Navigating Misunderstandings: A Dialogue between Friends

Title: Navigating Misunderstandings: A Dialogue between Friends

One of the most common challenges in friendship is the occasional misunderstanding. These moments, while uncomfortable, can provide valuable opportunities for growth and improved communication. Here is a structured example that explores a conversation between friends Alex and Jamie:

The Misunderstanding

Characters:

Setting: A coffee shop where both friends are sitting at a table.

Dialogue

Alex: Hey Jamie, did you hear about the party this weekend?

Jamie: Yeah! I thought you were organizing it.

Alex: Organizing? No, I just meant we should go together. I thought you were bringing snacks.

Jamie: Wait, I thought you were bringing snacks! That’s why I didn’t plan anything.

Alex: Oh no, I didn’t say I would bring snacks! I just thought we’d figure it out when we got there.

Jamie: So, you mean we’re going empty-handed? That’s going to look bad!

Alex: I didn’t mean for us to go empty-handed! I thought we could just pick something up on the way.

Jamie: Well, you should have said that! I thought you were counting on me to bring something.

Alex: I’m sorry! I should have been clearer. Let’s just go shopping together before the party.

Jamie: Okay, that works. I just didn’t want to let the host down.

Alex: I get it, and I appreciate you wanting to contribute. Let’s make sure we communicate better next time!

Jamie: Definitely! And I’ll bring my famous dip.

Alex: Perfect! Now it’s a plan!

Tips for Writing Dialogue with Misunderstandings

Establish Context

Set the scene so readers understand the background of the conversation.

Use Clear Dialogue Tags

Indicate who is speaking to avoid confusion.

Reflect Real Conversation

Include interruptions, clarifications, and emotional reactions.

Build Tension

Gradually escalate the misunderstanding to create drama.

Resolve the Conflict

End on a positive note showing how friends can overcome miscommunication.

Additional Tips for Writing Dialogue

If you’re writing a dialogue in which two people have a misunderstanding, here are some additional tips:

Decide on Important Elements

First, decide what important elements you want the dialogue to reveal. If there’s a misunderstanding, include those details in the conversation. If this is supposed to be a real conversation between you and someone else, write the details as best as you can recall them.

Look online for sites that explain how to punctuate dialogue between two people. Include action tags or 'beats' and use words your characters would naturally use. For example, someone who is very young and uneducated wouldn’t use words like 'perhaps' or speak formally.

Use contractions. For example, 'don't' instead of 'do not'.

Don’t include extraneous information that people don’t need to know. If you and your friend spent five minutes talking about baseball before you started arguing, and the point of the dialogue is to show the misunderstanding, then don’t bother including the baseball dialogue or use narrative summary for that information.

Example:

We got along great for the first five minutes, gabbing about the Bucs and the Dodgers and who we thought would go to the World Series. But then something I said must have pissed him off. The next thing I knew, all hell broke loose and John started waving his arms and screaming at me.

I hope that helps. Feel free to ask for clarification if you don’t understand some of this.

Jill