Almost Friends

        One day it hit me that we had reached the point of avoiding each other glance or at least I had reached the point of avoiding his glance. Six months ago or a year ago I thought he and I were almost friends but something changed. We were talking about strange dreams and visions of things that aren't there and then one day we're not. Of everyone in that group he was the one I thought would end up a real friend not just someone I sat there and strained to listen to.

        But then something happened. I knew he had said a few things that make me think about the world differently, that I admired him for these things. Because of this I had a small crush on him that scared the heck out of me. (Every time  I think admire I feel like Elinor in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility)

        I had a moment where not being able to hear matter more then I liked to admit. (I have hearing loss in case you didn't know)  We were  playing a game with the youth group at church and I wanted to help as one of the group leaders, but  the moment my group rushed over me and the boys started chest bumping I realized I couldn't hear or understand.  In the panic mode I looked over at my almost friend and for some reason he was looking at me. From the questions I had asked before we joined the teenagers it was clear that I worried I wouldn't hear. With that look from me he sent someone to help me.

       After a few minutes of the game I got over not being able to hear and went with the flow. It turned into a really fun game but after when I thanked my almost friend. He seemed embarrassed about something. I don't think he realized that when I turned to him and asked him to help me "hear" I trusted him. I don't trust just anyone with that knowledge.  It should have been a growing moment in our friendship but when he grew embarrassed neither one of us knew what to say anymore.

       I grew embarrassed that I dared to show him the degree of my hearing loss. Became aware of every time I misunderstood him when he talked to me and I asked him to repeat himself. Scared that in those moments my hearing loss shined like a bright neon sign. Time passed, summer and Christmas flew by. Somewhere between summer and the day I realized we reached the point where we avoided each other glance we stopped being almost friends.

       That day I forgot and met his glance, couldn't tell if it scared him or surprised him. But it doesn't matter, summer is here again which means the meetings are over. In time, we'll forget each other and he'll never know not unless by chance, fate or by God's hands he read this.

ROW80 Mid-week Check-in Writer's Voice

ROW80 Mid-Week Check-in

I read my 1st draft of Feathers (Working title) while it didn't have big plot holes it didn't have a strong plot. I did find a few scenes that suggested a stronger (I hope a stronger) plot.

I need to get rid of the love triangle between heroine and two boys, just make it one boy.

I changed the heroine's name again. It's was Stormy Anne, than Hannah (which make me think Hanna from the T.V. show Pretty Little Liars [Love that show] and while my book is placed in a small town, the best friend is missing possibly murder and who did it anyone guess I don't want it to also share a character's name)

Add a little Switched at Birth (Love this show too) and me into the plot.  My heroine is now hard of hearing.  I'm hard of hearing and see/experience the world differently why not write about it.  It might help me find my writer's voice.  (So of course Switched at Birth is one of my favorite shows look at all the deaf characters and actors and part of the plot deals with everyday things people who are deaf deal with)

Speaking of writer's voice I found a blog post on YA Highway by the author of Divergent Veronica Roth about Embracing Your Own Voice not changing it.  After reading it and looking at the parts of my 1st draft I liked I realized I'm a sparse prose girl and not a lyrical prose girl.  But I have learning over the years of writing that I love symbolism in stories and it show up in my writing whether I plan it or not.  In college ( lit major) one of my favorite short story writers was Nathaniel Hawthorne.  I'm sure this symbolism is part of my writer's voice.

All that dealt with my editing goals now my writing goals.

 I woke up Monday with a head cold I thought for sure it would hinder with my writing.  Nope. I think I wrote more thanks to this cold.

Since I'm working on my 2nd draft I turned to writing in my notebook.  Something about the drag of the pencil helped the ideas and scenes emerge on the page.

Funny what you can learn while being stuck inside by rain, cold weather, and a head cold.

Annie Laurie

You Met Someone But They're Deaf Now What?

You met someone but they're deaf now what?
Well don't give up yet.

You can always grab paper and a pen and write down everything you want to say.

Here are some basic "rules" if you will.

1. Look at the person and make sure they're looking at you. A person who's deaf or hard of hearing can read lips to a degree, but don't breath easy yet.  Some people who are deaf or hh can lips like a A+ student but others can't.  For me I can hear so I use what I hear and what I "read" to know what is being said.  Take one away and I'm lost in seconds. Oh and don't pull a Jim Carrey and use big movements you are making it impossible to read your lips when you do this.
2. Speak up in a noisy area but don't shout this make reading lips harder and it's insulting.
3. To get a deaf/hh person attention:
• Tap them on the arm or shoulder. This won't bother them. They're think nothing of it. It's a normal way to get their attention.
• Tap the table or hard surface where they sit.
• Stomp your foot. (This will not get my attention, but I have gotten my friends' attention this way.)
• Wave really big.  A person who's deaf or hh will notice the movement.
• Yell Whoo (I want to laugh as I type this one.) Yell whoo? You asked with a shocked expression. Yes when this person is walking away or just won't look at you. I dare you. (I wonder if you have to be around people who are deaf to get this one, but really I dare you)
4. If nothing else grab that paper and pen.

I hope this help if I left anything out please add in comments.