

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

Jul 7, 2025 • 1h 14min
Episode 283 - Time with Tom!
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.

Jun 30, 2025 • 1h 9min
Episode 282 - Writing YA and Leading with Emotion
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/

Jun 23, 2025 • 1h 25min
Episode 281 - Examining Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin
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/

Jun 16, 2025 • 52min
Episode 280 - Adding Emotional Weight with Dennis Kurlas
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

Jun 9, 2025 • 1h 28min
Episode 279 - Jeff and Laura Q&A
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/

Jun 2, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 278 - Story Structure: Plots, Mosaic Plots, and Love Actually
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/

May 26, 2025 • 60min
Episode 277 - Building a Series Through Character Growth
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/

May 19, 2025 • 59min
Episode 276 - Writing Unlikeable Characters
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/

May 14, 2025 • 20min
Bonus Episode - Kickstarter
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

May 12, 2025 • 1h 7min
Episode 275 - Your Sophomore Year of Writing
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/


