So as some of you might know I write YA.
Recently I wrote a YA Fantasy about a hard of hearing teenager whose brother is kidnapped. She grabs a horse and sets off after him because she is a BAMF. Along the way she meets a lot of new people.
One thing I’ve been thinking about recently is getting some more insight into experiences as a deaf or hard of hearing person. I’ve absorbed a lot online. I like to think I’ve done my research. But I know that nothing beats being and existing in a certain way and no research is ever enough. Nothing can substitute the unique slant we put on our own universes.
Anyway, all this is preamble to say I’d like your thoughts! Yes, you! I’ve made this google form you can fill out for anonymity(?)’s sake but if you want to email me directly (miahayson@gmail.com) or comment below that’s super cool too.
Basically I’d love your thoughts on what it’s like to be deaf or hard of hearing, what it’s like to interact with the Deaf community for the first time, and any challenges or excitements you think might be relevant to a YA fantasy.
Maybe you have a specific memory you’d like to share or thoughts on the topic or even a point you’d like to raise that many people miss. I’d love to know anything and everything.
I’m also looking for sensitivity readers after I finish this edit. Of course, you will be reimbursed for your time because it’s only fair (with money, to be clear). If you’re interested in that there’s a page on the google form to let me know (you can also just email me!) š
Here is the google formĀ <3
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Mia Hayson
Thank you so much for this Janie! I’m sorry it is frustrating, and for you an annoyance š
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Janie Junebug
As I get older, I hear less. I turn up the volume on the TV. I accuse my son of mumbling. However, Willy Dunne Wooters has profound hearing loss. Background noise drives him crazy. We turn up the TV as loud as it will go and turn on the subtitles. He becomes a bit irritable if I make any noise or even move around. He has to focus or he loses the story line because of not hearing the words or missing a subtitle. He can’t hear servers in restaurants. They ask him a question. He looks at me. I look directly into his face and state clearly what the question is. It’s not a matter of shouting. He can’t understand people because their voices are too soft, there’s too much background noise, or their voices are too high pitched. It’s very important to drop one’s voice into a lower register to speak to someone with hearing loss. I also have a friend who has hearing aids. They help her a lot, but they don’t completely solve the problem. She uses “tricks” such as sitting in a restaurant in a spot where a wall is behind her because the sound bounces off the wall and comes back to her. When she takes out the hearing aids, it’s very important, again, to look at her directly and speak distinctly. A lot of people are helped by seeing the other person speak. It helps me if someone leans over and speaks into my ear. And the speakers need to slow down a bit. That doesn’t mean speaking in an exaggerated manner, but they can’t run their words together. WDW becomes frustrated by his inability to hear. I haven’t reached that point. For now, it’s an annoyance.
Love,
Janie