The Dialogue Doctor Podcast

This week, Jeff is joined by Pitch Master Lindsey Hughes. Jeff and Lindsey discuss career coaching. Then they dive into pitches sent in by listeners of the podcast. Lindsey gives tips on each pitch and on pitching in general. For more on the craft of writing and publishing, go to dialogueDoctor.com

This week on the podcast, Jeff sits down with romance author Ginny Moore to talk about writing big cast scenes that have strong emotional flow and build tension. For more on the craft of writing, check out dialoguedoctor.com

In this episode, Jeff is joined by author, editor, and former bookstore owner, Tom Holbrook. Jeff and Tom talk about stories they love, stories that are broken, and what they are seeing in their clients' work recently. Tom ends with a plea for writers to find groups of authors they can be supported by. For more on craft and to sign up for the newsletter, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Author Beth Biss to discuss Beth's work in progress. They focus on the emotional experience of Beth's main character in the scene and how the reader's emotional journey matches it. Jeff also compares composing the emotions of a scene to playing music. For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with members of the Dialogue Doctor Community to talk about An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by the father of True Crime and Psychological Horror, Ambrose Bierce. They talk about the mastery of the writing, creating a main character the reader is supposed to dislike, and playing tricks on the reader. For more on the craft of writing, come to DialogueDoctor.com

In this episode, Jeff sits down with authors Christine Daigle, Tom Hollbrook, and JP Rindfleisch IX to talk about their experience at Author Nation.

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Liz Woodiwiss. They look at a Call to Action scene Liz has written and discuss how to make world building more engaging by leading with emotion. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/ To join the community, come to https://www.patreon.com/JeffElkins

In this episode, Jeff breaks down every theory and tool the Dialogue Doctor Team has created about writing. He talks about: Why you should focus on the emotional journey, The different types of vehicle characers, The Dialogue Daisy, How to build a character voice, Understanding your character possiblities, The Story Hypothesis, Building an emotional shape of a story, Understanding your cast through VEAH Dialogue First drafts, Voice Modulation, The 5 different ways to open a scene, Dialogue Tags, And the 10 Magical Dials of Manipulating a Character's emotional journey At the end of the episode, Jeff makes a big announcement. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

Want to write better mystery stories? In this episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins sits down with crime and mystery writer Doug Dorow for a live editing session focused on how to write sidekicks and build a strong detective character arc. They discuss: How to write compelling sidekicks that make your detective shine How sidekicks can reveal your protagonist's strengths, flaws, and growth What makes a great detective arc across a mystery or crime series How to keep character development evolving from book to book If you're crafting a detective series, crime novel, or cozy mystery, this episode will help you create unforgettable character partnerships and deeper emotional arcs that keep readers coming back. 👉 Subscribe for weekly writing tips and editing sessions that make your stories stronger. 👉Check out the DialogueDoctor.com for more on the craft of writing. #WritingTips #MysteryWriting #CrimeFiction #DetectiveSeries #CharacterDevelopment #WritingPodcast #DialogueDoctor

This week, Jeff Elkins is joined by author V.E. Griffth. Together, they examine the climatic fight of V.E.'s action novel. They discuss aligning the final fight with what the character has learned and creating clear emotional lines for the reader. Check out more at https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Becca Syme. Jeff and Becca talk about the state of publishing, howt things have changed, and how writers should see and understand themselves in the market. As conversations with Becca do, they veer into strengths and how writers need to find power in their work. To find Becca's new kickstarter, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beccasyme/dear-writer-you-still-need-to-quit For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by his writing partner, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch the IX. Jeff and JP talk about the book The Hidden Tools of Comedy by Steve Kaplan. They discuss Kaplan's theory of comedy, talk about the comedic equation, and then discuss the 8 tools of comedy. Find Steve Kaplan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Tools-Comedy-Serious-Business/dp/1615931406 Check out JP's work here: https://shop.jprindfleischix.com/ Check out Jeff and JP's Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jprindfleischix/nrds-queer-paranormal-comedy-seasons-1and2-special-editions For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with the amazing author, Laura Goode. Jeff and Laura talk about the art of pitching your work, performative confidence, and he wonderful book "Pitch Craft." To find Laura's book, go to https://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Craft-Writers-Getting-Published/dp/0593837126 For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/ To find Jeff and JP's Kickstarter, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jprindfleischix/nrds-queer-paranormal-comedy-seasons-1and2-special-editions

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Mary Van Everbroeck to work through a short story she's written. They talk about the complexity of writing and "big cast" scene, and creating powerful emotional tension in a scene. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm meets with two of the Dialoggers for an "Office Hour." In this session, Laura and the Dialoggers talk about: Writing distinct character voices Making child characters sound like children And what makes a thriller a thriller. For more on the craft of writing, check out, https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff, Laura, and a few members of the community discuss the book My Friends by Fredrik Backman. [WARNING! SPOILERS] They get into the character arcs, the power of the narrator, nonlinear story telling, and the beauty of Backman's writing. Also, Jeff reveals his super fandom, and Laura and Jeff debate the ending of a character. For more on the craft of writing, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author John Krause to talk about John's work in progress. They look at John's Middle Grade mystry thriller and discuss how to build emotional peaks into the climax of the plot. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff, JP Rindfleisch IX, and Laura Humm (all the Dialogue Doctor Coaches) come together for a COACHES CALL! They discuss why they stop reading books, the best teachings to come out of the Dialogue Doctor, and places they are finding beauty in the world. For more on the craft of writing, or to hire a coach, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff and JP Rindfleisch IX dig into the book Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. They discuss the the major teachings of the book, how the book impacted their early writing, and how they have move away from its teachings over time. Find more on Jessica here: https://www.jessicabrody.com/ Check out JP's work here: https://shop.jprindfleischix.com/ For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Danielle Bonneau to talk about Danielle's work in progress. They focus on an important scene in Danielle's work in progress. After talking about high lighting and other editing tools, they get into the characters emotional flows and wants/needs at the turns in each scene. For more on the craft of writing, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Pitch Master Lindsey Hughes to discuss why pitching is important and how to pitch your work. They then read pitches from the Dialoggers and offered feedback. To find Lindsey's work, go to https://thepitchmaster.com/ For more on the craft of writting, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Johnny B Truant to talk about his new work The Artisan Author. They discuss how he understands himself as an author, how his understanding is shaping his craft, and how he hopes to bring joy back to the indie author world. To learn more about Johnny's work, check out https://johnnybtruant.com/ To see Johnny's Kickstarter, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnnybtruant/the-artisan-author-your-way-out-of-the-self-pub-rat-race

In this episode, Jeff is joined by publishing veteran and founder of Bold Story Press, Emily Barrosse. Emily tackles 7 (plus a few more) questions from listners about publishing. Questions are: Are publishers more likely to accept submissions from agents or do they equally accept direct subs? What's the proportion of submissions accepted via agents vs directly from authors? What timeline can I expect with a traditional publisher (small, mid, or large)? If an author is adamant about not wanting to change their story in any way, should they avoid seeking a traditional publisher and pursue independent publishing instead? What are your thoughts? What is the most important thing to include in an agent Query when writing a memoir? Is the perception that agents only look at current trends true? If I'm writing outside of sales trends (writing the book of my heart) what should I do to get a publisher to see value in my work? In the changing landscape of publishing in general and how traditional publishers are pivoting? How are the Big Trad publishers situating AI within their operations? If someone is considering a hybrid press today, are there any telltale clues that we can use to separate out the legit small publishing houses from those that are out to scam authors? To contact Emily or find out how to work with her, go to https://www.boldstorypress.com/ For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Dixie Williams. Dixie has finished her first novel and would like to write a second about one of the side characters. She and Jeff plot out the novel based on how the characters might grow and look at what a series might look like. For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by Tom Holbrook (author, editor, coach, and former bookstore owner). They discuss story and what they are seeing as editors.

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Ted Atchley to look at a scene from his work in progress. They discuss character voices, writing YA, and leading scenes with emotion. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff meets up with three of the members of the Dialogue Doctor Community to dissect and learn from the short story Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Dennis Kurlas to talk about his work in progress. They discuss the options you have when your novel is almost finished and you are tweaking it. Specifically, they discuss how to add emotional weight to scenes. For more on the craft of writing, check out DialogueDoctor.com

In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the community. Questions include: Where is the sweet spot between frustrating the reader by having the characters either over-explain or under-explain how their world works? Do you have any advice on how to write movement without using the words directly associated with the action? For example, the phrase "The leaves rustled about him." Can this phrase serve as a substitute for he turned, he spun, he twirled, or even he levitated? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can use phrases creatively to signal different types of movement to readers. When querying agents whom you've already pitched to at a conference, what do i include, since they already want to see it. i know you told me some things, but still aren't 100%. thank you! What's one thing you can do while drafting that will make editing easier for yourself or a hired editor? How do I know if my story is working? How do I write toward the emotional payoff and set up a solid ending to the story without making the story predictable? Are there any differences between demonstrating character growth in inner dialog, character dialog vocalization, and actions / choices? Are there situations that stand out where one is better than the other? How can I know how much to trust my reader to "get it?" Where is the balance between telling them too much and creating nuance and mystery in my story? How do I push past competent writing to create something memorable? How do I know if my writing is any good? When is it time to stop revising? For more on the craft of writing or to join the community, come to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff teaches the Dialoggers about plot structure. Together they work through plot styles for single vehicle and multi vehicle stories. Then they discuss the story Love Actually and examine how a Mosaic Plot style works. For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Holly Lyne to talk about her series in progress. Jeff and Holly revive her excitement for the series and discover the plot of the series by analyzing the character growth arcs. 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 Emma-Jane Heaton to discuss the story Emma-Jane is working on. They talk about writing characters the reader may not like, how characters grow, what the emotional journey looks like, and Emma-Jane's story hypothesis. Go and check out JP's Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jprindfleischix/mosswood-apothecary-cozy-queer-fantasy-collectors-edition For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this bonus episode, JP Rindfleisch IX talks about his ongoing successful Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jprindfleischix/mosswood-apothecary-cozy-queer-fantasy-collectors-edition

In this episode, Jeff interviews Angela Haas and Cassie Newell from The Author Next Door podcast. Jeff, Angela, and Cassie discuss the life of an author and how it changes as you grow and mature. They talk about Cassie and Angela's new adventures into romance and their new podcast. To learn more about what Cassie and Angela are doing, check out https://theauthornextdoor.com/ For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm explains how voices should change with a character's age. She talks about how children should sound vs how teens should sound vs how adults should sound. She goes deep into how to structure character voices. For more on the craft of writing, check out DialogueDoctor.com

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX helps Jeff figure scenes to the screenplay he is writing using Tarot. Jeff and JP talk plot and emotional moves and characterization. ' For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by sales expert Rob Jolles. Rob schools Jeff on what selling is, how to convince people, and why selling is critical to being an author. To find Rob online and work with him, check out https://jolles.com/ For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Jenny Wilson to talk about Jenny's work in progress. They dive into Jenny's protagonist, discuss how to humanize her, look at her character growth arc, and discuss character voice modulation. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by Tom Holbrook for another TIME WITH TOM. In this episode, they discuss Tom's transition out of bookstore ownership, what they've been reading and what they are learning from it, what issues their clients are facing, and what they are working on. To find Tom and work with him, go to: https://holbrookauthorservices.com/ For more on the craft of writing, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Author Don Elliot to talk about his epic fantasy series. They look at Don's opening scene and talk about how adding perspective increases the emotional impact of the scene. They also discuss how to plot a long series by starting with character growth. To find Don't work, check out https://donelliott.us/ For more on the craft of writing, go to: https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this Joint with JP, Jeff and JP examine Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. They discuss Ray Bradbury's writing challenge, why someone should write, the role of plot in a story, and other nuggets from the book. For more on the craft of dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with four authors for an "office hour." Office hours are times when members from the community come to ask a coach any questions they are struggling with. In this office hour, JP covers: --what are the most important rules to follow? --how do you edit a scene that is too long down to a digestible size? --what do you do when a conversation in a scene is going too long? --where do you come up with categories for a plot? --how do you introduce a character who will be in multiple books? And more. For JP's work, check out https://shop.jprindfleischix.com/ For more on the craft of writing or to hire JP as a coach, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff and Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm take questions from the community. They discuss how to manage beta readers, how to find the right developmental editor, what do you need to disclose to an editor about AI, large groups of people talking, and plotting long series. For more on the craft of writing, check out DialogueDoctor.com

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Scott Veatch to talk about his work in process. They dig deep into one of Scott's scenes to talk about maintaining the emotional impact of the scene, using emotion to communicate dialogue, maintaining consistency in inner thought, and more. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, 8 members of the dialogue doctor community sent in pitches of their work. Jeff sits down with Lindsey Hughes to discuss the goods and bads of each pitch. Whether you are pitching your book to an agent, your screenplay, or your book to amazon, the lessons in this episode will be helpful. To find Lindsey and her work, check out https://thepitchmaster.com/ 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 Lisa Bonneau to talk over her plot. They use tarot cards to work out the various plot beats. T o work with JP or to learn more about the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author WV Rarick to look at WV's work in progress. They discuss when you should reveal how your character looks, using dialogue tags to change emotional context of an exchange, when to add prose to clarify emotions, and making sure your character growth arcs are clean and easy for the reader to follow. For more on the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, the Godfather of the Dialogue Doctor Podcast, J Thorn returns to talk about a new AI tool he has created. Using multiple AI Engines J talks about how he analyzes manuscripts. In the process of discussing his new tool, J and Jeff speculate on the state of the market and on the future of book-selling and AI. To find J's tool, check out https://www.fiverr.com/jthornwriter/critique-your-manuscript-with-ai-and-expertise

In this special episode, the coaches handle topics raised by the Dialoggers. After catching up on their work, the coaches discuss branding, social media, and organizing complex tasks. To work with one of our coaches, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/coaching/

In this episode, Laura Humm and author Mary Van Everboeck talk about Mary's work. They discuss what Mary is hoping for from her work, how she has evolved as a part of the Dialogue Doctor community, combining thrillers and literary fiction, how to lay out a story, and more. If you want to join the Dialogue Doctor Community, or want to learn more about the craft of writing, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/