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Csr Discussion Day: Don't Shout By Sasha Distan

Cia

Entry posted by Cia in CSR- Can't Stop Reading

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  1. 1. Which story should we read for our September CSR choice?

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Welcome back to another Discussion day with the Can't Stop Reading Blog Book Club. Whew, is that a mouthful. What isn't a mouthful is the story that is the subject of today's discussion. Quite a bit of the problem we're introduced to right away is that fact that one character doesn't talk at all, at least not out loud. I hope everyone is ready to discuss their thoughts about Don't Shout by Sasha Distan. First, though, we're going to learn a bit more about Sasha, who I subjected to another one of my interviews! :evil:

 


When did you first consider yourself a writer?
2007, the year I turned 20. I’d been writing since I was like 9, and writing online for all the world to see since I was 16. But 2007 was the year I wrote my first book. I entered NanoWriMo because my Godfather, who gave me most of my writing advice asked me to for his birthday. I entered, and I won. That was the point when writing stopped becoming just a hobby and started becoming something I defined myself by too.

 

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Mostly, allowing my brain to finish a sentence before my hands catch up. I tend to get overexcited, then you get lots of errors, especially continuity ones. I make no secret that I write quickly, as some people will know, I wrote the whole of Don’t Shout in something like 28 days flat. It took up half of February and half of March, which is why the weather that Cole experiences on the farm is so awful. Anyone in my part of England may recall that those were the two months where it basically rained every day.

 

The writing is fine, it’s the not writing which I find challenging. I don’t really think up my characters, they just show. If they don’t show, I don’t write. I hate not writing.

 

Do your characters try to make like bunnies and create ever more convoluted plots for you? Or do you have to coax them out of your characters?
No, they pretty much run with the story and I try to keep up and not burn my fingers. There were a couple of scenes that never made in into Don’t Shout (an awesome Cole-is-thick cinema moment and some riding-instruction stuff that was going to be building between Cole and his little sister) because by the time I’d gotten to the keyboard, the boys had moved on and there was something else to write down furiously.

 

So how did you come up with your idea for Don’t Shout?
The inspiration for Don’t Shout…. Is sort of tricky to explain. I was reading a story on another site (I didn’t know about GA then and I hadn’t found my new family here) which featured a boy who for some unexplained reason didn’t talk. It was appallingly written and I didn’t read more than two short chapters in which nothing of note happened but the apparent shy and mute boy had sex with his friend a lot. The whole thing was nonsense. I went to bed thinking “Wouldn’t it be interesting to write about a couple who maybe couldn’t communicate easily?”

 

And then there they were. The story, both the boys, Wilton and his (fabulous) guitar, Jared’s over protective twin sister, all laid out for my with about the first two pages, verbatim, of the first chapter, in my head. Then Cole turns and looks at me and goes “Well, get on with it.” So I did. I met a friend during NanoWriMo who signed, and she’d taught us a few bits. Let me tell you, she, and various deaf-signing YouTube videos, got a lot of attention that month. I bought a book on BSL and studied up. The kids (I teach) thought I was amazing and nuts. Sometimes we sign to each other in class, mostly emotions and stuff. They seem to think I rock.

 


What is your favorite part of Don’t Shout?
I have a couple of favorite moments. I love the end of Chapter 5, where the boys are riding Dune on Blackrock Farm, and the sun comes over the lake. I love that moment because I was there, Blackrock farm exists, under another name, and I have ridden my horse into that sunset. It’s a great moment to be in. The photos of Cole and Jared though are my favourite things though, the way they keep the boys going when they are physically apart. I can see that picture of Cole, in love, in his truck in the moonlight, so clearly I’m surprised sometimes that it doesn’t exist.

 

How did you find your way to Gay Authors?
Cannd. I was referred by a user who got in contact with me through a lesser site that shall remain nameless. GA came highly recommended and when I started branching out, I decided I wanted an actually community to branch out to. I like it here *sits* I think I’ll stay.

 

Okay, now a bit about you! I know you recently got married, congrats! Does your spouse read your stories?
Thank you, married life rocks.

 

Short answer, no. Long answer, he promises that he will read something I wrote… one day. He’s a proper geek, and it’s not really his sort of thing. I don’t write in code.

 

Where do you do most of your writing?
The biggest chunk of my writing is done on the sofa. I write on a little 10 inch netbook, and I have an ordinary sized PC playing music, movies, or episodes of old TV shows. I do quite a lot of writing on the train, at school at lunch times, and sometimes in the pub. The best place I wrote in was at The Workshop where I trained as a jeweler, lots of other people being quietly creative, good music in the background and whirr of dentist drills. The weirdest place I ever wrote was in the tattoo studio while getting tattooed.

 

Do you eat your vegetables?
Yes. I eat everything. But if a meal doesn’t have meat in it, I will lay back my ears and get stubborn.

 

And oh so very important … Chocolate or Vanilla?.
Vanilla with chocolate ganache sauce. But I’d rather have lemon sorbet with a key lime pie.

 


Thank you Sasha, for putting up with my questions! Okay... now I'm going to open up the floor to readers to discuss the story. Don't forget to check out the poll above and vote on your choice for September's CSR story selection.

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Kitt

Kitt 46,144

Posted

I would love a glimpse into Jared's head every time Cole made one of the silly mistakes signing that are bound to happen. I know how many I still make when signing.

  • Like 3
Lugh

Lugh 2,200

Posted

I would love it if you had an editor/proofreader read through this story... the story itself is quite good, however.... there are moment such as:

 

I shoved my fish in my mouth.

 

that tossed me totally out of the story and then made me laugh like a hyena.  Generally they looked like auto edit errors, however there were some grammar things too.

 

I really did like the imagery and the love story had me going awwwwww....  

 

 

so.... (because this was a topic of discussion a while back on-site) why specifically a deaf person? (and not just the stuff up in the interview unless that's all it is)

  • Like 3
Sasha Distan

Sasha Distan 25,249

Posted

I would love it if you had an editor/proofreader read through this story... the story itself is quite good, however.... there are moment such as:

 

I shoved my fish in my mouth.

 

that tossed me totally out of the story and then made me laugh like a hyena.  Generally they looked like auto edit errors, however there were some grammar things too.

 

I really did like the imagery and the love story had me going awwwwww....  

 

 

so.... (because this was a topic of discussion a while back on-site) why specifically a deaf person? (and not just the stuff up in the interview unless that's all it is)

 the manuscript has in fact now been fully edited by the glorious Kitt, but the shiny and polished version is going to be for the published book. that way, people who buy the work actually get something else for their money.

 

Why is Jared deaf? There are a thousand reasons. i knew a deaf guy at college and we were good friends. i always wondered what had happened to him. Because there are too many stories about 'normal' people. Because i thought it would be interesting. Because i wanted an excuse to learn to sign, and i knew someone IRL who could help with that. Because being the deaf kid (and by proxy, the chef-with-one-leg and the quadriplegic-jock) doesn't mean that you can't get a happily ever after too. Because there are seven billion people on this planet, and it feels nice to try something new.

mostly though, the answer is because Jared, deaf, lovely, sweet, experienced Jared, showed up in my head. that was how he was. it was not a conscious decision, very very little of my writing ever is.

  • Like 4
LJH

LJH 1,030

Posted

Just like HP showed up in Rowling's head in a bus and by the time she got home, the story had fully developed in her head and she began to write it. I love that writers can do that.

 

From a reader's point of view this time, I have to say that I enjoyed the story. It left me with a good feeling. However, during the story, I had mixed feelings, from irritation, to laughter, to sadness. That's important. I like to feel for the characters and plot. The part where Colt finds out that Jarred is deaf, made me feel like crawling into my skin. The signing...some of it, was really funny but as Colt got used to the signing, it took on a whole new meaning for me. Jarred's girlfriend really irritated me at first but she grew on me. Her straightforward don't play a game you can't follow through with attitude floored me, in a good way.

 

It's quite brave to follow through on a project like this. You really need to know what you are doing. I guess there was some research, as there should be.

 

I went away from this story feeling satisfied. Thank you for brilliant characters and a sweet, romantic plot.

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Sasha Distan

Sasha Distan 25,249

Posted

thank you LJH. 

 

Shelby was an interesting character to write, because i didn't like her at all at first. But her and Wilton, and Dina to an extent, helped to round out Cole and Jared's world very nicely indeed.

 

thank you for your good words. xx

  • Like 2
Daithi

Daithi 1,710

Posted

I found Don't Shout a truly unique story. I have come across some but not a lot of stories that include characters with disabilities I think this is only the second maybe third with a deaf character in it. I thought it was exceptionally well done in that not only could you see the amount of research you did. The story showed a great deal of signing  the lessons at the schools the schools itself. You could see the accuracy of the research you did, and because of this you also got the emotions the feeling behind the students the teachers and especially Jared. To me this gave a whole new layer to the story that really deepened the bond between Jared and his family but also between Jared and Colt.because of that background I could understand a bit more easily the person that Shelby is can't say it helped me like her any faster but it did help me with the why she was the way she was.  But take away the whole deaf layer and you still would have  a powerful story.  I really enjoyed this story it told a classical love story of a big hulking somewhat innocent farmboy falling in love with the quiet,small geek. But it was told in such a unique way that you made the story all your own. The difficulties of just meeting Jared getting through the tough protective barrier of Shelby, to learning to communicate with Jared was very well done. I hated what happened at the school its really the only thing I wish you had done different, the fact that Colt gave up his schooling without a fight and with no recompense was just wrong. Yeah he didn't need it he was way more successful than any of the other students that did it doesn't matter the fact that he gave up was just wrong in my eyes. Yes the ending made up some of it the brother coming back, to see Colt and Jared's son was touching and the success that the ranch showed was really gratifying .  The fact that Jared broke through is fear of learning to speak really was the icing on the cake. All in all it was a beautiful story the layers in it and the time and effort that was so prevalent made it one of the best stories I've read in a long time. Its different than your other stories but that what makes you such a good writer every story you write is different, even your demon series carry a theme but still differ from the other. I read a lot of stories and books but i only keep a fraction of them  to reread or collect this will definitely be a keeper for reading over and over again.  Good work pup and you deserve all the accolades you rightly should receive for a beautiful story.  Congrats!! 

  • Like 3
Sasha Distan

Sasha Distan 25,249

Posted

I hated what happened at the school its really the only thing I wish you had done different, the fact that Colt gave up his schooling without a fight and with no recompense was just wrong. Yeah he didn't need it he was way more successful than any of the other students that did it doesn't matter the fact that he gave up was just wrong in my eyes. 

 

Thanks Daithi. you always say such lovely things.

 

This 'leaving without a fuss' style of things is actually based off similar but less awful experience and circumstance.

the idea being that everything the Sathie family, and families like them have, is wrapped up in their reputation as honest and hard working people with knowledge and skills. To Cole and his family, justice was served in the form of Cole being the living daylights out of those who had disrespected him. dragging another person or institution through the mud would just show them to be petty. there is not enough time in Cole's world for people who are petty. you deal with it, and then you move on.

i hope that clears some things up.

  • Like 3
Daithi

Daithi 1,710

Posted

 Fully understood why when I read it and your explanation now, but I do not have to like it. I'm slightly vindictive and am not one to take things lying down.  Yes I may try to follow a saying that I always keep in mind to the tune of what goes around comes around.  But like I said I understand, the cultural differences as well as personality difference....still don't have to like or totally agree ***pouts in the corner 

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