Failure ModesFoundational
Talking Heads
Dialogue in a vacuum, without bodies, setting, or stakes.
Principle
A scene is not its dialogue; it is dialogue inside a place under pressure.
Takeaways
- Anchor speakers in space and gesture.
- Let the room interrupt them.
- Dialogue without setting drifts into essay.
Overview
Talking heads is the failure of dialogue scenes that float without setting, body, gesture, or environmental pressure. The reader hears the words and forgets where they are.
Examples
- A long argument with no description of the room.
- Two voices crossing a page with no stage business.
- A philosophical exchange that could occur anywhere.