The Dialogue Doctor Podcast

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 …

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 …

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 …

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,
• …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Jeff sits down with the Great TJ Klune. They talk about writing powerful and dynamic characters, building character growth arcs, TJ's passion for …

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 …

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:

1. Best story you've engaged …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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.

…

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 …

Jeff and Laura take questions from the community.

In the conversation, they cover:

• building villains,
• citing authors in your novel,
• writing outside …

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Raina Ash. They discuss modulating voices to communicate emotion, using body language, slowing down …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In this episode, Jeff is joined by Three Story Method Editors Thomas Holbrook, Valerie Ihsan, and Catherine Hernandez to talk about ensuring your …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In her first solo episode, Dialogue Doctor Editor Laura Humm talks about boosting the emotional journey in your writing. Using road trip and sports …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the community. Questions include:

1. In a DIY dialogue class, what would some of the “must …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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) …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Sean Paul Murphy joins Jeff to talk about the difference between writing screenplays and writing novels. Bringing a perspective from traditional …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

In this episode, Jeff and Laura tackle several questions together that all revolve around writing and understanding character voice. Topics in this …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In this episode, Laura sits with author Jon Howard. Looking at one of his chapters together, they talk about character voice consistency, identifying …

1. What are you reading and …