In this episode, Jeff sits down with science fiction author LeAnn Robinson. They talk about world building in a way that will hook readers.
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AI Summary of the Conversation
This episode of the Dialogue Doctor podcast features host Jeff Elkins and science fiction author LeAnn Robinson, focusing on character change, world-building, and the technical aspects of writing a compelling opening chapter.
Community and Personal Updates
Jeff opens the episode by promoting the Dialogue Doctor community, which offers bi-weekly Zoom calls, writing prompts, and “Learning from the Masters” articles for as little as $5 a month. He also announces a six-hour “Engineering Emotion” mastermind class for February, designed to teach eight ways to manipulate scene emotion. Jeff briefly shares highlights from a recent trip to New Hope, Pennsylvania, and Lambertville, New Jersey, specifically recommending local bookstores like The Howling Basset.
Author Background and New Project
LeAnn Robinson, who has published a six-book science fiction series and several romance novels, joins Jeff to discuss her latest project—a new science fiction series set in a separate universe. She is currently exploring selling direct to readers and practicing “marketing for introverts”. Her goal for this new series is to ensure each book functions as a standalone while maintaining an overarching series arc.
Craft Insights: Plot vs. Story
The core of the discussion centers on the distinction between plot-oriented and story-oriented writing.
- Episodic vs. Growth-Oriented: Lee Anne notes her instinct is often plot-oriented, influenced by episodic television like Star Trek: The Original Series, where characters rarely grow or change. Jeff contrasts this with characters who have no growth arcs, which he calls “symbolic vehicles” because they represent a specific worldview rather than an evolving emotional journey.
- The Protaganist’s Arc: The new series features Admiral Maurice Whiteall, a leader who prioritizes his command but neglects his own needs, even maintaining an estranged marriage to protect his military career. His growth arc involves learning that self-care is necessary to lead and care for others effectively.
- Pacing the Arc: Jeff advises that while the plot (the “urgent” challenge) should start quickly, a deep emotional growth arc can be introduced more thoughtfully over several chapters to allow the reader to get to know the character first.
Technical Review and World-Building Tips
Jeff provides specific feedback on Lee Anne’s first chapter, offering several tips for enhancing the reader’s experience:
- Refining Prose: Jeff suggests removing the word “and” from the start of sentences to create crisper, less artificial movement in the prose. He also recommends using cinematic paragraph spacing to guide the reader’s imagination through transitions and reflections.
- Establishing Perspectives: When introducing alien races (like the “Benzilians”), the author should include the protagonist’s personal history or emotional reaction to them. This helps position the character within the world’s social hierarchy and addresses themes of prejudice or familiarity.
- Leveraging Real-World Expertise: Lee Anne uses her military background to accurately portray the hierarchy of a fleet, clarifying that an Admiral commands the entire fleet rather than the specific ship they inhabit—a detail often misrepresented in popular sci-fi.
- Atmospheric “Battle Drills”: To avoid relying on tropes, Jeff suggests using physical, sensory changes (like changing projections on a wall or auditory cues) to show the shift from “enemy contact” to “first contact” rather than just stating the mindset has changed.
- Character Micro-Tension: Jeff highlights a moment where a character refers to an alien as a “resident reptile”. He notes that such diminishing statements provide an opportunity for the protagonist to demonstrate their leadership style—either by correcting the behavior in private or by reflecting on the team’s dynamics.
The episode concludes with Jeff praising LeAnn’s ability to weave complex world-building into conversational dialogue and encouraging listeners to check out her work and join the Dialogue Doctor community.