now the question

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
November 14, 2007

Cherie Wren wrote:
> Now here's the question:  Look at the head movement in that clip.   
> How much of it needs to be written?  here is what I had written for  
> that segment:  I was not sure that I had the movement written  
> correctly, then on reexamining ithe video, I was not sure how much  
> needed to be there.  but I am looking at the door, and the cat  
> coming in, and back to the audience several times in that very  
> short sequence.  This is something I struggle with on a regular  
> basis.  How much detail is too much, how much is necessary?  I am  
> trying to tease out the required grammatical bits, which seems to  
> be becoming a game of  "why did I sign it that way?"

Hi Cherie -
Thank you for this question and it is an important one. I am SO glad  
you signed the whole story on video, so we can analyze the writing  
based on the video...and do not worry the way it is signed...the  
point of this is to write what is there and not worry about the  
signing itself...that is a totally different issue...I can tell you,  
as an outsider who knows some ASL, I loved watching your signing on  
the video and looks great to me ;-))

Essentially there are two ways of writing a storytelling like this...

1. You can choose to write EXACTLY the way it looks on the  
video...but even with this method you still have to choose what is  
important to write and what is not...

or...

2. You can choose to write a more standardized spelling for signs  
with some turning of the body, for more simplicity...


There are problems with both methods, because either way you need to  
make decisions as to what is important to write and what is not...


Because we have the video, which is great, I would like to suggest  
trying for number 1 above...but I may be wrong...and I would like  
your opinion...

Let me show you what I mean...see the attached photo of the sign for  
DOOR in this sequence, and then look at your sign for DOOR...you  
wrote it as if we were facing the Front Wall...seeing the back of the  
hand, but actually, if you we are writing you from the side view in  
the video, we would see the side of the hand...I realize this is not  
something that is an everyday experience, but in storytelling the  
reader becomes the audience and is not always seeing things from your  
own personal perspective...(see attached)

If we base this on the video, then I would say that your head  
movement has meaning, because you are showing you are the narrator...

I will try to write this myself (which may not be what is good...just  
another try) and then we can compare and you tell me what you think...

It may take me a few hours since I am in the middle of other  
jobs...but I will do it ;-))

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