[stylist] writing about blindness

helene ryles dreamavdb at googlemail.com
Wed Nov 12 05:46:57 UTC 2008 

Aziza,
I totally agree. That's why I intend to submit my work here when I've
improved it enough. I'm actually writing 2 stories now.  As I had to
split the plot of my original novel into two.  Both stories are from
the same environment but the plot was getting a little too much for
one novel so this is why I decided to split the 2 plots to create 2
seperate Novels. My problem isn't so much the lack of ideas. I have
plenty of those.  It's knowing when to stop creating sub plots. I need
to work a lot more feel to my work.

Helene

On 12/11/2008, James Canaday M.A.  N6YR <n6yr at sunflower.com> wrote:
> made perfect sense.  usually to write well, an author needs to have
> some detailed knowledge to work from.  or, some experience.
> jc
> Jim Canaday M.A.
> Lawrence, KS
>
> At 09:57 PM 11/11/2008, you wrote:
>>It is also up to the author's level of education and understanding
>>about the disability he or she is choosing to write about. I do not
>>hold a lack of knowledge against an author, I hold the fact that
>>they chose to write about something they knew little about in a way
>>that suggests they know more then they do against them.
>>If someone does not know about blindness it is not necessarily their
>>fault, but when they choose to write and make up facts in there mind
>>and try to persuade people that their "facts" are true, then it is their
>> fault.
>>I'm not sure if that made any sense, it did to me. Lol. (That
>>doesn't always mean much.)
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:03 PM
>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>
>>
>>>It is up to the author to paint their character as normal.  There
>>>are many books that focus on issues surrounding the mentally
>>>handicapped.  Is that because mental illness is more obvious, that
>>>some mentally ill people are more violent or because society has
>>>reached a level of acceptance of the mentally ill?  I think it is
>>>up to the author to create his characters in such a way that
>>>society sees them as equals rather than different.
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "helene ryles"
>>> <dreamavdb at googlemail.com>
>>>To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 6:11 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>
>>>
>>>>My book has blind characters in it. I think that there are so many
>>>>negative examples of blind and disabled characters in fiction that it
>>>>would be a good thing if blind authors with possitive views on their
>>>>blindness would educate people by including a character or two in
>>>>their novels.
>>>>As for me. I write to make sense of my world. If I was told the
>>>>publishers wouldn't accept disabled characters I would still include
>>>>them and hope that one day that would change. After all Van Goth
>>>>didn't have any of his paintings sold in his life time. But they are
>>>>famous now. Maybe people will be more open minded about the disabled
>>>>in the future?
>>>>
>>>>Helene.
>>>>
>>>>On 11/11/2008, Angela fowler <fowlers at syix.com> wrote:
>>>>>I wonder if writing about blind characters who are just ordinary people,
>>>>>maybe even having a minor role in the story and publishing it mainstream
>>>>>would help to transcend that divide?
>>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>>Behalf Of Judith Bron
>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 2:37 PM
>>>>>To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>>>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>>>
>>>>>If you are going to write about a minority, be that racial, ethnic or
>>>>>handicapped, you  might want to try publishers or periodicals that are
>>>>>dedicated to that particular genre.  Yes, there are times that you can
>>>>>transcend the divide, but you have to write with the audience you are
>>>>>writing for.
>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
>>>>>To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 4:34 PM
>>>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Jim,
>>>>>>You make a couple of good points here.  I am very conscious that, if I
>>>>>>intend to market a short story, having it be about blindness may turn
>>>>>>off a publication.  I do have several ideas that I've been sitting on
>>>>>>which are about the ironies of how blind people are viewed and
>>>>>>treated, but, as I say, I'm sitting on them.
>>>>>>Donna
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>For my bio & to hear clips from The Last Straw:
>>>>>>http://cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Apple I-Tunes
>>>>>>
>>>>>>phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244
>>>>>>374
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>>www.padnfb.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>James Canaday M.A. N6YR wrote:
>>>>>>>Aziza,
>>>>>>>that's one problem we're up against as blind people in this society:
>>>>>>>very very few examples or role models in the media, the books, etc.
>>>>>>>whether to write a character as blind or not is honestly not the
>>>>>>>first thing on my mind because I'm more interested when I have an
>>>>>>>idea, I want to write a story about some particular struggle, some
>>>>>>>puzzle to be unravveled.
>>>>>>>it is also important to remember that sometimes having a major
>>>>>>>character who is blind makes your story harder for some readers to
>>>>>>>get into, have the verisimilitude, because they don't experience
>>>>>>>blindness and don't know a blind person.
>>>>>>>so there is also a catch-22 about it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>***
>>>>>>>personal update:
>>>>>>>by the way I seem to be getting sicker with more of the flu-like
>>>>>>>symptoms getting very bad: headache; other aches; stiffness; etc.
>>>>>>>apparently I will get worse before I get better.  last thursday I
>>>>>>>started the once-a-week shot to treat my autoimmune disorder.  thank
>>>>>>>you for praying if you do.
>>>>>>>jim
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Jim Canaday M.A.
>>>>>>>Lawrence, KS
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>At 01:14 PM 11/11/2008, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>I suppose I could write about blind people better, but I read a lot
>>>>>>>>of fiction books, and most of them have sighted characters. I draw
>>>>>>>>from those descriptions, also in class, you don't see the teacher
>>>>>>>>teaching many texts with blind people in them. I think I can write
>>>>>>>>about fiction sighted characters as well as I can blind fiction
>>>>>>>>characters. I may of course be wrong.
>>>>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Angela fowler"
>>>>>>>><fowlers at syix.com>
>>>>>>>>To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 12:07 PM
>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I guess it depends on your frame of mind at the time of writing.
>>>>>>>>>While blind fiction writers can depict blind characters obviously
>>>>>>>>>far more accurately than sighted fiction writers, we limit
>>>>>>>>>ourselves if we stick exclusively to blind characters or blindness
>>>>>>>>>issues.
>>>>>>>>>As for articles, I've been writing about a lot of blindness related
>>>>>>>>>stuff lately. Its funny, I went into my historical research and
>>>>>>>>>writing class vowing I was going to write about anything but a
>>>>>>>>>blindness issue, and ended up writing about the way the ADA effects
>>>>>>>>>blind people. Go figure.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>>>[mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aziza
>>>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 10:00 AM
>>>>>>>>>To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I don't write about being blind either. I mean unless it's my
>>>>>>>>> articles.
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>But
>>>>>>>>>when I write storries, all my characters can see, and have other
>>>>>>>>>problems they must overcome in their lives.
>>>>>>>>>I don't think it's denial at all.
>>>>>>>>>Aziza
>>>>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>>>From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>>>>>>>>To: "Stylist" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:51 AM
>>>>>>>>>Subject: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I'm not in denial nor do I ignore the fact that I do have a
>>>>>>>>>> handicap
>>>>>>>>>>that I have to overcome on a daily basis.  However, when I am
>>>>>>>>>> writing
>>>>>>>>>>I seem to go into a different world.  I write about people who are
>>>>>>>>>>ill, some of my characters die and others fall into the clutches of
>>>>>>>>>>bad people.  If I say that blindness bores me, you might come out
>>>>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>>>>>an arms length of causes for my symptoms.  However, a person does
>>>>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>>>>>necessarily want to write about those things they live with and
>>>>>>>>>> rise
>>>>>>>>>>above on a daily basis.  I am fat.  Writing about being fat falls
>>>>>>>>>>under
>>>>>>>>>the same category as blind.
>>>>>>>>>>Live with it.  Fight against it as much as possible, but it
>>>>>>>>>> shouldn't
>>>>>>>>>>dominate every facet of your life.  Again, you may think I'm in
>>>>>>>>>> some
>>>>>>>>>>kind of denial, but I'm not.  I won't drive a car into a crowd, try
>>>>>>>>>>sewing a garment while it is on the back of my would be victim and
>>>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>>>>won't pretend to read the paper when I can't even make out one
>>>>>>>>>> picture
>>>>>>>>>>in the blasted thing.  Judith
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>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
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