Start With Dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most important elements of a story, in my opinion.  I know some people would disagree and say plot or setting is crucial.  But for me it has always been about dialogue.  I love being able to give my characters an actual voice to say things and express themselves in ways that I wish I could!  And in ways that hopefully allow the reader to connect with the story.

I like dialogue with witty banter and informed opinions.  I usually start writing  with dialogue and build the rest of the story around a conversation between two characters. 

I think this process could be useful in real life as well. Often all it takes is a little bit of dialogue to spark a conversation about life, to apologize, to clear misunderstandings, to state intentions or to begin a relationship.

The culprit for lack of communication today is technology. It's so easy to email or text or even send a DM on social media that we neglect to really TALK to one another and the result is sometimes disastrous:

We often tell little children to "use their words" instead of non-verbal clues like pointing whining or crying when they want something. I think it's time adults start following this same bit of advice.