In fiction, dialogue gives stories life. It reveals character, advances plot, and creates emotional tension. But without movement, context, or description, even the best-written dialogue can fall flat. In the Terrible Writing Advice episode on scene writing, this flaw is hilariously exaggerated: two characters stand around talking endlessly, doing nothing, surrounded by nothing — the dreaded “talking heads” scene.

If your scenes feel static or lifeless despite great dialogue, this post is for you.

1. What Are Talking Heads in Writing?

A talking heads scene happens when characters speak with little or no physical grounding. The reader hears voices but sees nothing. There’s no body language, no environment, no sense of who’s speaking or where they are. The result reads like a radio script instead of a cinematic scene.

Example of a talking heads exchange:

“We need to leave.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not safe.”

“Since when do you care about safety?”

There’s tension in the words, but without gestures, tone, or setting, the reader can’t feel it. Now imagine this:

“We need to leave.”

Sarah’s fingers drummed against the windowpane, fast and uneven.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not safe.”

He glanced toward the door — once, twice — before meeting her eyes.

“Since when do you care about safety?”

Same words. New energy. The scene becomes visible.

2. Why Talking Heads Fail

The Terrible Writing Advice parody nails why talking-head scenes don’t work: they’re monotonous, visually flat, and emotionally distant. The reader’s brain needs sensory cues to anchor emotion. Without them, even strong dialogue loses impact.

Talking heads often appear when writers draft dialogue first and forget to fill in physicality later. The scene may sound fine in the writer’s mind — after all, they can imagine it — but the reader can’t. The fix isn’t to add random gestures; it’s to integrate action with emotion.

Creative writing tip: Every line of dialogue should either reveal character, build tension, or move the plot forward. Body language, tone, and reaction shots are your tools to do this visually.

3. Use Physical Beats to Ground Dialogue

In film, actors convey emotion through movement and expression. Writers must do the same — through beats. A beat is a short action or sensory cue that punctuates dialogue.

Example:

“I told you not to come.”

He wiped sweat from his palms onto his jeans.

“I didn’t think you meant it.”

Each beat subtly shows discomfort and hesitation. Readers process body language instinctively, so these details make scenes feel authentic without slowing them down.

Writing advice: If you notice a full page of uninterrupted dialogue, insert physical beats every few exchanges. Think posture, gesture, or subtle environmental interaction — not just movement for movement’s sake.

4. Integrate Setting with Conversation

The Terrible Writing Advice episode also mocks writers who forget their characters exist in a world. Talking in a “void” strips the story of sensory life. But setting can interact with dialogue — influencing tone, pacing, and subtext.

Consider:

“We’re done talking,” she said.

A train screamed by, drowning her words, but he heard enough.

Here, setting reinforces emotion and adds realism. Noise, temperature, or lighting can shape how a conversation feels. Dialogue rooted in a dynamic environment feels cinematic and immediate.

Scene writing tip: Let your surroundings react. The wind can cut off speech. A creaking chair can emphasize tension. Setting isn’t wallpaper — it’s a character in itself.

5. Show Emotion Through Body Language

One of the most powerful ways to fix the talking heads problem is to translate emotional beats into physical reactions. When someone is angry, they don’t just “say” angry words — they move differently.

Compare:

“I’m fine.”

vs.

“I’m fine.” She yanked the drawer open so hard it slammed back on its rails.

Physical emotion often speaks louder than dialogue. It shows rather than tells — one of the core principles of strong fiction writing.

6. Balance Dialogue, Action, and Internal Thought

Pure dialogue feels like a script; too much internal monologue feels like overexplanation. The best writers balance both with micro-actions that keep readers oriented.

Use internal beats to show a character’s thought process in real time:

“We should leave.”

He didn’t meet her eyes — maybe because he already knew she wouldn’t agree.

A single line of interiority deepens subtext and prevents your dialogue from sounding robotic.

7. When Minimalism Works

There are exceptions. In high-tension scenes — arguments, interrogations, or rapid-fire exchanges — sparse description can quicken pace. Minimalism creates immediacy. The trick is contrast: brief, tight dialogue hits harder when surrounded by moments of stillness or action.

The goal is rhythm, not monotony. Readers need visual and emotional variation to stay engaged.

8. Revision: The Cure for Talking Heads

Most talking-head scenes can be fixed during revision. Read your dialogue aloud. If you lose track of who’s speaking, or if it feels detached, it needs grounding. Add a few sensory cues or emotional beats — not paragraphs, just brushstrokes.

Remember, great scene writing isn’t about clever dialogue alone. It’s about how characters exist while speaking — how they move, react, and inhabit their world.

Final Thought

A story filled with talking heads reads like disembodied voices echoing in darkness. To make dialogue come alive, you must choreograph your characters — every tilt of the head, flicker of the hand, or glance away matters.

As Terrible Writing Advice reminds us with biting humor, the fix is simple but vital: don’t forget the scene in scene writing.