Hi sorry to harass you when you no doubt get so many asks, but quick question: when an action is heard but not seen (such as shrugging in loud clothing), what would be the best way to write it?
Also, your guide on writing blind characters has been very helpful, and I appreciate you doing that!
In first person, it would probably be a lingering and unexplained silence in the conversation, or if it's a very quiet room maybe the character would hear clothes rustling. In the silence, the blind character would probably assume the other person responded with body language and they'll probably guess which one it was (nod, shaking the head, shoulder shrug, eye-roll, point) based on what they expect the person to respond with.
For me, those moments are usually
*weird silence* followed by me asking them, "Did you just point?" or "did you nod your head or something" or "why do I feel like you're rolling your eyes right now?" and they will give me a verbal answer.
In third person it would depend on who your POV character is or if you're writing with an omniscient narrator. You can either describe what the blind character noticed sensory-wise or tell the audience up-front what a character did. I would utilize the "tell" option if you find yourself describing the sound of clothes rustling or lingering silence over and over again. There's nothing wrong with telling the boring moments.
Then you can walk the reader through what the blind character interpreted the silence to mean and what answer they were expecting. I recommend letting their assumptions be wrong from time to time.
