What Is Your Position On Starting Your Chapter {insert approach}

I recently had an author ask the question, "What is your position on starting a chapter with dialogue? Do I stand with the group that says yes, or the group that says no."

This question, like so many out there really frustrate me. Why? Because authors seem to believe that there is one right way to do things.

The reality of the situation is that... wait for it....

The story dictates the approach you take as an author.

I always like to say, "There is no right or wrong way to do things in writing, but there are wrong ways." The story you are writing will be the controlling factor for how it is to be written. It is not the genre. It is not the publisher. It is not the line. In other words, if your story is set up to begin with dialogue, then you should begin with dialogue. If your story is designed to be written in first person, then it should be written in first person.

There was a time when there was the myth floating around that if you wrote for a series line, that hair colors for the characters had to be in alignment. No, it was just the way people wrote the stories.

Today, we see things such as New Adult needs to be in first person and really stories about young people having amazing sex. No. Other genres have many of the same misunderstandings.

Anyone who tells you that there are fixed rules to how you write a story, or a synopsis, or a query letter probably does not have a true grasp on writing and the publishing industry.

The deal is, if you are writing a story using a set formula that someone else told you, and it does not match YOUR story, then it is the wrong approach.

So, in answer to this author's question, where do I stand on this issue with dialogue? Let me see your story and I will tell you if you did it right or wrong.