Sure. Braille wasn't the first or only writing system for the blind. There was also Raphigraphy(sp?), moon type, night writing, New York Point, and probably others I'm missing. Braille just took over, because it was so much better than every other system invented.

I would go with something that looks almost like cuneiform, or old runes, something with a bunch of straight lines that would be easy to carve with a knife, or something similar, like an awl, or burned into wood. Is there writing in the rest of the society? Cause if so it should mimic that.. though to simplify it he could make it a syllabary... each symbol stands for one syllable. Cherokee is the only remaining Syllabary. Phoenetic and pictorial systems won out in the end... with phonetic systems being the most popular.

If you think about it.... the majority of the blind carpenter's need for writing (like the earliest inventors or writing) would primarily be for keeping accurate accounts for his business. He might be a good story teller, but he wouldn't be writing those stories down. It wasn't common in the medieval period generally, due to the high rate of illiteracy amongst the common people and the high cost of paper. Most writers from that era were within the very top tier of society, writing not from the courts of lesser dukes and earls, but from the courts of kings and queens. Writing, beyond what the courtesans did, was mainly accounting. People didn't waste money on paper for diaries.

This is why the ballad used to be so popular. Because it was easier to remember a story if it was set to a catchy tune. Ballads were a good way to cement the story so it didn't alter too much in subsequent retellings.

A cool side detail about the blind carpenter could be that he had a very good auditory memory, which you could easily illustrate by making him a town favorite who can sing back the ballads of every single bard who has ever passed through town. That actually gives the blind carpenter a greater communication network, even beyond the town, as he would likely be well liked by the traveling bards themselves who would always be eager to learn new ballads and would go to the blind carpenter to learn them. The introductory scene for the Blind carpenter could be a tavern scene where he is exchanging ballads with a bard, but you can also subtlety show that he has deep relationships with and long standing knowledge about the barkeep and other patrons at the pub through their interactions.

That would be a great for showimg instead of telling the audience who he is. I used to be in a writing club. This could be epic! If you want to pm me first drafts, that would be awesome! I love writing. If you don't go with direction, that's cool too, though I am so excited about this idea I might have to run with it if you don't. The Blind Carpenter. I love him as a character already!

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but wasn't there something called night reading or night writing or something similar to that?