How to write

Conflict is the core of every story. Without it, there is no tension or climax, no resolution or purpose.  Consider the following reasons for conflict related to communication in your writing.

Failure to Understand an Opponent’s Perspective - People often assume that everyone sees the situation the same way, that there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in every conflict. They fail to recognize that other people have perceptions often based on needs, values, and experiences. These different perceptions make good communication extremely important. Misunderstandings can result in hilarious situations, often seen in classical (I’m talking Roman, Greek and Shakespearian) literature, farces and satires.  Abbot and Costello knew the value of a good misunderstanding when they performed the Who’s on First routine.  The two are talking baseball, but the names of the players cause all sorts of confusion, since Who is on first. 

Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication - Cultures provide people with ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world. The same words or actions may mean different things to people from different cultures. A profound example of cultural misunderstanding is told in the book The House of Sand and Fog.  A woman suffering severe depression fails to respond to notifications of unpaid taxes on her home. She’s evicted and can only watch helplessly as her home is sold in auction to a family of Iranian immigrants. The patriarch, Massoud Amir Behrani, dreams of restoring his family to the social position they enjoyed in Iran and sees the home as a valuable investment.  When these forces collide, neither can see the other’s perspective, and it is compounded with a cultural divide.  This is a heart breaking story but well worth the read. 

Poor Listening Skills - Many people listen and are distracted, half listening, half thinking about something else or they are planning what to say next. They assume they know and understand what others are saying.  Poor listening makes good communication almost impossible. No matter how much care one person or group takes to communicate if the listener is not willing to receive that information in that way, the communication fails.