mofoxwriting

[mofoxwriting]

Resources For Writing Deaf, Mute, or Blind Characters

Despite the fact that I am not deaf, mute, or blind myself, one of the most common questions I receive is how to portray characters with these disabilities in fiction.

As such, I’ve compiled the resources I’ve accumulated (from real life deaf, mute, or blind people) into a handy masterlist.

Deaf Characters:

Deaf characters masterpost

Deaf dialogue thread

Dialogue with signing characters (also applies to mute characters.)

A deaf author’s advice on deaf characters

Dialogue between deaf characters

Mute Characters

Life as a Mute

My Silent Summer:  Life as a Mute

What It’s Like Being Mute

21 People Reveal What It’s Really Like To Be Mute

I am a 20 year old Mute, ask me anything at all!

Blind Characters:

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters.

@referenceforwriters masterpost of resources for writing/playing blind characters.

The youtube channel of the wonderful Tommy Edison, a man blind from birth with great insight into the depiction of blind people and their lives.

An Absolute Write thread on the depiction of blind characters, with lots of different viewpoints and some great tips.

And finally, this short, handy masterpost of resources for writing blind characters.

Characters Who Are Blind in One Eye

4 Ways Life Looks Shockingly Different With One Eye

Learning to Live With One Eye

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Adapting to Eye Loss and Monocular Vision

Monocular Depth Perception

Deaf-Blind Characters

What Is It Like To Be Deafblind?

Going Deaf and Blind in a City of Noise and Lights

Deaf and Blind by 30

Sarita is Blind, Deaf, and Employed (video)

Born Deaf and Blind, This Eritrean American Graduated Harvard Law School (video)

A Day of a Deaf Blind Person

Lesser Known Things About Being Deafblind

How the Deaf-Blind Communicate

Early Interactions With Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

Raising a DeafBlind Baby

If you have any more resources to add, let me know!  I’ll be adding to this post as I find more resources.

I hope this helps, and happy writing!  <3

[mofoxwriting]

Her second-in-command laughed lightly at that. His ever-present smile still pulled kindly across his face. Yellow eyes cast back toward the castle, and he paused in thought.

"Jet," Ly-Ly began softly, "I think this is a good idea. Something about these people feels right. Maybe it's because that old, withered, windbag finally kicked it, or maybe it's because this king gave me a chance to say something."

"Just that?" Jet tilted his head curiously, his dark curls bouncing with intent.

"He smells of the Ocean."

Those words caused both of them to pause. Ly-Ly had feared the ocean for most of her life. Powerful though she was, she never could best a riptide. After some years of training away from the outpost, however, she had seemingly forgotten how afraid of it she was, and the smell brought her comfort. She had dreams of working on a ship, vivid scenes that filled her senses with nostalgia that was not here to have. To smell of the sea, this king was different from the others she met.

"You stay in the city," Jet advised suddenly, looking at their forested home beyond the gates.

"But I have to prepare the-"

"Fate has brought you here, Ly. If the Ocean is in that castle, then you stay and find out why. I'll bring the army here for you." Jet looked at his leader, he wasn't smiling anymore. "Destiny herself is beyond those walls. You should listen." He didn't leave time for Ly-Ly to respond. His form shifted, and a deep black panther now raced down the roads, leaving not a trace behind him. Ly-Ly was left alone with her choice, to follow the call of the Ocean, or ignore it. She brought herself to her feet, turning to stare at the cold, dark walls of the castle. Its looming shadow cast a deep cold on the land, but all the same her feet moved her forward. Whatever the Ocean wanted, she would find out one way or another.

"Hey, so what are your thoughts on the King?"

"He's a bitch and I like him."

[mofoxwriting]

Writing Tips

Words to Avoid

This does not include dialogue.

These can be used (of course, it’s your writing!) just try to make sure they are not overused.

❉

↳ tell & don’t show

➳ telling words force the reader away from the story; showing immerses them

➝ consider

➝ decide

➝ feel / felt

➝ got

➝ has / have / had

➝ hear / heard

➝ is / are / was / were / am

➝ look

➝ next

➝ notice

➝ ponder

➝ recall

➝ remember

➝ see / saw

➝ smell

➝ taste

➝ then

➝ think / thought

➝ watch

➝ wonder

❉

↳ extra & can be removed

➳ declutter your writing; keeping your story concise holds the attention of the reader better

➝ absolutely

➝ completely

➝ down / up

➝ just

➝ really

➝ totally

➝ very

❉

↳ vague

➳ don’t make the reader guess what you mean; show them exactly what you’re describing

➝ a little

➝ a lot

➝ about

➝ almost

➝ appear

➝ approximately

➝ few

➝ like

➝ lots

➝ many

➝ might

➝ more

➝ most

➝ much

➝ often

➝ perhaps

➝ rather

➝ roughly

➝ seem

➝ some (somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere)

➝ thing

❉

↳ absolutes

➳ don’t give the reader the opportunity to find discrepancies in your story

➝ absolute

➝ all

➝ always

➝ complete

➝ entire

➝ every (everybody, everyone, everything, every time, everywhere)

➝ never

➝ none

❉

↳ adverbs

➳ be as concise and meaningful as possible; every word you use should be the ideal descriptor

➝ anything ending in ‘-ly’

➝ if you’re using ‘-ly’ there is a better verb or adjective to use

➝ angrily, quickly, sadly, softly, suddenly, etc.

❉

↳ continuous action words

➳ these words reduce the sense of urgency; keep your readers hooked by keeping the tension

➝ after

➝ as

➝ continued

➝ when

➝ while

➝ ‘-ing’ verbs

❉

↳ transitions

➳ transition words allow writers to avoid finding connections between sentences, but meaningful connections increase immersion and flow

➝ after

➝ also

➝ anyway

➝ as

➝ besides

➝ even though

➝ finally

➝ however

➝ later

➝ meanwhile

➝ next

➝ so

➝ soon

➝ then

[mofoxwriting]

Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

[mofoxwriting]

Writing Tips

Descriptions in Between Dialogue

✧

⤠ how characters interact with the environment

⇝ moving something, picking something up, looking somewhere

⤠ how the environment interacts with the characters

⇝ weather, other character’s actions or movements

⤠ gestures

⇝ facial expressions, body language

⤠ shifts in position

⇝ standing, sitting, leaning, shifting weight, crossing arms/legs

⤠ physical reactions

⇝ body temperature, fidgeting, heart rate, character quirks

⤠ environmental descriptions

⇝ descriptions using the five senses, setting, character’s appearances

⤠ internal dialogue

⇝ emotional reaction to what was said, reflection of past experiences, connections to other characters/settings/actions

➵ I want to reiterate… descriptions using the five senses ; when in doubt, think of the five senses your character is experiencing and pick what best moves the story forward

[mofoxwriting]

So, I keep seeing ωĥīṬÉ ⚪️washed fanart of the Madrigal family and it’s driving me up the wall in frustration. Please spread this. And, of course, feel free to use this and share it! You can also repost this as long as you source! Thank you! 🙏

(Also, I love Bruno, didn’t mean to leave him out—I hope to do Bruno later—but I was too tired to edit him into the family portrait today)

[mofoxwriting]

She needed him to look at her. His back was hunched and cold as he curled away from the fire. She needed to see his eyes.

"Duke-"

"Don't - stop calling me that!" He finally turned to look at her, the many demonic eyes that dappled his cheeks pointedly glaring at her. "Maz! Just - Just call me Maz, okay?"

This was eating at him as much as it was herself. He knew the truth; he just refused to face it. He had different rules than she did, but they both had to bend to these. Even if part of this weren't against Hell law, the whole of it would be.

"Maz," she moved, the clawed hands of shadows reaching toward the brimstone burnt arms, "please."

She paused before she reached him, her fingers inches away. It wasn't wrong to touch a demon, but this was different. This was wrong. There was no lashing out to defend a mortal, no fight for territory; no, this was to be done in kindness.

"Wait-"

She caught Maz's arm as he turned to face away again. Her usual claws retracted, the shadows soft, she held his arm in her hand, waiting for him to look back, to face the truth neither wanted to speak aloud. Maz paused, himself, his many eyes cast away in thought. He did not pull back, his arm resting in the grip of the other's.

"Do you have a name, Darkness?" The question was soft from his lips, his voice soothing for the first time.

"I always liked it when the humans called me The Wolf."

"Wolf, then. Short and easy." Maz turned his gaze back to Wolf, her eyes soft to his. She wore a human face, painted on to blend in with the rest of the world she walked. Beneath, he knew she was much more like an animal than even he, with seven gaping mouth crossing her body, and 7 eyes that wrapped her head in a mocking halo. As a human, however, she was wildly less frightening.

"We can't stay here forever, Maz," Wolf spoke again, slowly releasing the demon. "After tomorrow, this will all be-"

Maz caught Wolf's hand in his own, holding her there desperately. "I can't go back..."

"You can't stay." The words fell from Wolf's mouth with pain, her voice cracking with every sound.

"Then we prolong this."

At last, Wolf pulled her hand free, casting her gaze to the far side of the fire where there was a third, a small figure curled close to the warmth in their sleep. "He can't survive another night like this. This ends tomorrow, Mez."

With a sigh, Mez pulled himself to sit next to Wolf. His barbed tail swept around, pulling his legs close to his chest. "Then we all go home? After everything, we just forget?"

"Yes, I will take Jay's memories when this is over, and you and I must act like none of this ever happened."

"He'll forget me, too?" Mez sounded broken. "Very well... I suppose it is for the best."

"We have tomorrow," assured Wolf, "let us make that the best we have."

(Hopefully, this makes sense to read. This is for a Sort of side story I was working on; nothing I feel is good enough for publishing.)

"I'm going to say something that is probably going to break your heart."

"Then don't say it."

[mofoxwriting]

[mofoxwriting]

minor tumblr user's carrd: over 25 dni!!

25 year old who was going to prey on this minor: oh damn 😔 here I was planning to groom them but i can't because of their dni 😔 what a shame 😔😔😔😔😔

[mofoxwriting]

chag chanukah sameach let’s get lit 🕎

[mofoxwriting]

Elf Host: “Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight’s episode of Casting Rolls, where a bunch of us fantasy creatures sit around and play nerdy-ass voice actors”

Various fantasy creatures in unison (but the orc is the loudest): “WE PLAY NERDY-ASS ACTOOOOORS!”

[mofoxwriting]

(It has been Forever since I wrote anything and shared it. Here's another bit of story from the Pox story I wrote about forever ago.)

Pox sat by the lake as he looked into his reflection. It remained twisted, a shape that was likely human once but now stared back at him a mess of misshapen parts. The once opened chest had healed with translucent skin; the tubes and vents passed sharply against his form. Beyond them and through them ran the blood those animals claimed to smell. It wasn't his fault.

"Should it matter?" Prey's voice was perpetually monotone, with no indication that she even asked a question outside of the order of her words. Her own hollowed eyes looked over Pox, void of color or even darkness. Pale, hollow spheres replaced what should have been eyes. She hardly blinked, hardly moved to acknowledge anyone, but there she was, staring at Pox with growing silence.

"I'd like to pet one," Pox answered his replacement. "I wish to learn what they feel like while alive. I want to feel a beating heart beneath the surface of skin and fur, just once. I want to know how warm they are..."

"Mammals tend to have an internal body heat of 97 to 104. Their vascular systems have a varying range of rhythms depending on their current emotional state. One can mimic this by-"

"Prey," Pox spoke, his voice breaking through hers like a rolling drum. "I want to feel it, not just know it."

"You are too emotional, PX-93; that is why your experimentation window shut. You have a second chance here to correct this malfunction; our architect was patient in letting this occur over such a long period. It is time to fix yourself, PX-93, or I will be ordered to terminate."

"And you don't want to do that?"

"I do not have a want either way."

"Just let yourself Feel something, Prey! Just once!" Pox barked, his voice straining under the sudden volume. The sound became mixed with static and whirring, filling the lonely lakeside while the grass coiled away from the heat. 

"You refuse to correct these mistakes." Prey slowly moved to her feet, her limbs unfolding into grotesque stilts where the once human body perched. "Project X will now be terminated, superseded by Project Y, superior life." Her hand reached back, eyes never leaving Pox. "Goodbye, Brother."

“Animals dont like me. They say I smell too much like blood”

[mofoxwriting]

If you write a strong character, let them fail.

If you write a selfless hero, let them get mad at people.

If you write a cold-heated villain, let them cry.

If you write a brokenhearted victim, let them smile again.

If you write a bold leader, let them seek guidance.

If you write a confident genius, let them be wrong, or get stumped once in a while.

If you write a fighter or a warrior, let them lose a battle, but let them win the war.

If you write a character who loses everything, let them find something.

If you write a reluctant hero, give them a reason to join the fight.

If you write a gentle-hearted character who never stops smiling, let that smile fade and tears fall in shadows.

If you write a no one, make them a someone.

If you write a sibling, let them fight and bicker, but know that at the end of the day they’ll always have each other’s back.

If you write a character, make them more than just a character; give them depth, give them flaws and secrets, and give them life.

[mofoxwriting]

TRUTH. What you need is imagination, and you don’t need to go anywhere to use it.

[mofoxwriting]

Horse terms for writers

Gelding - An adult male horse (3 years or older) that’s been neutered.

Stallion - An adult male horse (3 years or older) that is not neutered.

Mare - An adult female horse (3 years or older), used interchangeable for both fixed and unfixed female horses.

Pony - A full grown horse under 14.2 hands.

Foal - A newborn horse.

Weanling - A colt or filly that is 6-12 months.

Yearling - A horse between 1-2 years old.

Colt - A male horse under 3 years old.

Filly - A female horse under 3 years old.

Hand - Measurement of how tall a horse is, one hand = four inches.

Tack - Riding equipment.

Halter - Headgear you put on a horse to lead them, can be made of leather or fabric. 

Gait - Speeds a horse can got.

Trot - Gait faster than a walk but slower than a canter.

Canter - Gait faster than a trot but slower than a gallop.

Gallop - Faster than a canter, basically the highest speed a horse can go.

Lunging - Exercising a horse by walking them in a circle, usually done with a halter and lunge rope.

Lunge Rope - A long rein/rope used when lunging a horse, typically 20-40 ft long. 

Colic - Pain in a horse’s stomach ranging from mild to severe, can be fetal if not treated.

Cribbing/Windsucking - Biting onto a fence post and sucking in air, horses do this when they’re extremely bored.

Farrier - Someone who dresses and trims a horse’s hooves.

Bridle - Headgear used to control and maneuver a horse.

Bit - The metal mouthpiece of the bridle.

Frog - The triangular part of the inside of the hoof.

Rain rot - A fungal infection horses can get on their backs, easily treatable with antibiotics.

Mucking - Cleaning out a stall.

Hot blooded - Extremely energetic, excitable horses. Hot blooded horses are used for more speed driven tasks.

Cold blooded - Very low temperament, very relaxed horses. Cold blooded horses are used for more labor driven tasks. 

Draft - Large, working horses.

Feathers - The long, fuzzy fur on a horse’s hooves, usually found in Draft breeds.

[mofoxwriting]

Aren’t you just as pretty as a Magnolia in May.

The Princess and The Frog 2009 | John Musker, Ron Clements