary sphere because other writers will expect you to be familiar with the canon. 

read selfishly and take tools from everything you read

when you read anything, even the stuff you don’t like, ask yourself, “what tools can i take for my own writing?” let’s say you really love the plot structure – write it down somewhere so you remember to try it out for your own story. if you love the lyricism of the sentences, find a few sentences you really like and jot them down by hand, inspect what about them makes you love them so much. steal aspects of characters you admire, pacing, conflict, stakes. steal as much as you can without stealing the words themselves. you can even use this for things you don’t like by rephrasing the question: “what is it about this story i would like to avoid in my own work?” pivot every single thing you read to be about you and your writing. take notes. mark up and highlight your book if you have to. reading as a writer is not a passive activity but an active one. you’re not being entertained, you’re learning. so let published works teach you. 

carve time out of your day to read

at 7pm every day, i put my phone down and pick up an actual physical book. this is my personal preference – i have no beef at all with ebooks, but honestly, i get so tired of staring at lit screens all day, and paper books without the distraction of my phone is such a nostalgic feeling for me, back when i was 14 and the library was my second home and if someone wanted my attention they had to call me on a landline. if you had the same upbringing, dedicating some time to read a physical book will do you wonders. if ebooks are your thing, it’s still important to schedule reading time for yourself, not as an obligation to uphold, but as something to do that’s good for you and that you enjoy. 

write letters to your favorite authors!!

seriously. if you love a book, let the author know. they will not be annoyed or upset. they will be thrilled. it’s a good way to network with other writers, and it’s a great practice of literary citizenship.

when someone recommends a book to you, ask why

this is something i’ve only recently learned to do, as someone who gets book recommendations pretty much constantly. if the person knows you decently, i don’t think it’s out of line to ask, “what would i specifically like about this?” because then that will tell if you if the person is only recommending it because they like it, not because they think you’ll like it. if the person knows your writing, it’s fair to ask, “how is this book in conversation with my work?” so you have a head start in the kinds of tools you’ll want to take from it. 

follow your aesthetic instincts

as a writer, honing your aesthetic will always be one of your highest aims, which means constantly seeking out writers whose aesthetics you admire and analyzing what it is you admire about it. “aesthetic” is kind of a vague term, but it refers to your overall vibe – the things you write about and why you write about them. my aesthetic is more or less “midwestern class warfare meets sexual identity crises with a lot of dark humor,” so i tend to look for other writers who share facets of that aesthetic and i inspect what’s working for them, where they publish, what their influences are, etc. i try to read both within my aesthetic but also far outside of it too. for example, i love historical fiction but i know i’ll never, ever write it. but i appreciate the aesthetic, and i can take tools from it like dedication to detail, internal conflicts, etc.

read short fiction (please)

this is my personal plea. short stories are a great way to find authors whose work is in conversation with yours, so that you can then go check out their novels with a good idea already of what you like about them. short stories are all over the internet via literary and genre mags. they’re a much smaller commitment than novels and tend to have just as much emotional impact (if done well) as novels. more importantly you’ll always have recs for your friends, and it’s a lot easier getting someone to read a 6k story you enjoyed than a 60k novel.

resources

don’t have time to read but like to listen? try the new yorker fiction and writers’ voice podcasts

like marking up books but don’t want to buy them new? check out thriftbooks (my favorite site on the internet – the link here will get you 15% off!)

finished a book you like but don’t know what to read next? try what should i read next

want to stay apprised of the goings on in the modern literary community? subscribe to the lithub newsletter and arts & letters daily, two newsletters i’ve been subscribed to for years 

as always i’m glad to answer any questions! happy reading!

—

i am made of the gods’ elements, wilted petal and apple core, an aubade to the ages, a caveat of flint, a cacophony of eternity–i am the universe, a spiraling, silent, sumptuous thing, and this is my genesis

Rules: List three things that makes your OCs happy.

Tagged by the magnificent @cookiecuttercritter Thank you!

Jackson: The smell of bookstores, waves crashing against the shore, silent moments with friends

Luna: The color lime green, critiquing movies, amusement parks

Zeke: Candy, collecting key chains, and kisses

Walker: Pictures of thunderstorms, cartoons, brown eyes

Mari: The color hazel, new weapons, pink lemonade

Havette: Scotch, old leather bound books, teaching people (especially kids)

I tag: @inkwellprincess @toofabulousforthissinfulearth @v-writes-sometimes @justanotherteenagewriter AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO! Also sorry if you don’t want to and I tagged you, not forcing y'all or anything don’t worry.

I FINALLY DID ANOTHER TAG! Check that off my Tumblr checklist. Now just when will I get around to editing my details so people can actually learn about my dumb WIP…