HDIFAMA & Other Acronyms
HDIFAMA, DILD, HDIFAT...
These are simply common acronyms meant to explain how to answer the question, and often we just speak them like words. Someone may say out loud “Hidifama.” So here is a handy list of what all of these actually mean.
OK, now Say it Out Loud: WAMFAMA!
You may be wondering how this actually relates to the dialogue question. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the majority of your dialogue letter is usually going to be writing the answer to one of these acronyms, and not as much on the question.
Take this question for example:
What is my most prized possession? HDIFSTWY?
This question is not so much about what my most prized possession is. It is more about how I feel sharing this information with you.
So A letter may start out like this:
My most prized possession is my car. I feel guilty sharing this with you. As a physical sensation, my guilty feeling is… and so on.
You see, it is not about the possession. It is about how I feel sharing this with you. I may feel guilty telling you this for all sort of reasons. Or I may feel excited. Whatever it is, the closeness between you deepens when you share about how this affects you and your spouse as a couple, not the item or issue itself.