Writing Mute Characters

One of my new characters, Kirux, is mute. I've tried doing some research on my own, but it's been hard to find information on how to write a mute character. One of the questions in particular I've had is if being mute rules out any noise, or just verbal ones; would something like a cry be audible, or would it be just as silent as everything else?

If you know anything about what it's like to be mute - either through research, your own experience or by knowing people who are mute - please let me know! My character was born mute, though his "birth" was a little nontraditional. He's not selectively mute; I think it would have something to do with his vocal chords, but I'm not entirely sure.

Thank you for any help you can give!

Hi! I've done some looking into this, and I'm trying to cross-reference stuff I remember reading about years ago to more recent resources.

I think what it boils down to is how your character was born deaf - thus, if his vocal chords were damaged, soft/certain sounds could be heard, or if he was born with a medical condition that could have caused that, maybe he would silently laugh, per example.

In addition, "mute" in the past had more described people who were born deaf, and thus, might not have been able to communicate freely with speech, based on them not being able to hear sounds/not wanting to talk either way.

https://silenceoftwoworlds.wordpress.co ... as-a-mute/
https://www.geni.com/projects/Deaf-Mute/48416
https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/7 ... _mute_ama/

I think there's some good information in these three links above that go more in-depth with how someone who is mute could go through daily life, or different parts of their medical backgrounds.

Thanks, @fraey! <3 <3

Hi. Maby I can help. My vocal cords are damaged. (However, I need a doctor to look at them, to diagnose them.) I am suspected to have paralized voical cords.

I have considerd useing learning a bit of sign language to use in noisy places. Havn't learned anything yet.

I talk, and enjoy it, but my voice is whispy and raspy. My voice is "low" in volume, people say. I am 25 years old. It is difficult for me to speak loulder. People have a hard time hearing me. When I talk normal, I can feel my lyanx strain as I talk.

I also have been diagnosed with vocal cord disfunction. I want to get it checked out by a doctor.

Ask any questons you wish.