This is Kamm Weiland and you're listening to the 29th episode of the Word Play Podcast. I'm excited to be working on a free

ebook as a gift to my blog subscribers. Entitled crafting unforgettable

characters, this 50-page PDF is a compilation of some of my most popular articles on characters.

It's a good starting place for understanding the basics of character building,

as well as some tips for troubleshooting.

He'll also discover inspiring quotes from successful authors, writing prompts, and creativity exercises.

My busy schedule allowing, I hope to have it available by the first of the year.

This is the last week you'll be able to take advantage of the special holiday deals and gifts for my readers.

From now until Christmas, both of my books are available at special prices and as part of special package deals. You can find more details on my website at K M Wyland, that's

W E I L A N D.com slash books.P. There's some fantastic limited time deals, so I hope you'll find time to check them out.

Meanwhile, enjoy this week's post.

Are your characters talking heads?

Good dialogue is one of the most fun parts of any story, both for the reader and the author.

But dialogue alone isn't enough to make a scene.

Perhaps you'll recognize the following from your own reading, or maybe even gasp, your work in progress.

John, where have you been? Oh, just out, out where? You know, Arons, the Bank, Haircut, library.

I think you're cute, the bank, haircut, library.

I think you're cute, don't you?

Howard called. He said you were playing slots again.

This dialogue heavy scene is suffering from several problems,

most notably Whitewall or Talking Head Syndrome.

Although the bare facts of the conflict are conveyed perfectly through the dialogue,

...