prying open the scene and missing the motivation

[marycatelli]

Two characters talk -- mostly, one talks, one listens. Info-dumping occurs, even though the listener needs and wants to know.

To spice it up, the talker now doesn't want to talk. The listener must coax the talk out. Which means, which means -- the listener has to convince the talker that the information will convince the listener that it's as hopeless as the talker thinks it is.