Sometimes, the scene you’re writing focuses on an exchange between characters: maybe witty banter, tense negotiation, subtle questioning, some necessary information. Whatever it is, the emphasis is on the dialogue.
Unfortunately, even if you’ve planned the scene perfectly, with a solid GMCD in place… you can still wind up with what amounts to a radio play: two or more “disembodied” voices. Even the most fascinating dialogue will struggle in a vacuum.
“Bored to death in the coffeehouse.”
When Chick Lit took off, my editor at the time lamented that she was constantly calling out (or rejecting) books that had too many of these. Thanks to Sex and the City, authors were plunking down their trio or foursome of friends in a restaurant, coffee shop, or bar, and then simply having them talk, with some dialogue tags or a bit of description. It was static and one-note: a focus on quips, maybe info dumping… the visual equivalent of tap-dancing on a bare stage with no music. It lacks depth.
This can happen in any genre. Think of the interrogation scenes in police procedurals, ar a detective asking questions of any witness in a cozy mystery. Think of a king discussing the political landscape in High Fantasy (or even the standard tavern scenes.) Even space opera can have the “commander gives orders in his office” scenes, which discuss needed world-building and plot points, but can feel same-old, same-old to genre readers.
THADs (Talking Head Avoidance Devices)
Elizabeth George, the famed mystery writer, deliberate targets these scenes, and then creates a THAD (her acronym, not mine) to address them. She takes what would be standard, and then brainstorms until she can come up with a scene that reflects what’s happening and adds depth. Most importantly, it has action of some sort. It doesn’t have to be flashy action like sky-diving, mind you. But it is something that reflects what’s happening while being interesting in its own right. It can help describe characters in a non-verbal way: even in the above coffeehouse example, how each orders, drinks, etc. can give clues (although, again, overdone.)
THADs can also imply theme, or help move the plot along, subtly or explicitly. They can (and probably should) add depth and nuance as well as “oomph” and intrigue.
“The Pope in the Pool.”
Blake Snyder, of Save the Cat fame, has a specific technique to address this very problem. He called it: “The Pope in the Pool.”
There was a movie scene where the Pope had to be given some information. This could have been in whatever his offices were, some relatively nondescript (but ornate and luxurious looking) place in the Vatican.
Instead, they show the Pope swimming.
For most people, swimming isn’t actually unusual. In other cases, this might not be a particularly effective THAD. But in this case, the sheer novelty of it hits hard. The viewer is struck by the fact that it’s the Pope swimming. Not in his ornate vestments! Not in his Popemobile! In a swimming pool. I didn’t even know the Vatican had a swimming pool!
That last bit? That’s the key. Surprise. Use reader expectations, their preconceptions, and twist them.
You can “fix it in post.”
If you’re just working on a first draft, it can be very intimidating to add yet another element. You’re already making sure you’ve got your goal, motivation, conflict, and (hopefully) disaster! You’re trying to make sure everybody’s voices sound distinct! You’re showing, not telling! You’re adding description, but not so much that pacing slows to a crawl!
Now, you need to add a talking head avoidance device?
First: deep breaths. You can do this.
Next: you don’t need to do it all at once.
Trying to be perfect right out of the box can be paralyzing. This is where you explore your writing process. Most writers layer in iterations through several drafts. You can have a THAD draft, if need be. Just sketch out the talking head round first, to know what information you need to capture and plot issues you need to address. Then, after you have the foundation set, and especially after you know your theme and your characters, you’ll be better able to tailor scenes that foreshadow, mirror character traits, and add depth and surprise.
See you in two weeks!
As always, if you think of any topics you’d like covered, or if you have any questions, please reach out! I ‘d love to hear from you. If you need 1:1 help, click here to explore how you can work with me.