

The Dialogue Doctor Podcast
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2025 • 59min
Episode 293 - Writing Child Voices, Making Characters Distinct, & What Makes a Thriller?
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/

Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 10min
Episode 292 - Novel Analysis - My Friends by Fredrik Backman [SPOILERS]
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/

Sep 1, 2025 • 41min
Episode 291 - Aligning Plot and Emotional Climax with John Krause
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/

Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 20min
Episode 290 - Do Not Finish Books & More - A Dialogue Doctor Coaches Call
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/

Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 16min
Episode 289 - "Save the Cat Writes a Novel" - A Joint with JP
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/

Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 31min
Episode 288 - Editing and Understanding Characters at the Scene Level with Laura Humm
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/

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 41min
Episode 287 - Pitching with Pitch Master Lindsey Hughes
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/

Jul 28, 2025 • 59min
Episode 286 - The Artisan Author with Johnny B Truant
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

Jul 21, 2025 • 1h 14min
Episode 285 - Answering All Your Publishing Questions with Emily Barrosse
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/

Jul 14, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 284 - How to Plot a 2nd Book and Build a Series
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/


