The Dialogue Doctor Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jeff Elkins
Writing great books is critical to generating sales and building a following of readers. On the Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins and other writers discuss how to write dialogue that will excite readers and help you sell more books.
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX holds Office Hours with three authors. Office Hours are times when authors and hangout with a Dialogue Doctor Coach and ask questions they have. In this episode, JP and that authors discuss what to do when the middle of your book starts to fade, how do you keep someone interested in your character as you build out the character's problem overtime, ways to provide depth of perspective, and more.
For more on writing or to book a coaching session with JP, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Dillon Mesquitta to talk about Dillon's work in progress. They discuss the structure of Dillon's dialogue and look at the emotional flow of Dillon's characters.
For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Painter to talk about her work in progress. They discuss a difficult character who's story ends in tragedy. They discuss the character's negative choices, how the character is going to change, and how that builds into the themes of the book. They then look at scenes together in which the character is making choices.
If you want more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coaches Jeff Elkins and JP Rindfleisch IX discuss "The Dip" by Seth Godin. Jeff walks JP through the book and they talk about how it should inform author's decision and shape (or not shape) and author's mindset.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Dennis Kurlas to talk about a scene in Dennis' work in progress. They talk through the beats of the scene. They discuss how to keep an emotional flow through the beats, why beats should be deleted, and how to keep beats rolling from one to the next. Also, Jeff talks about his time at the annual conference for the Maryland Writers Association and what he learned from the weekend.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff talks with thought leader and inspirational thinker Honoree Corder. They discuss accepting yourself and your work, the power of visualization, having rigor and discipline with your art and life, why marketing is a necessity, and why authors shouldn't be a afraid of it.
To find more about Honoree and engage deeper in her thought, check out https://honoreecorder.com/
For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch the IX holds and Ask Me Anything session with Payton Lyle. After hearing what Payton wants from her story, JP breaks down her story with her.
They talk about her Story Hypothesis, her characters' growth arcs, deepening the romance, and much more. Get your copy of the Story Hypothesis here: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hypothesis-Missing-Fiction-Puzzle/dp/1958924121
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with The Pitch Master, Lindsey Hughes to talk about pitching your story. They discuss the difference between a screenplay and a novel. Lindsey gives networking tips, and Lindsey walks Jeff through give long and short pitches to stories.
For more of Lindsey's work, check out https://thepitchmaster.com/
Also, come and get coaching at https://dialoguedoctor.com/coaching/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with Farriz Mashudi to look at her first chapter and talk about her story. JP and Farriz discuss how to increase tension, ensuring the reader understands where all the characters are, character growth arcs, the Story Hypothesis, and making a first chapter as powerful as possible while being aware of word count.
To get a copy of the Story Hypothesis, go to https://shop.jprindfleischix.com/products/story-hypothesis-ebook?
For more on the craft of writing or to hire JP as a coach, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Michele Berger. They discuss Michele's new book Doll Seed and then pivot to examining the writing of Walter Mosley. Michele is the Eric and Jane Nord Family Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and director of the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University.
If you are interested in Michele's new book, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Doll-Seed-Michele-Tracy-Berger/dp/1951874072/
If you are interested in the Leonid McGill book we discussed (Trouble is What I Do), go to: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-What-Leonid-Mcgill-Book-ebook/dp/B07SLY7D5Y/
If you want to learn more about the craft of writing, come and join us at https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Phil Yates look at a historical fiction novel Phil is writing. They discuss writing action scenes and managing a big cast. They look at how dialogue empowers combat scenes, switching POVs in the middle of a chapter, keeping track of characters, picking the pain for the reader, and cast combinations.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, the three Dialogue Doctor Coaches (Jeff, Laura, and JP) unite to talk about what they are learning, what they are working on, and why everyone should sign up for the Dialogue Dash.
To sign up for the Dash, click here: https://dialoguedoctor.teachable.com/p/dialogue-dash-80-days-until-done-fall-2024
For more on the craft of writing, click here: https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Mendi look at the beats of her story and talk about how to create a powerful emotional experience by using dialogue. They how the size of the cast in each scene changes what you should do with the scene, how the number of characters in the scene impact the intimacy with the reader, and where to put exposition in the story.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura Humm takes questions from the Dialogue Doctor Community. They discuss how to use interior monologue and building emotion, the difference between prose and dialogue and how both things impact the reader, how to use body language to build emotion, tips on having to read and edit your own work, how to make sure your character voices sound different from one another, and much more.
For more on the craft of writing, check out DialogueDoctor.com - https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this session, Jeff and Victoria Tait take a deep dive into building a cast. They talk about building characters across a series, the VEAH system, how to direct character change over a single books and multiple books, designing characters for your genre, and more.
For more on the craft of writing, check out the DialogueDoctor.com - https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX holds and office hour. He and the other Dialoggers on the call discuss JP's book the Story Hypothesis, how to plot character change, what the length of a novel should be, and how to let the reader know a character's background without just telling them the character's background.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with new author Liz Mason to talk about Liz's work in process. The talk about how the reader experiences emotion in a story, why it is important to have characters interacting, and how to find a scene if you have written a lot of summaries.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm holds an Office Hour with four different authors. Together they discuss, how to keep track of the details in your book, how to manage flashbacks, should you add emails or letters to your narrative, the benefits and draw backs of having more than one POV, and more.
For more on writing craft, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/summer-fall-2024-events/
In this episode, we share a webinar from the Spring Dialogue Dash. We talk about how to build a main character. We discuss developing a character's personality and the character's voice. We then dive into what happens when you have more than one vehicle and why it is important to provide variety. Finally, we get into voice modulation and how it interacts with the plot of the story.
To join us for the next Dialogue Dash, you can sign up here: https://dialoguedoctor.teachable.com/p/dialogue-dash-80-days-until-done-fall-2024
In this episode, Jeff sits down with members of the community to analyze the cast of Knives Out. They discuss how the multiple vehicle structure works, how the cast members impact one another, and what we can learn from the script for our own work.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Holly Lyne to look at her work in progress. They talk about laying out the emotional beats of a scene, world building in dialogue, creating mystery in a book and a scene, and using body language and inner thoughts to pull the reader into the emotional experience.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author and Enneagram guru Claire Taylor. Jeff and Claire talk about why author's should know their number, how the Enneagram compares to other personality assessments, why the Enneagram is good for self understanding, and then ways you can use the Enneagram as a writer.
You can find all things Claire Taylor at FFS Media - https://www.ffs.media
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author AG Bowman to discuss AG's opening scene. They discuss how to show the scene over telling facts, how to maintain a gritty noir narrative voice, how to help the reader experience the Vehicle character's feelings, working with an unreliable narrator, and managing journal entries.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, JP sits down with Author Ann Garvin. Ann is a scientist turned humorist, a USA TODAY and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of five books. JP and Ann discuss her journey from science to writing, how she helps writers enchant readers with high concepts, keeping characters centric to your writing, asking what the purpose of a story is, and her writing group the Tall Poppy Writers.
To find more about Ann and check out her work, go to https://anngarvin.com/
For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with new author Dixie Williams to look at a scene Dixie has written. They talk about writing well known family tropes, making sure the reader knows who is in the scene so the reader can imagine the scene, orienting family relationships at the opening of the scene so we understand the family's dynamic, and paying attention to the family dynamics when creating flash backs.
For more on the craft of writing, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this Time with Tom, Editor, Bookstore Owner, and author Tom Holbrook takes time out of his vacation to talk books and personal updates with Jeff.
To find Tom's work, check out his services here https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Mary Van Everboeck to talk about a short story she is writing. They talk about finding themes, creating driving conflicts, and the difference between a short story and a scene from a novel.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coaches Jeff Elkins and JP Rindfleisch IX talk about the book The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez. They discuss the principles of the book, how they aspire to replicate these attitudes in their coaching, and how this kind of work has impacted their writing and editing. And Jeff makes everything mushy in the end.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To get a copy of The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop, go to https://www.antiracistworkshop.com/
In this Ask Me Anything Session, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm talks with author Mara about the plot twists she's planning for her work in process. They discuss tricking readers, setting up twists in advance, and how Sherlock Holmes novels worked.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff has all his questions about traditional publishing by Chuck Sambuchino. Chuck talks with Jeff about how to approach agents, what authors' expectations around traditional publishing should be, and what about traditional publishing is a myth vs what is real.
For Chuck's blog, events, and writing, check out https://chucksambuchino.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Erica Gloss to talk about Erica's work in progress. To open, they discuss the power of stories to normalize difficult topics like mental health and create a feeling of shared experience among readers. Turning to Erica's work, they talk about making the themes of Erica's opening scene pop by directing details toward them.
For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff interviews award-winning author Leslye Penelope. They discuss her author career, her writing podcasts, and how she builds powerful fantasy worlds.
To find Leslye's work, go to https://lpenelope.com/
For more on writing characters and dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Joan Lightning to look at Joan's work-in-progress. They talk about keeping all the characters included in the dialogue, using character positioning and body language to build romantic tension, using inner thoughts, avoiding summaries, and building fantasy worlds.
For more on writing powerful dialogue and characters, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm and Jeff answer questions from the Dialoggers about editing character voices, writing accents, building languages from scratch, and the difference between a scene and a chapter.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author Lisa Young to talk about Lisa's cast of characters. They discuss Lisa's Story Hypothesis to understand her character's growth and the themes of her story. JP and Lisa discuss how the character's arc can accentuate the themes and growth arcs. They also discuss how to use the cast around the character will impact the character's growth, and they talk about growing a relationship between characters across a longer series by beginning with the end in mind. Finally, they talk about the different types of scenes Lisa has written and how they work together.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX interviews writer and writing teacher, Daniel David Wallace. JP and Daniel talk about how Daniel's background in academics has shaped how he teaches writing, Daniel's Character First approach, the necessity of getting the story started right away, looking past the surface level of a plot to the deeper needs of the character, the online events Daniel puts on, and much more.
To find more of Daniel's work, check out https://danieldavidwallace.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Editor and High Fantasy/Steam Punk writer Catherine Herandez. They discuss a short story Catherine is working on. They discuss introducing characters, balancing tension in scenes, and organizing your story around emotional tension. They also get into world-building and explaining the setting of the scene.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Lisa Bonneau to talk about her work in progress. They talk about seamlessly integrating flashbacks into a scene and keeping one-on-one scenes building energy.
For more on dialogue, come and join us at https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Laura Humm sits down with author MZ to look at MZ's work in progress. They discuss writing children's voices and keeping them different from adult voices, and they talk about pacing a scene.
For more on writing dialogue, come and join us at https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this solo episode, Jeff breaks down different types of cast members and how to use them to manipulate the power of your scenes and the power of your plot.
This episode if part two of a teaching on cast building. Part one is episode 185 - https://dialoguedoctor.com/2024/01/24/episode-185-understanding-your-main-characters/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Aaron Betts to talk through Aaron's work in progress. They look at Aaron's plot, discuss how the story should operate as a journey narrative, and talk about how the characters should change as the journey progresses. They then discuss the characters and how they compliment each other as engines and anchors.
For more on writing dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff hangs out with author/editor/bookstore owner Tom Holbrook. They talk about stories they've enjoyed recently and stories they've consumed that were broken. They then discuss what someone should look for in an editor; and Jeff also goes full "grumpy old man" about publishing as he and Tom talk about what they are encountering as editors.
For Tom's editing services go to https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
Find Tom's bookstore at https://riverrunbookstore.com/
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In in this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author Fiona Chan to look at a section of Fiona's work in progress. They discuss the character voices, showing and not telling with the action, and the characters' motivations. It's a wonderful deep dive into how to write strong characters that change through the story.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX discuss the classic book on writing scenes, "Scene & Structure" by Jack M. Bickham. They talk about the evolution of writing advice, the system Bickham sets up for scene building, and the components of an amazing scene.
For more on writing amazing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with Historical Fantasy author Madeline Davis to look at a scene from Madeline's current work in progress. They discuss increasing the emotional intensity of the scene by replacing expositional summaries with getting characters speaking to each other, building frustration through vocalization, and taking into account what the Vehicle Character (the POV) has experienced before we choose the words the character uses.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with publisher and author agent David Morris to talk about his history in publishing, the difference between a small publisher and an agent, and what he looks for in authors.
You can find David's publishing house (Lake Drive Books) at https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/
You can find his work as a literary agent (Hyponymous Literary Agency) at https://www.hyponymous.com/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Holly Lyne to look at the first chapter of Holly's work in progress. They discuss the character growth arc and then look for ways in the first chapter to set up the character for stronger emotional payoff as the character changes. They also look at the character's voice and modulating the voice to demonstrate change.
For more on Dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/summer-fall-2024-events/
In this Episode, Jeff meets up with some of the Dialoggers (members of the Dialogue Doctor Community) to talk about the movie the Big Short and discuss how to craft a story with multiple vehicle characters.
To join the Dialogger community and participate in conversations like this, go to https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm is joined by author Danielle Boneau. Together they edit one of Danielle's scenes and talk about how to give it a greater emotional impact. They discuss balancing drama with facts in historical fiction, expressing emotions through character vocalizations, using the surroundings to amplify emotions, and slowing down to increase the emotional power of the scene.
For more on writing amazing dialogue and powerful characters, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with first time author Matt Brook to talk about the beats of his first story. Matt comes to Jeff with a summary of the story, and they work together to find the scenes in the summary. They talk about how to find the confidence you need to finish your book, goals as an author, whether or not you should be worried about genre conventions, and how to take a summary of a story and find the scenes you need to make it work. Jeff shows Matt how to find a beat inside each story.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff, JP, and Laura (the Dialogue Doctor Coaches) join forces to talk about what they've learned in the last three years, their favorite moments, what they hope to attempt in the future, what is coming in the fall of 2024, and other things.
For more from the Dialogue Doctor Coaches, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX works with Author Viver Israel to refine the characters in her cast. They start off by talking through JP and Viver's Story Hypothesis and how Viver's characters change. They talk through Viver's main character's voice and major voice modulations, and then they look at the voices of Viver's other cast members and how they all relate to one another.
To find more of JP's work, check out https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
To learn more about writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch sits down with narrator and audio producer Kirt Graves to talk about audiobook production. Kirt shares about how his history in debate and growing up gay helped him built the super power of empathy. He talks about how he collaborates with authors, the role of the author in a narration project, and how to give the narrator good notes. JP and Kirt also talk about working on queer books and why representation is important.
To find more of Kirt's work or to hire Kirt, check out https://www.kirtreads.com/
To find Kirt's podcast Hoof and Fang, go to https://www.hoofandfangpodcast.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff and editor/writer/bookstore owner Tom Holbrook come together to talk about what they are seeing in the book world. They talk about things they are encountering frequently as editors, stories that they've recently loved, stories they consumed that were broken, and about the state of publishing in general.
To find Tom online, go to https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach sits down with fantasy author Mark August to talk about writing a big cast with multiple points-of-view. Laura and Mark talk about introducing lots of characters, Laura breaks down how to introduce a lot of characters, letting us know who is in the scene, and getting characters talking right away.
To find more of Mark's work, go to https://readmarkaugust.com/books/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
WARNING - this episode contains conversation about suicide and violence. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, please call 988 now. Help is available. You can speak with someone today.
In this episode, we are kicking off poetry month. Jeff sits down with poet Edward Doyle-Gillespie to talk about what inspires Ed to write poetry, why he loves it, and how it is different than writing fiction.
To find more of Ed's poetry, check out his work on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edoylegillespie?mibextid=ZbWKwL
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Jenny Wilson to talk about her cast. They work through her vehicle's voice and how her vehicle needs to change during the story, then they talk about her surrounding cast members and how those cast members can enhance the reader's experience.
For more on dialogue and characterization, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Don Elliot to talk about plotting out a longer series. They talk about how to manage it, how to role it out to readers, and how to make it feel realistic. Jeff stresses in the episode that it is important to hook the reader at the scene/character level. They also talk plot structures, Game of Thrones, and the Godfather.
For more on this, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, JP Rindfleisch the IX and Jeff talk about Houston Howard's book, You're Gonna Need a Bigger Story. JP takes Jeff through the main points and the process together how the story might impact their writing.
To find more of JP, check out https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Eric Heuser to look at a scene Eric is working on. Jeff and Eric talk about adding a POV to a work in progress, building emotional resonance, writing a character with a different interior and exterior voice, using reflective prose in segment breaks to give the reader a feeling of intimacy.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura and Jeff answer questions from the Dialoggers. Questions include: --Suggestions for plotting and planning a longer series,
--How to write dialogue in a group scene where you have six or more characters in the discussion?
--When trying to establish characters, world, and show the 'normal' state of life for them, how do you keep it interesting? This is especially tricky with fantasy considering the world building.
--How do you choose to read a new author? Like do you choose mood or genre first? What do you type into Amazon?
--What if your vehicle's steps towards their true need feel repetitive? People and/or situations change, but the choice or action seem too similar?
--Can you offer any tips to help a writer who normally writes third-person close; write first-person?
--Can you recommend a framework for finding the sweet spot between overwriting and underwriting during the drafting process?
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Scott Fishman to talk about the memoir Scott is writing. They talk about the use of italics, using paragraph spacing to break up blocks of text making it more readable, using conversational spacing to create the feeling of dialogue, building to a dramatic summary conclusion at the end of a story, and more.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with LeAnn Robison to look at a "Big Cast" scene she's written. Big cast scenes are scenes of three or more characters. Jeff and LeAnn focus on managing a six character cast in a scene, what to do when the characters don't all participate equally, and how to keep all the characters engaged so the reader isn't surprised when the characters return.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Nancy Stark. As they look at a piece together, they go deep into all things dialogue. They talk about varying character voices, the Dialogue Daisy, when and how to use prose, and how to maximize the impact of your dialogue.
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Carrie Thomas to talk about a piece Carrie has been working on. They talk about how editing and plotting can cause you to lose passion for you project, they talk about the struggle of writing a complicated story with multiple POV, and making sure your story clearly communicates your themes.
For more on writing dialogue and engaging characters, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this solo episode, Jeff goes deep into a vehicle character. He breaks down what a vehicle characer is and then contrasts the five different types of vehicles. Jeff talks about what makes each vehicle special and how they can be used in your story to provide your reader with a satisfying emotional journey.
For more on writing dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with an author to talk about a multi-vehicle plot in which one of the main vehicles is an unlikable villain. They talk about empathizing with your main characters, understanding how a character can grow in a negative direction and still keep the reader hooked in with hope, and how to build complimenting characters around the villain.
To register for the masterclass on writing intimacy, go to https://dialoguedoctor.teachable.com/p/story-intimacy
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX and author Madeline Davis sit down to talk through her plot and characters together. JP looks at each main character's Story Hypothesis and they discuss how the characters' wants and needs impact their story arcs.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To get a copy of the Story Hypothesis, go to https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hypothesis-Missing-Fiction-Puzzle-ebook/dp/B0CCK47B3Q/
Happy New Year! In this episode, Jeff lays out what the Dialogue Doctor community will be up to in 2024. Then, Jeff and JP talk about the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. Jeff takes JP through the book and they discuss how authors can apply the business principles Jim Collins talks about.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this special solo episode, Laura Humm goes deep into editing. She talks about her history with editing, the different types of edits, and what happens in the editing process. Then Laura goes deep into how you should choose an editor and what you should look for. Finally, Laura breaks down what you should do when you edit.
For more on writing and editing dialogue, check out the DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff and Scott look at a scene Scott wrote. They talk about finishing novels, writing children's voices, building a character for growth, partnering unlikable characters with characters that like them, writing to segments of the dialogue, and Oliver Twist.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author MZ to talk about the opening of her story. They look at MZ's Story Hypothesis, talk through her themes, look at her characterization, and then work through ways to ensure the opening of her story is as engaging as possible.
To find JP's book, the Story Hypothesis, go to https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hypothesis-Missing-Fiction-Puzzle-ebook/dp/B0CCK47B3Q/
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff interviews the amazing Sacha Black. They talk about her career, her podcasting, the development of the Rebel Author brand, and the transformation of her fiction into Ruby Roe. It's a fantastic look inside the business of a wildly successful author/entrepreneur.
To find more of Sacha's work with authors, go to https://sachablack.co.uk/the-rebel-author-podcast/
To find Sacha's fiction, check out https://rubyroe.co.uk/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Time with Tom is back! Jeff and editor/bookstore owner/all-around-brilliant-writer Tom Holbrook sit down to talk about great stories they've consumed, problems they are thinking through, trends they've seen in editing, and more.
To find Tom's editing services, go to https://holbrookauthorservices.com/holbrook-author-services/
For more on writing great dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Painter to examine a piece she is working on. As they work through Carol's writing, they talk about jumping time in conversation, writing dialogue that is deeply intimate, finding places for reflection, leaning into emotional moment and starting conversations strong. Carol was also on episodes 111 and 121.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this solo episode, Jeff talks about four different things you can do to ensure your scenes are strong.
- He takes a deep dive into scene conflict,
- He talks about understanding your scene's vehicle,
- He gives three tips for manipulating the intensity of a scene,
- And he talks about balancing the tempo of a scene.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm and Dennis Kurlas look at a piece Dennis has been working on. They talk about arranging scenes to bring greater emotional impact, keeping characters in motion, and making sure we fulfill reader expectations. For more on writing powerful dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Faye look at her work in progress. They talk through writing a "journey" narrative in a historical fiction genre. Jeff and Faye look at her cast and talk through the scenes she needs to write to show character growth. They talk about how to layer historical scenes over the top of the moments of character growth.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Amy Suthon to talk through the cast of her work in process. They discuss vehicles, engines, anchors, and hazards and how those characters can be used to find plot holes and develop an exciting character growth arc for readers.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Pa Theriot to talk about their work in progress that has unique structure. After reviewing the story, they brainstorm together where they might publish it.
To find more on Pa's work, go to https://payitforwardeditorial.com/
For more on dialogue go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author Emma Jane Heaton to talk about her work in progress. They build a Story Hypothesis for each of Emma Jane's characters and talk about how each character will grow through out the story.
To get your copy of the Story Hypothesis, go to https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hypothesis-Missing-Fiction-Puzzle-ebook/dp/B0CCK47B3Q/
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Liz Hurley to talk about building a cast of characters in order to develop the stories plot. They build character voices together, talk about vehicle characters, and then develop a cast.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Gladys Strickland to talk through the voices in her cast. They talk about building voices from back story and personality traits, finding a character's wants and needs, and pairing characters together in a cast.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Eric Heuser. They look at a piece Eric is writing and talk about how to appropriately write a child's voice for an adult novel. They focus on building a child's voice and how that voice compares to adult voices, modulating the children's voices when they speak to each other, and mistakes writers make when writing kids.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Ian Worrall to look at a piece Ian has written. They talk about making the piece "dialogue centric" or "screenplay ready," they discuss maintaining the energy of the dialogue while balancing inner thoughts and prose, and they talk about finding the segments within a conversation.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Becca Syme from Better Faster Academy and the Quit Cast. They talk about Becca's vast experience in the industry, writing aligned with your strengths, the current state of publishing, and where publishing might be headed.
The conversation with Becca starts around minute 17.
To find Becca's Strength Coaching, go to https://betterfasteracademy.com/
To find Becca's YouTube Channel, go to https://www.youtube.com/@BeccaSyme
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX look at a chapter of a new crime thriller Angela is writing. Before jumping into the piece, they talk about the character's needs and how those should impact the story, they look at the themes and how they relate to the characters, and then they build character voices together. They then look at Angela's writing. They rework the opening on the piece and ironing out the First Person POV.
For more on JP, check out his website: https://www.jprindfleischix.com/services/
For more on dialogue or to hire JP as a Dialogue Doctor Coach, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author and podcaster Holly Lyne to look at a chapter of her work in progress together. They talk about aligning your vehicle character's voice to their growth arc, using exposition effectively, and protecting the energy created by character exchanges.
To find more of Holly's work (including a recent episode of her podcast in which Jeff talked about imposter syndrome), check out https://www.flowcode.com/page/hollylyne
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Barbara Clark to talk about first chapters and what opening scenes need to have.
For more on writing great dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Tom Holbrook and Jeff Elkins sit down to talk about publishing and craft. They talk about mixing genre and go over stories they believed did it effectively. They discuss stories they love, stories that are broken, and they reflect on the state of the industry. They also cover why sometimes stories with no dialogue still work.
To learn more about Tom or look at his editing business, check out https://holbrookauthorservices.com/holbrook-author-services/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with Hollie Smurthwaite to help Hollie figure out next steps in her current work in progress. Using Story Hypothesis needs and character types, JP helps Hollie move her story forward and they begin to think about expanding the story into a series.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Deb Jensen. Together, they work on Deb's plot by thinking through her cast and how her characters will interact with each other. As they work, they discuss being AI Assisted authors and how you can use AI to help you brainstorm character voices.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff and Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sit down together to talk about the Story Hypothesis system. They dive deep into understanding character wants and needs, building those wants and needs into a plot, and using those wants and needs to demonstrate character growth.
To get a copy of Story Hypothesis, go to https://books2read.com/storyhypothesis/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with newer author Vivian Figueredo to talk about organizing your story. Together they layout the plot lines in Vivian's story and talk about how to line her plot lines interwork with her themes. Through the episode, Laura coaches Vivian in taking a story from her family history and turning it into story that takes a reader on a coherent journey.
To learn more about dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach sits down with author John Krause to examine his cast of 4 characters. They talk about writing voices for characters who are teenagers and children, building voices that are true to their personalities, and designing a cast of contrasting voices that enhance your story.
To see more of John's work, check out https://www.johnkrausebooks.com/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff sits down with the Great TJ Klune. They talk about writing powerful and dynamic characters, building character growth arcs, TJ's passion for inclusivity in his writing, using sensitivity readers, and a whole bunch of other things.
To find more on TJ Klune, head over to https://www.tjklunebooks.com/
For more on writing dialogue, head to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carmen Catena Lewis to work out her plot together. Like many writers, Carmen knows how she wants the story to feel, but she isn't sure what kind of story beats or moments of character growth the story needs. She and Jeff work together to take the story from a general feeling to a set of scenes to be written.
For more on dialogue or tips on improving your craft, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com
At the end of episode 153, Jeff and Laura got off on a tangent about Jeff's fiction. This bonus episode provides that bonus content.
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm returns to the podcast to answer questions for listeners with Jeff. The questions are:
- Best story you've engaged with recently?
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- Something you learned about writing recently?
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- How should we structure internal dialogue?
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- How does a character flaw and a character voice work together?
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- What are the 3 best resources for novice and experienced writers?
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- What is something you found unsurmountable when you started but now you can manage?
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author CC Hanson to talk about CC's work in progress. During the conversation they diagnose the emotions in CC's scene, Laura isolates a character's dialogue for editing using colors, they talk about staying in the moment, writing a 16-year-old voice, and writing grieving characters.
To register for the masterclass in August, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-from-enneagram-to-power-character-growth-and-dynamic-cast/
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Slyvie Kurtz. They look at the cast of Slyvie's novel. They talk about how to design a character voice and how to create a cast that compliments one another and creates conflict.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with publishing giant, Mark Leslie Lefebvre. They talk about Mark's career, how he's seen things change, and what he thinks about current trends.
For more from Mark, check out the Stark Reflections Podcast or head over to https://markleslie.ca/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff talks to Pa Theriot about the romance novel they are working on. Jeff and Pa look at Pa's plot beats together. They talk about how Pa's characters are growing through the story, how the characters are over coming barriers, and how they are growing together to find love.
If you are interested in using Pa as an editor, check out their editing services at https://payitforwardeditorial.com
If you want to register for Jeff's new masterclass, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-from-enneagram-to-power-character-growth-and-dynamic-cast/
If you are looking to learn more about dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Tom Holbrook returns for a chat with Jeff about TJ Klune's The Life of Puppets. In addition to breaking down what they love about the book and the masterful things Klune does to craft a powerful story, they go deep into craft issue they are struggling with.
To find more of Tom's service, check out https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
To learn more about dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Lynn Francis and looks at a chapter Carol has written. They talk about writing strategic and simple descriptions, writing in the 1st Person POV, writing reflections that keep the reader in the moment, and other ways the vehicle character can take the reader on an emotional journey.
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by New Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch the IX. Jeff and JP talk about what they are seeing in the author world, how they see AI impacting things, and what they are doing to stand out when markets seem to be burning down. This is a deep conversation about the state of publishing and how Jeff and JP are feeling as authors.
For more on JP, check out https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To sign up for one of JP's coaching slots, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/coaching/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Emma Jane Heaton to look at the opening of Emma Jane's work-in-progress. They talk about the four ways to start a book, understanding how you want the opening of your book to feel, making strategic choices for your book, letting readers hear the character's voices, and leaning into your gut. For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach, Laura Humm works with author Gemma Clatworthy on the climax of her work in progress. They focus on zooming into important emotional moments, helping the reader track were all the characters are, and ramping up empathy between characters to play off for conflict later.
To find more of Gemma's work, check out her website https://www.gemmaclatworthy.com/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Jason Hamilton (aka The Nerdy Novelist) to talk about how he is using ChatGPT to empower his writing. They discuss Jason's history as an author and how using AI saved him from potentially walking away from the craft altogether. In addition to giving a ton of tips, Jason has a wonderful story about using tools to empower your work.
Check out Jason's work at https://nerdynovelist.com/
And his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNerdyNovelist
For more on writing dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Madeline Davis. Madeline was on the podcast looking at scene 1 in Episode 131. Jeff and Madeline look at a scene together and focus on her lead character Elanor. They look at Elanor's voice together and how they just reflections and inner thoughts to bring out the voice of the internal character.
For more on writinng dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/the-podcast/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Author SW "Shane" Millar. They talk about Shane's transition from a corporate day job to working for Fictionary, running his own business, and writing full time. They talk about his current works in progress, and then pivot to talking his experience rapid releasing books. They discuss Shane's struggle with imposter syndrome and depression, and how writing is a team sport. Finally, they put on their book coaching hats and talk about questions authors struggle with.
Go and check out Shane's work at https://swmillar.com/nonfiction/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Joy Strouse to talk through the plot of the book she is writing. Looking at how she wants her characters to grow, Jeff and Joy plot out the necessary scenes Joy will need to write.
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff and J sit down and talk about AI. After getting their fears out in the open, they talk about how AI is currently effecting publishing, what they see coming, and where they are finding hope for the future of writing. J also explains how to start using Chat GPT to write with if you are not already.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by author Eric Heuser. Looking at a piece of Eric's together, they talk about emotional writing, keeping dialogue realistic, and varying the pace of the dialogue to keep readers hooked.
For more on Dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell from the Author Wheel Podcast to talk about their writing journeys, how they came to start a podcast, where they see authors hitting road blocks, and advice for finishing your novel.
Check out their new Kickstarter at https://www.subscribepage.com/authorbrandchallenge
Or check out their website at https://www.authorwheel.com/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff and Laura take questions from the community.
In the conversation, they cover:
- building villains,
- citing authors in your novel,
- writing outside your natural voice,
- subtext,
- writing voices that descend into madness,
- the mechanics of writing inner thoughts,
- displaying text messages in your story,
- grammar rules and when to break them,
- spicy scenes,
- using a character's name in speech,
- publishers and why they yell about things,
- and creating giant projects.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Raina Ash. They discuss modulating voices to communicate emotion, using body language, slowing down during emotional moments, and not interrupting a scene's energy.
Warning: this episode contains conversations about characters having suicidal thoughts and drug use. If you or someone you love is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 988 (in the United States). There are people at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline wanting to help.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff hangs out with writer and editor, Tom Holbrook in a new segment we are calling "Time with Tom." Jeff and Tom talk about character growth in Back to the Future, an issue with Paper Towns by John Greene, the new show Poker Face, publishing narratives, and other editing questions.
To find more of Tom's work and his services, go to https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
For more on dialogue, check out, https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Madeline Davis to talk about writing historical fiction and adding dialogue to action scenes. They explore the best way to bring forth the voice of a protagonist and seek out how to align side character in a strategic way that will cause the reader to see the protagonist's flaws.
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Faye Whyte to edit a piece together. They talk about utilizing all the characters in the room, leaning on existing tropes for hazard characters, keeping all the characters engaged in a segment, and giving the reader insight into what is happening in the POV character's emotions.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by Three Story Method Editors Thomas Holbrook, Valerie Ihsan, and Catherine Hernandez to talk about ensuring your story has a strong foundational conflict, choices, and consequences. They talk about their favorite plotting tools, how they structure stories, and the mistakes they see writers making, and how to know when you need to fix your story.
Find Catherine at https://www.scribes-pen.com/
Find Tom at https://holbrookauthorservices.com/holbrook-author-services/
Find Valerie at https://valerieihsan.com/
For more on writing great dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Lynn Wham to talk about building character voices. They talk through the process of building character voices and how authors do that differently. They also talk about building a voice from background and personality, deciding on which modulations to plan for, and putting together a cast.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
This week, Jeff met up with several of the Dialoggers to breakdown the movie when Harry Met Sally. They talk about the incredible writing of Noah Ephron, building powerful moments, and modulating character voices to represent change.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Monica Cooke to look at the first chapter of her work in progress romance novel. They talk about building voices to communicate character personalities and slowing down in emotional moments to help the reader feel it.
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To find Monica's work, check out her website - mwcooke.com
In her first solo episode, Dialogue Doctor Editor Laura Humm talks about boosting the emotional journey in your writing. Using road trip and sports analogies, she talks about introducing emotions, building emotions, and feeling the emotions. She looks at dividing up your scene, your dialogue to prose ratio, and how your should think about texture in your dialogue. This episode is a masterclass in creating realistic emotion.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by the Dialoggers and we talk about the book Little Thieves by Margaret Owen. It's a beautiful book that inspires a lot of great thoughts about writing, especially when it comes to big cast conversations and character growth.
Check out Margaret Owen's website. It is beautiful - https://margaret-owen.com/little-thieves/
And for more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with the amazing Tom Holbrook to edit a piece Tom is working on. They talk about defining relationships between characters, building unique character voices, keeping characters engaged in a scene, and showing how characters feel about each other through voice modulation.
To find Tom's work, check out https://holbrookauthorservices.com/
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Jeff is joined by some of the Dialoggers about ending the year and looking to the next year. It's a fun conversation with several amazing authors and podcasters about life as an author. After talking about when an author should abandon a series and rebranding covers, they get into goal setting and plans for 2023.
In this episode, Jeff works through a piece with author Maggie Menane. They discuss reader magnets and writing in first person POV.
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, the podcast is taken over by the Author Life as J Thorn and Jeff sit down to talk about the starting of the Dialogue Doctor. J walks Jeff back to when it all started and how things got kicked off. This is the first episode in a 12 episode special addition of the Author Life. https://theauthorlife.transistor.fm/episodes
The other episodes include:
- The Journey Begins - Jeff and J's first conversation and the Business Model Canvas
- Jeff Knows He Can Do This - a look at Story Brand
- Time to Niche Down - identifying Jeff's niche
- All Problems Can Be Solve - the power of emotion in purchasing decisions
- Crafting Customer Archetype Stories - Goin gdeep into what a customer needs
- Getting Specific - Client Work is like Therapy
- Laying Out the Web Page - the mechanics of building a webpage
- Lead Generation - from a website to a business
- Refining teh Sales Copy - building the website to move people through
- All About Podcasting - what it takes to start and launch a podcast
- Q and A - Jeff has LOTS of questions
- Where it is Now - Jeff and J talk about what the Dialogue Doctor has become
Find all the episodes by clicking here: https://theauthorlife.transistor.fm/episodes
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Painter to work through her plot together. Carol has a question about her character's growth arc and tying together multiple threads of a plot. Jeff and Carol examine her story and talk about how to end it in a satisfying way.
For more on dialogue, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the community. Questions include:
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In a DIY dialogue class, what would some of the “must read“ books be on the syllabus for a diverse cross-section of excellent dialogue examples?
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In a previous masterclass, Laura talked about 5 common mistakes to look for when editing: the reader burden, muddy voices, unbalanced dialogue, minimal change, low impact dialogue. To keep from getting overwhelmed, where should I start with the editing process?
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How do the rules of dialogue change for our characters during spicy scenes?
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How would you handle scenes where the POV character isn’t very aware of the other’s body language, can’t take it all in at once, and or is maybe not even self-aware of their own?
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What is something about how people communicate and speak that you learned at your day job lately?
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What's your favorite thing about working with clients when you're book coaching?
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Here is a list of the books Jeff and Laura listed for question 1:
Beloved by Toni Morrison to understand character voice.
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace to understand scene structure.
The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune to understand "big cast" scenes.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernst Hemingway to understand the structure of dialogue.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to understand the difference between child and adult voices.
Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet to understand the art of conversation.
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis to see how a scene can be two characters talking.
And court transcripts from the internet to understand what real emotions in conversations sound like.
This week on the podcast, Jeff and V.E. Griffith work through a piece together. They talk about making sure the reader gets all the details they need, using body language to show more emotion, writing in a 3rd Grade child's voice, and when to use a summary. V.E. was also on episode 99 of the podcast.
V.E. Griffith's podcast is Revision Wizards and you can find it here https://revisionwizards.com
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this solo episode, Jeff talks all about character growth. He breaks down what character growth is, he gives details of 3 tools authors can use to show character growth and how to use them, and finally he talked about how character growth determines the shape of your story.
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, you sit in on a coaching session between Dennis and Jeff. At the time of this recording, Jeff had been coaching Dennis for almost a year. As they looked at a piece together, they talk about slowing down contemplative dialogue, giving the character logical motivations, making prose emotionally meaningful for the reader, having a conversation with an object, and using body language to show emotional shifts in the character.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this special Halloween episode, Jeff is joined by his co-writer JP Rindfleisch to celebrate finishing the 1st season of their serial fiction and to talk about the challenges of writing a horror-comedy. This conversation goes a little long because JP and I have a great time together. In case you want to skip around:
- Short conversation about Vella: 4:45-8:42
- Halloween childhood memories: 8:42-20:50
- Favorite Horror Stories: 20:50-38:40
- What Scares You: 38:40-49:27
- What Inspires Your Horror Writing: 49:27-58:30
- Balancing Comedy and Horror in a Scene: 58:30-1:12:17
- Reflections on Season 1: 1:12:17-1:28:42
For more on writing dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by 6 Three Story Method Editors to discuss the concept of theme. After defining "theme" and giving examples of stories they love that has great themes, they talk about mistakes writers make in writing theme, some ways they've seen writers incorporate theme into their work, and they provide tips weaving themes into your novel. If you enjoyed listening to the editors, please consider working with them.
You can find the editors at:
A.B. Cohen - https://abcohenwrites.com/
Catherine Hernandez - https://www.scribes-pen.com/
V.E. Griffith - https://vegriffith.com/
Ran Weingartner - https://weingartnerbooks.com/keystolifeonearth/
Valerie Ihsan - https://valerieihsan.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, editor Laura Humm sits down with author Judy Boxer to look through the story Judy is working on.
In part 1, Laura and Judy talk about the complications of blending memoir and fiction, they discuss how to pick a genre, they talk about finding a theme, using the character's voice to make the read more intimate.
In part 2, they talk about what Laura feels as a reader at the opening of the piece, writing little kids, showing character change, making sure we get some of the "world before" so we can appreciate where they are in the conflict, plus much more.
For more writing coaching and tips on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Eric sit down to talk through the climax of his book. They talk about not introducing new elements into the climax, building up elements to reveal at the end of the book, building a false ending, and giving a satisfying ending. They also break down where to end a book.
This is Eric's fourth appearance on the Dialogue Doctor. Previously, he was on episode 35, episode 65, and episode 91.
For more on writing dialogue, head over https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Cassie Newell and Shane Millar to talk about productivity and fueling your writing by finding your "why." They go deep into their journeys as writers, how they have each written multiple novels and nonfiction books, what they need in a workspace, and how they found their "why" to writing. The conversation about finding your "why" gets beautifully vulnerable as all three of them share details about what motivates them.
To find the Storytellers Faceoff podcast, go to https://www.storytellersfaceoff.com/
To find Cassie's books, check out https://www.sassywritingcoach.com/
To find Shane's work, check out https://swmillar.com/nonfiction/
To join the Dialogger Community, go to https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Painter to look at a piece she wrote. They talk about writing an emotional journey and ensuring the reader can feel the emotions of each scene. They discuss understanding the conflict and stakes of each scene and then using the emotions of those scene to set up your characters' growth.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with David Hayward. For the last 17 years, David has created art and comics and written books under the moniker of The Naked Pastor. They discuss what it means to create art that pushes back on social norms, how to manage your own mental health under the pressure of criticism, and what it is like to build a successful brand that is authentic to who you are. Plus, Jeff has multiple "fan boy" moment.
Find David's work at: https://nakedpastor.com/
Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/nakedpastor
Or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/nakedpastor/
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Carmen Dillion to look at a chapter she wrote. They talk about using dialogue to world build, building a character's voice to empower the character's growth, and taking your characters on different emotional journeys.
For more on Dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, the Great J Thorn joins Jeff to talk about a myriad of topics. J has published two million words and has sold more than 185,000 books worldwide. He hosts the Writers, Ink podcast with J.D. Barker and Zach Bohannon, and The Author Life Podcast with Crys Cain. Most importantly, J encouraged Jeff to launch the Dialogue Doctor and help him through the development process in 2020. Jeff and J talk through a wide variety of topics, including the publishing industry, starting new things, and building community in the industry.
For more on J Thorn's work, go to https://jthorn.net/
To find Writers Ink, go to https://writersinkpodcast.com/
To join the Author LIfe Community, go to https://theauthorlife.com/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff looks at a chapter from Charmyra Fleming's current project. Together they talk about finding the beginning and end of segments for prose placement, using conversations for world-building, and zooming into the scene to build reader engagement.
You can find Charmyra's website here: https://www.creativecalfuray.com/
home Check out her podcast here: https://www.creativecalfuray.com/blog
To register for the Masterclass - https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-sign-up/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Matty Dalrymple (author of more than 9 novels and the host of the Indy Author Podcast) joins Jeff to talk about framing a story. They discuss different plotting methods and different ways to think through your story. They talk about framing for plot points, framing for character growth, or framing for the emotional journey.
Check out the Indy Author Podcast at https://www.theindyauthor.com/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura Humm and Alicia McCalla edit a piece together. Laura breaks down for Alicia the steps and techniques she uses to edit dialogue. This podcast is a window into the editing process of a talented exceptional editor.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To register for the upcoming master class, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-sign-up/
This week, Jeff and the Dialoggers take a look at She who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. We talk about the ways the author uses gender, our expectations of the plot, bringing new perspectives to history, and the author's use of dialogue.
To buy She Who Became the Sun and find more work by Shelley Parker-Chan, check out https://shelleyparkerchan.com/she-who-became-the-sun/
To register for the master class, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-sign-up/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Roland and Jeff look at a piece together and discuss getting rid of summaries, building bridges to the reader's imaginations, and the different parts of dialogue. Together they get deep into how to use dialogue to get the results you want out of your writing.
To engage with Roland's work, go to https://indestructibleauthor.com/author/roland/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura celebrate the Dialogue Doctor's 2-year anniversary with a Q&A.
The questions they discuss are below:
1) Introductory nonsense 2:05-8:05
2) What do you wish you would have explained better in the last two years? 8:05
3) How do you plot a novella/novel with the conversations that need to occur per chapter? 18:33
4) How do you set up a cast of characters for conflict and entertaining dialogue? 31:50
5) How do you use the LEGOs to build the protagonist and the related blocks to build the antagonist and supporting characters? 38:35
6) How do you feel about “head hopping” in a book? 45:00
7) How to use the VEAH analysis on a scene from a book or movie? And, can characters change from E to A or H from scene to scene depending on the situation, or is it a character trait? 54:40
8) If a scene necessitates a character being alone, how can you structure the interplay between that one character’s thoughts, emotion, body language, and interaction with the setting to create the illusion of dialogue? 58:25
9) It seems so much easier to do this on film, what are tips for getting this kind of nonverbal info into a scene without clogging it up or bogging it down? 1:00:51
10) Will I be creating difficulty for the reader by changing the voice of supporting characters throughout the story? 1:12:25
11) How to express dialect without looking stupid? 1:18:17
12) How can you convey an unreliable POV character in dialogue? 1:22:52
13) What are you excited about exploring more in year 3? 1:28:50
For more on dialogue, come over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and author Dillon Mesquitta talk about removing burdens from the reader. After discussing the great things Dillon is doing with his dialogue, he and Jeff talk about making character interactions clear, using descriptions to show emotional context, and making sure names aren't confusing.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this Grand Rounds episode, Jeff interviews Claire Taylor from FFS media about the enneagram. They discuss their experience with the personality typing system, how writers can use the enneagram to create diverse casts, how writers can build character voices from the enneagram, and Claire's new Kickstarter project.
To find more about Claire's services, go to https://www.ffs.media/
To join Claire's Kickstarter, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ffsmedia/reclaim-your-author-career
For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Aaron get nitty-gritty about how dialogue works on the page. They talk about keeping a lone wolf talking, using text messages as a device in the narrative, picking settings to write, organizing descriptions, talking to rats (having conversations with things you notice in the text), making sure the dots are connected in the text, the importance of the back-and-forth, and lots more.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Three Story Method Editors JP Rindfleisch, Miss Catherine Hernadez, and V.E. (Aaron) Griffith to talk about world-building. They discuss what makes a good world, what frustrates them about world-building, and they give practical tips for getting it done in your novel. We also discover that Jeff has no idea how to world-build and avoids it at all cost.
JP's editing services at https://www.jprindfleischix.com/services/
Miss Catherine's services at https://www.scribes-pen.com/
V.E. Griffith's services at https://vegriffith.com/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Shane (SW) Millar returns to the podcast to do a cast-building session with Jeff. After reading a chapter by Share, Jeff realized Shane wasn't connecting with one of his characters. Jeff and Shane break down the cast to try and discover who the character needs to be. They discuss how understanding your characters will make your plot come together without any thought.
They also discuss Shane's new book, How to Write Brillant Beginnings. It's an amazing book every writer should have. Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Shane-Millar/e/B0B2MZ6P89/
Sean Paul Murphy joins Jeff to talk about the difference between writing screenplays and writing novels. Bringing a perspective from traditional publishing and movie production, Sean talks about how he got screenplays produced, the difference between novels and screenplays, the importance of character, and how to create an emotional read.
Sean Paul Murphy's Blog: http://seanpaulmurphyville.blogspot.com/
Sean Paul Murphy's Podcast: https://yippeekiyaymotherpodcast.com/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Maggie Menane to go through a piece she wrote. They talk about writing comedy, emotional transitions, creating different voices, making summaries into scenes, how to use inner monologue, and kicking off a sequel. To learn more about writing dialogue, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this solo episode, Jeff uses seven laws of physics to talk about storytelling. Loosely using the laws of physics for inspiration, Jeff breaks down why and how writers should take their readers on an emotional journey.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Susan Campbell to work through a piece Susan wrote. They discuss getting details into the dialogue. They look at how moving world-building details into dialogue makes the information more engaging. They talk about putting backstory into dialogue to increase connection with characters. They examine how putting details into dialogue allows you to increase the emotional expression of the reader.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by Three Story Method Editor Catherine Hernandez to talk about taking your reader on an emotional journey. They work to define the phrase "emotional tone," they talk about how the character's emotional journey connects to the reader's emotional journey, and they give tips and tricks for writing and editing a character's emotional journey.
To learn more about Catherine's work or to hire her as an editor, check out her website: https://www.scribes-pen.com/
To learn more about writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Eric Heuser returns to look at another piece with Jeff. Eric also appeared in episodes 35, 65, and 82. Together they look at using dialogue in action scenes, transitioning from one setting to the next, and maintaining urgency throughout the piece.
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura tackle several questions together that all revolve around writing and understanding character voice. Topics in this episode include:
1) Jeff rambling about his upcoming novel - 3:00 minute mark
2) What is happening in the community this week? - 5:00 minute mark
3) If you were a cake, what kind of cake would you be and why? - 8:00 minutes mark
4) What are you currently working on outside of the day job? 12:30 minute mark
5) What is something you recently learned? - 17:55 minute mark
6) An aside about Canada - 25:20 minute mark
7) What's the best thing you've read/watched recently? - 26:50 minute mark
8) Memorable character voices you've encountered in entertainment - TV, Movies, of Books? - 33:45 minute mark
9) Memorable "character" voices you've encountered in real life that would work in a book? - 49:20 minute mark
10) What part of next weekend do you think is going to be the most helpful for people who attend? - 1:04:10 minute mark
For more on dialogue - https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura and Lisa looked at a scene from Lisa's current science fiction novel. Among other things, they discuss pacing a scene so the reader can experience the emotional flow, limiting the number of characters to allow the reader to focus on plot movements, and getting the reader to the most important aspects of the scene as possible.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, SW Milar returns to the podcast. He and Jeff look at a piece together and talk about removing the burden from the reader, talking to inanimate objects, bringing back repeated conversations to show character growth, and placing prose between segments.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/.
To find more of SW Milar's work, go to https://swmillar.com/
To listen to other episodes with SW Milar, check out episodes 58 and 71.
In the first solo episode of 2022, Jeff answers questions posed by the Dialogue Doctor Community - the Dialoggers. The topics covered include: defining what dialogue is, using body language in dialogue, suggestions on using inner thoughts, what to do when your character is alone, and how to redeem unlikable characters. For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with writer Angela Haas to look over a space opera scene Angela has written. They discuss lining your character's voice up with their personality, including inner thoughts as part of your character's voice, contrasting characters to increase the intensity of the scene, and when to modulate a character's voice.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura and joined by Dialoggers to discuss The Network Effect by Martha Wells. They talk about writing amazing character voices in science fiction, putting in backstory and info-dumping, using unique point-of-views, writing in a way that sucks the reader into a character voice, and using punctuation tools to make a narrative voice come to life.
To learn more about dialogue and join the Dialogue Doctor community, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Book Coach Laura Humm sits with Dialogger Faye Whyte to review two scenes Faye has written. This session is jam-packed with incredible tips for writing. During the discussion, they cover creating a natural feeling back-and-forth for the reader, incorporating world-building into the dialogue, writing children's voice, and a tone more.
For more on dialogue, come and join us at https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by 6 Three Story Method Editors to discuss writing the wants and needs of characters. The group defines wants and needs, talks about how the needs connect to the internal wound, discuss how to show characters maturing in their needs, and debate if needs can change in the middle of a story.
Here are links to the editors who were on the call: V.E. Griffith - https://vegriffith.com/
Catherine Hernandez - https://www.scribes-pen.com/
Valerie Ihsan - https://valerieihsan.com/
Adam Roberson - https://www.craftandtradeauthorservices.com/
Cathy Peper - http://cathypeper.com/authorservices/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/author-services
For more on dialogue, check out: https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Eric look at two scenes together. They start with an interrogation scene that transitions into a fantasy world. They discuss how to launch a scene by giving the reader a visual of the scene to kick off their imagination, using body language to communicate emotion, leading emotional change with your vehicle character, maintaining the back and forth between characters while working emotional changes, and wrapping up an action scene.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura sits with author Jon Howard. Looking at one of his chapters together, they talk about character voice consistency, identifying first person POV for the readers, pulling the reader in by helping them feel what is happening, finding the process that works for you as a writer, figuring out an AI voice in your work, and keeping the reader in the emotional moment.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this Q&A episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the Dialoggers. (Indicates when each question starts.) 1. What are you reading and writing? (7:05)
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What would you say are the 5 authors that you recommend for learning story and dialogue together? (13:25)
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What do you tell writers who have mono-mouth? (28:50)
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Is 1st person narrative actually dialogue? (33:10)
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I'm writing a character who speaks duplicitously and when she's using, her speech changes completely. Is this realistic? (40:35)
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Tips on writing dialogue with pets/objects where they don't talk back. (45:50)
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What are you most excited about teaching at the workshop on the 26th? (54:05)
To register for the workshop, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/2022-workshops/
In this episode, Jeff talks with author Carmen Dillion about writing in a way that empowers the reader's imagination. They talk about how Carmen has empowered the reader to imagine her character playing an instrument, how to write a Big Cast scene, providing spacial awareness for the reader, giving us a descriptor of each character to give the reader a visual, using the word said, and increasing emotional texture. Also, believe it or not, Jeff compliments Carmen on her use of italics.
Don't forget to click here and sign up for the next Dialogue Doctor Workshop - https://dialoguedoctor.com/2022-workshops/
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura sits down with author Lon Varnadore to look at a science-fiction and fantasy piece Lon is working on. They talk about building emotional beats in a story, creating a sense of intensity, breaking up larger paragraphs with dialogue, and they take a deep dive into the pacing of a story. To read more of Lon's work https://www.amazon.com/Lon-Varnadore/e/B002UIICLO
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by Three Story Method Editors. They talk about what makes great characters, characters they want to see more of, and character tropes they think are played out.
To find out more about the editors that joined Jeff, check out the links below.
Three Story Method Editors: https://theauthorlife.com/editing/
Christine Daigle: https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/author-services
Cathy Peper: https://cathypeper.com
VE Griffith: https://vegriffith.com
Catherine Hernadez: https://www.scribes-pen.com/
Kathrese McKee: https://www.writingpursuits.com/
JP Rindfleisch: http://www.jprindfleischix.com/services/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Paige Theriot to edit a piece together that she wrote. They talk about painting a cinematic scene for a reader, making sure the reader can track all the characters, and mixing in prose with dialogue.
For more of Paige's work, go to https://paigetheriot.com/
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura sits down with writers Faye and Amy to talk about what it is like to work on a book with someone else. They discuss the benefits of community, how to track an editor's notes, how conflict spurs ideas, and what is the job of an editor.
For more on dialogue or to book coaching sessions with Laura, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Alicia McCalla (from episode 2) returns to examine a short story she has written for an anthology that she is considering turning into serial fiction. They discuss the emotional movement of the story, they plot out an emotional flow, they talk character transformation, they look at world-building with dialogue, they debate internal monologue, and they talk about dialogue in an action scene.
To experience more of Alicia's work, go to https://aliciamccalla.com/
For more on dialogue, go to DialogueDoctor.com
In this episode, Jeff and Laura debate the next Dialogue Doctor tool they are going to build and then discuss their radically different approaches to managing projects and goals.
Because this is a Jeff and Laura Chat episode, here are the time codes:
- 4:43 - Hot Zoom Chat
- 5:37 - Personal Stuff
- 7:27 - Debating the Next Tool
- 31:00 - Different Ways of Managing Goals
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
This week Jeff and Laura are joined by members of the Dialogue Doctor Slack Community to discuss TJ Klune's amazing book, The House in the Cerulean Sea.
We talk characterization, demonstrating character growth through voice, using repeated scenes to show character growth, and writing dialogue for a Big Cast (3-5 characters in a scene). The book is a masterwork in dialogue and we have a great time learning from it.
To purchase copies of TJ Klune's books, check out: http://www.tjklunebooks.com/the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/the-podcast/
In this episode, SW Millar (also on episode 58) returns with a new scene from his short story, "A Thief's Magic." Shane and Jeff discuss using dialogue tags, making sure the reader has cinematic awareness of the scene, emotional pacing, and communicating characterization through choices the characters make.
You can find more of SW Millar's writing at https://swmillar.com/.
Also, download a free copy of the finished version of The Thief's Magic today here: https://wondrous-maker-6982.ck.page/de613458f2
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by seven other Three Story Method Editors to talk about the Three Story Method story rubric, what they each enjoy about editing, what is the hardest thing to catch as an editor, and what they think a writer should consider when they are picking an editor.
Links from the discussion: Three Story Method Story Rubric: https://theauthorlife.com/storyrubric/
All the Three Story Method Certified Editors: https://theauthorlife.com/editing/
Crys Cain: https://www.cryscain.com/
Christine Daigle: https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/author-services
Valerie Ihsan: https://valerieihsan.com/
Catherine Hernadez: https://www.scribes-pen.com/
Cathy Peper: https://cathypeper.com
Kathrese McKee: https://www.writingpursuits.com/
JP Rindfleisch: http://www.jprindfleischix.com/services/
Jeff Elkins: https://dialoguedoctor.com/editing/
For more on the Dialogue Doctor or to get engaged in the Dialogue Doctor community, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Laura sits down with a new author to edit a piece together. Looking at the piece as a reader, Laura talks about using dialogue to stay in the moment, revealing feelings and details of world-building with dialogue, how to know when to break a chapter, and why voice modulation is important.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions about writing realistic dialogue and manipulating the speed of a scene. At the end of the conversation, they release the dates for the 2022 mini-conferences!
- Witty Banter starts at 34 seconds.
- Questions #1 starts at 9 minutes 30 seconds.
- Questions #2 starts at 40 minutes 30 seconds.
- Special Release of future dates starts at 59 minutes 30 seconds.
For more on dialogue, check out DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff and Dennis give you a glimpse into what book coaching is like. At the time of this recording, Jeff and Dennis have been working on a book together for three months. Jeff and Dennis look at two scenes together and talk about the emotional flow of the scene. We talk about building emotions in a scene and thinking about the flow of a scene.
To learn more about writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
To work with Jeff or Laura, check out our services page - https://dialoguedoctor.com/coaching/
In this episode, author and Three Story Method Editor Crys Cain joins Jeff to talk about all the non-dialogue bits of writing we have to do and how writing great dialogue frees us to use these parts of our writing differently.
To find Crys' podcasts and editing services, check out http://www.cryscain.com/
For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff works with Eric Heuser on a piece. Eric is a member of the Dialogue Doctor Slack community and was on the show in episode 35. Jeff is shocked by the transformation of Eric's piece from the last time they looked at it together. He and Eric talk about slowing down in moments of emotional transition and maintaining voice consistency throughout a piece.
For more on dialogue, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff is joined by the amazing JP Rindfleisch and the fantastic Christine Daigle to talk about editing, the new Three Story Method Story Diagnostic, and most importantly - serialized fiction.
You can find the Serial Fiction Show Podcasts (JP and Christine's podcast) at https://www.serialfictionshow.com/
You can find the Three Story Method Rubric at https://theauthorlife.com/storyrubric/
You can find JP's editing services at https://www.jprindfleischix.com/services/
And for more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff looks at a scene with author Scott Fishman. Together they discuss making memoir engaging, zooming into a scene to help the reader gain an intimate connection to the work, and writing something with a strong theme in mind.
For more on dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura are joined by members of the Dialogue Doctor Slack Community to discuss the dialogue techniques in Elmore Leonard's Freaky Deaky.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Faye Whyte to look at a chapter Faye wrote for a book she is working on. Jeff and Faye discuss getting a character's voice into the world, having spatial awareness of characters to help the readers imagine them, and using body language to let readers know how they should hear a line.
For more on Dialogue and some free tools to help you write, check out DialogueDoctor.com.
In this solo episode, Jeff introduces new terms for characters to help authors think about their stories as an emotional journey and the role their characters play in that emotional journey.
For more, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with the fantastic science fiction author, Lisa Young to talk about the emotional flow of a story, creating characters with consistent voices, and slowing down in emotional scenes to help the reader feel it.
If you want to skip to the session, jump to minute 6.
To sign up for the Dialogue Doctor free weekly newsletter, check out the free tools, and learn more about dialogue, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
This week, Jeff sits down to look at a chapter with SW Millar. Together they talk about creating a variety of voices, writing "big cast" scenes, utilizing side characters, and building ensuring an engaging emotional flow.
The interview starts at 1:56.
For more of SW Millar's work, go to https://swmillar.com/
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura demonstrate how they go about building a character voice based on the needs of a plot. Using a plot Jeff is working on, they talk through the lead character's personality and build a character voice from it.
To see a character voice chart, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/character-wheel/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura reflect on what they learned from the mini-conference. They talk about writing allies and antagonists, body language vs action, and they reveal new free tools.
For more, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this solo episode, Jeff breaks down the 7 most common mistakes he sees authors making with their dialogue.
For more, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Tom Holbrook come together to look at a piece from his upcoming book, The Levelers. They talk about the process of building a cast of character voices, playing character voices off of each other, and using a character wheel chart to edit/write.
To find more of Tom's books, check out his Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Andrews/e/B075NM9SFY
To get a blank character wheel, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/character-wheel/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Mary Morrison to talk about a short story she wrote. They talk about keeping the energy high through shorter interactions, using repetitive phrases strategically, and keeping things easy for the reader.
You can find more of Mary's work here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0832K8F4T
For more Dialogue Doctor, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura are joined by their friend Carin. With Carin as the host, they review what they've learned about dialogue, what has surprised them about working with clients, and what is coming in year two of the Dialogue Doctor.
For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, members of the Dialogue Doctor Slack group come together to analyze the short story All Summer in a Day. They discuss big chorus scenes, using dialogue to convey emotion, and pulling a reader in through dialogue.
For more on dialogue, check out DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Faye Whyte returns to the podcast to talk through her series with Jeff. Together she and Jeff work through questions of character transformation over a three-book arch. Asking simple questions, together they brainstorm how the characters will interact change over the course of the story.
For more on dialogue and writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this special holiday edition of the podcast, Laura puts Jeff in the hot seat for the first time.
For more, check out DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author JM Bedard to look at a science fiction piece Jeannette wrote. They talk about strategically utilizing self-talk and nonverbal characters. They also discuss keeping all the characters engaged in a "big cast" scene and ensuring you know how your characters feel about each other.
For more on writing dialogue, check out www.DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff and Laura talk about the "he said," "she said," "they said" (dialogue tags) that are the bane of an author's existence. They break down when to place them in a sentence and why, how to use them with different size casts, and why Laura wants authors to change it up a little.
For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with middle-grade author Emmie B to look at a scene from a new series she is currently working on. Jeff and Emmie talk about changing points of view, choosing to be in a scene rather than summarize, and writing dialogue with three or more characters.
For more of Emmie B's work, check out her site at https://www.emmiebbooks.com/
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, go to www.DialogueDoctor.com
In this episode, Jeff and Laura and joined by a few attendees of their conference this weekend to talk about takeaways from the weekend. They discuss what they learned, Laura gives us a deeper breakdown on how to design a voice, and Jeff goes into what makes up a personality of a character.
For more, head over to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura get together with Dialogue Doctor gang members Tom Holbrook and Vincent Stanley to talk about the book Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark.
Grab your copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Borrowed-Time-Chicago-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B07H1YCW7C/
To find Tracy Clark on the web, go to https://tracyclarkbooks.com/
In this episode, Jeff is joined by Laura Humm, Faye Whyte, and Tom Sullivant to build a character wheel for the Flannery O'Connor short story A Good Man is Hard to Find. They talk about how to build a character voice chart from a short story and how to use that chart to expand the short story into a novel.
For more on building character voice, go to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this solo episode, Jeff talks about what deconstruction is and then applies it to story structure in hopes of helping authors move past difficult moments in writing. Jeff shares the journey he's been on with story structure, he breaks it down to its three basic components and then talks about scene construction. Jeff encourages writers to always ask the question, "How does this make the reader feel?"
For more, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com
Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinner Novels. She is also the host of the fabulous Indy Author Podcast. (Matty first appeared on the Dialogue Doctor in session 12.) In this episode, Jeff and Matty talk about dialogue attributions, introducing characters effectively, adding big personalities to spice up the dialogue, and creating a sense of energy in your writing.
For more of Matty's fiction, check out https://www.mattydalrymple.com/
To hear the Indy Author Podcast, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
Angela Ackerman is one of the co-founders of Writer's Helping Writers and One Stop for Writers. She is also the co-author of 8 different writer's thesauri designed to help writers improve their craft. In this episode, Jeff and author Jeannette Bedard fan out about Angela's work and talk to her about realistic sounding emotions. Check out all of Angela's tools at WritersHelpingWriters.net.
For more on dialogue, go to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Ran Weingartner to look at a wonderful piece Ran wrote. They discuss the emotionality of the piece, how characters need to respond to each other in an emotional scene, using inner thoughts from a 1st Person Point of View, and much more.
For more on dialogue and to jump in on the Dialogue Doctor Experience, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
This week Jeff is alone on the show talking about modulating a character's voice. He begins by talking about the emotional flow of a story, he then transitions into talking about the emotional flow of a scene, he then talks about modulating voices as a tool to communicate emotional flow.
For more, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/
If you want to look at Kurt Vonnegut's the Shape of Story, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ
In this episode, Jeff sits down with the amazing Katlyn Duncan to look over a chapter she is working on. Katlyn is an author and YouTuber. While they work on the chapter, they discuss slowing down to bring the reader on an emotional journey, being strategic with character relationships, being clear about who is speaking, and the voices of authority figures and teenagers.
To find Katlyn Duncan on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGt6DZxV_F379yzxO2QQTFw
To check out Katlyn's amazing books - http://www.katlynduncan.com/
For more from the Dialogue Doctor - https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura are joined by other dialogue fanatics to build a character wheel chart for the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. They talk about how background leads to personality, and how personality translates into a character voice. For more on dialogue, go to DialogueDoctor.com.
This week Jeff sits down with author Eric Heuser to talk about the impact of summaries on our story, slowing our pacing down so our readers can feel the emotional build of a moment, being clear with self-talk, and much more.
For more, head over to DialogueDoctor.com. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and get your free book full of wonderful tips and tricks.
In this episode, Jeff and his wife, Wendy, sit down with Morgan and Robby Maxey of the Maxey Co. Together, Morgan and Robby help people and organizations build positive relationships and reach their potential through the enneagram. In the discussion, they cover the enneagram, talk about its impact on their lives, and look at how it can be a useful tool for a writer.
For more from the Maxey Co., go to - https://themaxeyco.com/
Or find Robby and Morgan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/themaxeyco/
To get engaged in the Dialogue Doctor community, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Jane Gorman, the author of the Cape May Cozy Mysteries and the Adam Kaminski Mystery. This episode was originally recorded back in October of 2020. While looking at a rough draft chapter from her Cape May Cozy Mysteries, Jeff and Jane talk about keeping the reader engaged by staying in the dialogue, using verbal ticks to enhance emotional resonance in the dialogue, using repeated scenes in your story, and having characters play off of one another.
To find Jane's work, check out her website at https://www.janegorman.com/index.html
Since the recording of this episode, Jane has published the Cape May Mysteries. You can find the finished books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Scones-Scofflaws-Cape-Mysteries-Twist-ebook/dp/B08PW7M9JC/
This week Jeff and Laura are joined by fellow dialogue fanatics Faye and Vince to talk about the Sun Also Rises. After discussing their initial impressions of the book, they get into:
- How they were impacted by Hemingway's massive use of dialogue,
- Hemingway's obsession over some details while ignoring others completely
- How Hemingway distinguished character voices,
- Hemingway's humor
- Writing drunk people
- Why we think Hemingway occasionally changed style in the book
- And lots more.
Our next book club recording will be on May 10. We will be discussing the book, "Borrowed Time" by Tracy Clark. You can pick up your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496714903/
To register for the "Style and Voice Summit," go here: https://summit.styleandvoice.com/?sc=trKxSqto∾=Ul5ED2kJ
For more on dialogue and to get a free book about dialogue, come over to www.dialogueDoctor.com
In this episode, Jeff sits down with editor Laura Humm and author Michele Tracy Berger to answer the question, "What is something authors do in dialogue that makes you want to put the book down?" In this dynamic conversation, the trio discusses interrupting dialogue with motion, keeping readers engaged, our reading habits, and ensuring the diversity you are seeking to include in your dialogue isn't negatively impacting others.
To find more of Michele's work, check out her website -https://micheleberger.wordpress.com/
To find Michele's books, check out her amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Reenu-You-Michele-Tracy-Berger/dp/1942302487
For more on writing dialogue, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with new author, James Jones to look at a scene from James' first book. They discuss analyzing the emotional flow of a scene, the cadence of dialogue, sticking with a character's voice even when we are moving the plot forward, the difference between dialogue and plot, and more.
For more on dialogue, check out DialogueDoctor.com.
In a solo episode, Jeff talks about modulating your characters' voices in order to increase your readers' emotional engagement in your work. Jeff explains what it means to modulate a voice, gives three reasons why you should do it, and talks about three things to keep in mind as you try it.
For more, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
This week, Jeff sits down with new author, Doug Sjoquist. Looking through a piece together, Jeff and Doug talk about giving characters strong opening statements, contrasting character voices, using dialogue to move action scenes, and creating an emotional build. Jeff also rants about using inner thoughts instead of putting the words in the character's mouth.
This week, Jeff sits down with the fantastic Sacha Black. Sacha is the host of the Rebel Author Podcast and the co-host of the Next Level Authors podcast. Jeff and Sacha discuss the book she is working on, her character voices, how style plays into editing, writing characters in different power dynamics, using personification, planning the emotional states of story beats, and much more.
You can find more of Sacha's work at https://sachablack.co.uk/.
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, head to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode, Jeff and Laura sit down with author Tory Element to talk about the character voices in the movie Lethal Weapon. They break down the voices of Murtaugh and Riggs. They talk about what makes great "ally voices" and break down how to use a Dialogue Doctor Character Wheel to build character voices.
To get your own copy of a character wheel, go to DialogueDoctor.com and download one for free.
To find the Patreon and get the bonus episode, check out https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins
In this solo episode, Jeff discusses a new system of building character voice that he calls "The Dialogue Daisy."
In this very special episode, Dr. Paz Galupo of Towson University and Carin Galupo join Crys Cain and JP Rindfleisch of the Write Away Podcast, Mark Leslie of the Stark Reflections podcast, and Jeff and Laura to walk them through Gender Mapping and give insights into how we should understand gender.
Make sure to check out Stark Reflections and the Write Away podcast to hear their reflections on the event:
https://starkreflections.ca/
https://writeawaypodcast.com/about/
For a list of Dr. Galupo's publications, go to: https://www.towson.edu/cla/departments/psychology/facultystaff/mgalupo.html
For more from the Dialogue Doctor, check out https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins
In this episode, Jeff and Laura sit down with the amazing authors Faye Whyte and Tory Element to build a character wheel for the protagonist of the movie Die Hard, John McClane. They talk about what makes up a character's voice, how his voice modulates in different scenarios, and how to effectively use a character wheel.
If you enjoy Science Fiction, check out Tory's new book, Rock Rain - https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Rain-Tory-Element-ebook/dp/B08RL7TZHT/.
To find a copy of the character wheel, head over to - https://dialoguedoctor.com/character-wheel/
In this episode, Jeff brings his three brothers-in-law and his wife on the podcast to talk about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. They chat about what they love about the movie, whey it resonates with them, and their favorite quotable moments.
To support the Dialogue Doctor, go to https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins
For more information, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/
In this episode of the podcast, Jeff is joined by his brother-in-law, John Sales. John, a fantastic writer and all-around wonderful human, and Jeff discuss the movie Ground Hog's Day. Using the repeated scene structure of the screenplay, they talk about how character transformation is demonstrated as settings replay but the character's reaction changes.
This week Jeff sits down with Cozy Mystery author Victoria Tait. Together they look at a mystery Vicky wrote. They talk about character voice, writing "big cast" scenes, and using body language to communicate emotion. Find more of Victoria's work at https://victoriatait.com/.
For more on writing dialogue, check out dialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff and Laura sit down with Alicia McCalla, Doug Sjoquist, Faye Whyte, Lon Varnadore, and Tory Element to talk about writing a dialogue only first draft. They talk about how to write a dialogue only first draft, what is scary about it, and the benefits of it.
In this episode, Jeff talks with historical fiction author Sherilyn Decter for some editing and building a character wheel for a new novel she is working on. Jeff and Sheri work on a character wheel together and talk about how to write children's voices. Check out more at DialogueDoctor.com. Find Sherilyn's work at Sherilyndecter.com.
In the first Book Club episode of the Dialogue Doctor, Jeff and Laura sit in awe of Toni Morrison's Beloved. They marvel at Morrison's fantastic characterization, her ability to modulate character voices to pull readers in, and the powerful emotional pull of the book.
In this episode Jeff sits down with Lily Fouts to discuss a scene from her upcoming memoir, Seven Years Running. The work is Lily's story of living as a childhood fugitive. It's an exciting and engaging thriller that will pull you in and keep you engaged. Jeff and Lily discuss how to use dialogue to zoom into a scene and force readers to feel what our characters are feeling.
In this episode, Laura Humm returns to answer questions. After hearing from a lot of authors that they are feeling overwhelmed, Jeff and Laura tackle the question, "What is one thing an author can start doing today to improve their dialogue?"
For more, head over to dialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Tory Element to talk about writing dialogue in science fiction. They discuss building the "lovable rogue" character voice and putting a supporting cast around a hero, changing character voices when power dynamics change, writing fun AI voices, and picking catchphrases.
Find more of Tory's work at toryelement.com.
For more on Dialogue, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff has a very special guest - Wendy Elkins, his wife. Jeff and Wendy dive into the opening scene of When Harry Met Sally by Nora Ephron. Jeff and Wendy celebrate the amazing writing of this master artist, talk romantic comedy, and have a great time together laughing about a movie they both love.
For more, go to DialogueDoctor.com
Jeff and Matty Dalrymple sit down to talk about writing large group scenes, stretching characters across a series, and building an audiobook.
For more of the Dialogue Doctor, head over to DialogueDoctor.com.
To find more of Matty's work, https://www.mattydalrymple.com/ https://www.facebook.com/matty.dalrymple/ https://twitter.com/mattydalrymple https://www.instagram.com/matty.dalrymple/ Matty Dalrymple,
Author YouTube channel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matty-dalrymple/
Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author: https://www.theindyauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheIndyAuthor/
https://twitter.com/TheIndyAuthor
The Indy Author YouTube channel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matty-dalrymple/
In this episode, Jeff goes back to the first book he wrote 6 years ago and edits it. He talks about changing a character's voice to improve the inciting incident, getting rid of dialogue summaries, and playing with the emotional dynamics of a scene to enhance the power dynamics between the protagonist and the antagonist.
In this episode of the Dialogue Doctor, Jeff talks with episode SA Schneider about writing fan fiction and capturing famous voices. It's a fun conversation in which Jeff and SA both geek out on Doctor Who.
For more, head over to DialogueDoctor.com
In this episode, Laura Humm (Jeff's friend and mentor) returns to talk about building a large cast of characters. Jeff and Laura discuss casts in literature they love and then talk about how those casts interact with one another.
For more, head over to dialoguedoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Sharilyn Decter to review a scene. Sharilyn is an amazing historical fiction author whose work takes place in the prohibition era. Jeff and Shari talk about building a unique cast of characters, getting those contrasting characters to compliment one another, and making sure your work fits your time period.
Find more at DialogueDoctor.com
In this episode, Jeff's good friend Rachael returns to examine scenes from the TV show, the X Files.
Jeff and Rachael talk about writing realistic science fiction and creating contrasting characters that complement one another.
For more, head over to DialogueDoctor.com
Jeff sits down with author Janet Kitto to talk about preparing to write by designing a character voice, how voices should change through a book, and how to build complementing and contrasting characters.
For a video of the conversation and a free gift, head over to DialogueDoctor.com
This week Jeff Elkins sits down with his friend and teacher, Laura Humm. Laura is the COO of SIMmersion, an innovative training company that builds simulations that train professionals in difficult conversations. Additionally, Laura was Jeff's first editor, got him into writing as a profession, and has taught Jeff much of what he knows about dialogue.
Jeff and Laura chat today about what makes great dialogue.
Jeff and J discuss a chapter J is working in. They talk about creating unique voices and making sure those voices match the character's educational and socioeconomic level, developing an emotional flow for a character in a scene, and why dialogue is important to your book.
Recorded in April of 2020, this was Jeff's first-ever dialogue Doctor conversation. Find the video version at DialogueDoctor.com.
In this episode, Jeff is joined by his friend Rachael Mueller. Together they look at scenes from the TV show The Magicians.
Rachael and Jeff discuss the courageous dialogue writing of the series, writing authentic characters, and guarding against insensitivity in your dialogue.
Check out the video feed of the episode at DialogueDoctor.com.
Alicia McCalla is an amazing science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy author who specializes in bringing diverse heroes to underrepresented readers. Alicia let Jeff take a look at her new book Becoming Hero, the first book in the Heroes League Legacy series (both working titles). This Superhero Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Thriller is in the early stages of drafting.
Jeff and Alicia look at the first chapter of her work and discuss: starting a story with a great quote, bringing stories of empowerment to diverse readers, solidifying the voice of a villain, matching a voice to a character's profession, and lot's more.
Alicia's first series, African Elementals, is a dark fantasy series. You can grab a copy on Amazon.
Jeff sets expectations for the podcast by discussing his hopes for the Dialogue Doctor, giving a brief introduction to who he is, and talking about what you can expect each week. Come to DialogueDoctor.com for more information.