I have this character since 2014, his name is Alan. He's not human, he got wings and a tail, just like an owl. He's also very shy, so one day I had the feeling that a should make him more special… I'm still deciding if he just can't talk (for some reason) or if he is deaf.
The problem is that drawing the gestures of the sign language is easier than writting them.
How can I make those gestures not boring or repetitive to read?
Describing body language and facial expressions will be key if your character can't speak. Heck, it's important even if the character can speak. You can also use it as the dialogue it is.
Even though a signed sentence may not equal exactly how someone would speak it, I believe the reader would understand.
For example, you could write: Alan signed, "Where do you want to meet?" His hands flared wide as he gestured, showing how excited he was.
There's also a ton of ideas/references on google for more examples. I hope that helps!
It helped a lot, the body language you used surely added a lot to the sentence. I see it now, thanks
And facial expressions are /very/ important in sign language, so it would help to note if their eyes are wide or if they're frowning
yes, I know! I usually draw his gestures and put a subtitle or he's best friend is translating what he is saying… but just writting the scene… I was very upset because I couldn't pass the same energy he has in my drawings! I thought it would be easier since I don't have to draw his hands all the time but turn expressions into words… Im just not used to it hahaha
I have a character who speaks in a sort of telepathic manner through feelings and images, and I imagine you could do a very similar thing with your mute character. It can go a few ways. One is to describe very subtly a few of the images (or gestures) he's portraying, as well as the receiving character (preferably the speaker) translating what it means in their own words. This can be difficult but is especially useful if they're just now meeting and figuring one another out. Another way (can be used in conjunction or alone) is to directly translate in a slightly 4th-wall-break manner (ie, with [ ] brackets) I'll provide a small example of each below:
She turned to look at him. He still hadn't spoken, but was now beginning to move his hands. What was he doing? It seemed like the gestures were very deliberate. Oh! Sign Language! He seemed to realize her confusion, and slowed down a little. Let's see… she knew that the salute-type sign meant hello… pointing to himself…some other ones that went too quick to understand…and then he was spelling! A…L…A…N…! That must be his name! She quickly followed to repeat "hello" and spell her own name.
Or alternatively:
She knew a few signs, and hoped she could infer his meaning. [Hello. My…..is ALAN] The missing gesture must be name - his name was Alan! She quickly followed with her own introduction.
As you can see, the second one is a lot shorter of a paragraph, but you can be hard to figure out how to embed and you lose some potential insight into the character's head. Sorry I got a bit caught up in the first one and neither is totally polished, but I hope this helps you out!
He could have aphasia, where he can actually hear he just can't talk. Everything functions normally except for talking. Not that you have to, I'm just suggesting.
I have heard of It but didn't know the name. Aphasia, I'll search that.
And what Lia Said about picturing It Will Help a lot since the main character (that is the narrator) doesn't know sign language at First. So the First time they met could be like that And during the story It evolves to a more smooth translantion.
Thank you very much for all the suggestions!
(I apologize If there's any grammatical error)
Glad I could help! I love seeing deaf/mute characters in stories, it's very interesting to me! I do hope you'll share this story online at some point because I'd love to see how it turns out.
